Gone Dark

Gone Dark by Ryan Steck is a nerve-racking and suspenseful thriller featuring Matthew Redd. This is the fourth book in the series and it starts with a chilling prologue. It’s wildfire season in Montana and eight smoke jumpers have been dropped into an area in Stillwater County, Montana to create breaks to stop the fires from getting to the town of Wellington.

When they go dark after communicating everyone has landed safely, Sheriff Stuart Blackwood calls on Redd, the lead for the local Search and Rescue team, to find out what happened. He finds a killer has taken out the smoke jumper team along with two civilians. A young boy, Jack, is the only survivor. He and Redd narrowly escape the raging fire and the killer. Redd calls Gavin Kline, the acting director of the FBI to investigate.

Meanwhile, Redd’s wife Emily, an emergency physician, loses a patient to an overdose. Fed up with another loss, this one a former school mate and a wounded veteran, Emily confronts the retired doctor responsible for feeding her patient’s deadly addiction.

When Redd and Emily’s home is attacked later that day, they wonder which one of them the attacker was after. As the fire gets closer and they follow the connections, Redd’s concern for Jack grows.

Redd is a former Marine Raider who has inherited the ranch of his adopted father and is training the county’s search and rescue team. He has also gotten his Emergency Medical Technician certification. He’s smart, strong, and athletic. He is learning to accept help from his friends and loved ones, but it still runs counter to his instincts. He is working on his trust issues and rarely reveals his tender side to others besides Emily and their two-year-old son Matty, Jr. Emily is a few days away from delivering their daughter. She’s dedicated to her patients and enjoys domestic activities. Rubble, Redd’s dog, plays a role in the story as well.

The author does a good job of providing adequate background that allows this novel to be read as a standalone. However, there are references to events that occurred in the previous novels. This engrossing novel is full of intense action scenes and threats from both killers and wildfires. The story has excellent world-building, great characterization, and a gripping storyline that addresses real-world issues such as drug addiction, greed, and wildfires. Themes include drugs, power, money, family, friendship, and much more.

Overall, this was a suspenseful, compelling, engaging, and heart-pounding novel with well-developed characters and a great addition to the series. There are also some heart-warming scenes as well as heart-wrenching ones. I am looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book. If you enjoy action thrillers and crime novels with a strong protagonist, then I recommend that you check out this series.

Tyndale House Publishers – Tyndale Fiction and Ryan Steck provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for June 17, 2025.