A Slow Trek by George Sanchez

Jeff Chaussier faces an unimaginable loss in New York City and a new tangled chapter of grief in A Slow Trek by George Sanchez, a vulnerable adventure of self-discovery and strength.

This installation of the Chaussier adventure series continues to challenge ideas of traditional family structures, and explores bold new forms of love after loss. Returning to New Orleans with his children and Bryna – his almost wife and sometimes lover – Jeff puts his Sherlock instincts to good use, putting together threads of sinister connections to his recent tragedy, while she dives into a bayou mystery of her own. Establishing new dynamics of trust along the way, this slow-burning thriller pulses with conspiratorial energy.

When it comes to the quality of editing and writing, there is an occasionally disjointed nature to the prose – interruptions of the narrator’s train of thought, parenthetical asides, and dialogue fractured by tangential thoughts – but this is somewhat reflective of Jeff’s state of mind. There are also countless flashes of lush description and poignant character development: “We lay in such a knot as existed on the day of Creation where everything was present and just needed love to sort out the world.” The multi-perspective narrative structure is insightful, giving readers a uniquely intimate peek at Jeff, Bryna, and their motives through the eyes of friends, colleagues, and family members.

Driven by authentic and relatable emotions, this novel will strike a chord for those who have lost much, but kept on living, for an emotive and page-turning read.