Stag

by Dane Bahr

To stop a serial killer terrorizing the hills of rural Washington state, retired sheriff Amos Fielding must re-enter a world he’s tried desperately to escape

It’s 1989 and Amos Fielding, one time sheriff of Oscar, Iowa, is in his early seventies and grieving the recent loss of his wife, Sara. He packs up his few belongings and heads to a ranch in the far northwest corner of Washington state. A destination he justifies by its distance from Oscar and from his years as a sheriff and a life spent witnessing the evil that men do. Eager to escape these painful reminders, Fielding throws himself into the daily chores of a gentleman rancher. But there is evil afoot, as dark as any he faced in Oscar.

A cold blooded, amoral psychopath has been stalking troubled young women in the surrounding woods, staging elaborate scenes of his crimes. The local sheriff has turned a blind eye to the cases. In fact, the only law enforcement agents genuinely concerned about justice are Dee Batey (a recovering alcoholic and former detective turned wildlife officer) and Philip Wilson (an overly ambitious and weirdly obsessed young Seattle FBI agent). It is Batey and Fielding's growing friendship that provides the lure that will pull Fielding back into the world he so desperately wants to escape—hunting a killer who is more predator than prey.

Genres: Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Crime

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2024

About the author

Dane Bahr was born in Minnesota. He lives in Washington state with his wife and sons. He is the author of The Houseboat.

Reviews

[quinn laviolette ᵕ̈]

there are no quotation marks and i physically cannot handle that

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only thing this book had going for it was Fielding’s relationship with his horse. The actual cult/killer? Boring. I hated the writing style. It was full of run on sentences, and the lack of quotation marks drove me crazy. Fielding’s “voice” of a retired country hick sheriff did the character no favors, and he appeared incredibly dumb (not knowing about DNA and drugs? Come on). Also, THIS IS SET IN SEATTLE. Why would a deputy include a retired Midwest sheriff and a guy from Fish and Wildlife in the investigation? It didn’t make sense, nor did most of their actions - not using gloves, removing evidence, not calling the police or special agent in when they discovered things. And why would the deputy take them to the house he had already been to, find the girl’s shoe, AND THEN NOT CHECK THE CELLAR AGAIN? The characters are bumbling in a really terrible way. I do not recommend this book.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for a dark horse novel? Look no further. Stag is a crime fiction novel that somehow wove together a ritualistic serial killer, lessons in grief and loss, and philosophical musing on the meaning of life. I simply could not put this one down.

The writing style of Bahr is so unique it's almost hard to describe. I like a plot driven novel, and this one never strayed from the plot, but at the same time never felt completely focused on it. Kind of like looking just to the side of the sun in a sunset, so you don't burn your eyes. I marked so many pages in this book because of the profound reflections on life presented by the characters. They were always slipped in so casually but hit like a gut punch.

I fear I am not doing this book justice, but just know that it is special. This is a read-between-the-lines type of book. I really liked this one, I will be thinking about it for a long time to come.

I received a free copy of Stag from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Celine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! I think it's a book that would have actually existed IN the 80s. Nostalgic, atmospheric and something to sip at, like a glass of whiskey.
I'd recommend this for anyone who likes the slow burn of a Tana French novel, as well as for fans of Twin Peaks.

[Jim Thomsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talent tangled in its own shoelaces

Dane Bahr has talent. But his pretensions get in the way of his talent at every turn. Beneath the cheap aluminum siding of MFA workshop prose, this is a story trapped in tropes and choked by cliches and topped of by tiresome manly-man tome-out-of-time stoicism (insane megalomaniacal serial killer, overtalkative serial killer, conveniently timed heroics). Strip away the mannerisms and it’s basically a James Patterson potboiler. Bahr is better than this. If only he allowed himself to be.

[Jessica Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t get how this book made it past any editors. The run on sentences are littered terribly throughout the book. And and and and and. Starting a new sentence or using a comma is okay to do. Also quotation marks aren’t bad.

[Jeanette]

No rating. Good writer but this started and continues too violent and insane for me to want to read the entire. Beyond that horror the prime protagonist is super sad repressive. Not for me.

[Laura McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay… first off, this book had ZERO quotation marks. It made it pretty difficult to decipher if someone was talking or if it was just the narration of the book😅 I almost gave up around 1/3 of the way in but it stared to pick up. It ended up being pretty thrilling in the end. Sooooo much talk and time spent on the horses that seemed unnecessary 😅😅😅 would I recommend it? I’m not sure. Am I mad I read it?…. Not really? 😂

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It was interesting enough to keep me reading but I really didn't enjoy any of the characters. Something was just missing that prevented getting fully pulled into the story. I could have used more background on the criminal enterprise too. The story didn't feel complete.

[Lexi Denee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was super creepy and dark and I absolutely devoured it. Pitched for fans of Ozark and True Detective - I absolutely agree. I also got Mindhunter vibes from Agent Wilson in the best way possible.

Stag is definitely not for the faint of heart but if you are a fan of true crime and procedurals - you will really enjoy this one. The thriller and suspense elements ramped this one up a lot and for coming off of a recent reading slump - I crushed through this one in two days.

The writing / formatting took a bit for me to get into and is the reason for the missing star. Dialogue sometimes ran together and once I got into the flow I enjoyed the reading - but it did take me a second to adjust. I was really impressed with the depth of Bahr’s characters and will be keeping an eye out for more from this author in the future! I would 100% read another book following Fielding and Batey.

Check this one out if you like thrillers, suspense, creepy a$$ murderers, and deer!

**Thank you to Counterpoint Press for the gifted copy of this book!**

[Cafelatte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get past the prologue to be honest, the writing is just not engaging. No use of quotations to indicate dialogue, "he did this and he picked up this and he put down this and he went to this place and looked up" how many ands can you add?? Maybe I'm being harsh but this is just not my vibe off of the writing style alone. May go back and read more but from first impressions it's just not engaging.

[Johnn Hopkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story.
But the lack of quotation marks and the run-on sentences made it hard to read at points.

[Philip Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stunning writing, spare but evocative, with a horrible subject, ritualistic murder of young women, that makes for very uncomfortable passages. The good guys are very good, and there's some nice horse humour. Mr Bahr has a previous mystery, called The Houseboat, available. I hope he keeps his writing style.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free book giveaway.
Nice mystery/thriller.

[SuzyQ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lack of quotation marks! His style of writing, including the numerous metaphors, took a while to get used to, as well as the country style "yeh". A good mystery usually sucks me in and this one kept me strung along well enough, but there lacked some character development, there was an abundance of forensic bumbling (surprising from a retired lawman) and I found the serial killer ANNOYING!!!! I can usually cringe and get past the forensic feaux pas, but I needed some more character background here.

It was a fast, easy read, although a bit too quickly concluded and with a very tidy ending. Too tidy and perfect? I do wonder if Fielding will get tangled up in a other dark adventure? I think I would pick up a second Fielding adventure.

[Dan Petrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crime fiction classic. Bahr is a tremendous wordsmith. Ignore those who say the lack of quotation marks is an issue. It's not.

[Karen Cullings · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Couldn’t engage with the book. Found the “accent” was distracting rather than convincing, dialog was hard to follow properly. Spare dialog but overworked concepts, like how reluctant main character is to be drawn into the investigation. Just lost patience with it, but suspect I am wrong audience for this book.

[Larissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, many have sang its praise. I made it 8 chapters in and called it quits. The entire story up to this point seems to be the main character talking to his horses. That combined with no quotation marks at all makes it a no for me.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stag by Dave Bahr is an engaging enough novel, though it falls short of being exceptional. The premise intrigued me initially: a suspense-filled adventure with elements of mystery and drama that promised an exciting journey. While it wasn’t a terrible read by any means, there were moments where the story seemed a bit predictable and lacked the depth that would have made it truly memorable.

The plot has its moments, with some interesting twists and a fairly decent buildup of tension. The main character's journey and struggles offer a sense of investment, but as the story progressed, I found that the direction it took was somewhat foreseeable. The lack of significant surprises left me feeling detached at times, as I could predict most of the key moments before they unfolded.

One of the major disappointments, however, was the pacing toward the end. The conclusion felt rushed, as if the author was eager to tie up loose ends without fully allowing the events to breathe. This abrupt finish made it difficult to fully appreciate the culmination of the plot. The resolution seemed hurried, leaving the impact of the climax feeling flat rather than satisfying.

Overall, Stag is a decent read that could have benefited from deeper character development and a more balanced pacing throughout. While I was somewhat interested in the plot and appreciated the effort, the predictability and rushed ending prevented it from leaving a lasting impression.

[BEAU BOOKS · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Yeah, Batey said. But the devil's got his horns in this mess too. And this isn't something we can outrun.
No it ain't, Fielding said. Only way this ends is if the devil loses.”

Why would I need to know in how many squares a guy is folding a piece of paper? Oh, to distract me from the darkest fucking thing in the world that could happen a few sentences later. Bahr likes to snap his fingers next to your right ear, “pay attention” he says, so he can give you a chilly wet willy with the other hand in your left. Except, he wouldn’t use quotation marks, which ended up being the reason for 90% of the 2star and below reviews. Amateurs. “Stag” thrived on a simplistic and ultra-dark story concept, satisfying pacing, and abrupt execution.

The hyper-masculine tone that regularly twines around this flavor of crime novel was a heavy and somewhat tiring presence that the author may have intended to cut with the soft, septuagenarian pondering of a retired sheriff turned lazy cowpoke. I’m sure the masculinity foils were intended, but, like most crime novels, women were ill-represented and only made useful for male character development.

3/5 At times the whole Cormac McCarthy-Cohen Brothers-True Detective circlejerk was derivative but if it’s an atmospheric, gritty noir-thriller on the lid…I’m gonna read it.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 stars

"My point in tellin all this is that there are some things you can't unsee."

I picked this one up randomly from the "new books" display at the library. The cover intrigued me, as did the description of a crime thriller set in WA state. The "no quotation marks" thing doesn't bother me that much, and there was a lot to like about the writing style in general. However, the story kind of went sideways for me. There were some chilling scenes with our killer (though I had to skip over some of the more graphic scenes involving rape), but at times I felt he was more annoying than scary. I liked our main characters, Fielding and Batey (as well as Batey's wife Coraline), but Wilson was just sort of there. The "corrupt Sheriff" character was almost comically obvious, and his involvement in the plot didn't get explained very well. Why was he working with Noon, and what did he gain from it? And what the heck was up with that ending?

Now that I think about it, the title of this book didn't have much to do with the plot. While Noon wears an antlered mask, it never came up enough to make much of an impact. It is only mentioned specifically a couple of times. So I'm not sure if there were supposed to be deeper themes behind the title or not.

[Permanently_Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you counterpointpress for the gifted copy of Dane Bahr's latest! Stag is a twisted blend of mystery, suspense and thriller. His slow burn country noir style is addictive and hits the ground running from opening scene to final sentence. 

▪️Ritual Killings
▪️Serial Killer
▪️Mental Disorders
▪️Dark & Disturbing

I liked how the format is uniquely setup in this novel but it takes a little getting used to the flow and the dialogue elements. The character depth is masterfully done with topics that focus on loss, addiction, procedural aspects and even horses. The disturbing killings can be hard for some to read, especially the drug trafficking moment. However, I was engrossed and that says a lot for a reader who isn't really into this genre often.

Houseboat was my first introduction to this author's writing and I hope he continues to dive into the darker aspects of the crime genre. Both novels were sinisterly atmospheric and worth the journey.

If you love a good suspenseful crime mystery, you'll want to check this author out!

[Nathan Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed the dark writing in this thriller. It creeped me out . . . in a good way. I particularly appreciated the chapter where you meet Eunice; it was far from being the darkest part of the book but sent chills down my spine. Note to author: give me more writing that controls my emotions like that. The story was entertaining. I was hooked from start to finish.

I look forward to seeing what else this author puts out in the future. I gave this one four stars and not five because there are books that I enjoy and books that absolutely captivate me. This one lacked a bit in development. I'd like to see the author do more than entertain me with an interesting story.

The book doesn't use quotation marks which is not an artistic choice I would ever appreciate. I got used to the author's style, but there's never an acceptable reason for choosing not to include quotation marks.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1989, 73 year old former sheriff Amos Fielding bought a small ranch in Washington State because Iowa reminded him too much of his late wife Sara. He helps Philip Wilson - a driven FBI agent - and Dee Batey, a fish and wildlife officer who are hunting a serial killer.

This book was not what I was expecting. The author did not use quotation marks for conversations. To be frank, I didn't like the style of writing at all. The serial killer was weird. I very much liked the references to 1989 -- Madonna, TV shows Dallas and Dynasty -- because I remember all that. I liked Tito the heeler who was a good companion to Fielding. But the book was so hard for me to follow that I couldn't enjoy it.

[Lauren Galinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Her blood was black as tar in the light and the last of it fell forth in a diminishing rill down the skin of her sternum to die out in the valley of her breasts…”

Something really spoke to me about the way this book was composed. The characters, the atmosphere, the pacing. I didn’t want it to end. The chapters were also nice and short and the way the dialogue was written (there were no quotation marks) I actually felt like the speaking parts flowed smoother than they normally would and I could really focus on the characters’ conversation and speech. This was just such a unique read and not my normal sort of cup of tea. But it works!

[Roreo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally no. It was an alright quick read. Kept my mind distracted. NO QUOTATION MARKS… what is that im so sorry but no. Also the red herring would have been a better ending. What criminal uses their actual name?Not an alias?? Wild!!! It had so much potential despite seeming unedited?? I actually had a theory that if i added quotation marks around random words and keeping it a theme and then revealing he was a mental patient and thats was the reality his mind built and all the quotations were his ramblings…

[Joah Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very reminiscent of No Country for Old Men or, as many other reviewers have stated, Cormac McCarthy. You cannot breeze through this book but you don’t want to; it’s beautifully written even with grotesque subject matter. You can clearly envision every scene in this book, for better or for worse. While I don’t know that I need to read it again, it was very impressive and I’ll recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys the horror/thriller genre. It’s one I’ll think about for a long time. Thank you to counterpress for the copy to review.

[Drew McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

No sophomore slump here, Bahr crushes it with his second book, STAG. We've seen a lot of this before. 8MM, SE7EN, TRUE DETECTIVE, maybe MINDHUNTER, and of course, anything by Thomas Harris, so there wasn't new ground being broke but what Bahr did that did break new ground, what I wish more thriller, mystery writers would do is: care about the prose. Care about the characters. STAG is written with pitch perfect prose, and with such a careful love for language, and real empathy for the characters. Come for the story, for the serial killer, for the horror, but stay for the impressive display of an amazing writer at work. Dane Bahr, man, I'll follow you anywhere as you keep getting better with each book. I really enjoyed Bahr's first novel, HOUSEBOAT but STAG is impressive.

[Emerick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad, but it was very cliched and overly simplistic. Many times, the first clues the protagonists ran across ended up being exactly what they needed to find. Things just fell into place too easily. The book doesn't use quotation marks at all, but that didn't bother me in the least and it was always fairly easy to differentiate between speech and prose. Overall, I did like it, but it could have been fleshed out more and better executed.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some decent stuff but lazily executed toward the end. Full of large (the first sex shop they tried happened to be run by a guy who could and would procure a snuff film for some random old man?) and small (the horse-whispering neighbor who magically got an elderly man who had just fallen off a horse to ride that horse comfortably and calmly for an hour afterward just by hopping on for five minutes?) annoyances.