Logan McCrae has lost everything he values: Wealth and career, family and love. Then Walter Dietz, his former boss at the National Security Agency contacts him. They've intercepted a cell phone call from a European terrorist cell that mentions the Deschutes River. It's probably nothing, but Dietz wants Logan to spend six months looking for dots to connect, just in case.

For Logan, it's a chance to rebuild his life and maybe reconnect with his 19-year-old daughter, who was seriously injured in an accident. They pack up their few remaining possessions and move to Maupin, a small town on the Deschutes, and face an uncertain - and ultimately dangerous - future.

Besides Logan, you'll meet Casey Williams, a young fishing guide trying to rekindle an old flame, and Hank O Leary, a professional fly-tyer and Vietnam vet who falls in love with the unlikeliest of mates. Like the braided currents of the Deschutes, each life interacts with the others as the characters grow in their understanding of life, love, and themselves.

River in the Sun is a non-traditional thriller. There are no steely-eyed heroes who shoot people left and right, no explosions, no car chases (although there is one with rowboats). Instead, ordinary people are caught up in extraordinary events and respond as best they can. It is a compelling story that is at turns lyrical and intense, funny and deeply moving.

If you like Oregon, rivers, the Deschutes, fly fishing, or simply enjoy a good book about people dealing with real-life issues, you'll enjoy River in the Sun.