Mystery

Lost River

Lost River

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  • Create Date：2021-08-23 08:51:44
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：J. Todd Scott
  • ISBN：0735212961
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Summary

A blistering crime novel of the opioid epidemic--and its cops， villains， and victims--written by a twenty-five-year veteran of the DEA。

Angel， Kentucky: Just another one of America's forgotten places， where opportunities vanished long ago， and the opioid crisis has reached a fever pitch。 When this small town is rocked by the vicious killing of an entire infamous local crime family， the bloody aftermath brings together three people already struggling with Angel's drug epidemic: Trey， a young medic-in-training with secrets to hide; Special Agent Casey Alexander， a DEA agent who won't let the local law or small-town way of doing things stand in her way; and Paul Mayfield， a former police chief who's had to watch his own young wife succumb to addiction。

Over the course of twenty-four hours， loyalties are tested， the corrupt are exposed， and the horrible truth of the largest drug operation in the region is revealed。 And though Angel will never be the same again， a lucky few may still find hope。

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Reviews

John Of The Johns ，

I haven't finished this yet， but I doubt my opinion will change by the end。 While the author can clearly write well， his style is not my style。 I hate the short chapters， the reflections from the past， and the general flow of the book。 It's just doesn't seem to flow as a good book should flow。 The story itself isn't exactly amazing either， but could have been a lot better if handled in a different manner。 When you boil it down to its core， what's really here？ Where does the quality lay？ It's a q I haven't finished this yet， but I doubt my opinion will change by the end。 While the author can clearly write well， his style is not my style。 I hate the short chapters， the reflections from the past， and the general flow of the book。 It's just doesn't seem to flow as a good book should flow。 The story itself isn't exactly amazing either， but could have been a lot better if handled in a different manner。 When you boil it down to its core， what's really here？ Where does the quality lay？ It's a question that I struggle to answer， yet a question that's usually easy to answer when it comes to anything of value。 。。。more

ABookwormWithWine ，

I spotted Lost River by J。 Todd Scott at my favorite crime bookstore in Minnesota but decided to be good and check it out from the library since I haven't read this author before。 I don't usually read books that touch on current issues， but this sounded so good that I had to give it a shot and I am very glad I did！ I had no idea this came out in 2020， but that doesn't matter since it is still very applicable today， and I can't believe I didn't even know it existed。 Scott works for the DEA and it I spotted Lost River by J。 Todd Scott at my favorite crime bookstore in Minnesota but decided to be good and check it out from the library since I haven't read this author before。 I don't usually read books that touch on current issues， but this sounded so good that I had to give it a shot and I am very glad I did！ I had no idea this came out in 2020， but that doesn't matter since it is still very applicable today， and I can't believe I didn't even know it existed。 Scott works for the DEA and it really came through in his writing， everything is very well thought out and it was very clear to me that he knows what he is talking about when it comes to the opioid epidemic。 The plot felt scarily realistic， and I had to keep reminding myself it is a fictional story。 There are a few different viewpoints as well as different time periods which got confusing to me at times， but overall it wasn't too hard to follow along with what was happening。 There is plenty of action in this novel and I could see it making an incredible movie。 The setting of Angel， Kentucky was very interesting， and it was obvious that we were in the deep south。 I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by T。 Ryder Smith who I have never heard narrate before。 When the action hit his narration would get very fast and frantic， and it really upped the suspense and anxiety in those situations。 I thought his voice seemed perfect for all of the characters which are mainly men， and although I had to slow the audiobook down so I heard everything he was saying， this was not an issue and I really enjoyed listening to him。 Our only female viewpoint came from Special Agent Casey Alexander， and I loved her character。 I think Scott could easily center a series around her and would definitely listen to/read it if he did。 This is a very "manly" novel， and I think any guy or gal that loves reading and action movies would love Lost River。 I enjoy a good action movie myself and if this ever actually does come out as a movie， I will totally watch it！ It shocked me in some great ways， and my mouth dropped open at a couple of reveals， so I am glad I took a chance and picked this up。 。。。more

Richard R。 Aarstad ，

Boom！J。 Todd Scott delivers a stunning story。 You can taste the desperation of Angel's lost souls。 He has honed his writing to a fine edge that cuts deep。 Boom！J。 Todd Scott delivers a stunning story。 You can taste the desperation of Angel's lost souls。 He has honed his writing to a fine edge that cuts deep。 。。。more

Deanna Banquer ，

I had goosebumps for the last 20-25 pages。 It was dark， for sure， but it didn’t forget to hope。 The most satisfying ending to a book I’ve read in quite a while。*reposted from my previous GR account， which was deleted。

Jon ，

Well written， but not for me。 This is literature。 I like crime fiction and series fiction。 That's not what this is， but does paint a sad picture of the opioid crisis。 Well written， but not for me。 This is literature。 I like crime fiction and series fiction。 That's not what this is， but does paint a sad picture of the opioid crisis。 。。。more

John Rumery ，

Had high expectations based on the author’s previous work but unfortunately this fell a little short。 It was good。 Focusing on the Appalachia’s opioid drug trade was a nice change from his previous border noir stories but I never really cared for the main characters all that much。 The bad guys were certainly despicable but seemed more dumb than anything。 I half expected a Matt Gaetz-like Congress man to show up at some point to spout off idiotic half truths about how noble the hardworking meth m Had high expectations based on the author’s previous work but unfortunately this fell a little short。 It was good。 Focusing on the Appalachia’s opioid drug trade was a nice change from his previous border noir stories but I never really cared for the main characters all that much。 The bad guys were certainly despicable but seemed more dumb than anything。 I half expected a Matt Gaetz-like Congress man to show up at some point to spout off idiotic half truths about how noble the hardworking meth making families of Kentucky were。 Go back to the border Mr。 Scott and update us on the wall and GOP corruption in Texas。 。。。more

James Winchell ，

Tragedy， love， loss， forgiveness， redemption。 Are just a few words that can describe this book。 First time reading a book by J Todd Scott and it will not be the last。 Great storyline。 Powerful and strong but holds a great sadness within the story。 Liked how he wrote chapters but also little stories about certain characters。

Andy Plonka ，

The topic while important and current is difficult for me to read about。 Opioid addiction is made too easy for the unknowledgeable person and is so difficult to overcome。 Yet Scott does a good job of underlining what a ubiquitous yet unnecessary if the prescribers of said drugs are very selective about proscribing them。

Linda ，

Nope， not my favorite。 Too many drugs， bad cops and a modern day Deliverance group of people。 Don’t recommend。

Paul ，

A departure from the authors 3 previous books that took place in western Texas。 This one takes place in the authors home state of Kentucky。 It covers 1 day in a town devastated by drugs and opioid addiction， a massacre that wipes out the drug dealing family who control the town， the crooked cops being paid to look the other way and the devastating consequences of addiction and what it’s like to be with someone going through addiction。No book covers the heartache of addiction suffered by someone A departure from the authors 3 previous books that took place in western Texas。 This one takes place in the authors home state of Kentucky。 It covers 1 day in a town devastated by drugs and opioid addiction， a massacre that wipes out the drug dealing family who control the town， the crooked cops being paid to look the other way and the devastating consequences of addiction and what it’s like to be with someone going through addiction。No book covers the heartache of addiction suffered by someone close as well as this book。 。。。more

David Barker ，

This is the third of his books at I have read （and the first I’ve read that doesn’t take place in West Texas）。 It was an absolutely sensational read。 From the first page to the last。 It was raw and real and painful and beautiful all at the same time。 Mr。 Scott wove a tale of the destructive nature of opioids on people and communities。 Tremendous read。

Guuventhar ，

Compelling grim story of opiod-riddled community in KY; No heroes。

Tj ，

Absolutely fantastic， and utterly heartbreaking at the same time。 Story about a community and it's people just being decimated by the opioid epidemic。 But also a great cop story， led by a hard-headed DEA agent。 Don Winslow has been writing the best DEA/drug stories， but Scott is well in the way to the same upper tier。 Absolutely fantastic， and utterly heartbreaking at the same time。 Story about a community and it's people just being decimated by the opioid epidemic。 But also a great cop story， led by a hard-headed DEA agent。 Don Winslow has been writing the best DEA/drug stories， but Scott is well in the way to the same upper tier。 。。。more

L ，

The opioid epidemic。 A town being destroyed。 This one is painful to read。

Eric ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Lost River by J。 Todd Scott opens with a bang as Little Paris Glasser， one of the main characters， harangues one of his drug runners for the incompetent dumping of a foe’s corpse。 From then on， those who enjoy “Southern Noir” and “Grit Lit” know they have a gem on their hands。In Angel， Kentucky， the Glasser family—made almost untouchable by payoffs and intimidation of many governmental authorities—controls nearly all the illicit activity in the region。 Little Paris Glasser， the youngest in the f Lost River by J。 Todd Scott opens with a bang as Little Paris Glasser， one of the main characters， harangues one of his drug runners for the incompetent dumping of a foe’s corpse。 From then on， those who enjoy “Southern Noir” and “Grit Lit” know they have a gem on their hands。In Angel， Kentucky， the Glasser family—made almost untouchable by payoffs and intimidation of many governmental authorities—controls nearly all the illicit activity in the region。 Little Paris Glasser， the youngest in the family， is more than happy when people part to avoid his nasty presence。 Even better when those in need of his wares share his company， for a price。Drug Enforcement Agent， Casey Alexander， and her partner have come to Angel to deal with a rash of drug overdose deaths。 Violence permeates the area， with dangerous foes from every corner。 And on account of the local corruption， both must walk a delicate path when it comes to who to trust， including law enforcement officers in the pocket of the Glasser family。Everyone is touched and harmed by America’s unquenchable thirst for opioids。J。 Todd Scott tells the story of Lost River in an exceptional way， developing each character—warts and all—to reveal themselves as believable。 He paints a striking picture of how substance abuse permeates all aspects of American society， with the wreckage left behind free of glamour or gloss。 The novel is not all misery， however， and includes sparks of hope when it comes to these destructive substances and their toll。The bottom line: J。 Todd Scott is the real deal。 Readers are encouraged to seek out his earlier novels， especially if they enjoy the writings of Daniel Woodrell， William Gay， Ace Atkins， Larry Brown， Tom Franklin， and other （too many to name） fine writers of Southern Noir。This review originally appeared at MysteryandSuspsense。com 。。。more

Michael Martz ，

'Lost River' is another strong effort by J。 Todd Scott， a writer whose previous work about the drug issues along the Texas-Mexico border has brought comparisons to the great Don Winslow。 Though Lost River's setting is in the mountains of eastern Kentucky， it covers a lot of the same ground: drugs， the cartel， violence， and their impact on the user population。 It's scary good。Lost River begins with the murder of an MS13 drug runner by the kingpin of the local dealer network， the current 'king' of 'Lost River' is another strong effort by J。 Todd Scott， a writer whose previous work about the drug issues along the Texas-Mexico border has brought comparisons to the great Don Winslow。 Though Lost River's setting is in the mountains of eastern Kentucky， it covers a lot of the same ground: drugs， the cartel， violence， and their impact on the user population。 It's scary good。Lost River begins with the murder of an MS13 drug runner by the kingpin of the local dealer network， the current 'king' of that part of Kentucky， Little Paris。 In his drugged out fog， he didn't anticipate the blowback， in the form of a bloody massacre by the cartel of pretty much everyone present at Little Paris' headquarters， except possibly for Little Paris himself。 The DEA， led by young female badass special agent Casey Alexander and her old-guy partner Van Dorn get involved， along with the FBI and local cops from several nearby jurisdictions。 Casey and Van Dorn focus their efforts on finding Little Paris， whom they believe didn't perish in the massacre。 While the investigation proceeds， drug users are dropping like flies due to Little Paris' selling of a much more potent type of heroin。 Along the way to the nasty conclusion， we learn Casey's backstory along with the interconnections between the many players， both on the law enforcement and the drug user community， that make this such a richly layered story。Scott is a wonderful writer， expertly mixing the local idiom with his beautifully written narrative。 The dialogue is perfectly captured and I can almost seem to hear it spoken as I'm reading it， which to me is a pretty good indicator of its quality。 The characters， especially Casey and Van Dorn but also a few of the locals who figure prominently in the action， are expertly drawn as the plot advances via the use of flashbacks。 Each one of J。 Todd Scott's novels is a gem with lots of grit and violence but also strong characters with principles。 Pick any one and enjoy。 。。。more

Mary Drayer ，

An excellent book on this awful drug pandemic！ The town is trying to get better but oh how sad。。。I never cried after reading a book。。。but this one took its toll。

Zak ，

If it hadn't been for the writing style， I'd have given 4 stars， the story is most of the time I felt as though I was reading a sequel to another story told before。 If it hadn't been for the writing style， I'd have given 4 stars， the story is most of the time I felt as though I was reading a sequel to another story told before。 。。。more

Bob Morrison ，

DEA，meth heads in Kentucky，bad family controlling the drugs，bad local cop，messed up town and people，female DEA agent involved， lost partner in Arizona- Mexicans slaughter local bad guys，except one，ends in shot out- good book except too much reminiscing and flashbacks，not my style- but when stayed on course was good story

Ken ，

3。5 stars which is a better than average score for me。 Different set of characters this time around but a similar despair as law enforcement struggles against the perpetual wave of loss caused by the drug industry。 The background on Scott characters are always fully realized leading to some pretty lengthy stints when nothing happens but in the end the books always keep me interested and with strong endings。 This was at least my 3rd book this year dealing with hopelessness of drugs in America and 3。5 stars which is a better than average score for me。 Different set of characters this time around but a similar despair as law enforcement struggles against the perpetual wave of loss caused by the drug industry。 The background on Scott characters are always fully realized leading to some pretty lengthy stints when nothing happens but in the end the books always keep me interested and with strong endings。 This was at least my 3rd book this year dealing with hopelessness of drugs in America and they've all been pretty depressing （Dope by Sara Gran set in the 50's was awesome and Long Bright River ， set in contemporary Philly， by Liz Moore was also very good。 But none of these have very many uplifting moments。 Anybody have any suggestions for books about murder， mayhem and maliciousness that are uplifting？ Send them my way。 。。。more

James Thane ，

Lost River is an outstanding novel from J。 Todd Scott who has been a federal DEA agent for more than twenty years and who thus has had a front row seat watching the ravages of drug addiction and the toll it has taken on millions of Americans and on the country as a whole。 This book， his fourth， is set in the dying community of Angel in eastern Kentucky。The fictional town of Angel once thrived on the business of coal mining， and the substance most often abused there was moonshine whiskey。 But aft Lost River is an outstanding novel from J。 Todd Scott who has been a federal DEA agent for more than twenty years and who thus has had a front row seat watching the ravages of drug addiction and the toll it has taken on millions of Americans and on the country as a whole。 This book， his fourth， is set in the dying community of Angel in eastern Kentucky。The fictional town of Angel once thrived on the business of coal mining， and the substance most often abused there was moonshine whiskey。 But after raping the land and leaving it devastated， the mining companies have moved on， taking the jobs with them， and leaving the town and its remaining inhabitants as badly bruised and damaged as the land itself。Few of the people left in Angel have any sort of jobs at all， let alone anything that might be construed as meaningful or rewarding， and way too many of them have turned for comfort， first to opioids and then to heroin。 A criminal clan controlled by a large family known as the Glassers now controls the local drug supply and much of the town itself。 The local police force has been hopelessly corrupted， and in consequence， no one is about to challenge the Glassers and no one is able to deal with the destruction they've left in their wake。As the book opens， a particularly potent and deadly heroin mix is working its way through the community， courtesy of the Glassers， and people are dying left and right。 As this happens， Scott introduces the reader to a few of the characters still hanging on in Angel， including Dobie and Trey， the two young men who constitute what passes for the local ambulance service， and through their eyes， we get a gut-wrenching view of the toll that the drug epidemic is taking on the small community。Suddenly， though， on a day when Dobie and Trey are racing from one call to the next， the word goes out that there's been a massacre at the Glasser family compound。 Virtually all of the Glassers appear to have been slaughtered and this brings the DEA to Angel， in the person of Agent Casey Alexander， a woman with a past and scars of her own。The story plays out over the span of twenty-four hours as Alexander and her partner attempt to make sense out of the developments at the Glasser compound while trying to sort through the tangled relationships of the people in Angel。 The story is brilliantly written and populated with a cast of well-drawn and believable characters。 The setting is very well done and as the tension builds through the second half of the book， it's almost impossible to put down。This is not a story that's going to leave any reader in excellent spirits。 It's an impossibly depressing tale， all the more so for the truth it exposes about the opioid crisis that is currently taking such a heavy toll， particularly in some parts of rural America。 Still， for all the tragedy that inhabits this story， it's impossible to look away， and this is a book that will haunt readers for a long time after they've read the final pages。 。。。more

Peter Fiske ，

Excellent！ Well worth reading。 A very rough story about drugs， murder and the aftermath。

Brandy ，

Gritty and full of tension。 Great new author！

Isaiah ，

4。5 stars

Craig ，

In Lost River， by J。 Todd Scott， the author again demonstrates his versatility and power as a writer。 Here he has left behind his border trilogy and turned his attention to the deletorious effects of the opioid crisis in Kentucky。 He does this so meticulously， it's clear his years in law enforcement have afforded him a firsthand knowledge of this epidemic。 In Lost River， by J。 Todd Scott， the author again demonstrates his versatility and power as a writer。 Here he has left behind his border trilogy and turned his attention to the deletorious effects of the opioid crisis in Kentucky。 He does this so meticulously， it's clear his years in law enforcement have afforded him a firsthand knowledge of this epidemic。 。。。more

Katrina ，

Excellent！ Read it！ 5+ stars！ I loved reading this novel- I enjoy all of J。 Todd Scott's books。 Amazing read！！！！！ Excellent！ Read it！ 5+ stars！ I loved reading this novel- I enjoy all of J。 Todd Scott's books。 Amazing read！！！！！ 。。。more

3 no 7 ，

“Lost River” is the story of life in Angel， Kentucky， a place where almost everyone is tied together by blood， marriage， or bad luck。 Angel is a city with vacant shops and deserted streets heavy with shadows。 Rural Kentucky moved beyond moonshining a long time ago， and replaced that with a more systemic problem， one that transcends poverty， social status， and financial assets -- pervasive drug use。 Scott tells the story from the point of view of various participants。 Readers observe how they see “Lost River” is the story of life in Angel， Kentucky， a place where almost everyone is tied together by blood， marriage， or bad luck。 Angel is a city with vacant shops and deserted streets heavy with shadows。 Rural Kentucky moved beyond moonshining a long time ago， and replaced that with a more systemic problem， one that transcends poverty， social status， and financial assets -- pervasive drug use。 Scott tells the story from the point of view of various participants。 Readers observe how they see the world， and how they continuously struggle with substance abuse on every level。 The characters are complex and troubled， weighed down by a hundred invisible anchors， seeking lifelines they are never going to take。 The vocabulary， syntax， and cadence reflect the poverty and isolation of their way of life， simple yet complex， traditional yet mired in modern events。 There is a bad batch of heroin spreading around the county and people are dropping like flies。 A tiny dancing skeleton and letters DOA are stamped on the bags as a warning， the sort of secret that everyone knows。 Every person is in danger; even the loose powder in the air is deadly to police and other first responders。 The situation is complex with competing， even conflicting interests， the DEA， the County Sheriff’s Office， the Kentucky State Police， and The FBI， because someone always calls the FBI。Angel’s lost souls are the real story， those for whom nothing will ever be enough， for whom there will never be a right time。 Scott crafted a compelling and gut-wrenching story drawn from events and issues surrounding the very real opioid crisis。 According to the CDC （Center for Disease Control）， ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT people die every day from an opioid overdose。 I received a review copy of “Lost River” from J。 Todd Scott， G。P。 Putnam's Sons， and Penguin Publishing Group。 It is starkly realistic， gripping， and disturbing。 。。。more

Greg ，

Lost River is another knockout book by author J。 Todd Scott。 Writing with the elevated prose style he's used to great effect in the Big Bend series， Scott crafts a standalone thriller about crime and the opiod crisis in Kentucky， with guts， heart and dark poetry。 I recommend this book to all of the crime and thriller readers that come into my book store。 Lost River is another knockout book by author J。 Todd Scott。 Writing with the elevated prose style he's used to great effect in the Big Bend series， Scott crafts a standalone thriller about crime and the opiod crisis in Kentucky， with guts， heart and dark poetry。 I recommend this book to all of the crime and thriller readers that come into my book store。 。。。more

Philip Fracassi ，

LOST RIVER was my first book by J。 Todd Scott and will not be my last。 A whip-fast， ultra-violent and true-to-life rural crime drama involving a rural Kentucky drug family and the effect that family has on those who grow up within their aura of violence。 Scott's prose is taut and vicious， and his 25 years of experience as a DEA agent brings an ultra-realism to the proceedings that makes it both frightening and heartbreaking。 A top-notch read。 Highly recommend。 LOST RIVER was my first book by J。 Todd Scott and will not be my last。 A whip-fast， ultra-violent and true-to-life rural crime drama involving a rural Kentucky drug family and the effect that family has on those who grow up within their aura of violence。 Scott's prose is taut and vicious， and his 25 years of experience as a DEA agent brings an ultra-realism to the proceedings that makes it both frightening and heartbreaking。 A top-notch read。 Highly recommend。 。。。more

Michael J Cullinan ，

Outstanding as usual from this authorEasy read， good character development lots of interesting character s too Zzz xXxX xXxX xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xx

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Lost River

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Lost River&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Lost River&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0