River of No Return: A Jake Trent Novel

David Riley Bertsch

Jan 2015 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

A Wyoming fishing guide must return to his investigative roots to find his best friend’s girlfriend in this “nonstop adventure and suspenseful page-turner that leaves the reader breathless” (Library Journal, starred review).

High season is coming to an end when Jake Trent, “a fishing guide with a shadowy past, is lured into an explosive situation” (Kirkus Reviews). As the ex-lawyer ponders rekindling his romance with park ranger Noelle Kimpton, a surprise call from a long-lost love throws his life into disarray. It’s been years since Jake last saw Divya Navaysam at their law school graduation. Now a DC lobbyist, Divya wants Jake to come to Washington for a consulting job. He books a ticket, wondering what she is keeping from him.

Meanwhile, back in Jackson, Jake’s best friend and occasional employee, J.P., is nursing his own romantic wounds. J.P. has fallen head over heels for Esma, but after a perfect summer together, she has returned to her native Mexico—and before long she drops off the grid completely. Has something terrible happened to her? When local police offer little help, a distraught J.P. turns to Jake. Jake must find Esma and manage a heated relationship with his ex-flame in order to solve the crisis.

David Riley Bertch’s second installment in the Jake Trent series is a rollicking thriller—with a twisting plotline involving immigration, overpopulation, dirty politicians, and international intrigue. This wide-ranging novel is a “vivid…breezy read” (Associated Press) with “a cast of characters to rival any political crime drama on television today” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Ratings and reviews

This is the first book I have read with this character. I'll go back and read the first book while I am waiting on the next one to come out. There are a few interesting story lines here. At first they seem a little far fetched for this backwoods type tale but they come together so well. All the characters are so deep that you can even smell the dog when he is being discussed. The background of Jake is touched on a little in this one. Not having read the first book didn't hurt my reading experience and Jake seems like he needs some mystery anyway. I like the fallibility in Jake as well. Not everything he does is perfect and precise. He makes mistakes, he's rusty and out of practice. He's also not a killing machine like so many other ex-military/now retired characters that are written about today. Coupling the story with serene backdrops and peaceful settings brings a level of humanity to this story that helps connect the reader.

About the author

David Riley Bertsch, a native of Pittsburgh, graduated from Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Since 2009 he has lived in Jackson, Wyoming, where he is a professional fly-fishing guide. He is the author of Death Canyon and River of No Return.