Stone Cross (Arliss Cutter Series #2)

by Marc Cameron

Overview

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, former US Marshall, Alaskan resident and the author of the latest Tom Clancy Jack Ryan novels, Marc Cameron thrills readers with the second installment in his acclaimed Arliss Cutter series. Heroes for our time, Arliss and Lola are assigned to protect an uncooperative federal judge when he travels to Stone Cross, a remote and road-less Native village in western Alaska.

Deputy US Marshal Arliss Cutter (still carrying his grandfather's Colt Python revolver) and deputy Lola Teariki are assigned to protect an uncooperative federal judge when he travels to Stone Cross, a remote and road-less Native village in western Alaska. The judge has received death threats but refuses protection. Cutter and Lola travel under the guise of working a fugitive case—though their real mission is to keep an eye on the judge.
Winter comes early to this part of Alaska, and though it still seems like fall in Anchorage, the rivers around Stone Cross are already beginning to slush, making travel by boat impossible.It is the season for hunting caribou and moose, major sources of winter food for the people in this region.
Gun, blades, and blood are everywhere...
The night before Cutter and Lola fly in, a young couple who are caretakers at a remote fishing lodge eight miles upriver from the village, are abducted and the handy man is murdered. The body, along with a mysterious design drawn on the ground in blood, are discovered shortly after Cutter and Lola arrive in Stone Cross. A heavy fog rolls in, leaving the village and the fishing lodge cut off until the fog lifts and/or the river freezes solid enough for travel. Alaska State Troopers are unable to travel in, and no one can travel out.
Cutter and Lola must find out who is sending death threats to the judge, and save the missing couple from a man who has already demonstrated that he's not afraid to kill.Cutter's job would be difficult enough as the grip of winter settles over this wild place, but everyone in the village is hiding secrets.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786042715
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	12/01/2020
Series:	Arliss Cutter Series , #2
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	101,624
Product dimensions:	4.70(w) x 6.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

A native of Texas, Marc Cameron has spent over twenty-nine years in law enforcement. His assignments have taken him from rural Alaska to Manhattan, from Canada to Mexico and points in between. A second degree black belt in jujitsu, he often teaches defensive tactics to other law enforcement agencies and civilian groups. Cameron presently lives in Alaska with his wife and his BMW motorcycle.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Stone Cross

"All this gives the story a nail-biting quality on top of great characterization, a gripping plot, and clean, vivid writing...If you want to know what life is like in a remote village in the Alaska bush, read this novel." —New York Journal of Books

"Cameron's story-telling is top-notch...If you want to read an exciting mystery, with elements of a thriller, and a hero reminiscent of classic Westerns, Stone Cross is a sure thing." —Criminal Element

Praise for Marc Cameron’s Arliss Cutter Novels
 
"Great storytellers aren’t made. They’re born. It’s in their DNA. And Marc Cameron is one of the great ones. Cameron’s novels hook you from the first line, cement your eyes to the page, and grip your heart in a vice. His characters are raw and real, their complexity shaped by Cameron’s deep understanding of human frailty. His plot lines are so cleverly twisted you never see the switchbacks coming. Honest to God, I can’t think of another writer whose work I admire more." —William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of This Tender Land

“Looking for authentic action, suspense, drama, and mystery? Look no further than U.S. Marshals Service veteran Marc Cameron whose thrillers capture the visceral nature of life in the trenches as only one who has lived it truly can. Strap in and enjoy the ride!” —Jack Carr, 1 New York Times bestselling author and former Navy SEAL Sniper

"A double-barreled blast of action, narrative, and impossible-to-fake authenticity with a great sense of place and a terrific protagonist.” —C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author
 
“Cameron’s books are riveting page-turners.” —Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Every single book in the riveting, best-selling Arliss Cutter series is simply impossible to put down—or out of mind! And Breakneck is no different. It’s one hell of a book. Sharply drawn characters, intense action scenes, and a captivating narrative result in a white-knuckle thrill ride. Marc Cameron has earned his spot in the front ranks of thriller writers.” —Simon Gervais, former RCMP counterterrorism officer and bestselling author of The Last Protector
 
“Cameron, who has nearly three decades in law enforcement and a stint as a U.S. Marshal, keeps all these plot points delicately balanced and the same time creates sympathetic heroes, depraved villains, and nail-biting action. Readers will eagerly await his next.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW on Open Carry
 
“Riveting…Cameron puts the reader in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. They feel the wind at their face, and the bitter cold from the downpour of snow. Animals also become a factor with wolves and an 800-pound grizzly bear trying to get their next meal. There is no means of communication, few supplies, and prisoners who want nothing more than to kill Cutter.  He must use all his skills to protect himself and others found in the wilderness. The plot and characters are enthralling.” —Military Press on Cold Snap

“Spectacular on all fronts…The action is fast-paced and will have you glued to each page. The way the author describes the austere and beautiful Alaskan landscape makes you feel like you're really there. The protagonist is captivating and the supporting characters each carry the story in their own ways. But perhaps the greatest feather in the cap of this novel is the emotional depth, which brings a rare degree of realness to the novel…Marshall Cutter is everything you'd want in a U.S. Army Ranger-turned-law-enforcement-officer. He's stoic like the star of a Western film, he's crafty like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, and he always takes the most practical route in stopping criminals…I can honestly say that this novel was one of the best I've read in a good long while and it will keep you hooked—page by page, chapter by chapter.” —We Are The Mighty on Open Carry
 
“Set in the vast Alaskan landscape where a small village attempts to keep its dark secrets hidden, Marc Cameron’s Open Carry reads like a cross between Lee Child’s The Killing Floor and C.J. Box’s Blood Trail…and is perfect for fans of both those series.” —The Real Book Spy
 
“Cameron effectively combines investigation and straight-ahead action, and he has fashioned a compelling, never-give-an-inch hero who will appeal to Jack Reacher fans. Jump in now for what looks to be a series that thriller fans will follow closely.” —Booklist on Open Carry
 
“Intricate, multilayered…Cameron populates his suspenseful tale, which builds to a satisfying, if violent, conclusion, with fully realized characters, each with their own believable backstory. His understanding of the ins and outs of small Alaskan communities makes for a rich sense of time and place. Readers can only hope they won’t have long to wait for Cutter’s third outing.” —Publishers Weekly on Stone Cross

“The diverse viewpoints add dimension as well as suspense, resulting in a solid crime novel involving wilderness adventure...Marc Cameron’s new book is terrific.” —New York Journal of Books on Open Carry
 
“If you want to read an exciting mystery, with elements of a thriller, and a hero reminiscent of classic Westerns, Stone Cross is a sure thing. I could smell the paint-thinner.” —Criminal Element
 
“A nail-biting quality on top of great characterization, a gripping plot, and clean, vivid writing.” —The New York Journal of Books on Stone Cross
 
“Cameron draws on his own service as a deputy federal marshal in Alaska...he does a good job balancing the multiple plotlines as well as characterization and action.” —Publishers Weekly on Bone Rattle

“Cameron piles on the complications in the thrilling finale, played out in a remote wilderness setting, with an icy storm on the horizon and a hungry 800-pound grizzly looking for his next meal. Well-developed characters complement the nonstop action. Cameron viscerally conveys Alaska’s austere beauty as well as its unexpected dangers.” —Publishers Weekly on Cold Snap

From the Publisher

02/03/2020

Bestseller Cameron’s intricate, multilayered sequel to 2019’s Open Carry finds Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter and Lola Teariki, his partner on the Alaska Fugitive Task Force, reluctantly escorting a federal judge, who has received a death threat, to the rural village of Stone Cross for the judge’s protection. What should have been a routine, if not easy, assignment takes a chilling turn when they learn at Stone Cross that a local couple have gone missing and their handyman murdered. Cut off from any immediate help due to inclement weather, Cutter and Lola must either brave freezing snow and ice to go after a killer and probable kidnapper or stay warm in the small town and ensure the judge’s safety. Cameron populates his suspenseful tale, which builds to a satisfying, if violent, conclusion, with fully realized characters, each with their own believable backstory. His understanding of the ins and outs of small Alaskan communities makes for a rich sense of time and place. Readers can only hope they won’t have long to wait for Cutter’s third outing. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly