Ochoco Reach: An Ironwood Novel by Jim Stewart

Take one freelance investigator named Mike Ironwood. Add his faithful dog, a Catahoula leopard dog named Bucket. Toss in one strong-willed woman, red-haired Willimina (“Call me Willy”) Hayes, owner of the H-Bar-H ranch, where some items have gone missing. Or were they just moved? Into the tasty mix toss Ironwood’s Nez Perce half-brother, an ex-SEAL.

Simmer the action in Ironwood’s houseboat on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, before moving the soft-boiled story to Central Oregon’s Ochoco Mountains. Stir in several chase scenes across Mexico. Spice things up with a DEA bad guy and the Mexican cartel. Sprinkle in dark nights on the high desert, along with a dash of sexual tension and fun banter between siblings. Read until done.