Canaan’s Secret is the sixth book in the Zack Tolliver, FBI series by R. Lawson Gamble, an entry that features murder and mystery. Zack Tolliver is back at home to spend time with family, leaving the FBI, when Libby’s sister calls. She is worried for her daughter after the murder of a high school classmate. When Libby finds out that Pru’s life is in danger, Zack sends his friend Eagle Feather to Kanab to investigate. The startling discovery that the murder can be linked to old bones in a cave up the summit of Mount Canaan begins an investigation into what seems even bigger than a murder case. But can Zack and his friend crack the heart of the mystery?
The opening of the novel is intriguing and I enjoyed the way the author captures the killer stalking the innkeeper’s son. The first lines make it impossible to stop reading. “It was as foretold. He was making a delivery to the Quality Inn in Kanab when he saw the boy lounging by the pool, shirtless, feet dangling in the water, leaning back on his elbows to catch the meager rays of the early spring sun. The boy's age, gender, hair, eyes, and black skin all matched the description given him by the Voice.” The author delves into the mind of the reader and offers fascinating images at this opening, plus the mention of a shadowy character heeding to the Voice creates a strong sense of mystery and makes readers want to know what this Voice is and who this character is. Canaan’s Secret is dark and intoxicating in a disturbing kind of way. R. Lawson Gamble’s characters are richly developed and the plot so deftly handled with twists and surprises that it keeps the reader turning from page to page. This is a great treat for fans of murder and mystery and readers who enjoy sleuth novels.