Summer Westin, aka “Sam,” works as a naturalist writer for the Save the Wilderness Fund. The story opens with her arriving at the Heritage National Monument park in Utah. Previously a cougar had been shot in the park, nursed back to life, and released, and Sam hopes to get some pictures and a story for the website. As she is passing through the campground she sees a toddler boy by himself and hears his mother calling for him. Just as Sam is about to get the boy and return him to his mother she sees the boy run over to a man, who she assumes is his father. Later she hears that the boy is missing and no one knows if he wandered off, was abducted, or, maybe even taken by a cougar. The boy doesn’t turn up, but cougar prints are found on the trail.
Sam joins in the search and wants to prove that the cougars were not involved because the media is reporting on the cougars. The reporter is Sam’s boyfriend. Her employer is questioning the wisdom of reporting on the cougars at this time as the public is questioning their presence in the park. Also, there is talk of shooting the cats and hunters are getting involved. Meanwhile, an FBI agent is assigned to the case that Sam helps guide him to some of the remote spots which haven’t been searched yet.
The reader did a good job so that the listener just dropped into the story. The character of Sam was very well rounded and believable, we understood her motivations and actions. The descriptions of the campground and the wilderness were good. The story moved along well and was absorbing. I really enjoyed this book.