DEAD FLOAT

A former lawyer finds that leading a fishing expedition isn’t quite the respite he was expecting when a customer is murdered on the trip.

Ever since he left his high-pressure job as an LA prosecutor, Cal Claxton has been looking for a little peace and quiet. Walks with his loyal dog, Archie, and trout fishing on Oregon’s Deschutes River now fill his time. Cal expects an equally relaxed few days when he agrees to lead a fishing trip for his friend Philip Lone Deer. Almost immediately, however, the drama begins when Cal realizes the trip is for Hal Bruckner, head of up-and-coming NanoTech. Not only do Hal’s companions have poorly hidden disagreements about the Diamond Wire Project the company is planning, but Hal’s wife, Alexis, has a personal (very personal) history with Cal. Luckily, Hal had the foresight to hire Daina Zakaris, a consultant with Accelerated Management Development, to help with the professional transition. Daina gets some of the animosity out in the open and begins to develop communication among the four members of NanoTech’s management team. But she doesn't seem to have been so successful at having the team confront conflict: They awaken to find Hal’s been murdered. While it’s obvious to Cal that someone must have been hired to kill Hal, local cops believe Cal may be to blame. Clearly, the best way to prove his innocence is to find out who’s behind Hal’s death.

Easley’s second continues to flesh out Cal’s character but sets him against some two-dimensional bad guys. It’s an improvement over Matters of Doubt (2013), but the nitty-gritty details still don’t sing out.