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Rinn's Crossing: An Alaska Thriller
One of the 100 Best Indie Books of 2020 --Kirkus Reviews“A thrilling work of serpentine intrigue and crisp characterization” --Kirkus Reviews (starred review). It didn’t work out as Rinn had planned. He destroyed some trucks and front-end loaders at a logging camp and his former sweetie was charged with the crime--and a murder that happened that same night in the same camp. If Rinn confesses to the sabotage to clear his sweetie, Kit, he will be nailed for the murder. No cop is going to buy his story that someone else killed the Tlingit elder.Rinn can let Kit take the rap—or he can grow old in a lonely prison cell.At the same time she's fighting the murder charge, Kit desperately launches a scorched earth battle to save Alaska’s ancient forests. She’s losing. The only way she can win is to betray her secret lover, Dan, a Tlingit Native. Dan switched sides betting he could get what had been promised to his people a generation ago. But Dan took a step too far. If he wins for his people, he loses everything."Heath’s plotting is taut and propulsive, and the pages seem to fly through your hands." --Red City Review (5-star review)"The ending was exceptional and will bring a tear to your eye." --Readers Favorite (5-star review)
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
June 7, 2020
"What were Kit’s chances with Macon, the governor, Hasselborg, the Native community, oil and timber, pro-life groups, and every non-union business in the state against her?"
"“You have no credibility, Rinn. The cynics on the board will think it’s a scam you cooked up to get back into Kit’s pants, and the politically astute won’t touch it because of the likelihood it’ll blow up in our faces."
"“Why do you want this bill so badly, Billy? You’ve been around too long to take a single measure this seriously. It is a good one to run on for governor: growing the economy, jobs to the interior, wise use of our God-given resources, but you don’t need it. Only a few of our resident lunatics are challenging you for the Republican nomination, and with the Democrats flopping around like deboned chickens, you have no serious threat. Why are you pushing so hard?”"
For those who are familiar with the themes of the post-American Civil War “Wild West,” there will be some “here we go again” reaction to the clash of politics, rights and culture that Heath portrays in Rinn’s Crossing. Heath’s strengths are his knowledge of the issues and his portrayal of the “rough and tumble” politics of the USA’s 49th state.
"Alaska Natives had struggled since the 1920s to get their land claims resolved, but no one paid them any attention until oil was discovered in the ’60s and the oil industry realized it couldn’t build a pipeline over disputed land. Instantly, Congress got to work, and in a few years ANCSA, the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act, became law. The point was that things moved when the oil industry’s self-interest was engaged."
The conflicts are played out over part of a year in Alaska when the legislature is back in special session and many see this as their opportunity to “seize the high ground” and dominate the outcomes. The players include both local and national environmentalists.
"The greenies’ foo-foo environmentalism had infuriated Dan. Kit—and East Coast congressmen who’d never seen Alaska—were fighting for their “recreational opportunities” and “wilderness experiences,” while Natives were fighting for their economic and cultural survival."
And then there is big oil from the North Slope all the way down to Anchorage. "“I don’t buy it,” Joseph said. “No politician’s dumb enough to get the next spill named after him.” “In the real world, maybe, but this is Alaska. The spill’s ancient history now, and when it comes to oil, the state’s like a junkie trying to hustle a hit off his supplier.”"
Each person, each group is very sure of its rights and positions that justify how they conduct themselves. They have little but disrespect and disparagement for the other “players.”
"They came from different worlds. Whites, even sympathetic ones, could never understand at the fundamental, gut level the importance of subsistence to a Native. For a thousand generations, Natives had taken their sustenance from nature. Denying them this right was like driving a spike through their souls."
"“May I offer you something to drink?” he asked.
“If you have it, soymilk.”
Kit liked to confirm the prejudices of people, like Isherwood, incapable of taking conservationists seriously."
"His bolo tie was a polished turquoise set in Navaho silver. Most people who came to Alaska co-opted the last-frontier stereotype by growing beards, buying husky pups, and adding “breakup” and “degrees of frost” to their vocabularies. Macon was from New Mexico and flaunted it."
Over this mix of groups and issues Heath lays a patina of murder, mayhem, sex and love that plays out like episodes of a “Real Politicians of Alaska” reality show.
"He followed the smooth curve of a muscle in her thigh, toned now in aerobics classes instead of on mountain trails. Good legs, and, though it felt like a betrayal of nature, he appreciated that they were shaved."
Heath’s strengths are plot and venue. Everything about Alaska locations rings true. The descriptions of Native American relationships and politics also seem spot-on. Heath’s biggest challenge is when he wants to add dimension to his characters. Particularly intimacy both physical and emotional left me wondering about his characters and their choices. Yes, he has chosen “damaged” people to focus on. But, would even these people make the choices that he has given us?
There are good editors and better editors. I felt this book needed a better editor as I reviewed my notes and found about a dozen points where I wrote “really?” Still, Heath provides plenty for discussion concerning the clash of big business, native rights and environmental needs.
"“You have no credibility, Rinn. The cynics on the board will think it’s a scam you cooked up to get back into Kit’s pants, and the politically astute won’t touch it because of the likelihood it’ll blow up in our faces."
"“Why do you want this bill so badly, Billy? You’ve been around too long to take a single measure this seriously. It is a good one to run on for governor: growing the economy, jobs to the interior, wise use of our God-given resources, but you don’t need it. Only a few of our resident lunatics are challenging you for the Republican nomination, and with the Democrats flopping around like deboned chickens, you have no serious threat. Why are you pushing so hard?”"
For those who are familiar with the themes of the post-American Civil War “Wild West,” there will be some “here we go again” reaction to the clash of politics, rights and culture that Heath portrays in Rinn’s Crossing. Heath’s strengths are his knowledge of the issues and his portrayal of the “rough and tumble” politics of the USA’s 49th state.
"Alaska Natives had struggled since the 1920s to get their land claims resolved, but no one paid them any attention until oil was discovered in the ’60s and the oil industry realized it couldn’t build a pipeline over disputed land. Instantly, Congress got to work, and in a few years ANCSA, the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act, became law. The point was that things moved when the oil industry’s self-interest was engaged."
The conflicts are played out over part of a year in Alaska when the legislature is back in special session and many see this as their opportunity to “seize the high ground” and dominate the outcomes. The players include both local and national environmentalists.
"The greenies’ foo-foo environmentalism had infuriated Dan. Kit—and East Coast congressmen who’d never seen Alaska—were fighting for their “recreational opportunities” and “wilderness experiences,” while Natives were fighting for their economic and cultural survival."
And then there is big oil from the North Slope all the way down to Anchorage. "“I don’t buy it,” Joseph said. “No politician’s dumb enough to get the next spill named after him.” “In the real world, maybe, but this is Alaska. The spill’s ancient history now, and when it comes to oil, the state’s like a junkie trying to hustle a hit off his supplier.”"
Each person, each group is very sure of its rights and positions that justify how they conduct themselves. They have little but disrespect and disparagement for the other “players.”
"They came from different worlds. Whites, even sympathetic ones, could never understand at the fundamental, gut level the importance of subsistence to a Native. For a thousand generations, Natives had taken their sustenance from nature. Denying them this right was like driving a spike through their souls."
"“May I offer you something to drink?” he asked.
“If you have it, soymilk.”
Kit liked to confirm the prejudices of people, like Isherwood, incapable of taking conservationists seriously."
"His bolo tie was a polished turquoise set in Navaho silver. Most people who came to Alaska co-opted the last-frontier stereotype by growing beards, buying husky pups, and adding “breakup” and “degrees of frost” to their vocabularies. Macon was from New Mexico and flaunted it."
Over this mix of groups and issues Heath lays a patina of murder, mayhem, sex and love that plays out like episodes of a “Real Politicians of Alaska” reality show.
"He followed the smooth curve of a muscle in her thigh, toned now in aerobics classes instead of on mountain trails. Good legs, and, though it felt like a betrayal of nature, he appreciated that they were shaved."
Heath’s strengths are plot and venue. Everything about Alaska locations rings true. The descriptions of Native American relationships and politics also seem spot-on. Heath’s biggest challenge is when he wants to add dimension to his characters. Particularly intimacy both physical and emotional left me wondering about his characters and their choices. Yes, he has chosen “damaged” people to focus on. But, would even these people make the choices that he has given us?
There are good editors and better editors. I felt this book needed a better editor as I reviewed my notes and found about a dozen points where I wrote “really?” Still, Heath provides plenty for discussion concerning the clash of big business, native rights and environmental needs.
May 31, 2020
Forgot to add this book to the reading list.
This is about politics - murder - and Alaska.
I don't get into the political arena but this one made me aware of how
this stuff works - to some degree.
The story starts a bit slow - it's setting the stage - then it takes off like a rocket.
What I really like about the book, not just the story, is that the author listed two pages of
characters and their titles and what their job descriptions were.
If you like suspense then this book should be what you are looking for.
This is about politics - murder - and Alaska.
I don't get into the political arena but this one made me aware of how
this stuff works - to some degree.
The story starts a bit slow - it's setting the stage - then it takes off like a rocket.
What I really like about the book, not just the story, is that the author listed two pages of
characters and their titles and what their job descriptions were.
If you like suspense then this book should be what you are looking for.
April 11, 2020
I've never been to Alaska but am so attracted to the untouched wilderness, hope to visit someday - moreso after reading this. The author has respect and reverance for Alaska as a character in this wonderful work. No spoiler alerts but I can tell you if you're stuck at home, Rinn's Crossing will let you feel as if you've gotten away (way away!) for a while. Enjoy!
April 22, 2020
In Rinn's Crossing Russell Heath has cast his engaging story of greenies and Indians and loggers and corporate men and mountain men - and their lobbyists and lawyers, all maneuvering among themselves - in the wilderness of southeast Alaska. This is the 1970s. The timeline is not entirely clear, but the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, with its Federal restorations of significant land and money to Alaska Natives has been in effect for a few years. Land and environment issues attendant on construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez is at the center of most political discussions of the day in Alaska though not much in evidence in this story.
Russell's characters are in pursuit of a winning hand in the fog of rough and ready end-of-session politics in Alaska's capital city of Juneau. The power-driving forces in Juneau's legislative politics are the corporate and developer interests. When the legislative issues are clear-cut and traditional and the votes close but may not yet be final the corporate and developer interests are typically cast against the human interests of the Alaska Natives, the Conservationists, the good government types, the liberals, the progressives, the entrepreneurs, the gig workers and, often, the teachers and college kids.
On the sidelines are all the members and families of the middle class with their middle incomes, and all the independent owners of small businesses. These individuals and families each stand to win or lose political favor and/or personal income depending on the results of the end-of-session maneuvering.
When the legislative issues are not traditional; when new information or new legislative initiatives are being pushed into the legislative arena; when usually certain votes are now less so, the legislative stew pot at session end becomes all factions all the time. Suddenly the Legislature becomes the place to be because things are happening there. and Russell has been there. This has been his milieu and I trust his real world observations.
There is the possibility of literary magic here. Russell develops a story and characters and conflict that help him keep his writerly balance as his factions and personalities come together – except for the dead guy – to make a strong and very credible foray into the fog, the confusion and the fracas of end-of-session vote trading.
As a reviewer there is possibly enough here to make an argument that Russell’s book is literary art. However, I am not inclined to do that because there are too many literary flaws. One of these occurred to me as I got a little deeper into the narrative. There are too many characters with the implication in the alphabetical list on page 2 that they are of equal importance to the story. Worse is the omniscient narrator who seems to be a story participant – though unidentified in the character list - who speaks in the same voice as the characters in whose heads the narrator too often lives, speaks and thinks.
In these passages Russell violates a foundation rule of literary fiction: “Show me. Don’t tell me.” It is important to have things to engage the reader’s imagination. Though there are differences in the kinds of words and phrases spoken by each character there is not enough difference in the use of tone and emphasis, pauses and degree of articulation between the narrator and the various characters to more fully engage the reader’s imagination.
There are plenty of incidents to support the story. As the plot unfolds there is destruction of property and murder. There is raunchy talk, improper touching, bed-time snuggling and office harassment with hints of rape; there is an out-of-wedlock child; there is political loyalty and disloyalty; there are close-in fights with plenty of bloodshed; there are chases in small, outboard-powered boats across the dark, freezing and forbidding waters of No Name Bay.
I know Russell Heath to be a woodsy/outdoorsy kind of guy. A kayaker who brings a deep awareness and multisensual feeling for the rich geography, open space and wild areas that define Alaska’s beauty for those who have never been here. These are the kinds of spaces where certain hardy individuals try to challenge Alaska’s beauty by permanently carving out a personal place where they can eat and take shelter from the wild and the rain and the fog. Heath's title character, Rinn, is such a character. He moves between the wilderness and the legislative processes with seeming ease but without much evidence of a binding morality. He has no more regard for rules of procedure or of law than he has ever observed in his four years at his wilderness hideaway on No Name Bay; a place where Rinn lived with - and impregnated - the story's female protagonist the environmental lobbyist Kit.
Russell introduces us to Rinn in the first chapter as he sneaks around a darkened logging camp pouring sand into the gearboxes of machinery owned by an Alaska Native owned and operated logging operation. These first scenes are graphic and invigorating. In his first chapters Russell does a good job of setting the stage for the buildup to climax and denouement in the rest of the novel.
While Rinn's Crossing can work as historic fiction it failed to fully engage me in the way that Picasso intended when he described art as the lie that illuminates truth. The election year politics of 2020 is saturated with a new history in the making. Our modern political situation has referents in the Black Death in Europe 700 years ago; in the propaganda methods of Josef Goebbels in 1920s Germany and in the economic depression of the 1930s. From our POV today Russell's story about Alaska's governmental growing pains in the '70s has become almost historically quaint. Beginning with the election of Trump in 2016; then with the formal shutdown of global society on or about March 15th as we are told to "hunker down" so we can all try and escape infection by COVID-19; and with our growing recognition that the cost of shutting down the economy means that it will likely take years of restructuring and rebuilding to return to a national economy that can generate some level of sustainable income for everyone resident here.
My last quibble has to do with character development. As a long-time resident of the small Pacific northwest coastal community where Russell has cast his story, I connected with most of the place names in his engaging narrative. His characters, however, are too thin for my tastes. Russell gives us names and functions that support the story like inanimate arches support a bridge or two dimension comic book characters support a story. Russell only gives us a minimal sense of character or dimension or contour or edges or emotional power. Even in scenes featuring Rinn I kept finding myself asking: "Who is this guy? Where is he from? What makes his clock tick? Why does he sound like all the other characters when he talks."
Fully fleshed out a character like Rinn is rare and unique. I'm sure that any reader will want to know more about him than Russell has allowed us to have in this book.
The second page after the title page includes a list of characters, a sort of "Dramatis Personae" that leads a manuscript developed for live theatre. I was thankful for that because I could put a sticky note on the page and turn to it as Russell introduces the character into the story without much other introduction and not much follow up for many pages.
The one sentence blurb in the character list at least gave me a refresher on what story role Russell intended that character to play. By the time we get to the story's climax in the last days of the Legislative session I was at a loss as to what was really at stake in the session beyond the fate of the only clear-cut issue, the Governor’s Subsistence Amendment shown in the book’s intro along with its attached political “riders” from a newly empowered far right. I could not really figure out what was at stake among the power players and their hangers-on; who was really doing the manipulating and who had won the last substantive vote before adjournment sine die at the story's end.
We readers begin the slide downward from plot climax to plot denouement without really knowing who, what or why.
Maybe Russell has sent us a message about the nature of the "confusion politics" that is at the heart of most heavy duty political decision-making. Confusion politics gets played when logic and facts fail and heavy duty issues have to be resolved by political leaders who believe they might be a few votes short or they fear their more casual supporters can still shift their votes if the pot is “sweetened” by the opposition.
Many years ago, Juneau’s Senator Bill Ray, a Democrat and Chairman of Senate Finance, was having a problem with a couple of scrappy, partisan and nit-picking committee members during a scheduled public hearing. Not known to willingly suffer fools, when Senator Ray felt the need to get the committee back to business he picked up an adding machine and threw it at the wall of the committee room. The crash was loud; heard far down the hall outside the door. Thus are all fogs – intellectual and natural and political - dispersed.
Without a sense of character depth among the key players, however, this kind of political game is more like a video game than a game of real life - as is all politics - with real consequences for the rest of us. [4/21/2020 3:50 PM]
Russell's characters are in pursuit of a winning hand in the fog of rough and ready end-of-session politics in Alaska's capital city of Juneau. The power-driving forces in Juneau's legislative politics are the corporate and developer interests. When the legislative issues are clear-cut and traditional and the votes close but may not yet be final the corporate and developer interests are typically cast against the human interests of the Alaska Natives, the Conservationists, the good government types, the liberals, the progressives, the entrepreneurs, the gig workers and, often, the teachers and college kids.
On the sidelines are all the members and families of the middle class with their middle incomes, and all the independent owners of small businesses. These individuals and families each stand to win or lose political favor and/or personal income depending on the results of the end-of-session maneuvering.
When the legislative issues are not traditional; when new information or new legislative initiatives are being pushed into the legislative arena; when usually certain votes are now less so, the legislative stew pot at session end becomes all factions all the time. Suddenly the Legislature becomes the place to be because things are happening there. and Russell has been there. This has been his milieu and I trust his real world observations.
There is the possibility of literary magic here. Russell develops a story and characters and conflict that help him keep his writerly balance as his factions and personalities come together – except for the dead guy – to make a strong and very credible foray into the fog, the confusion and the fracas of end-of-session vote trading.
As a reviewer there is possibly enough here to make an argument that Russell’s book is literary art. However, I am not inclined to do that because there are too many literary flaws. One of these occurred to me as I got a little deeper into the narrative. There are too many characters with the implication in the alphabetical list on page 2 that they are of equal importance to the story. Worse is the omniscient narrator who seems to be a story participant – though unidentified in the character list - who speaks in the same voice as the characters in whose heads the narrator too often lives, speaks and thinks.
In these passages Russell violates a foundation rule of literary fiction: “Show me. Don’t tell me.” It is important to have things to engage the reader’s imagination. Though there are differences in the kinds of words and phrases spoken by each character there is not enough difference in the use of tone and emphasis, pauses and degree of articulation between the narrator and the various characters to more fully engage the reader’s imagination.
There are plenty of incidents to support the story. As the plot unfolds there is destruction of property and murder. There is raunchy talk, improper touching, bed-time snuggling and office harassment with hints of rape; there is an out-of-wedlock child; there is political loyalty and disloyalty; there are close-in fights with plenty of bloodshed; there are chases in small, outboard-powered boats across the dark, freezing and forbidding waters of No Name Bay.
I know Russell Heath to be a woodsy/outdoorsy kind of guy. A kayaker who brings a deep awareness and multisensual feeling for the rich geography, open space and wild areas that define Alaska’s beauty for those who have never been here. These are the kinds of spaces where certain hardy individuals try to challenge Alaska’s beauty by permanently carving out a personal place where they can eat and take shelter from the wild and the rain and the fog. Heath's title character, Rinn, is such a character. He moves between the wilderness and the legislative processes with seeming ease but without much evidence of a binding morality. He has no more regard for rules of procedure or of law than he has ever observed in his four years at his wilderness hideaway on No Name Bay; a place where Rinn lived with - and impregnated - the story's female protagonist the environmental lobbyist Kit.
Russell introduces us to Rinn in the first chapter as he sneaks around a darkened logging camp pouring sand into the gearboxes of machinery owned by an Alaska Native owned and operated logging operation. These first scenes are graphic and invigorating. In his first chapters Russell does a good job of setting the stage for the buildup to climax and denouement in the rest of the novel.
While Rinn's Crossing can work as historic fiction it failed to fully engage me in the way that Picasso intended when he described art as the lie that illuminates truth. The election year politics of 2020 is saturated with a new history in the making. Our modern political situation has referents in the Black Death in Europe 700 years ago; in the propaganda methods of Josef Goebbels in 1920s Germany and in the economic depression of the 1930s. From our POV today Russell's story about Alaska's governmental growing pains in the '70s has become almost historically quaint. Beginning with the election of Trump in 2016; then with the formal shutdown of global society on or about March 15th as we are told to "hunker down" so we can all try and escape infection by COVID-19; and with our growing recognition that the cost of shutting down the economy means that it will likely take years of restructuring and rebuilding to return to a national economy that can generate some level of sustainable income for everyone resident here.
My last quibble has to do with character development. As a long-time resident of the small Pacific northwest coastal community where Russell has cast his story, I connected with most of the place names in his engaging narrative. His characters, however, are too thin for my tastes. Russell gives us names and functions that support the story like inanimate arches support a bridge or two dimension comic book characters support a story. Russell only gives us a minimal sense of character or dimension or contour or edges or emotional power. Even in scenes featuring Rinn I kept finding myself asking: "Who is this guy? Where is he from? What makes his clock tick? Why does he sound like all the other characters when he talks."
Fully fleshed out a character like Rinn is rare and unique. I'm sure that any reader will want to know more about him than Russell has allowed us to have in this book.
The second page after the title page includes a list of characters, a sort of "Dramatis Personae" that leads a manuscript developed for live theatre. I was thankful for that because I could put a sticky note on the page and turn to it as Russell introduces the character into the story without much other introduction and not much follow up for many pages.
The one sentence blurb in the character list at least gave me a refresher on what story role Russell intended that character to play. By the time we get to the story's climax in the last days of the Legislative session I was at a loss as to what was really at stake in the session beyond the fate of the only clear-cut issue, the Governor’s Subsistence Amendment shown in the book’s intro along with its attached political “riders” from a newly empowered far right. I could not really figure out what was at stake among the power players and their hangers-on; who was really doing the manipulating and who had won the last substantive vote before adjournment sine die at the story's end.
We readers begin the slide downward from plot climax to plot denouement without really knowing who, what or why.
Maybe Russell has sent us a message about the nature of the "confusion politics" that is at the heart of most heavy duty political decision-making. Confusion politics gets played when logic and facts fail and heavy duty issues have to be resolved by political leaders who believe they might be a few votes short or they fear their more casual supporters can still shift their votes if the pot is “sweetened” by the opposition.
Many years ago, Juneau’s Senator Bill Ray, a Democrat and Chairman of Senate Finance, was having a problem with a couple of scrappy, partisan and nit-picking committee members during a scheduled public hearing. Not known to willingly suffer fools, when Senator Ray felt the need to get the committee back to business he picked up an adding machine and threw it at the wall of the committee room. The crash was loud; heard far down the hall outside the door. Thus are all fogs – intellectual and natural and political - dispersed.
Without a sense of character depth among the key players, however, this kind of political game is more like a video game than a game of real life - as is all politics - with real consequences for the rest of us. [4/21/2020 3:50 PM]
April 8, 2020
Rinn's Crossing is a gripping Alaskan murder mystery that is hard to put down. In this, his second novel, Heath achieves two balances. First, he paints a vivid picture of Southeast Alaska without overdoing the imagery or idealizing life there. Books set in Alaska are vulnerable to saccharine tributes to its geography, flora, and fauna. Heath's descriptions are realistic, drawn from his lengthy experience living in the state and exploring Southeast Alaska's abundant wilderness. Reading the book, you really feel like you're there, in part because you get a more complete portrayal of life in the region: not only the magnificent scenery and invitation to adventure, but also the persistent rain, the socioeconomic realities, and the rhythms of Juneau.
The second balance relates to how Heath skillfully intertwines the murder mystery with the actions of the Alaska State Legislature. While at first glance the latter might seem cerebral, esoteric, or boring, it never does in Rinn's Crossing. Environmental protection, economic development, and the preservation of Alaska Natives' culture and quality of life: the ostensible truel between these issues is a salient complexity of Alaskan politics. Even more complex is to gracefully embed this battle of ideas within relationships of the main characters of a novel, but Heath accomplishes it. This triumvirate of political themes mirrors the interpersonal dynamics between the book's three protagonists, although what pushes and pulls more on the ties between Rinn, Kit, and Dan are the currents of love, family, lust, betrayal, loneliness, purity, and responsibility.
Rinn's Crossing gives you a front row seat in the galleries of the main chambers and committee rooms of the Alaska House and Senate, and you get to be a fly on the walls of legislators' offices, away from the public eye, where the real decisions are made and the political power plays are planned and executed. Unlike the popular quote about sausage making, you want to see how these laws are made, how votes are bought, and what will be the next chess move of power-hungry Senator Billy Macon. You see how not all lawmakers are elected equal: some know how to manipulate the legislative process to further their ambitions, while others simply tread water until they can deal their votes for pet projects and budget line items to bring back to their districts. Through Kit, you begin to understand the David vs. Goliath task of an environmental lobbyist in the Alaska State Legislature. And you see that, while it has its unique politics, Alaska also wrestles with issues faced by other states and the federal government, such as unions and abortion. Whereas all the legislative minutiae could easily be dead weight on a plotline, Heath adeptly integrates the legislative battle with the murder plot.
As intriguing as it is, edification on Alaska lawmaking is nonetheless a secondary takeaway from Rinn's Crossing. It has a lot to teach about the compromises we feel we must make for the people and places that matter most to us, accepting personal responsibility, and how the latter can redeem us from the former. We learn about persistence in the face of adversity. We wince at some of the decisions made by Rinn, Kit, and Dan, even if we can see what drove those decisions. We are drawn increasingly closer to them, despite their flaws, which makes the superb ending even more moving.
The second balance relates to how Heath skillfully intertwines the murder mystery with the actions of the Alaska State Legislature. While at first glance the latter might seem cerebral, esoteric, or boring, it never does in Rinn's Crossing. Environmental protection, economic development, and the preservation of Alaska Natives' culture and quality of life: the ostensible truel between these issues is a salient complexity of Alaskan politics. Even more complex is to gracefully embed this battle of ideas within relationships of the main characters of a novel, but Heath accomplishes it. This triumvirate of political themes mirrors the interpersonal dynamics between the book's three protagonists, although what pushes and pulls more on the ties between Rinn, Kit, and Dan are the currents of love, family, lust, betrayal, loneliness, purity, and responsibility.
Rinn's Crossing gives you a front row seat in the galleries of the main chambers and committee rooms of the Alaska House and Senate, and you get to be a fly on the walls of legislators' offices, away from the public eye, where the real decisions are made and the political power plays are planned and executed. Unlike the popular quote about sausage making, you want to see how these laws are made, how votes are bought, and what will be the next chess move of power-hungry Senator Billy Macon. You see how not all lawmakers are elected equal: some know how to manipulate the legislative process to further their ambitions, while others simply tread water until they can deal their votes for pet projects and budget line items to bring back to their districts. Through Kit, you begin to understand the David vs. Goliath task of an environmental lobbyist in the Alaska State Legislature. And you see that, while it has its unique politics, Alaska also wrestles with issues faced by other states and the federal government, such as unions and abortion. Whereas all the legislative minutiae could easily be dead weight on a plotline, Heath adeptly integrates the legislative battle with the murder plot.
As intriguing as it is, edification on Alaska lawmaking is nonetheless a secondary takeaway from Rinn's Crossing. It has a lot to teach about the compromises we feel we must make for the people and places that matter most to us, accepting personal responsibility, and how the latter can redeem us from the former. We learn about persistence in the face of adversity. We wince at some of the decisions made by Rinn, Kit, and Dan, even if we can see what drove those decisions. We are drawn increasingly closer to them, despite their flaws, which makes the superb ending even more moving.
August 31, 2025
"Rinn's Crossing" by Russell Heath is a multi-layered political thriller set in the majestic yet unforgiving landscape of Alaska. This suspenseful novel weaves together themes of environmental activism, Native American rights, and political corruption, all centred around a cast of morally complex characters.
The book's central conflict revolves around the dirty politics of the Alaskan state legislature, driven by a conniving senator's push for a bill that would have devastating effects on Native land rights. The lengths to which they will go to achieve their goals create a tense backdrop for the story.
Three friends—Rinn, Kit, and Dan—have their loyalties and ideals tested as they become embroiled in a heated political and personal battle, often finding themselves opposing one another. Despite their flaws, the characters are compelling, making their betrayals and alliances feel deeply earned.
The novel eschews a simplistic "good versus evil" narrative, compelling the characters to make difficult decisions. The lines between right and wrong are constantly blurred, reflecting the complex, real-world issues it addresses.
Overall, it's a well-written book, but I found it challenging due to the political aspects and the numerous characters involved. The large cast can be confusing at times, though the list of characters provided at the beginning of the book is helpful. However, if you're reading an e-book, it can be pretty unpleasant to go back and forth to clarify and remember who is who. As a result, I often felt lost and struggled to grasp what was happening and why.
The book's central conflict revolves around the dirty politics of the Alaskan state legislature, driven by a conniving senator's push for a bill that would have devastating effects on Native land rights. The lengths to which they will go to achieve their goals create a tense backdrop for the story.
Three friends—Rinn, Kit, and Dan—have their loyalties and ideals tested as they become embroiled in a heated political and personal battle, often finding themselves opposing one another. Despite their flaws, the characters are compelling, making their betrayals and alliances feel deeply earned.
The novel eschews a simplistic "good versus evil" narrative, compelling the characters to make difficult decisions. The lines between right and wrong are constantly blurred, reflecting the complex, real-world issues it addresses.
Overall, it's a well-written book, but I found it challenging due to the political aspects and the numerous characters involved. The large cast can be confusing at times, though the list of characters provided at the beginning of the book is helpful. However, if you're reading an e-book, it can be pretty unpleasant to go back and forth to clarify and remember who is who. As a result, I often felt lost and struggled to grasp what was happening and why.
April 13, 2020
With murder and vandalism opening the book, catching and holding the curiosity of the reader the author has done an amazing job of weaving the intrigue of entrepreeneurs out to get what they can get, with conservationists attempting to preserve what is left of the wilderness, and the natives trying to hold on to their spiritual tribal lands. The center of the action is the Alaskan state government, small enough for everyone to know everyone else but powerful as it oversees a piece of land with incredible potential for all three antagonists. The emotional back bone of the book is the relationship between Kit, the lobbyist, trying to find and prove herself as she struggles with her feelings for her two best friends. One is the lobbyist that preceded her in the job, with whom she’d explored the wilderness and who had just reappeared after retreating from the scene to live alone in the wilds for four years. The other was the heir to tribal role of the wise one in one of the small local tribes. Heath obviously knows the area in and around Juneau as he takes us on wild rides up and down the channels and over the one way streets of Juneau. The Travel Agency for Juneau may not be happy with the continuous reports of drenching rain that fill the book.
April 26, 2020
Rinn’s Crossing by Russell Heath
I loved this book. This is a story of four main characters: Kit, an environmental lobbyist who stalks the halls of the Alaskan State House; Dan, a lobbyist for Native Alaskan rights; and Rinn, a man who carves out his existence in the woods and lives by his own rules; and the beautiful State of Alaska. Alaska is the main character in all of her power, beauty and vulnerability.
Native subsistence has been promised for years but has not been written into law. It provides protection for the land and waters so Native Americans can live on the land without threat to their existence.
There are two triangles: a love triangle between Kit, Dan and Rinn and a larger triangle between the environment, native subsistence and greedy corporations who want to strip the lands and pollute the waters for their own wealth.
This book provides a realistic insight into Alaskan life and the political issues that swarm in state government. It has left me wanting more.
I loved this book. This is a story of four main characters: Kit, an environmental lobbyist who stalks the halls of the Alaskan State House; Dan, a lobbyist for Native Alaskan rights; and Rinn, a man who carves out his existence in the woods and lives by his own rules; and the beautiful State of Alaska. Alaska is the main character in all of her power, beauty and vulnerability.
Native subsistence has been promised for years but has not been written into law. It provides protection for the land and waters so Native Americans can live on the land without threat to their existence.
There are two triangles: a love triangle between Kit, Dan and Rinn and a larger triangle between the environment, native subsistence and greedy corporations who want to strip the lands and pollute the waters for their own wealth.
This book provides a realistic insight into Alaskan life and the political issues that swarm in state government. It has left me wanting more.
May 5, 2020
Ira Rosh
Russell Health’s fast-paced new book never veers too far from several ‘truths’ that provide the foundation for this thriller. These speak to many current issues in today’s world, even though the setting takes place over a few days in Southeast Alaska. People and the politics they play to help others and/or help themselves first, the need to protect our environment from seemingly overwhelming threats, the discounting of indigenous groups and their possible reparation, and a human love that permeates every action that these understandably flawed characters bring to their lives. Multiple story lines laced with a descriptive sensibility that originates with the author’s many years living in Alaska builds to a crescendo that keeps the reader guessing about the outcome to the very end. Similar in many ways to his first book, ‘Broken Angels’, the compact nature of this story amplifies every nuance and brings a realism that does what every good piece of literature should do; that is, places the reader in the middle of the fictional tales that seem all too true.
Russell Health’s fast-paced new book never veers too far from several ‘truths’ that provide the foundation for this thriller. These speak to many current issues in today’s world, even though the setting takes place over a few days in Southeast Alaska. People and the politics they play to help others and/or help themselves first, the need to protect our environment from seemingly overwhelming threats, the discounting of indigenous groups and their possible reparation, and a human love that permeates every action that these understandably flawed characters bring to their lives. Multiple story lines laced with a descriptive sensibility that originates with the author’s many years living in Alaska builds to a crescendo that keeps the reader guessing about the outcome to the very end. Similar in many ways to his first book, ‘Broken Angels’, the compact nature of this story amplifies every nuance and brings a realism that does what every good piece of literature should do; that is, places the reader in the middle of the fictional tales that seem all too true.
April 26, 2020
Rinn’s Review
A fast-paced compelling, yet entirely plausible psychological thriller that was impossible to put down and had me transfixed to the edge of my armchair. Russell Health’s novel about three friends and the interplay between them is cleverly credible and sustained.
Many adjectives are appropriate but none are, even together, sufficient to describe properly and adequately this thriller: ingenious, shrewd, discerning, perspicacious, profound, adrenaline-inducing, inspirational, stimulating ,fascinating, captivating, engrossing, intriguing, bewitching, enticing, engrossing, exhilarating……
The storyline moves effortlessly from subterfuge to intrigue to suspense to betrayal to twists and turns and back again. In short, an ideal read, antidote and companion for today’s virus lockdown state. Brace yourself for a spectacular and unanticipated climax and denouement.
James Geoffrey Ashurst – a friend of Russell’s for over 40 years Canberra Australia April 2020
A fast-paced compelling, yet entirely plausible psychological thriller that was impossible to put down and had me transfixed to the edge of my armchair. Russell Health’s novel about three friends and the interplay between them is cleverly credible and sustained.
Many adjectives are appropriate but none are, even together, sufficient to describe properly and adequately this thriller: ingenious, shrewd, discerning, perspicacious, profound, adrenaline-inducing, inspirational, stimulating ,fascinating, captivating, engrossing, intriguing, bewitching, enticing, engrossing, exhilarating……
The storyline moves effortlessly from subterfuge to intrigue to suspense to betrayal to twists and turns and back again. In short, an ideal read, antidote and companion for today’s virus lockdown state. Brace yourself for a spectacular and unanticipated climax and denouement.
James Geoffrey Ashurst – a friend of Russell’s for over 40 years Canberra Australia April 2020
May 18, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
Loved the Alaska setting here, it came through so well. You can tell the author has a love for Alaska.
I've never read a novel with so many political machinations. I was surprised by that, and at a few places the political machinations went over my head. But I think I got the main parts.
Really enjoyed learning about the Native culture and wish their subsistence goals weren't so overlooked by whites.
Loved the cover!
There is a list of characters in this book, but there's no warming up or getting to know most of the ancillary characters, so I was having to refer to the list quite a bit.
Along those same lines, no interiority is given to Rinn. I get it that he's this stereotypically macho guy, but it's hard to have empathy for the main character when you're just given his actions.
Loved the Alaska setting here, it came through so well. You can tell the author has a love for Alaska.
I've never read a novel with so many political machinations. I was surprised by that, and at a few places the political machinations went over my head. But I think I got the main parts.
Really enjoyed learning about the Native culture and wish their subsistence goals weren't so overlooked by whites.
Loved the cover!
There is a list of characters in this book, but there's no warming up or getting to know most of the ancillary characters, so I was having to refer to the list quite a bit.
Along those same lines, no interiority is given to Rinn. I get it that he's this stereotypically macho guy, but it's hard to have empathy for the main character when you're just given his actions.
Read
March 27, 2020I found Russell Heath’s second novel, Rinn’s Crossing, an exciting, fast-paced Alaskan thriller. Russell blends his knowledge and experience in Alaska’s state political processes and environmental conflicts with his authentic examples of the kind of characters involved in these real-life tug of wars. He also weaves in the complicated and as yet unresolved legacy from colonization of Alaska’s indigenous peoples over the past 150 years.
Russell’s thriller begins in No Name Bay – one of those wild, intact salmon watersheds important to local residents for customary and traditional uses of fish and wildlife. Since the mid-1980’s local Alaskans have organized to protect these lands from the chainsaw and their steadfast efforts continue in the 21st century.
Although the title suggests an internal journey or passage by one of story’s lead character, Rinn, his personal struggle with commitment is not the only personal and professional obstacle faced by characters in the story, including Dan Wakefield, his nephew Lenny, and state senator Billy Macon. Even more interesting, Russell leaves the reader to fill in the blanks about how those journeys play out. I wonder if we will see more from some of these same players in the future?
No Name Bay is home to numerous species of wildlife, including deer, otter, marten, as well as particularly healthy populations of wolf and black bear. In addition, at least five anadromous fish streams flow into No Name Bay, supporting pink salmon, chum salmon, and cutthroat trout. The bay also provides habitat for various types of migratory birds and waterfowl. As a valuable point of access for hunting on Kuiu Island, No Name Bay is of special importance to nearby residents who depend on the bay for customary and traditional uses (subsistence).
Russell’s thriller begins in No Name Bay – one of those wild, intact salmon watersheds important to local residents for customary and traditional uses of fish and wildlife. Since the mid-1980’s local Alaskans have organized to protect these lands from the chainsaw and their steadfast efforts continue in the 21st century.
Although the title suggests an internal journey or passage by one of story’s lead character, Rinn, his personal struggle with commitment is not the only personal and professional obstacle faced by characters in the story, including Dan Wakefield, his nephew Lenny, and state senator Billy Macon. Even more interesting, Russell leaves the reader to fill in the blanks about how those journeys play out. I wonder if we will see more from some of these same players in the future?
No Name Bay is home to numerous species of wildlife, including deer, otter, marten, as well as particularly healthy populations of wolf and black bear. In addition, at least five anadromous fish streams flow into No Name Bay, supporting pink salmon, chum salmon, and cutthroat trout. The bay also provides habitat for various types of migratory birds and waterfowl. As a valuable point of access for hunting on Kuiu Island, No Name Bay is of special importance to nearby residents who depend on the bay for customary and traditional uses (subsistence).
April 20, 2020
Russell Heath writes from experience. He lived, worked and traveled extensively in Alaska. This gave him first-hand knowledge and insights about Alaska as he wrote Rinn's Crossing. His words bring the beauty of Alaska to life.
Rinn's Crossing has something for everyone, adventure, love, hate, murder, espionage and politics which all intertwines with the history and struggles of Alaskan's Native Americans.
So treat yourself to this exciting, fast-paced adventure and enjoy some quality rest and relaxation in reading a novel by one of Maine’s up and coming great authors, Russell Heath.
Rinn's Crossing has something for everyone, adventure, love, hate, murder, espionage and politics which all intertwines with the history and struggles of Alaskan's Native Americans.
So treat yourself to this exciting, fast-paced adventure and enjoy some quality rest and relaxation in reading a novel by one of Maine’s up and coming great authors, Russell Heath.
July 7, 2020
If you have ever lived in Alaska, visited Alaska, dreamed about going to Alaska, or simply love reading about the 49th state, this is a book for you. The author obviously knows well both the geography and the people of the state. The story exposes the conflicts among native Alaskans, pro-business interests, and environmentalists by mixing murder, a love triangle, and a corrupt legislature in an engaging story. A good book manages to grab you, particularly as you get closer to the end of the story. Rinn's Crossing does that well; I spent the better part of a morning plowing through the last hundred pages to find out what happened and wasn't disappointed. Enjoy the book!
October 26, 2020
Really good book by local Juneau author that incorporates some of my favorite Alaskan political stories and spot-on descriptions of favorite spots in Southeast Alaska. This was a group read for our book club and everyone enjoyed the book a lot and it was fun sharing stories about locations the main character visited including local restaurants, No-Name Bay, West coast of Yakobi Island and countless others. The political story weaves in a lot of threads that have been difficult for our state legislature to address, like the subsistence, mining, logging, and oil components. Great job with combining it all into 1 story!
May 30, 2022
Funnily enough I had mistakenly put this book in my true-crime pile, so it was more than 100 pages into the book before I realized it was fiction. I share this because I think it is a credit to Heath for writing a book that felt so real, ushering us into the world of Alaskan politics, Native rights, and, as any good thriller, relationships and corruption. The book centers around two environmental activists: Rinn, who as the book opens is sabotaging machinery at a logging company, and Kit, a lobbyist who is subsequently blamed for the sabotage and a related murder. This book kept moving at a good clip and I really enjoyed its twists and turns.
April 3, 2020
Rinn's Crossing is a fast-paced complex story based in the realities of Alaska politics and the Southeastern region of the state. The author shows an understanding of the power of nature in Southeast, perceptively writing about the battles between industrial forestry and environmental stewardship. Woven through this story of politics and environment is the changing of Alaska Native culture here, as people wrestle with the conflict between traditional ways and economic development. I found it hard to put down, as each plot twist pulled me back in.
May 20, 2020
To call this fast-paced would be an understatement! This is a thriller with the complexity of the political sausage-making process that, while not unique to Alaska, is made more intertwined with the white/Native and resource extraction/environmentalist dynamics. And, let's not forget the love story: classic tale of lost and rekindled mental attraction. And, that's the love story between humans. The deeper love story is of the protagonists for the land. It is clear that the author shares this deep love and, as an Alaskan, I slurped up the imagery of this land that I love too.
May 28, 2020
"Rinn's Crossing" is a unique thriller that merges several genres. Set in both urban and rural Alaska, this tale pulls the reader across contrasting and competing elements: political, environmental, male and female. If the reader is drawn to the intrigues of political “sausage making”, the push-pull of environmental exploitation and preservation, the tangled web of interpersonal relationships . . . it’s all here, in a compelling read that you will not be able to set aside until you turn the last page. Bravo, Mr. Heath!
November 6, 2020
The real victim in this ecotage thriller is the vanishing wilderness of Alaska, which is a stand-in for the globe. Heath knows the Alaskan wilderness, state politics, big business, native issues -- and human nature. Lots of tension, tenderness and insight into Alaska that goes far beyond it. Outdoor types and conservationists especially will love this wild ride through the backwoods, on the water, across town and into the legislature. And yes, to keep its thriller rating there is lots of suspense and just enough sex and violence.
April 20, 2020
This was a great story of loss, betrayal, love and redemption, both personal and cultural. “Political suspense” may seem like an oxymoron, but the intrigue created by competing values and agendas in and outside the Alaska state house fueled the story and provided delicious twists and turns. I found the treatment of the Alaska setting just right – nature was always prominent without dominating the human story.
July 9, 2020
This was a book club selection and so I tried to finish it, but couldn’t. I liked the descriptive information of the area where I live, but the writing and plot were forced, it felt like that author was just trying to hard. There were too many characters, too much intrigue, and the storyline wove back and forth so much that I lost interest. Despite the (to me) appealing setting and context, the whole book felt artificial and contrived. I quit at page 200.
March 25, 2020
This book grabbed me early on and didn't let go until well after I was finished reading. The description of the scenery and characterization really allow to you understand what life is like in the Pacific Northwest. I would not have believed that the politics of a small Alaskan town could be this gripping, but boy was I wrong.
February 18, 2021
This was a page turner! Having grown up in SE AK, I really enjoyed reading about places that are so familiar to me. More importantly though, Russel did a fantastic job of writing a political thriller that addresses the conflicts between the logging industry and conservationists,as well as landless natives that were left out of ANCSA.
May 24, 2020
I love this book and the intricacies and realness of the characters. Looking forward to the next one. Russell Heath took a complex subject and made it compelling. It leaves me feeling both sad and encouraged for the future preservation of Alaska.
June 24, 2020
It takes a lifetime of experience and a keen attention to detail to turn what might appear to be mundane political and legislative tale into a page turning inside look at Alaska and the humans who've chosen to protect it. Thanks for sharing with those of us down south!
March 6, 2021
I read this book for my book club and it was just not a good fit for me. I found the story confusing and hard to follow- with way too many characters and all in all I just didn’t find it very interesting
April 17, 2020
This was the first Russell Heath book I have read but it will not be my last. Rinn's Crossing is a page turner full of suspense and intrigue. I could not put it down.
May 26, 2020
I have not read such a fine novel in quite a while. I have recently read NY Times best sellers not nearly as good. The story is well crafted. Heath is no doubt a very good writer.
September 14, 2020
Rinn's Crossing is a page-turner. Heath artfully weaves the stories of Alaskan native cultures, the environmental movement, and timber industry into an engaging murder mystery. Well worth the read!
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