Vortex: A Novel

A first novel from this author - In the mountains between the United States from British Columbia two unsuspecting climbers witness a plane crash, finding the pilot dead and a survivor with a suitcase of drugs which they later agree to smuggle to the USA across the mountains for some quick cash. What was a quick money-making adventure, that they were in control of, does not work out as they expected.

There are a few twists and turns to the story, but it is as much a showcase of climbing (snow, ice and rock in equal measures) as it is a drug smuggling adventure and police procedural. The climbing all comes across as technically proficient, and is described in great detail adding up to around half the book. Normally in novels you either get police procedural with a little climbing or climbing with a little adventure crossover, but this really is equal parts.

The three parts of the novel are led by a different character each, giving a slightly different driver in each, but not focused fully from that characters point of view.

This was ok, but not really much more - there were some interesting enough characters in the story - the climbers, the love interest, the American and Canadian detectives working the case, cross border cooperation etc. It was however a quick read, and the pace was good.

2.5 stars, rounded up.