In the mouth of the bear

Criminal on the run, Rice Moore finds refuge in an Appalachian reservation, in the depths of Virginia. Employed as a forest ranger, he seeks to be forgotten by the powerful Mexican drug cartel he betrayed. But the discovery of the carcass of a slaughtered bear turns his daily life upside down: is it an isolated act or organized poaching? The case takes a completely different turn when new bears are found dead. As the police open an investigation, Rice decides to team up with Sara Birkeland, a scientist who served as a ranger before him. Together, they come up with a plan to catch the culprits. A plan that risks exposing Rice's past. James McLaughlin signs with In the mouth of the bear a breathtaking first novel. Beyond a plot that will haunt you for a long time, the author confronts essential questions: how do nature and man transform each other? What is the part of animality in each human being? Is a return to the wild life possible for Western man? Into the Bear's Maw was listed by The New York Times as one of the ten best ".Crime Fiction." of the Year 2018 and received the 2019 Edgar Allan Poe Prize for First Novel. Translated from English (United States) by Brice Matthieussent ____________________ IN THE 2020 SELECTION ____________________ The booksellers loved it...! “What a nice slap!!! A true noir novel of wild and violent nature. »Bertrand, Vent d’Ouest Bookstore, Nantes "There is a spellbinding side to reading this book, a bit as if the state of animality in which the hero plunges during his hunt for poachers rubbed off on the reader. Isabelle, Librairie It's the fault of Voltaire, Amboise “A thriller written by a poet” Jean-Christophe, Bookstore Les Temps Modernes, Orléans “A treat […] between Don Wislow and Craig Johnson” François, Librairie La Cédille, Lamballe “A thrilling noir novel that very rightly questions the part of animality in humans. » Joachim, Le Matoulu Bookstore, Melle "A strong plot, complex characters and, in the background, a ruthless nature populated by unscrupulous men. »Laëtitia, Mille Feuilles Bookstore, Altkirch • And also a favorite of the Lamartine bookstore (Paris 16th), the La Géothèque bookstore (Nantes), the Vivement Dimanche bookstore (Lyon), the Gibert Joseph bookstore in Poitiers, the Le Méandre bookstore (Meudon), and many more to come! A masterful first novel between nature writing and thriller. “One of the best contemporary black novels. »Washington Post