Back Track

Authentic and well-paced, Harold Johnson’s novel crosscuts through the stereotypes of Cree families, cultural ruts, and economic conventions. In the world of the North, Johnson creates a tangled murder chronicle and harrowing tale with no drag or boondoggle. Back Track’s suspense bearings remain true through scene and dialogue as northern conservation officials are foiled, RCMP officers outfoxed, and the power of the natural world elevates to a transcendent consciousness. Against a backdrop of traditional Cree mythology, and cultural tilt, Johnson’s novel arcs through the world of four Cree brothers, bound to each other through family and tradition, separated from each other by their chosen life paths. As one brother kills, another reinforces the principle of a circle of life, as one capitulates to weakness, another conquers his demons. What drives the action is a manhunt for the killer of conservation officers; but at the heart of the story is reparation of cultural wisdom and the restoration of traditional beliefs.