Arrow in Paradise

“Arrow in Paradise” by Rob Sorensen is a well-written, fast-paced novel that begins on the coast of Oregon where teacher Clayton Kennedy Cooper is thrust into a controversial sexual misconduct incident. His life is turned upside down, he loses his job, and his wife leaves with their two daughters. Cooper moves to a remote area of northern Montana. The pristine Yaak River Valley provides the perfect sense of place that permeates the novel. Seeking to follow his dream of a career in nature photography, he connects with the valley’s colorful cast of characters and settles into the local culture. Meanwhile, back in Oregon, the girl involved in the scandal nurses her obsession for her former teacher and Cooper’s past comes full circle with his present, resulting in a succession of tragedy, mystery, and intrigue. It reminds the reader that there are two sides to the story. Set in an area where beauty and danger co-exist, the novel is a story of the ultimate conflict. Beast and beauty. Hunter and hunted.

-Review by Elizabeth Sweet