HOLDING LIES: A FLY-FISHING MYSTERY

HOLDING LIES: A FLY-FISHING MYSTERY In Holding Lies, John Larison takes us deep into a thriving subculture of the Northwest, one born of the ferns and firs, rain and hotsprings, firebombs and whitewater. He takes us even deeper into the troubles of Hank Hazelton, a fiftynineyearold river guide, as he struggles to reconnect with his only daughter after a fourteenyear estrangement. His failure as a father haunts him, along with other deep regrets, tragedies, and longings.In the days before his daughters arrival, Hank discovers a drift boat stranded below a rapid, empty except for a long smear of blood on its seat. Search and Rescue fails to discover the owner, and within days the sheriff has begun a murder investigation, which, to Hank, appears to be more about old grudges than objective evidence. When Hank himself becomes a suspect, he begins his own searchone that will lead him deep into the violent past of his home valley.In this novel about fathers and daughters, friends and mentors, and sins ancient and repeated, Larison illuminates our commitments to those whove come before and those who will come after. Holding Lies is a taut, bighearted novel. It brings to life a tapestry of community sustained by the river, with the steelhead at its core. Steeped in the ecology of place and peopled with unforgettable characters, Larison creates a world we will want to return to again and again.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:John Larison is a river steward for the Native Fish Society and teaches at Oregon State University. His first novel, Northwest of Normal, was heralded by the Denver Post as a "first rate addition to the novels of the West." His articles regularly appear in Fly Fisherman, Fly Rod and Reel, Grays Sporting Journal, and other publications. Holding Lies is his third book and his second novel. He lives with his wife Ellie Rose and their daughters in Oregons Willamette Valley in Corvallis. ISBN: 1-61608-255-0 publish date: 07/31/2011

Brooke's Pick:
While my own life has fortunately not been witness to this kind of "edge of the seat" drama, I definitely relate to the interconnectedness of Larison's characters in HOLDING LIES.  And, having just in the last two years experienced both the sustained focus needed for steelhead fishing, as well as the thrill of landing these spectacular fish, it is clear that Larison knows steelhead.  An easy and entertaining read for blustery winter days- Larison is a fantastic writer to boot.  That's good reading, folks!