In his second novel, The Forest Prime Evil, Alan Russell shows even greater promise. It’s published by Walker and Company of New York. The plot is wrapped around an environmental issue. This gives the book a local reading push, what with the citizens of Noxubee County under siege, as it were, by proponents of the placing of a hazardous waste dump in one of the county’s many beautiful green pastures.
The Forest Prime Evil deals with a murder mystery in the California redwood forests. A prominent environmentalist is killed by a falling tree limb. Private Investigator Stuart Winter suspects the incident was no accident.
You’ll love the mystery. You’ll also love the abundant redwood forest lore which becomes a definite part of the plot. The Forest Prime Evil is an excellent book with a fine plot of modern conflicts. – The Macon Beacon
Far removed from ancient Rome, modern private investigator, San Francisco based Stuart Winter, ponders the apparent murder of the “Green Man,” a self-styled Johnny Appleseed. Hired by a radical eco-defense group, he journeys to the redwood forests of northern California, where he suspects both pro-logging and pro- “save the Old Grwoth” factions. As he digs deeper into the Green Man’s past, however, he broadens the range of suspects. Serviceable prose, quick-moving plot, and plenty of facts about endangered redwoods contribute to a fine second outing for Russell. – Library Journal
The riddle of modern-day Johnny Appleseed Christopher (“the Green Man”) Shepard’s death – was he killed by a falling redwood branch, as the police think, or by an operator-assisted branch, as his surviving friends in the radical ecological commune EverGreen suspect? – provides an excuse for San Francisco shamus Stuart Winter to drive to Garberville (whose two main drags are Redwood Drive and pot). There, he’ll learn that the Green Man has antagonized not only logging bigwig Harold (Bull) Dozier, but also fundamentalist preacher Reginald Sawyer, marijuana moguls Red, Cindy, and Coop, and whoever didn’t approve of his nudist midnight back-to-nature rituals. Stuart also learns that not all environmentalists like each other.
Highly competent mystery-mongering, generously stuffed with red-herring, subplots, and woodsy background. – Kirkus Reviews
Private Investigator Stuart Winter finds himself embroiled in a quandary. He is hired by a conservation group to find out who killed their controversial leader known as the Green Man. As he looks into the murder, Stuart finds conflicting stories concerning the validity of the victim’s real convictions. The list of potential killers is a lengthy one. As the story unfolds, you find yourself fullyinvolved in his investigation and in the cause for environmental conservation. A well-written, excellently posed mystery and another chance to learn more about P.I. Winter – Rendezvous Reviews
Russell excels in creating clear images of local California regions and politics as he simultaneously weaves a mystery into an environmental thriller. Investigator Winter probes the death of an environmentalist, but carefully adhere to no belief system as he considers suspects on all sides of a lumber industry conflict. Intrigue and suspense build, with authentic political conflicts broadening the scope of the mystery. – The Bookwatch
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