Dark Woods

I often like to remember each week of my life by the book I was reading, it's a small habit I have that brings a smile to my face and helps the gray cells from shrinking. This week was truly good in the wild world between pages of a book that almost made me smell the earth, hear leaves flapping in the wind and the concentration and precision that made the main hero such an incredible character pushed through my veins and made me hold my breath on more than one occasion. Dark Woods is an exquisite surprise, the world of hunting never interested me, a person who would never wear fur and who detest any type of animal abuse but I found myself lost and mesmerized by Mr. Kumar's polished language. The book was not only a real pleasure to read because it was so smooth, intense and woven with light and sound that leaped of the pages but it contained just a small handful of characters who stood out and who were truly memorable. Frank Vaughn is a Deputy Sheriff and a hunter who seems to have spotted a trail that left a dead body and a ripped apart animal that point to non other than a Sasquatch, that's Big Foot for those not familiar with furry monsters. He often goes hunting which is well depicted with great respect to the animals and with clear intentions of not wasting anything away. While on his hunting trip his friend Boone gets wounded and ends up in the hospital while Geek, I swear not everyone had funny names, helps Vaughn take their friend to safety but refuses to go back and make sure the animal is not staggering wounded and in pain in the dark woods. The also find a body of a local poacher who suffered a terrible death by the same dark creature that they caught a glimpse of. Pretty soon the word gets out and Vaughn is joined by a science professor Art Lansing and a few other characters, some with genuine intensions and some not so spotless. Some people in the group seemed to have an idea about how expandable the over populated human society is and would stop at nothing in the pursuit of the beast. Mr. Kumar does an excellent job of writing about the Skookum County, Washinton's rugged mountainous terrain and the dark, the cold and lonely hunt that Vaughn and the others perused. The tale is truly addictive, I felt every breath held, every calculated step, the babbling of the cold brook, the serene air and grace of nature and the tiny powers of the human against its wrath. Everything was very tantalizing until the crew noticed something, the hunting slowly turned tables and they were no longer hunting, they were becoming the hunted and the terror was more than real, it was hair rising and quite fabulous to read about. For those who have been in the woods alone like a needle in haystack this book can reenact some of that eerie yet calm feeling. It was a really great experience since woods are nothing foreign to me and it reminded me of the tranquil days I spent, not chased by a colossal creature thank god but in the presence of nature. This tal

I read this book within two days, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a novel about a hunt for a Sasquatch in fictional Skookum County, Washington (which is based on Skamania County, Washington). A hunting party apparently finds a dead deer and a dead body, one member shoots a Sasquatch, which gets angry and attacks one of the party members. Deputy Sheriff Frank Vaughn is the man who shot the Sasquatch, and the team rushes the wounded man to the hospital. Vaugh returns to the area along with an employee of Carolina Pacific, Chris Mackey, to try to humanely put the Sasquatch out of its misery. Along the way, they meet a University professor, Arthur Lansing (who is modeled after the late Grover Krantz) and a member of the national Fish and Wildlife Commission, Alison Lombard, who is sent by her aunt, Brenda Underwood, a bigwig in the Fish and Wildlife Commission, to "keep an eye on things." As the party tracks down the Sasquatch, finding more footprints and hearing eerie howls, it becomes clear that they are the hunted rather than the hunters. I won't spoil the book for you, but it comes to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. A very highly-recommended book even for those who are not into Sasquatch.

The motion picture rights to this book won't last long, if they aren't already sold. A great read, wonderfully written and surprisingly unconventional, especially considering the genre. A suspenseful thriller that is obviously much deeper and with more purpose than the usual fare. Don't gloss over this title or cover just because you THINK you already know what the book is about. Give it a try and it will entertain, teach, and raise questions in your own mind at the same time.

I knew nothing about hunting, the outdoors or environmental issues beyond the soundbites, and any sasquatch knowledge is from 20 year old bad tv. This book was a great read, very entertaining and intelligent. Kumar weaves a old fashioned suspense storyline with thought-provoking points of view on the environment and even political gamesmanship. He avoids any gratuitous gore and instead tells an entertaining story that keeps you guessing. Nicely done!

This is a tale that goes well beyond the immediate subject matter. Kumar uses a bi-pedal ape as the vehicle to express an interesting view on hunting, the Endangered Species Act, and the economic and social ramifications of the political "gaming" of these federal laws on both sides of the table. He easily could have used a Manatee or Snail Darter, less compelling but also good examples of how regulations play out in the real world. All in all this book works at many levels. It makes you think about these environmental regulations in a new way, absent finger pointing. Kumar just gives the facts from both sides, wrapped up in an entertaining story that is a real page turner. Not the usual kind of book that I read, but I'm glad that it was recommended to me. A top notch story for a first effort. When can we get more from him?