Plot Summary
Hell's Gate tells the story of Hunter Lee, a hot shot New York City lawyer who finds himself in Montana taking down the big railroad in town. Going through a divorce himself, Hunter listens to his brother and decides to stay in Big Sky country when he realizes that the summer's numerous forest fires may intentional -- and tied to some big small town money.
Review
The book opens with the only courtroom drama of the story, and it was slow-going for me. The action picked up quickly thereafter, though, and soon my head was spinning trying to keep track of all the different characters and how they were interrelated; that's not necessarily a criticism, as it did make me sit up and pay attention.
The main plot was strong as were various subplots, and the action moved at a nice clip. Indeed, I found I didn't want want to put the book down once I was more than a quarter through, eager to find out the "whodunit" the story had created.
That said, the ending left something to be desired. The wrapping up of the all the complicated scenarios was rushed and not equal to the many nuances described throughout the book.
Rating and Recommendation
I gave this book 3 1/2 stars mostly because it did keep me turning pages once it got its stride going. The characters were developed just enough, I think, and the plot was unique and interesting.
I'd recommend Hell's Gate for the beach or a long flight, although to be clear, the practice of law isn't really much of a focus here.
Disclosure
A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.