The Last Ranger

Heller’s (The Guide) latest follows Ren Hopper, an enforcement officer in Yellowstone National Park, who maintains order under often perilous circumstances. Although his traumatic past plagues him, he vigilantly watches over the park’s animals and the visitors and residents who sometimes need protection from nature or from themselves. When he discovers his closest friend, Hilly, a wolf biologist, caught in a deadly steel trap, signs indicate that it wasn’t an accident. Poacher Les Ingraham is implicated, but Ren also suspects the local militia may be involved. Heller lyrically describes the landscape and the wildlife populating this untamed and ferociously beautiful place; his writing is so vivid that listeners may even smell the pines. Mark Deakins narrates this complex wilderness noir, capturing the rich interactions between humans and nature, alongside captivating details about wolves, wolf behavior, and their effects on the ecosystem. Deakins employs a conversational style, which balances the gently humorous parts of the novel with scenes that are gracefully poetic.