Conflicted

by Indy Quillen

Book Five of the Award Winning Fox Walker Novels
When natural disaster forces Walker and Nataya to re-evaluate their future, an opportunity to visit friends in Washington State offers a respite from the daily reminders of their tragic loss. But shortly after arriving they’re asked to help find a family missing in the local wilderness.
Despite their limited experience in that specific environment, the two survival experts don’t hesitate to join the search. However, what should’ve been an easy rescue meets with an unexpected complication, and a bad scenario soon turns to worse when an early snowstorm strands Walker and his charges—a father and eight-year-old son—in the mountains without proper gear or provisions.
Constantly challenged by the unfamiliar terrain, Walker is forced to repeatedly find alternative ways to deal with an environment far different from where his skills were honed. And after he becomes impaired by serious injuries that cause him to mistrust his own judgment, what was once a worse scenario quickly becomes a worst-case scenario for all three of them. It's nature versus man, and man versus his own nature, as Walker fights for his charges’ survival… as well as his own.

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2023

Reviews

[Linda Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sorry I finished this book because when you find a good read and it comes to an end, you just know it will be a while before you find a good one again. Unfortunately, I couldn't read it slowly as it is about a rescue, and after 15 years of search and rescue volunteering myself, I had to stick with it as if I was there. The Fox Walker series is about stuff I am intensely interested in; like being outdoors, being self sufficient, understanding wildlife, finding peace in nature, and being free to experience the true beauty of the earth. I'm not going to tell you about the story, but it surprised and pleased me, even with all the experience I have. When you've read it, then you'll wan to read the rest of the series for sure. Every time she publishes a new book, I read it and then go reread the previous ones. I really look forward to the next one!

[Dave Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conflicted is the fifth in the Fox Walker series, and I read the first four. This novel continues with the characters of Carl and Kate that were introduced in the previous installment. A wild fire destroys Fox and Nataya's home in Colorado, and Carl invites the couple to travel to Washington state to join him for a period of time. Carl operates a search and rescue service in the evergreen state. Of course, while there, a family gets lost in the wilderness, and Carl calls in the services of Nataya and Fox. Once again the author's writing style is very basic, and she tends to state conclusions that the reader could reach on their own with more sophisticated character development. Nevertheless, this version of the series draws upon the author's intimate knowledge of wilderness survival skills, and playing to her strength greatly increased my attentiveness to the story. The plot is fairly straightforward, but striving to overcome the challenges thrown at Fox Walker in a new state and environment held my attention. I also applauded the character development of the young family of Troy, Vicki, Rusty and Cody. This is the family that sets out on a weekend camping trip and hike that morphs into quite the outdoor adventure. The author seems to have set the series up to move from Colorado to Washington, and I will be interested to see how it develops in future books.

[Dale Amidei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indy Quillen pours her heart into ‘Conflicted,’ the latest installment of her Fox Walker series. This time, instead of an antagonist, Walker is challenged by only nature. First a raging wildfire in his native land forces time away to contemplate a necessarily different future. Then, though a new environment challenges him, his mission becomes a familiar one: rescue those whose deficient skills in the wild threaten their very survival. Living through the ordeal with them as Walker not only extrapolates from his past experience but fights his way through his own physical hardship as well makes for a read not to be missed. Five earned stars for all-around excellence!

[catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conflicted

I've been a big fan of Indy Guillen from the beginning of the Fox Walker series & Conflicted was a powerful reminder that persistentcy & adaptability are important lessons in life & Fox Walker's deep Indian beliefs & inner strength showed us the way!

[Del Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conflicted is a great read

Another outstanding Fox Walker story. This story just sucks you in and makes you root for them. I strongly recommend this series if you enjoy being out in the wilderness.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable

Much better and realistic as well as informative compared with the previous books. I enjoyed this much more than previous books.