Douglas Kurtz

Adventure tour guide Ben Baxter blames himself for a disaster in his past: Three of his clients were killed in an accident that Ben feels was his fault. While preparing for his "comeback" eco-tour, Ben meets a charming but distressed young woman named Poppy, unaware that she is carrying a satchel full of cash and some suspicious photographs belonging to a murder victim. When he innocently invites her on the tour, he unwittingly sets the wheels in motion for a desperate showdown between Poppy and the homicidal guard who is pursuing her and her money. Ben's faulty judgments begin to snowball, until he must confront the fact that he has trapped himself in a situation beyond his control. Now the welfare of the wildlife in the national parks is in jeopardy, as well as the safety of his clients. This creative, suspenseful thriller holds the reader in a vise-like grip from beginning to end.

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"I loved it. It was very fun to read and I don't generally seek out suspense/thriller novels,
so it was an extra pleasant surprise to enjoy it as much as I did. I was very drawn in to all the characters and looked forward to what was going to happen next!"
--Claire Blaney, Oakland, CA

"Whipped through it in just a few days. Wanted to know what happened and if justice was served like an overly salted piece of cod on a budget cruise line. Looking forward to more."
--Cliff Whitehouse, Denver, CO

"Mosquito is an original and sophisticated addition to that durable mode of American Fiction, the Crime Novel...Mosquito is frightening and prophetic."
--Sidney Goldfarb, playwright, The Rushes of Tulsa

"If a first mystery novel can successfully combine ingenuity of plot with a love of words, then Mosquito...is a real keeper..." www.languageandculture.net/review-kurtz.html
Liz Fortini, Pleasanton, CA

"The story is so intriguing and so well written that I didn't want to stop reading for a minute. I didn't want it to end and I can't wait to read it again. Hopefully, Mr. Kurtz is busy working on his next book!"
--Jean Moses, Dallas, TX

"Last night I finished this thrilling page turner way past my bedtime. I can't wait till the rest of the world gets behind it and is as excited for the next story as I am."
--Craig Brooke-Weiss, Seattle, WA

"I finished Mosquito last night. It was great! Yesterday I cancelled showing property to a client just to see what happens in the book."
--Mark Hochhauser, Boulder, CO