Eagles Fly Alone

One little bird sets events in motion in this novel by Lars. R Trodson

They found it, dead and decapitated, next to the landfill in the small NH town of Fenton. Langley Calhoun, the police chief, had never seen a bird like it. He figured it was an eagle, but its bright yellow feet and long black talons didn't fit what he knew of eagles.

In Lars Trodson's debut novel, "Eagles Fly Alone" [Mainly Murder Press, $16.95], the mystery of the eagle is the pivot point for a story about exotic crime, common corruption and small-town politics.

It's set against Chief Calhoun's painful personal story – a terrible accident that fractures his relationship with his brother, the loss of his family and, finally, his job.

Trodson deftly joins the two plot lines, advancing the story in tandem. As the nature of the crime (no, we won't tell) becomes clear, there is also growing clarity for Calhoun.

The book is peopled with well-drawn characters, ones Granite Staters will likely recognize from town hall, the landfill and elsewhere in their towns.

It's always fun to read a book that's set in New Hampshire ("public transportation … is practically non-existent, so if you don't have a car, you're out of luck") and this book makes you feel right at home.

It is a well-told tale, definitely worthy of your time.