It’s always a treat to read a thrilling first book in a new series and know that there will be many more good reads to anticipate. That is exactly what Alice Henderson’s A SOLITUDE OF WOLVERINES is, and readers will want to keep biologist Alex Carter on their radar as new adventures of hers are released.

Alex is living in Boston and has just finished working on a wetlands habitat. In the book’s first scene, a businessman who had to declare bankruptcy because his real-estate project was stymied due to the presence of endangered species on the wetlands, shows up determined to make those involved suffer as he has. Just before he can murder Alex, but after shooting a reporter, he is killed by an unknown sniper.

"A SOLITUDE OF WOLVERINES crackles with exciting and engaging suspense, and you won’t want to put the book down as Alex races against unknown enemies..."

While Alex and her longtime boyfriend had similar goals in college, we learn that he has changed and is in pursuit of the corporate dream --- lots of money and prestige. She, on the other hand, wants to save the world. Those objectives don’t work well together, and Alex feels stifled in Boston. She wants to be in nature, protecting endangered species and working for the betterment of the environment. When an opportunity to study wolverines in Montana arises, she jumps at it.

The Montana setting is like something out of THE SHINING (cue scary music). An abandoned ski resort with outbuildings far from neighbors leaves Alex feeling unsettled. And while she loves the pristine wilderness and actually spots wolverines, she receives dire warnings that she should leave. In fact, her first encounter upon her arrival is with a truck that forces her off the road.

But Alex has a few strengths that aren’t readily apparent. Her mother, who had been a fighter pilot in the military, trained her in survival techniques and thinking quickly. Not only does she know her way around an engine, she is proficient in martial arts and can protect herself. At the same time, she loves to read and is passionate about saving animals. In short, she is an extremely likable protagonist.

There are many other characters here, and we don’t know who is trustworthy and who isn’t. The local hunters aren’t happy that the preserve is now off limits to hunting, and when Alex comes across a man who appears to be dying, with broken legs, no shoes and missing toes, she races to get him medical help. But when they get to the spot where she found him, he has disappeared. Even search dogs find no trace of any path.

A SOLITUDE OF WOLVERINES crackles with exciting and engaging suspense, and you won’t want to put the book down as Alex races against unknown enemies to save not only herself, but also several animals in danger. A fascinating main character, a touch of romance, lots of action and a mysterious sniper who we know will be in future books all make this a mystery series you will want to keep reading.