The River Runs Black

 

The River Runs Black by Tessa Wegert
10/6/26; 288 pages
Severn House
North Country #2

The River Runs Black by Tessa Wegert is a highly recommended police procedural/thriller set in New York’s Thousand Islands area. This is the second book in the North Country series following In the Bones, but it can be read as a standalone novel.

Bobby, 16, and her mother Valerie Ott, a NY State criminal investigator, are attending the Punkin' Chunkin' event by the St. Lawrence River in Clayton. It should be a fun day but the talk of the town is about the overdose of local teen Drew Fielding. Then the two see a shoeless young woman in a bikini walking down the street looking beaten up and like a zombie. When Valerie offers to help, telling her she is a police officer, the young woman runs. 

Three days earlier the team, New York State’s criminal investigators Tim Wellington, Shana Merchant, Jeremy Solomon and Valerie, had just celebrated a huge drug bust, but clearly the drug problem is still ongoing in the small town of Alexandria Bay. The drug involved in the smuggling operation is cocaine. Valerie is in a relationship with Raymond Stoll and it is revealed to readers that he is hiding something from her. Then Bruce Milton, the new Jefferson County Sheriff threatens to blackmail him with the information Raymond wants to hide. Maureen McIntyre (Mac) the previous sheriff knows Bruce is a fraud and liar. Then Bobby disappears, kidnapped, and the search is on.

Clearly, there is a whole lot going on in this well-written procedural, which features an involved investigation, atmospheric setting, and a large cast of characters to follow. While in the middle of the investigation the pace does even out for a time, but there is also a plethora of information being uncovered during this time. The narrative is told through multiple points-of-view as several different inquiries are followed in the investigation. The setting in the Thousand Island area plays an important role in the plot. 

The cast of characters is large, which can be initially off-putting, but they do sort themselves out as individuals while you are reading. This is, perhaps, the one thing that would make The River Runs Black more challenging to read as a standalone since  being acquainted with the characters from previous novels can help. Bobby's safety after her kidnapping kept me personally glued to the pages and interested in the investigation.

There are little clues dropped along the way, plenty of secrets, as well as suspicious characters which all work together to keep both your interest and the suspense high. Expect plenty of twists and surprises at the end. I thought I had most of the plot figured out but there was one twist which surprised me and some information that could become very important in a future novel. 

The River Runs Black is a great choice for those who enjoy police procedurals and everyone already following the series. Thanks to Severn House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.