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The Gorge
Not yet spring in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. Whitewater rafting season has already begun, however. Streams ofh snowmelt are pouring into the Hudson Gorge, an almost inaccessible twelve-mile canyon. But someone who knows every foot of the backcountry is stalking those who are attempting to run the Gorge as the river reaches flood stage.
Richard Carlyle, a former raft guide and veteran criminologist working with state and local police, is desperately searching for the person who has murdered two people already. Tracking the killer to a remote cabin in the Gorge, Carlyle confronts an ecoterrorist with a grudge against anyone who dares to invade his territory.
Richard Carlyle, a former raft guide and veteran criminologist working with state and local police, is desperately searching for the person who has murdered two people already. Tracking the killer to a remote cabin in the Gorge, Carlyle confronts an ecoterrorist with a grudge against anyone who dares to invade his territory.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2020
13 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 17, 2021
If you plan on going white water rafting anytime soon this may not be the book for you! Everything that could go wrong….
Richard Carlyle has been a river guide for years and likes to keep his hand in although these days he’s a college professor of criminology. He rocks up to his old outfit, owned by Ryan Marshall and volunteers to take a group onto the river. They use 4-6 inflatable boats with about 6 people on board with an experienced guide in each boat. Only on this trip there is a terrible accident and one of the guides, Art Sanders, ends up drowning. Carlyle fishes him out of the water and tries CPR but it is too late. These things happen (or do they). At the next outing there is another incident and another guide is drowned.
Carlyle is now very suspicious and snoops around the accident site and finds a tree branch that has been strategically placed to whack someone in the face. He then inspects the foot strap in the boat of the first incident and sees it has been partially cut through, not torn all the way as was first supposed. Furthermore he suspects that the target of these traps is Marshall himself. His family is not well regarded in the area because they own all the land and want to develop it for rich people rather than provide jobs for the hoi polloi.
What I liked about the book was the very atmospheric setting that the author really brought to life. The story was just a vehicle for the fabulous descriptions of the scenery and the rivers (Indian River and the Hudson) in the Adirondack region. It was cold, the spring melt was just starting. The rivers were raging torrents and I could almost feel the frostbite!
Carlyle somehow places himself at the centre of the investigation and tries to use his knowledge of psychopaths and criminology to get inside the killer’s head. There is a lot of traipsing through the icy landscape, brrr, and slowly Carlyle gets a feel for the killer’s thought processes and an inkling of where he may strike next.
I did enjoy the story but I never want to go white water rafting after reading that. I thought the ending was a little anticlimactic but, for me, the atmosphere of the story was everything. Thanks to BookSirens for providing a free copy of the book which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
3.5 rounded up.
Richard Carlyle has been a river guide for years and likes to keep his hand in although these days he’s a college professor of criminology. He rocks up to his old outfit, owned by Ryan Marshall and volunteers to take a group onto the river. They use 4-6 inflatable boats with about 6 people on board with an experienced guide in each boat. Only on this trip there is a terrible accident and one of the guides, Art Sanders, ends up drowning. Carlyle fishes him out of the water and tries CPR but it is too late. These things happen (or do they). At the next outing there is another incident and another guide is drowned.
Carlyle is now very suspicious and snoops around the accident site and finds a tree branch that has been strategically placed to whack someone in the face. He then inspects the foot strap in the boat of the first incident and sees it has been partially cut through, not torn all the way as was first supposed. Furthermore he suspects that the target of these traps is Marshall himself. His family is not well regarded in the area because they own all the land and want to develop it for rich people rather than provide jobs for the hoi polloi.
What I liked about the book was the very atmospheric setting that the author really brought to life. The story was just a vehicle for the fabulous descriptions of the scenery and the rivers (Indian River and the Hudson) in the Adirondack region. It was cold, the spring melt was just starting. The rivers were raging torrents and I could almost feel the frostbite!
Carlyle somehow places himself at the centre of the investigation and tries to use his knowledge of psychopaths and criminology to get inside the killer’s head. There is a lot of traipsing through the icy landscape, brrr, and slowly Carlyle gets a feel for the killer’s thought processes and an inkling of where he may strike next.
I did enjoy the story but I never want to go white water rafting after reading that. I thought the ending was a little anticlimactic but, for me, the atmosphere of the story was everything. Thanks to BookSirens for providing a free copy of the book which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
3.5 rounded up.
October 6, 2020
I’m the first person reviewing this, I even had to create a listing for it on GR. Good deed for the day done. Now on to the review. I’ve never been to upstate New York nor have I ever been whitewater rafting. One day the former might change, but the latter is certain to remain the same, especially after reading this book. I don’t really get high adrenaline activities in general, life seems scary enough as is, so tumbling down unruly waterways in unsteady crafts seems wildly unenjoyable. And in this book, it’s actually also deadly. Two dead guides in less than a week. A record. So much so that an investigation is warranted and the mind behind it belongs to a local professor/former rafting guide, now specializing in criminology. So he goes and investigates, putting himself in considerable danger and many water adventures are had. I mean, it’s a proper thriller, it has an antagonist obsessed with the past and desperate to put things the way they were and, of course, will never be again, fighting the modernization and subsequent pillaging of the area by the powers that be. There is detective work, official and unofficial, and plenty of action. The author’s knowledge of both upstate NY (through living there) and whitewater rafting (through being a guide in the past) has served him well with this (looks like a retirement) project. The writing’s completely decent for a debut, the book is lean and fast paced. Very much a manly sort of adventure, barely any female characters, a lot of testosterone all around. Not offputtingly so and the female characters are perfectly well rendered when they show up for brief appearances, but overall a total…well, whatever the literary equivalent of a sausage fest is. But fact is this is way above and beyond the sort of crap BooksGoSocial usually serves up, a professional job through and though from cover on out and it doesn’t overstay its welcome either. I learned entirely too much about rafting, which has done nothing to change my mind about it, but it was an education all the same. Reasonably entertaining quick read. Especially for fans of wild waters and manly thrillers. Thanks Netgalley.
August 15, 2022
One of my favorite movies is The River Wild with Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon. If you haven't seen it, please go watch it today!!
The Gorge reminded me of different parts of that story. Most obviously because it takes place on white water. But even more so, because there is a race to figure out who the killer is and how to outsmart them before it's too late.
Lots of action in this one! Several murders on the river, immediately in the story, captures the reader's attention so quickly.
The challenges for me with this story was that there was so much action that sometimes I had I lost concentration. Not much in the way of character or relationship building so not a lot of 'down time' in the story. As well, the characters are predominantly men. A couple of women come in and out for short scenes, but it was really noticeable to me how many women were NOT in the story.
Overall, a good action thriller/mystery story if you are looking heart pounding action.
The Gorge reminded me of different parts of that story. Most obviously because it takes place on white water. But even more so, because there is a race to figure out who the killer is and how to outsmart them before it's too late.
Lots of action in this one! Several murders on the river, immediately in the story, captures the reader's attention so quickly.
The challenges for me with this story was that there was so much action that sometimes I had I lost concentration. Not much in the way of character or relationship building so not a lot of 'down time' in the story. As well, the characters are predominantly men. A couple of women come in and out for short scenes, but it was really noticeable to me how many women were NOT in the story.
Overall, a good action thriller/mystery story if you are looking heart pounding action.
December 4, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I've been whitewater rafting many times, usually on the Delaware, not the Hudson in early spring and during the summer. I didn't like the cold of early spring but loved the rapids. While I would love to do the rafting action described here, I could not possibly deal with the harsh weather. That being said, I really enjoyed this story. The characters and descriptions were spot on. The story grabbed me and never let up. I hope there will be other Ric Carlyle stories.
January 24, 2022
Not too many female characters in this novel, plenty of men though! Alot of information about river rafting, information I didn't necessarily need. Decent pace, good plot, and certainly a very good, solid debut novel. What I enjoyed most was the atmospheric elements. Overall I would read another book by this author.
Thanks Booksirens for an advanced ready copy, which I received in exchange for for honest review.
Thanks Booksirens for an advanced ready copy, which I received in exchange for for honest review.
February 27, 2021
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC of this book! This book had my attention from the start. The story lines were a little confusing at first, trying to determine who the antagonist was (or was not). However, once the story began to develop more it was difficult to put down. The only thing that had me rating this a 4 instead of a five was all the technical terms used for rafting. It is 100% clear Berger knows his stuff when it comes to rafting, (and the area, which I imagine is/will be endearing to native Upstate New Yorkers!) but not being familiar with rafting, it was a bit overwhelming at times. Overall, the story was thrilling and the development of the main character Ric Carlyle was my favorite. I’m hopeful there will be a sequel because there’s definitely room for it!
October 26, 2020
The Gorge is about white water rafting with a killer on the loose. I wouldn't go rafting myself, but many people like the rush and danger. I enjoyed this book anyway. The mystery of who the culprit was and why kept me interested throughout the book. I think someone who likes the thrill of rafting and is knowledgeable on the subject would love this one.
July 9, 2021
This book was another armchair adventure for me...a peek into an extreme sport that I will never do but love to read about. Based in upstate New York in the Hudson Gorge, two river raft guides die in a week and the local police and a former rating guide suspect foul play. Can they catch the culprit before more innocent people are killed?
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for this peek into the river rafting experience. I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for this peek into the river rafting experience. I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.
October 16, 2020
I found myself getting really engrossed in this book, and it was easy to visualise a wild running river.
Thanks to netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review
Thanks to netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review
February 25, 2021
A Must Read for Whitewater Rafting Enthusiasts
This was my first read after finishing Dune, and frankly I needed a fast paced, light read set somewhere other than the driest planet in the universe. The cover of The Gorge was just beautiful -- one of the best I have seen in a while -- and despite the old adage, I jumped in eagerly!
It was quickly evident that this was an insider's story of whitewater rafting. I knew nothing at all about the Ronald Berger, but it was clear he had been a rafting guide at some point in his life. (At the end of the book in the "About the Author" section, this proved to indeed be the case).
Other than perhaps the Kevin Bacon/Meryl Streep movie The River Wild I couldn't really think of any rafting stories, and the uniqueness of the genre intrigued me. Berger provided a very detailed description of all aspects of whitewater rafting, from the equipment to the rapids themselves, and I enjoyed the education! Berger also gave beautiful descriptions of the Adirondack Mountains, capturing the joys of being in the great outdoors. I have been camping countless times, and there were many passages in the book where I knew EXACTLY the feeling Berger was describing.
However, there were some areas of the novel that I felt detracted from its beauty. First, it really made me feel that it is extremely unsafe to go rafting. There was some sort of deadly, or near death, accident on every single trip. Now there's a reason for this that I can't talk about without a spoiler tag, but still. After two people die you'd think the rafting outfit might at least slow down for a week or so. But they keep charging on ahead like that's just how it goes. Let's hope this isn't indicative of true life rafting guides. Also, the guides all seemed to be a bunch of jerks, and every one of them had some near death story to tell. Maybe rafting guides are like this, but I doubt they are all jerks in exactly the same way. If whitewater rafting has this many deadly accidents I am surprised it has not been outlawed by now. Regardless of the level of true dangers of rafting and how they are portrayed in The Gorge, I felt Berger really missed an opportunity to add to the richness of the story by making the guides more individualized.
The one thing that really bugged me throughout the book, was the use of "What the hell" and "How the hell" and even "Who the hell." These phrases are totally overused in the book. A few here and there would have been fine, but this was really too much. An investigator approaches the owner of the rafting company after a death and says politely, "I'd like to ask you a few questions about the trip yesterday if you have time" and the reply is "What the hell do you want now!" Or a person might say, "I'm going to get a bite to eat" to which the response might be "Where the hell are you going?" Or perhaps an investigator asks, "What attracts you to the life of a river raft guide?" to which the response is "What the hell else could I do?" Or even, "Can I get you a cup of coffee?" to which the reply is "Why the hell not!" I mean, c'mon man. Regardless of which character was talking, or what was going on, one of these phrases was probably on every fifth page in the book. After you notice it, you can't stop seeing it. I'm pulling for Mr. Berger and I hope to see more from him, but he really needs a better editor. Somebody should have caught this before it went to press. It's such a small thing, and easily corrected, but with it in there, its like one of those great big boulders in the middle of the Indian River which he describes so beautifully -- a huge distraction and something to constantly be on the lookout for.
The dialog moves fast, which is good in a sort of Dragnet way, if you remember how they used to talk on that TV show. But because the characters were a little one dimensional (see above paragraph), the rapid fire dialog often had me losing track of who was talking.
If you like rafting, this is a must read. The issues I had with the book seemed to get better in the last 10% or so, I just wished Berger had corrected them in the other 90%. I hope if he reads this, he sees my criticisms as helpful and not as something to be discouraged by. This is a great first novel for a writer, and I will be looking for more from Ronald M. Berger.
4 out of 5 stars
This was my first read after finishing Dune, and frankly I needed a fast paced, light read set somewhere other than the driest planet in the universe. The cover of The Gorge was just beautiful -- one of the best I have seen in a while -- and despite the old adage, I jumped in eagerly!
It was quickly evident that this was an insider's story of whitewater rafting. I knew nothing at all about the Ronald Berger, but it was clear he had been a rafting guide at some point in his life. (At the end of the book in the "About the Author" section, this proved to indeed be the case).
Other than perhaps the Kevin Bacon/Meryl Streep movie The River Wild I couldn't really think of any rafting stories, and the uniqueness of the genre intrigued me. Berger provided a very detailed description of all aspects of whitewater rafting, from the equipment to the rapids themselves, and I enjoyed the education! Berger also gave beautiful descriptions of the Adirondack Mountains, capturing the joys of being in the great outdoors. I have been camping countless times, and there were many passages in the book where I knew EXACTLY the feeling Berger was describing.
However, there were some areas of the novel that I felt detracted from its beauty. First, it really made me feel that it is extremely unsafe to go rafting. There was some sort of deadly, or near death, accident on every single trip. Now there's a reason for this that I can't talk about without a spoiler tag, but still. After two people die you'd think the rafting outfit might at least slow down for a week or so. But they keep charging on ahead like that's just how it goes. Let's hope this isn't indicative of true life rafting guides. Also, the guides all seemed to be a bunch of jerks, and every one of them had some near death story to tell. Maybe rafting guides are like this, but I doubt they are all jerks in exactly the same way. If whitewater rafting has this many deadly accidents I am surprised it has not been outlawed by now. Regardless of the level of true dangers of rafting and how they are portrayed in The Gorge, I felt Berger really missed an opportunity to add to the richness of the story by making the guides more individualized.
The one thing that really bugged me throughout the book, was the use of "What the hell" and "How the hell" and even "Who the hell." These phrases are totally overused in the book. A few here and there would have been fine, but this was really too much. An investigator approaches the owner of the rafting company after a death and says politely, "I'd like to ask you a few questions about the trip yesterday if you have time" and the reply is "What the hell do you want now!" Or a person might say, "I'm going to get a bite to eat" to which the response might be "Where the hell are you going?" Or perhaps an investigator asks, "What attracts you to the life of a river raft guide?" to which the response is "What the hell else could I do?" Or even, "Can I get you a cup of coffee?" to which the reply is "Why the hell not!" I mean, c'mon man. Regardless of which character was talking, or what was going on, one of these phrases was probably on every fifth page in the book. After you notice it, you can't stop seeing it. I'm pulling for Mr. Berger and I hope to see more from him, but he really needs a better editor. Somebody should have caught this before it went to press. It's such a small thing, and easily corrected, but with it in there, its like one of those great big boulders in the middle of the Indian River which he describes so beautifully -- a huge distraction and something to constantly be on the lookout for.
The dialog moves fast, which is good in a sort of Dragnet way, if you remember how they used to talk on that TV show. But because the characters were a little one dimensional (see above paragraph), the rapid fire dialog often had me losing track of who was talking.
If you like rafting, this is a must read. The issues I had with the book seemed to get better in the last 10% or so, I just wished Berger had corrected them in the other 90%. I hope if he reads this, he sees my criticisms as helpful and not as something to be discouraged by. This is a great first novel for a writer, and I will be looking for more from Ronald M. Berger.
4 out of 5 stars
November 20, 2020
This one ticked a lot of boxes for me: Adventure, Nature, Killer on the Loose, Quick.
Rich Carlyle is a Criminal Justice Professor whose alter ego is a white water rafting guide for the Hudson river in Upstate New York in the spring with during the snow melt run off. This spring someone is sabotaging his boss's rafting company and people are dying.
I've been white water rafting a few times and the very first time the boat flipped, everyone went for a went through the rapid solo. So I could relate to the descriptions of the raft trips, though the bitter cold sounded miserable. I got a kick out of the guide talk, which was right on point with its smack, bravado, and sarcasm. Mix that with a great mystery and I was hooked. I loved that you occasional got a peek into the mind of the killer. Though not a lot of depth in any of the characters. This one is a quick read, coming in just over 200 pages, and the intensity will have you flying through the pages.
Rich Carlyle is a Criminal Justice Professor whose alter ego is a white water rafting guide for the Hudson river in Upstate New York in the spring with during the snow melt run off. This spring someone is sabotaging his boss's rafting company and people are dying.
I've been white water rafting a few times and the very first time the boat flipped, everyone went for a went through the rapid solo. So I could relate to the descriptions of the raft trips, though the bitter cold sounded miserable. I got a kick out of the guide talk, which was right on point with its smack, bravado, and sarcasm. Mix that with a great mystery and I was hooked. I loved that you occasional got a peek into the mind of the killer. Though not a lot of depth in any of the characters. This one is a quick read, coming in just over 200 pages, and the intensity will have you flying through the pages.
September 22, 2021
White-water rafters may never look at their adventures the same again!
An action packed story with twists and turns (pun intended) that keeps you hooked to the end!
Follow along with the adventures on the water, and personal dramas on many fronts. You may think you have it figured out but…
I'm not an outdoor enthusiast but I enjoyed this story very much!
I received an ARC of this book from Booksirens.com and this is my honest review.
An action packed story with twists and turns (pun intended) that keeps you hooked to the end!
Follow along with the adventures on the water, and personal dramas on many fronts. You may think you have it figured out but…
I'm not an outdoor enthusiast but I enjoyed this story very much!
I received an ARC of this book from Booksirens.com and this is my honest review.
May 31, 2021
The Gorge is an action-packed story about white water rafting and a murder mystery wrapped into one. The protagonist is Richard Carlyle who is a university professor and a retired white rabbit water rafting guide who really misses the river. The Gorge the first novel by university professor and British historian Robert M. Berger.
Richard Carlyle is asked by the Department of Environmental Conservation to determine whether or not a new rookie deserves to get his license as a white water river guide. Carlyle is sitting beside Sanders when he is pitched out of the boat and killed. Carlyle suspects that it is not an accident that Sanders goes under and is unable to get out just from the way he is ejected from the raft. Right after this is a trip another guide is killed and Carlyle suspects that the murderer is trying to get at Marshall the crew leader. Because Carlyle is a criminologist and studies criminal behaviour he decides to solve this crime. He continues to ride with the group trying to determine who is trying to hurt Marshall and if there is an intention to murder.
The story is action packed and the descriptions of the power of the river are quite dramatic, however, there is a bit of overkill in the macho department. These guys seem to be arguing all the time about who is the toughest and there is extreme detail regarding the equipment they carry which, in my opinion, is only important to those who white water raft.
I find the description of the scenery is not adequate enough for me to be able to picture the scenes, although, the strength and power of the river is quite descriptive. The ending is anticlimactic and really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I am still not sure why the story the ends the way it does. The motivation for the crime is not clear.
I think this book appeals to people that really like adventure and danger on the rivers. It's not really an intense murder mystery in my mind. I gave this book at 3 on 5 primarily because the murder mystery aspects of the story are a bit lacking. I would like to think the BookSirens and the author for providing me with a free digital copy of this novel. I provide this review voluntarily.
Richard Carlyle is asked by the Department of Environmental Conservation to determine whether or not a new rookie deserves to get his license as a white water river guide. Carlyle is sitting beside Sanders when he is pitched out of the boat and killed. Carlyle suspects that it is not an accident that Sanders goes under and is unable to get out just from the way he is ejected from the raft. Right after this is a trip another guide is killed and Carlyle suspects that the murderer is trying to get at Marshall the crew leader. Because Carlyle is a criminologist and studies criminal behaviour he decides to solve this crime. He continues to ride with the group trying to determine who is trying to hurt Marshall and if there is an intention to murder.
The story is action packed and the descriptions of the power of the river are quite dramatic, however, there is a bit of overkill in the macho department. These guys seem to be arguing all the time about who is the toughest and there is extreme detail regarding the equipment they carry which, in my opinion, is only important to those who white water raft.
I find the description of the scenery is not adequate enough for me to be able to picture the scenes, although, the strength and power of the river is quite descriptive. The ending is anticlimactic and really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I am still not sure why the story the ends the way it does. The motivation for the crime is not clear.
I think this book appeals to people that really like adventure and danger on the rivers. It's not really an intense murder mystery in my mind. I gave this book at 3 on 5 primarily because the murder mystery aspects of the story are a bit lacking. I would like to think the BookSirens and the author for providing me with a free digital copy of this novel. I provide this review voluntarily.
November 15, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
I’m a sucker for thrillers set in nature. The first half satisfied my preferences in nature thrillers. It seemed to move at a quicker pace and things were happening. I felt immersed in nature as well as the mystery. As for the last half, I felt like it dragged and the nature wasn’t as much of a part of solving the mystery. I started to get confused with the characters that got introduced in this portion. I’m also of the opinion that the character that’s creating the mayhem should be introduced early in the story with available clues for the reader to attempt to piece it together. This novel introduced the offender much later in the book and the detective just “happened” to piece together from locals how and why the offender caused the mayhem. Overall, strong first half, ok second half, I would still recommend!
I’m a sucker for thrillers set in nature. The first half satisfied my preferences in nature thrillers. It seemed to move at a quicker pace and things were happening. I felt immersed in nature as well as the mystery. As for the last half, I felt like it dragged and the nature wasn’t as much of a part of solving the mystery. I started to get confused with the characters that got introduced in this portion. I’m also of the opinion that the character that’s creating the mayhem should be introduced early in the story with available clues for the reader to attempt to piece it together. This novel introduced the offender much later in the book and the detective just “happened” to piece together from locals how and why the offender caused the mayhem. Overall, strong first half, ok second half, I would still recommend!
December 12, 2020
When professor of criminal law Richard Carlyle sets out to do a favor for his old boss Randy Marshall although he knew it would be arduous he never knew it would be deadly. He was supposed to be certifying one of the best rookies they’ve had in recent years to run the rapids with a crew on his own, instead he was attending his funeral. Art Sanders wouldn’t be the only man murdered in the gorge, the next one would be one of their best rafters and already suspicious this time they’re determined to find out what’s happening. This book was so good way better than I thought it would be. I really didn’t know who done it even though they give you clues and insights to the killer I couldn’t figure it out. This is a true mystery and one I highly recommend. This book deserves five stars and more an honorable mention a blue ribbon something this book was so good! I received this book from Books sirens and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
February 15, 2021
Not something I would ever do (because I’m a wimp) but this book describes in great detail the dangers and thrills of white water rafting. Two people die during trips down the river but were they simply tragic accidents or murder ? It soon becomes apparent that someone is targeting the organiser of the river trips and it becomes a race against time to find the person responsible before more innocent people die.
The investigation uncovers long-held grievances connected to an unscrupulous development company and their plans to change the lives of local people forever.
The descriptions of the trips through the river were gripping but it turns out that the author is no stranger to this activity. While reading the book I could almost visualise every twist and turn of the river, every boulder and wave. Bergen’s knowledge of the terrain was also vast.
Not the type of book I would normally read but thoroughly enjoyed it.
The investigation uncovers long-held grievances connected to an unscrupulous development company and their plans to change the lives of local people forever.
The descriptions of the trips through the river were gripping but it turns out that the author is no stranger to this activity. While reading the book I could almost visualise every twist and turn of the river, every boulder and wave. Bergen’s knowledge of the terrain was also vast.
Not the type of book I would normally read but thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 19, 2021
The author is very descriptive about this protected wilderness in NY along the Hudson River. His details about the whitewater rapids made me feel the guide's adrenaline rush and see the beautiful scenery.
Ric is a professor at the university and is consulting with the police after two guides have met their demise. He has been a guide, lives in the area and has an intricate knowledge of the area's history. But he teaches criminology and he is capable of determining the reason why the murders are occurring. It is fascinating to see how he reaches his conclusions.
Is he able to thwart further attempts on the guides' lives? Are the police cooperative with a professor in the investigation? And does he find the murderer?
Just a note: From 1992-1997 the author was a guide on the Hudson River. It gives credence to the story and how he is able to give such detailed descriptions.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ric is a professor at the university and is consulting with the police after two guides have met their demise. He has been a guide, lives in the area and has an intricate knowledge of the area's history. But he teaches criminology and he is capable of determining the reason why the murders are occurring. It is fascinating to see how he reaches his conclusions.
Is he able to thwart further attempts on the guides' lives? Are the police cooperative with a professor in the investigation? And does he find the murderer?
Just a note: From 1992-1997 the author was a guide on the Hudson River. It gives credence to the story and how he is able to give such detailed descriptions.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 23, 2020
A non-stop thriller from the first page to the last.
Now to preface, I was a little worried about not knowing enough lingo about white water rafting, since I have only been twice more than a decade ago, but you'll have no worries figuring out what is going on or being described.
The story begins on the raging waters of the Indian River, with a group of rafters headed through some intense rapids. Richard Carlyle is among one of the many rafts that day but is not a typical thrill seeker. He is there to evaluate the rafting company and let them know if they are okay to renew their permits for the next season. Suddenly disaster strikes, a guide is knocked out of the raft and quickly taken into an undercurrent with no escape. While seemingly an accident, Carlyle thinks something strange is happening around the death, how could an experienced guide like that make such a simple mistake?
After rescheduling the assessment for the next week, they hit the river again and begin a quick and fast paced descent down the river. Again a terrible mistake is made, and another life taken. Two lives of experienced guides, in the matter of a week. While even the most dangerous rivers take many lives, this was to rare to be just coincidence.
Are the deaths more than just coincidence? Or did the company really just have a rather unfortunate week oof bad luck?
Now to preface, I was a little worried about not knowing enough lingo about white water rafting, since I have only been twice more than a decade ago, but you'll have no worries figuring out what is going on or being described.
The story begins on the raging waters of the Indian River, with a group of rafters headed through some intense rapids. Richard Carlyle is among one of the many rafts that day but is not a typical thrill seeker. He is there to evaluate the rafting company and let them know if they are okay to renew their permits for the next season. Suddenly disaster strikes, a guide is knocked out of the raft and quickly taken into an undercurrent with no escape. While seemingly an accident, Carlyle thinks something strange is happening around the death, how could an experienced guide like that make such a simple mistake?
After rescheduling the assessment for the next week, they hit the river again and begin a quick and fast paced descent down the river. Again a terrible mistake is made, and another life taken. Two lives of experienced guides, in the matter of a week. While even the most dangerous rivers take many lives, this was to rare to be just coincidence.
Are the deaths more than just coincidence? Or did the company really just have a rather unfortunate week oof bad luck?
December 8, 2020
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.
December 14, 2020
I liked this book. I have never been white water rafting, nor will I think about it in the future. There was a lot of information regarding rafting and it made me see that this is really a thrill seeker thing. I could visualize the area, the accidents that occurred and the terrain as I was reading the book. I didn't like the ending, I didn't feel as if it was final, made me feel there was another option.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 20, 2020
The Gorge is a different mystery. Ronald M Berger set his murder on a river. The Marshal family owns a rafting business and someone hates the family. The characters are interesting and they act in a realistic way when the murders begin. Criminologist, Richard Carlyle, is leading one of the boats and he also steps in to catch a killer. The story leads you through The Who as well as why. I received an arc for my honest review.
April 26, 2021
I looked at this book multiple times before I decided to read and review it and I'm certainly glad I picked it up. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to the end! Wonderfully written with fantastic characterizations. Interesting, entertaining, full of twists, turns, and some terror to keep you alert. This is my first book by this author and I definitely hope to read more.
April 30, 2021
Exciting tale immersed in the life of whitewater rafting
Even if you’ve never rafted whitewater you’ll find yourself loving the intricate descriptions of the rivers. Gear, mountains and danger of rafting. All this plus a killer with an agenda. I loved the main character and his wife. You can just imagine real people who love the area just like them. Lastly, you will be left with an inside look at the rafting business and the guides who run the rivers.
Even if you’ve never rafted whitewater you’ll find yourself loving the intricate descriptions of the rivers. Gear, mountains and danger of rafting. All this plus a killer with an agenda. I loved the main character and his wife. You can just imagine real people who love the area just like them. Lastly, you will be left with an inside look at the rafting business and the guides who run the rivers.
May 20, 2021
Whether it's a wild river in Northern Ontario or the mighty Colorado in the depths of the Grand Canyon, there is nothing like the feeling you get as your canoe or raft picks and speed and rockets toward a line of Vs you hope will carry you safely through boiling whitewater. Mr. Berger recreates this experience for both whitewater veterans and wanna-be's in this engrossing mystery set in the beautiful canyons of the upper Hudson River.
June 4, 2022
The Gorge is a great story about searching for a killer who enjoys going water rafting. If you are a fan of this sort of sport and enjoy a mystery and fast-paced story, this book is for you, otherwise don´t invest your time you will feel that something is missing.
I downloaded a copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
I downloaded a copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
February 2, 2021
The storyline was very captivating, and it kept me on edge throughout the book. The beginning of the book was what drew me in and I thought it couldn't get any better, but it did. I highly recommend this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 2, 2022
As someone who doesn't know anything about rafting, this book did a great job painting the picture of the dangers on the water. It was easy to imagine what was going on during the trips and feel the fear and panic of the guides that were injured.
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