The wilderness survival group, composed of, in part, the governor, his wife, Corrigan, a female news reporter named Dana Wylie, their guide Ben Donnelly and his son Chipper are briefed as to the route they are to take and what to do in case of emergency. They are dropped off by helicopter on Black Mountain, with maps to locate various caches of supplies they will need on their trip. They are equipped with such sophisticated equipment as global positioning devices, but, almost immediately, things begin to go wrong.

The helicopter explodes shortly after it leaves their group on the mountain, the positioning devices won’t work properly, and bizarre accidents occur. Gradually, Corrigan realizes their party is being stalked by an unknown killer who is completely at ease in the woods, and has no compunction about killing innocent people by decidedly inhumane methods. Initially, Corrigan, though a neophyte in the wilds, feels bound to try and protect all the members of their expedition, but, as Mother Nature and the stalker seem bent on his destruction, he decides to prioritize. His own life and that of Dana Wylie, who is increasingly becoming more important in his life, become the major focus of his effort.

Two significant points contribute to the success of Les Standiford’s Black Mountain. Most obvious is the fast paced plot that grabs the reader’s attention from the first page and holds it throughout the novel. The stalker is introduced to the reader in the first chapter, along with his female assistant, but whether or not these people are members of the expedition who sneak away from the group at intervals is left unexplained. The author seems to encourage the reader to consider each member of the party as a possible suspect by having introduced the assassins in the first chapter, but not following up on their movements.

In addition to a first rate plot, the description of the Wyoming wilderness, as well as the unpredictability of the weather in the area in early fall produce an informative travelogue. Whether the reader would rather be viewing the scenery from the comfort of an armchair or vicariously enjoying the trip is a decision that must be made by each reader, but Mr. Standiford provides enough details that it is easy to imagine the surroundings. Even without the human element of a potential killer at work, the harshness of the terrain and the weather make a formidable foe for Corrigan and his companions.

Black Mountain is not a book to ponder over for several weeks after you have read it. Yet it provides a pleasant several evenings worth of entertainment as a brief respite from television.

--Andy Plonka