The Homeplace

Wolf’s captivating if flawed debut won the 2015 Hillerman prize. Hometown hero Chase Ford returns to Brandon, Colo., to hunt some deer and ponder his future. Sixteen years earlier, Chase left Brandon a rising basketball star, but then a knee injury cut short his NBA career and earned him a prescription drug habit, which in turn destroyed his marriage. He’s hoping for a quiet visit, but on his arrival, someone murders high school basketball star Jimmy Riley. Shortly thereafter, Chase’s former coach is found dead and two other acquaintances go missing. Chase and two of his childhood friends, Deputy Marty Storm and game warden Birdie Hawkins, must catch the person terrorizing Brandon before Chase’s old rival, Sheriff Lincoln Kendall, can pin the crimes on him. Wolf spills too much ink on a tangential subplot, and the killer’s motivation is unearned, but vibrant prose, clever clues, and a keen sense of place carry readers through to a satisfying if convenient conclusion. Agent: Gina Panettieri, Talcott Notch Literary. (Sept.)