Backtrack

Arliss Cutter #8

by Marc Cameron

On the deceptively calm waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage, a generations-old vendetta catches up to Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter in New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Marshal Marc Cameron’s chilling new wilderness thriller for fans of Paul Doiron, CJ Box, Taylor Moore, and William Kent Krueger.

1977. D Wayne Cutter is a former U.S. Army Green Beret, part-time horseshoer, and a full-time Texas deputy sheriff with a second grandchild on the way when a quiet Sunday morning ends in murder and a manhunt. The theft of five million dollars in diamonds from an armored truck leaves two guards dead, one outlaw tracked down and taken out by Cutter, and another, Ricky Lee Pink—two-hundred-forty pounds of teenage rage—sentenced to life. The diamonds were never recovered. And Pinky never forgot that heist gone violently wrong.

2026. Following in the righteous footsteps of his late grandfather, Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter gets word that Pinky has been granted release. Nursing a grudge for decades, Pinky vows to avenge the murder of his criminal mentor and find the whereabouts of the stolen gems that he believes is a buried Cutter family secret. Boarding an Alaskan cruise ship, and joined by two miscreant cellmates and his penpal girlfriend, Pinky aims for Anchorge—home to his ultimate target: everyone Arliss holds near and dear. Arliss must move fast because Pinky has the edge. And he has the mind to make the last living Cutter pay.

Genres: Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

464 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 28, 2026

About the author

A native of Texas, Marc Cameron is a retired Chief Deputy US Marshal who spent nearly thirty years in law enforcement. His assignments have taken him from rural Alaska to Manhattan, from Canada to Mexico and points in between. A second degree black belt in jujitsu, he often teaches defensive tactics to other law enforcement agencies and civilian groups. Cameron lives in Alaska with his wife and BMW motorcycle.

Reviews

[Ryan Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Texas, 1977, and a group of lethal men aim to knock off an armored car in a heist that would yield them a fortune in diamonds. It all goes pear-shaped, and a shootout as nightmarish as Mr. Pink's escape in Reservoir Dogs is followed by an intense white-knuckled car chase, culminating in Texas Deputy Sheriff D Wayne Cutter taking down one of the thieves with clever words and even better shooting. His heroic action saves a hostage, but enrages the surviving robbers a new height of fury. In the chaos of burning rubber smoke and blood spray, the location of the diamonds becomes a mystery. The reader is left to mull over if it was an inside job, or perhaps one of the first officers on the scene, even Wayne Cutter himself who grabbed the stones? For all the uncertainty in Backtrack's opening, we know for sure ferocious characters exist on both sides of the law.

Another timeline occurs in present day, as Deputy U.S. Marshall Arliss Cutter, grandson of D Wayne, receives a call from one of his four ex-wife’s (only half a Liz Taylor's). She’s on a cruise and feels the uncomfortable sensation of being followed. Cutter is in possession of warrants he needs to chase down near Anchorage, the boat’s port of call, so he decides to orbit nearby and observe. Apparently out one of the robbers from 1970’s Texas timeline, a hulking massive psychopath, was just a kid. Now, in his 60's, the deranged con has dreamed of revenge for more than four decades upon anyone with the Cutter name. The family is an unaware target and in incredible danger.

If you're raising an eyebrow at a book with that opening. a shoot-em-up plot synopsis receiving a five-star rating, you're within your rights. But, rest assured, from plotting, pacing, emotional range, characterization, quality of prose, tone, atmosphere, the crossing of two timelines, quite literally all elements in Backtrack, are executed with supreme artistry. I'd not encountered an Arliss Cutter novel before (there are eight previous), but it works wonderfully as a standalone. Wayne Cutter might be the kind of man that does not name his horses or lose sleep over killing other violent men, but the level of tenderness he demonstrates while helping the woman he dearly loves hold onto to dignity as she dies of cancer might crumbled you with emotion.

This is an action novel with amazing action sequences, yes indeed, but our author provides every character, even small ones with authentic humanness and elegant vulnerability. Backtrack is the bar with which “action” novels released in 2026 should be measured. The finale is so good you'll likely read it twice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for a review copy.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived in Alaska for 30 years. Believe me when I say Marc Cameron's Arliss Cutter series is genuine. Cameron was a US Marshal; his details of the policies and processes the Marshals must follow are accurate. This adds an "extra, extra" to the books. Backtrack is book #8 in this excellent series.

The plotline of Backtrack follows a different direction from the previous books. Told in two timelines, readers learn how D Wayne Cutter, Grumpy to his grandsons, became their guardian and how he moved from Texas Ranger to Florida's maritime law enforcement. The first chapters tell the story of a 1977 armored car robbery in which Wayne was the first responder at the scene. Gunfire is exchanged as the robbers flee the scene, leaving several people dead or injured. When the investigators start processing the scene, they discover that the 5 million dollars in diamonds targeted in the robbery are missing. After searching every step of the robbery, the diamonds are not found, and the last living robber, Ricky Lee Pink, is sentenced to life in prison. Personal reasons, including the death of his wife, force Wayne to move to Florida and assume custody of his grandsons.

In 2026, Pink's life sentence is shortened, and he is released from prison. "Pinky" has always blamed Wayne Cutter for the death of his robbery partners and the disappearance of the diamonds. He decides Arliss will pay for the actions of his grandfather. The story from this point proves again why it's a bad idea to threaten Arliss' family or friends. Readers are treated to some truly beautiful scenes from Alaska as Arliss and Lola work their magic. The story is another 5 star read.....especially with a baby at the end.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

464 pages

5 stars


Mr. Cameron has surpassed all of my expectations and hopes in penning this book. I cannot praise this novel enough. It is suspenseful, exciting, reads quickly and the characters, although familiar, surpass themselves. It was an especial delight to get to know both D. Wayne “Grumpy” and his lovely wife Lucy. L.J. Johnson was an added bonus. A little shaky at first, he blossomed into a fine man and officer.

Deputy US Marshall Arliss and his partner Lola are still the solid professionals that I’ve come to know and love.

In this installment of the series, in addition to learning about D. Wayne and L.J., we are treated to an awful incident of an armored car robbery. The action is taut and harrowing. The perpetrators are awful people who rampage though the county causing death and mayhem.

Flashing forward, Arliss receives a message from one of his former wives that she is being followed. Arliss and Lola investigate and indeed JoEllen is in danger. The reader is treated the a tour of Alaska, and a huge cruise ship named Polar Star as it travels the coast line of Alaska. (Interestingly enough, my husband was stationed on the Polar Star Icebreaker when he was in the Coast Guard.)

The chase is exciting, interesting and features several colorful locations in coastal Alaska.

I loved this thrilling book. I will definitely read it again. Mr. Cameron’s books are top notch, both in entertainment and writing.

I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Publishing - Kensington for forwarding this book to me. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Help! I cannot get enough of this series! Superb, and engaging.

The Past - Wayne Cutter is just a small town cop, doing his job, But one particular case is going to become one that will leave several dead, a fortune in diamonds missing, and one convict determined to see the end to the Cutter line, after he gets the diamonds, of course.

Current - Arliss Cutter is walking straight toward fatherhood, and he is not sure how it is going to go. On his way back from a overseas case, his very pregnant wife informs him that one (yes, just one) of his ex-wives has called. She thinks she is being followed. Cutter and his partner then head toward where the cruise ship will be docking to check out the situation, without the ex-wife knowing, and stumble onto another case. This case, however, is going to reach back to his grandfathers law days, and the determined convict who is now out of prison, and looking for revenge.

I don't think I will ever get tired of the Cutter series. I have listened to them on Audible more than 3 times, and will be going through again, shortly before this one releases onto audio (and I have already pre-ordered), so that I can live the entire experience again.
These books simply just keep delivering excellence each time, and this is one of my top series of all time. Marc Cameron does a great job bringing the Alaska tundra to life, and delivering amazing mysteries along the way.

[Steven Netter · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books

Backtrack is a phenomenally written book filled with action, suspense, emotion and family. A brilliantly crafted tale of past and present. Another home run from the pen of the great Marc Cameron!

For 7 previous books in this series, readers have gotten a glimpse into the man known as Grumpy Cutter, Arliss’ grandfather who raised him. Now in Backtrack, the brilliant usage of dual timelines allows us to see Grumpy in action, learn more about what made him tick, and see the beginnings of his wisdom that he passes down to Arliss. And it’s even more fantastic as fans of this series could have hoped for. Shootouts, manhunting, tracking, showing a young deputy the ropes, going through the emotional situation with his wife, and more is not only a way to provide insight into how Arliss turns out the way he does, but gives us the gift of getting to know Grumpy at a deep level.

The result of these two storylines coming together is one hell of a fun story that advances reader’s understanding and appreciation of these characters. Furthering the depth of connection we have with them. And solidifying this as one of the best law enforcement thriller series in the genre today.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Backtrack is the eight book in the Arliss Cutter series. Throughout the series memories of Grumpy, the grandfather who raised Arliss and his brother, loom large. This book features Grumpy as much as Arliss by telling the story of how D. Wayne Cutter foiled an armored car robbery while he was a deputy sheriff in Texas. The heist gone wrong comes to a violent end, and one of the young criminal survivors harbors a lust for vengence that will later threaten the lives of Arliss and his family.

I have read all of the books in this series as they are published, and I did not enjoy this one as much as the others. It is quite long, and the pacing during the first three quarters of the book which alternate between Grumpy's story and Arliss' in the present day lagged a bit. When the two storylines converge the action picks up considerably. As always Marc Cameron does an excellent job of creating bad guys who are really, really bad, and Arliss' character continues to develop as he prepares for fatherhood late in life.

I am excited for the next book in this series, as there are hints that it may involve a cult-like group that Lola has been itching to bring down.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for advanced access to this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Dirk Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not your typical Arliss Cutter novel and we are the better for having read it. With one exwife reaching out to Arliss for help, a story intertwined with the current story, and a pregnant Mim back home, we read less about Arliss this time around.
But with a story from Grumpy's Sheriff days in Texas, we finally see a little more of the man that impacted Arliss so much. We see his character on display as he investigates a deadly theft in Texas with a new partner.
To read more of Grumpy's story was highly enjoyable. I didn't realize that it was missing from the novels, but now that it has been introduced, I want more. I could even go for a standalone D Wayne Cutter novel.
Although it seems like two novels in one, they flow together perfectly. Arliss with Lola in tow, rushes down to help ex-wife #3, who reached out to Arliss with the fear that she was being followed.
In typical Cutter fashion, he inserts himself as a defender to protect Joellen.

In typical Marc Camerion fashion, we learn more about the nature of Alaska throughout his novel. After reading all of the Cutter books, I feel I could visit Alaska and recognize a lot of it.
This story is gripping and the flipping between the two stories really keeps you reading. You need to know what happens next.
Probably my favorite novel in the Cutter series.

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Marc Cameron through his Jericho Quinn books many years ago and fell in love with his writing. I was a little peeved when he started a new series about Arliss Cutter but tried it and now eight books later I think it's better than the Quinn series, ok it's not the same type of characters. I have had an interest in the US marshals since early childhood reading westerns and even though things sometimes goes western this is a modern style series. Backtrack is the latest installment in the life of Arliss and his work in Alaska, something that Cameron knows a great deal about living there and being a former marshal. In my mind this is probably the best book yet in the series and finally we get a lot of Grumpy in this one due to it's two timelines. The story is told both back in 1977 and in 2026, and the connections between the different times is truly dark. The story has some great surprises in it that I really didn't see coming and it also has a subplot that I think we will see more of in the next book. I must also add that I love the characters in this series especially Cutters sidekick Lola, she sure is a hoot. I must thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for giving me this advance copy. The book is live on July 28.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC through good reads giveaways. This author was new to me and it’s safe to say I am now a huge fan.

Jumping into a series that is already on book 8 can often leave a lot of gaps and confuse the reader but this author did it seamlessly! I was able to pick right up into the storyline and make sense and connections of previous storylines without confusion. So if you have not read previous books in the series, this can absolutely be a stand alone read.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of as you try to solve the mystery of where did the diamonds go?! As a reader, I was able to navigate the multiple timelines and character arcs with ease. I was engaged with how everyone ties into the story and how their role/storyline may be larger than first let on. I was constantly asking myself “what am I missing?” Which is exactly what I want from this genre!

The story kept a nice pacing. I wouldn’t say it was a fast page turner but it never dragged on or made me feel like it was work to get through. A perfect upcoming summer mystery with the flawless blend of intrigue and twists.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

US Marshal Arliss Cutter returns in Backtrack, and this installment is definitely a departure from the norm in this series. The story takes us back to 1977, and features Arliss’s grandfather, D Wayne Cutter, a sheriff in Texas, who’s hot on the heels of a gang that robbed an armored car that was carrying
$5 million in diamonds, killing the guards in the process. Most of the book is devoted to that manhunt, but the story eventually ties in to present day when one of the men captured in that manhunt is released from jail, and believes Arliss has the diamonds, which were never recovered. The backstory dominates the book and we see very little of Arliss until the end, which then felt rushed and a little too easy. Overall a good read, just not what I was expecting. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeremy Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an advanced copy from Kensington Publishing-I think this is the best Arliss Cutter book to date. There’s a terrific mystery spanning over an almost 50 year period and we get a great glimpse into the life of Grumpy serving as a lawman in Texas hunting down a group of murderers and thieves and it will eventually lead the surviving member of that group in a face off against Grumpy’s grandson. I loved the period covering Grumpy’s time in Texas not just as a lawman but also his home life and the decision that led him to Florida to help raise his grandsons and personally I wouldn’t mind more books covering the adventures of D Wayne Cutter.

Thank you again to Kensington Publishing for this opportunity

[SP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great addition to the Arliss Cutter series. Grumpy is such a big presence in the earlier books. He was the reason Arliss Cutter is the person he is today. I’m not generally a fan of books that take place over two different time periods. I often feel that jumping back and forth disrupts the flow of the book. This book was an exception for me. I enjoyed reading a D Wayne Cutter story and wouldn’t mind seeing additional books with more of his stories. I love the character of Lola, too. Marc Cameron is a great storyteller. I look forward to more books in this series.

I was thrilled to win this advanced reader copy through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Doug Yonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition to the series as we jump back and forth over a fifty year span for background information. D Wayne “Grumpy” Cutter’s robbery/murder case in the seventies gets lots of detail as it is relevant in 2026 as his grandson (and clone) U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter closes the cases in his own way. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.

[Rick Molitor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like getting two stories in one great read. The story goes back and forth between Arliss and his grandfather D Wayne as they both end up dealing with the same criminal. There is plenty of action in this story that grabs you right away and doesn't let go until it ties everything together at the end. Arliss's grandfather is the one who taught Arliss how to be not only a good man, but also a lawman. This is one you shouldn't miss.

[Donald Peschken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. I was glad to see that the back story was about Grumpy and his early life of fighting crime in Texas. Real good story about how a 15 year who murdered several people during a diamond heist in Texas where Grumpy was a marshall. It was interesting and suspenseful to watch how Cameron brought the two stories together. Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing a series of books on the exploits of Grumpy.

[Amanda Reinert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventurous thriller set in beautiful Alaska.

Thank you to Goodreads and Penguin Random House for this ARC. To be honest, I entered this giveaway because this is a book my husband would be all over but as soon as I opened it and read the first chapter, I was all in myself. It was thriller that was chuck full of adventure and intrigue. It’s not my typical genre but I was so drawn in that I couldn’t put it down! I will definitely be reading more by Marc Cameron.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting to need my bundle of blankets while reading Backtrack, the latest Arliss Cutter Man Hunt. Imagine my surprise in finding myself in Weatherford, TX, where I lived in 2022 - 2024.

Ricky Lee Pink is released from prison and determined to find 5 million dollars in diamonds he robbed an armored truck for back in 1977 when Arliss' grandfather Walter was the law in Weatherford, TX.

I've already given my friends in Texas a be on the look out for Backtrack.

[David Jonescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not realize this was part of an ongoing series by Marc Cameron but picked it because i have enjoyed his work in the Ryanverse. Overall this was a fun read and I wish i knew more backstory to each character. Well written and enjoyable.

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot more Texas backstory, than the story actually set in Alaska. I was hoping for more time in Alaska, but that's on me. Altogether a decent story that really starts to gel about half way through and then feels a bit rushed to kill everyone off and wrap it all up with a neat tidy bow. I definitely enjoyed the opportunity to read the ARC.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Random House for sending me this good reads giveaway. What a treat to receive a pre published book. Enjoy all of Arliss Cutter's adventures and this was one of the best bringing in all of our favorite people. Noting the chance to take an Alaskan Cruise with like minded readers is an added treat. Looking forward to more from Mr. Cameron.

[Luella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great read!! This was truly a mystery-thriller. It had everything- mystery, intrigue, plenty of action, great characters, even the ones you didn't like. It even showed the softer side of love and family with a backstory that brought it all together. Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and Kensington for this excellent ARC.

[Joshua Lavigne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 8th Arliss Cutter book and in a way.. The first D Wayne "Grumpy" Cutter book. I enjoyed how the 2 stories intertwined. At first I was a little disappointed that it wasn't strictly an Arliss story, but any doubts I had were put to rest. I'd recommend this book to any and everyone!

[Stephen Popowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I really enjoyed the book. I was hoping more took place in Alaska. The two different stories coming together was great but the ending to me was abrupt.

[Betty Stoneking · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was best book to read. Never read Marc cameron i resd i would more books

[Bill Washburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read a look into the man that Gumpy was and how it relates to the man Arliss is