Voodoo Ridge

by David Freed

Award-winning author David Freed brings readers another fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled mystery in Voodoo Ridge, the third in the Cordell Logan series.

In 1956, a twin-engine airplane bearing mysterious cargo takes off from a small airport outside Los Angeles and flies straight into a raging storm, never to be seen again. Sixty-some years later, retired military assassin and would-be Buddhist Cordell Logan spots wreckage as he and his ex-wife, Savannah, are flying over California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. The long-missing plane has finally been found.

The couple's trip to Lake Tahoe where they hope to reconcile their marriage is thrown off when Logan is asked to guide a search and rescue team to the remote crash site. He agrees, but what they discover there is not what they expected. Alongside the crashed plane and its mummified pilot is a fresh corpse: the body of a young man shot mere hours earlier. Someone has beaten them to the downed airplane--and its cargo--and will stop at nothing to profit from what they found, including kidnapping Savannah to ensure Logan's cooperation. Filled with unexpected twists, full-throttle action, and wry humor, Voodoo Ridge is a thrilling mystery that sees Cordell Logan drawn into the most perplexing and deadly situation he's ever faced.

Genres: Mystery

320 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2024

About the author

David was born on an Air Force base in the Deep South, grew up the son of a cop along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and decided to give writing a shot soon after realizing that his grade point average would never get him into medical school. As an investigative journalist, most notably with the Los Angeles Times, he chronicled affairs of state, all manner of catastrophes, and the activities of the US military, including Operation Desert Storm. He spent myriad hours hunting for smoking guns in dusty archives, meeting confidential sources in bars and parking garages, and digging through trash cans long after midnight. Along the way, he shared in a Pulitzer Prize and won a few other shiny awards that occupy a box in his attic. He later became a Hollywood screenwriter paid to pen mostly action movies that were rarely produced, and, later still, an asset working with the U.S. intelligence community. David has been a licensed pilot for more than 30 years. He is a contributing editor at Air & Space Smithsonian magazine, a special assistant professor of journalism at Colorado State University, and teaches creative writing at Harvard's Extension School.

Reviews

[Zane Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Voodoo Ridge by David Freed to be a top-tier operation that delivers a payload of suspense and guts. This time, Cordell Logan—our flight instructor with a military assassin past, hats off to his service—flies into a personal mission when he spots a downed plane while soaring over the Sierras with his bride-to-be, Savannah. What starts as a honeymoon detour lands him in a firefight of a mystery tied to a 1956 crash, Nazi loot, and a cover-up thicker than a hostile takeover bid. Freed runs this outfit with the precision of a supply chain overhaul, and for a man who prizes loyalty and liberty, it’s a full-on tribute to digging for truth when the chips are down.

Cordell Logan’s the kind of closer I’d put on any high-stakes deal—a battle-tested maverick with a wit that slices like a laser-guided budget cut. He’s hauled his share of baggage from serving our nation in the shadows, and Freed builds him with the steel of a leader who’s stared down chaos and kept marching. His one-liners hit like a clincher in a pitch meeting, and his creds as a flyboy who’s defended our skies earn my salute for every soldier who’s held the line. Logan’s a patriot with a spine of iron, and his grit’s the kind I’d bank on when the odds stack up like a bad quarter.

The crew around Logan’s a tight unit—Savannah, his ex turned fiancée, proving family’s a bond that holds fast through turbulence, and a mix of small-town cops and shadowy players who keep the game unpredictable like a rogue competitor. There’s also his Cessna, the Ruptured Duck, a trusty steed, set against the rugged Tahoe backdrop that feels like a proving ground for any enterprise worth its salt. Freed spins this yarn with a nod to freedom’s cost, and the way Logan navigates this outfit reminds me that family and resolve are the bedrock of any winning team.

Freed’s history as a pilot and Pulitzer-winning journalist fuels Voodoo Ridge with a thrust that’s tighter than a locked-in flight plan. Voodoo Ridge —evoking mystery and a pilot’s peril—nails Logan’s dive into the fray, a leadership move I’d greenlight in any crunch. It’s a tale that reveres the sacrifice of our armed forces, and as a guy who holds our troops in high esteem, I see it as a standout tribute to their valor.

In the clutch, Voodoo Ridge seals the deal with a bang—a high-octane blend of action, smarts, and soul that’d make any leader take notice. It’s a rally cry for family, freedom, and the strength to push through, with Logan standing tall as a hero I’d rank with our finest soldiers. Freed’s third outing is a powerhouse, a must-read for anyone who respects a hard-fought win and cherishes the principles that keep this nation flying high. This one’s a lock—raise the flag and call it a victory, it’s a hell of a ride!

[Corine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The audio version of the first two in this series were fun to listen to. This one was a mess. Cordell Logan became completely unbelievable and unlikable. I probably won't continue with the series.