I was keen to read The Briars (2026) because it was a murder mystery set in the Pacific Northwest with a Game Warden as the protagonist.

Not bad. Not great.

Plot Overview

• The Setting: Lake Lumin, a fictional, picturesque town near Mount St. Helens in Washington State.
• Main Protagonist: Annie Heston, an Oregon game warden fleeing a broken relationship. Her first task in Lake Lumin is tracking a dangerous cougar.
• The Mystery: The body of a young woman is discovered in the thorny “briars” bordering the property of Daniel Barela, a reclusive local carpenter with a hidden past.
• Key Conflict: As Annie assists the local sheriff with the murder investigation, suspicion falls on Daniel. Annie must decide if she can trust him while uncovering the town’s deep-seated secrets. 

Too much attention on the romantic subplot.