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Hard Blue Empty: A Mystery Novel
Nature and noir combine in a spellbinding new stand-alone murder mystery by Dwight Holing, author of the bestselling Nick Drake series.
An Indigenous girl from the Amazon named Blue Macaw mysteriously disappears after oil drillers invade her ancestral homeland. When her brother is accused of murdering a company executive, a no-holds-barred activist persuades Jess Parks to use his search and rescue skills to find Blue Macaw and catch the real killer.
The chase is on and the consequences grow increasingly dire when Jess discovers he’s not the only one hunting for her. The trail takes him from the gritty big city to the far reaches of the wildly beautiful but dangerous rainforest to the darkest corners of corporate greed and human ambition.
Can Jess outrun a ruthless pack of mercenaries? Will he uncover the truth behind Blue Macaw’s disappearance? Can he learn the ancient traditions of her tribe to win their trust? And will he succeed in delivering justice for them and their imperiled world?
Hard Blue Empty masterfully weaves compelling characters and settings with mystery and suspense to create an adventurous thrill ride that will keep readers guessing until the last page is turned.
An Indigenous girl from the Amazon named Blue Macaw mysteriously disappears after oil drillers invade her ancestral homeland. When her brother is accused of murdering a company executive, a no-holds-barred activist persuades Jess Parks to use his search and rescue skills to find Blue Macaw and catch the real killer.
The chase is on and the consequences grow increasingly dire when Jess discovers he’s not the only one hunting for her. The trail takes him from the gritty big city to the far reaches of the wildly beautiful but dangerous rainforest to the darkest corners of corporate greed and human ambition.
Can Jess outrun a ruthless pack of mercenaries? Will he uncover the truth behind Blue Macaw’s disappearance? Can he learn the ancient traditions of her tribe to win their trust? And will he succeed in delivering justice for them and their imperiled world?
Hard Blue Empty masterfully weaves compelling characters and settings with mystery and suspense to create an adventurous thrill ride that will keep readers guessing until the last page is turned.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 17, 2023
34 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Dwight Holing
51 books98 followersDwight Holing is the author of twenty books, including two Amazon #1 bestselling mystery series: the Silver Falchion Award-winning Nick Drake Novels and the Jack McCoul Capers. He is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Western Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.
His ten-book-and-counting Nick Drake mystery series has won fans and awards for his deft portrayal of richly developed characters, vivid descriptions of settings, multiple storylines, and unrelenting pace. Reviewers laud his philosophical insights that bring added depth to the stories and principal characters and his incorporation of indigenous cultural history.
Holing is also the author of two collections of short stories, California Works and Over Our Heads Under Our Feet. Many of the stories were previously published in literary journals and won awards, including the Arts & Letters Prize for Fiction.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon and began his writing career as a freelancer. Assignments took him from Alaska to Zanzibar and his feature articles on adventure travel, conservation, natural history, and environmental issues appeared in Audubon, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Outside, San Francisco Chronicle, Sierra, and Travel & Leisure, to name a few. He also wrote and edited books on those subjects. His publishers included Smithsonian Books, Time-Life, and Animal Planet.
Dwight Holing lives beside a coastal river in California with his wife and two dogs who’d rather swim than walk.
Learn: Dwight Holing
Follow: Dwight Holing
Instagram: @dwight_holing
His ten-book-and-counting Nick Drake mystery series has won fans and awards for his deft portrayal of richly developed characters, vivid descriptions of settings, multiple storylines, and unrelenting pace. Reviewers laud his philosophical insights that bring added depth to the stories and principal characters and his incorporation of indigenous cultural history.
Holing is also the author of two collections of short stories, California Works and Over Our Heads Under Our Feet. Many of the stories were previously published in literary journals and won awards, including the Arts & Letters Prize for Fiction.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon and began his writing career as a freelancer. Assignments took him from Alaska to Zanzibar and his feature articles on adventure travel, conservation, natural history, and environmental issues appeared in Audubon, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Outside, San Francisco Chronicle, Sierra, and Travel & Leisure, to name a few. He also wrote and edited books on those subjects. His publishers included Smithsonian Books, Time-Life, and Animal Planet.
Dwight Holing lives beside a coastal river in California with his wife and two dogs who’d rather swim than walk.
Learn: Dwight Holing
Follow: Dwight Holing
Instagram: @dwight_holing
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 6, 2023
I am a fan of Dwight Holing's Nick Drake series set in Central and Eastern Oregon. The present book is a stand alone book set between locations in Oakland and Ecuador. I was disappointed in this book. It was a somewhat cliche story of "big bad business" trying to exploit the wilderness of the Amazon versus environmentally conscious characters that are attempting to save the region. I am lucky enough to have visited the area and the premise is relevant. I have witnessed first hand that there are large companies interested in oil and gold that are depleting the wilderness and exploiting the indigenous people. I am happy that this book brings those problems to light. But, I wish the story would have been more engaging. The rich oil tycoons were a little too greedy and evil and I did not relate well to the "good guys" in this book. However, it is a very quick read. So, if you like the Nick Drake series, you may want to give it a try. But, don't get too excited.
November 22, 2023
A Very Unique Book. Highly Recommend It.
Dwight Holing is an exceptional author whose books I’ve enjoyed since I first discovered him.
“Hard Blue Empty” is his latest, and perhaps, his best “standalone” work to date.
There is mystery. There is suspense. There is action, and an extremely twisty plot. All the things that make up a great thriller read.
Frankly I would give this book 10 Stars if it were possible.
Dwight Holing is an exceptional author whose books I’ve enjoyed since I first discovered him.
“Hard Blue Empty” is his latest, and perhaps, his best “standalone” work to date.
There is mystery. There is suspense. There is action, and an extremely twisty plot. All the things that make up a great thriller read.
Frankly I would give this book 10 Stars if it were possible.
November 1, 2023
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I am completely invested in the author's Nick Drake series, so I wasn't expecting much with this stand alone story. The author exceeded my expectations. The story was slow at times, and all the rock climbing references didn't resonate with me in the least. But it was still a strong good read.
December 15, 2023
I usually don’t read eco-themed books. I like this author and he pulled off pretty well. It all came together in the end. It did get heavy into the “Save in Planet” theme.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews