BookBrowse Reviews Panther Gap by James A. McLaughlin

BookBrowse:

A highly descriptive thriller with an intense focus on its natural setting.

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James A. McLaughlin is the author of the Edgar Award-winning thriller Bearskin. Panther Gap, his standalone follow-up, was highly praised by our First Impressions reviewers, and earned ratings of 4 out of 5 stars or higher from 19 out of 20 readers.

What the book is about:

Panther Gap by James A. McLaughlin is a wild ride to a deceptively quiet, remote Colorado ranch. Hippie-spirit Bowman and his academic-track sister Summer grow up knowing there's more than meets the eye in their idyllic existence. Behind the scenes, their family has amassed shocking wealth, and their secret inheritance brings a frightening array of suspicious characters and cartel operatives into their young lives. Bowman utilizes psychedelic rites and Summer ecological know-how in an attempt to rescue their ranch from a selloff. What the siblings fail to realize is that several powerful drug cartels in the area are far more interested in offshore funds, at the expense of Summer and Bowman's lives (Stephanie K).

Readers appreciated McLaughlin's multi-genre, wide-ranging approach…

This is one of those books that defies genres: it's a thriller, an environmental diatribe, a saga of two siblings, and an exploration of mystical relations between human and animals (Julie P). The book is a skillful blend of mysticism, mystery, international drug dealing, family and survivalism, and McLaughlin pulls it all together so well, with compelling characters (Patricia G).

...and found themselves deeply engaged in the story.

I generally try not to judge a book by how quickly it draws me in — some books just build slowly — but within the first 20 pages of Panther Gap I knew I would have a hard time putting it down (Patricia G). It's an intelligent, challenging read that will surprise you at every twist of the plot (Linda L).

Some felt that the plot jumped around too much, but in most cases this didn't keep them from enjoying the book overall.

I loved Panther Gap… I think many book clubs would enjoy it and it would create lively discussions on many levels. If you like Don Winslow, this is a book for you. Yet despite all of these wonderful comments, the book switched back and forth too many times for me. Many times I was left hanging and caught myself saying 'wait, what?' (Antoinette B). I felt the author brought in too many situations and characters, which, for me, muddied the storyline a bit, but overall, I enjoyed reading Panther Gap and hope you do, too! (Jennie R).

Reviewers were fascinated by McLaughlin's detailed descriptions of nature and environmental themes…

At times, it is as if the reader has a front-row seat to what happens when modern man threatens to ruin one of the increasingly rare remaining natural environments like Panther Gap. Summer and Bowman are also developed as perfect complements to that setting. As focused as I was on the plot twists, I also needed to frequently reread sections because I got too caught up picturing the landscape (Mark S). The descriptions of the scenery, animals and touches of mysticism were so beautiful that I made myself slow down and imagine being there. I was particularly intrigued as I tried to visualize the remote family compound in the Colorado wilderness (Carol R).

…and expressed interest in reading more of his work.

Note to Mr. McLaughlin's editor — please, give us at least one prequel to Panther Gap! These characters — especially the older family members — are so rich and engaging that they deserve their own story. Fingers crossed! (Patricia G). I hadn't read James McLaughlin before but after reading his latest book, I will go back and read Bearskin and keep an eye out for him in the future (Ellen).

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in June 2023, and has been updated for the April 2024 edition. Click here to go to this issue.