A kidnapper hiding in plain sight. A rural town with tons of suspects. From debut author Cam Torrens comes a gut-wrenching suspense novel based on an actual missing person case. A 911 call sends Search & Rescue on a search for a missing girl in the Collegiate Peaks. They find a child…but not the one they seek. Air Force pilot Tyler Zahn's life disintegrated when he lost his son. He discarded his family, his career, and his dignity, finding solace in apathy and beer. Eight years later, armed with new confidence, he invites his estranged daughter, Daria, to visit his Rocky Mountain home. Zahn tries too hard to mend their relationship, and as the tension between father and daughter increases, forgiveness seems out of reach. Especially when his Search & Rescue work pulls him away from Daria and she finds romance at the church camp next door. But Zahn can't get the missing girl he found—and the one he can't find—out of his mind. Someone in this mountain valley is collecting children, and Zahn is gradually drawn into the case while still trying to break through to his daughter. Then she disappears too.
Over a 30-year Air Force career, author Cam Torrens delivered combat supplies and personnel across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He piloted the first mobility aircraft into Iraq during the Iraq War, served as the United States Air Attaché at the US Embassy in Beijing, China, and spent four years as the Professor of Aerospace Studies at Virginia Tech. A father of six, Cam and his spouse live in Buena Vista, Colorado, where he serves as the Vice President of the Central Colorado Writers, and volunteers with the Chaffee County Search & Rescue team. Stable is his debut novel. The second in the Tyler Zahn series released in October 2023. The third, Scorched, will come out in August 2024.
Before we start, let's see if we've got everything, according to our pack list:
a rural and beautiful setting - check.
A disturbing series of crimes that break the setting - check.
The actual police totally in over their head - check.
A hero who sucks at live in general, failed marriage, with problems connecting to their kid, also a former (alcohol) addict, and much better qualified at solving the crime spree - check.
Yeah, no, I think we're all good here, let's start this thriller show!
Alright, that might have been a lengthy way to say that this series protagonist - we're talking book one here, folks, this could be the birth of a new series star! - makes heavy use of the "damaged hero" trope. Tyler Zahn is a former alcoholic, and he's a little awkward around his daughter, because he's got every minute they'll spend planned in advance. And his journal reads "catch fish", not "enjoy fishing". Think Bruce Willis in Die Hard 4.0 (especially the daughter part), combined with a mild case of Monk (not really obsessive compulsive disorder, but maybe a little ocd).
Well, who hasn't?
I'm talking a lot about Tyler here because, as I've mentioned, this novel marks the potential start of a series (in fact, a second one called False Summit is already here), and those series are all about the protagonist. Granted, you need a good storyline, but if you want your readers to be looking for the next book, you need to hook them on your character. That's the reason the Jack Reacher novels are so damn successful, because everyone likes Reacher. And a lot of authors try to write the next Reacher. I think Cam Torrens might be on to something here, and he wisely choose to make Tyler not into a larger than life hero like Reacher, but rather into a hero broken by life.
My name is Zahn. Zahn fairy. But you can call me Tyler.
Fun fact: I grinned the first 2 to 200 times I've read the full name, Tyler Zahn. Especially since Cam is doing the Reacher thing here, where most people - including the narrator - call Tyler by his surname, Zahn. Even his daughter does it! That might not be funny to you - but for me it is, as Zahn is German for tooth. So I've ended up thinking of him as some kind of muscled tooth fairy (Zahnfee). Long story short, to my inner eye, Tyler started to look like a certain actor.
On an existential level, he didn't know what he believed in. But at ground level, he believed in himself. -- Tyler muses about self-confidence
Zahn has the hallmarks to become a new Reacher. There are elements here that would mix well with the way a Reacher story is told - how people act the way they do is told so it makes their actions believable, which is something I really enjoy in a thriller. You know, when people do stuff and you can actually follow their reasoning. I hate it when actors in stories do stupid stuff without a reason. But I'll gladly accept even mighty stupid acts of craziness if the person committing them had at least a good reason to think it was a good idea, from their point of view. That is what's happening in stories by Child, and Cam Torrens is pretty much along those lines. Including the fact that Zahn drinks his coffee black, no sugar, no fancy name.
Details. It's always about the details.
There's one thing Child does better, though - reading a Reacher novel means riding piggyback on Reacher's mind. Everyone has a reason why they do shit in the Reacher novels, especially Reacher himself, and the reader becomes part of that thought process. Child shines out in his capacity to take the reader along, and I think that Cam could enhance my experience as a Zahn reader by improving upon this point. That's, of course, only my two coins of small denomination.
*****
To what it all amounts to, is this: With Tyler Zahn, Cam Torrens has created a fantastic character who thriller readers will love to follow through his adventures. Stable's main villain is believable and acting in ways that I might condemn, but which make sense in the given context. He's not a monster by simply being evil, but a monster by choice, driven by greed - and that's highly realistic. All of this is blended into a story that seems realistic enough to give you shivers at time, and with enough thrills to keep you on your toes.
I think Tyler Zahn has a great career as a thriller novel hero in front of him. I would advice Cam to let the readers take a bigger part in Zahn's thought process - riding his thoughts piggyback - and to invest a little work at the pacing front, and we might witness the rise of a new star here. 4 stars, highly recommended for thriller fans.
Disclaimer: I’ve received a free Advanced Reader’s Copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Great Debut Novel I enjoyed this book. It was well written, had a good storyline with a practical motive, including a few twists. The characters were well defined. Definitely worth a read.
I just turned the last ebook page fighting tears of emotional relief at a good ending.
I read Torrens' second book False Summit first last year, in awe of his writing prowess. It took me till now to finally read Stable, mostly because of the topic. But Torrens handled the potential trigger stuff in a way that it just didn't trigger. I wish i had read it sooner.
Stable is an intense plot mainly focused on family drama about finding one's voice to talk about feelings while in the midst of an abduction story.
I find the search and rescue theme interesting and exciting. It's like watching a movie. Great pacing, fast when needed and slows down for the personal connections.
I can hardly wait for book 3, Scorched, due out this year!
Despite the anxiety the high-stakes plot induces, this book was a pleasure to read. The dialog, the well-drawn characters, the gorgeously-described setting, make Stable a perfect get-away-from-it-all read. The story unfolds in Colorado and--without giving too much away--involves a series of law enforcement and search and rescue missions. While this is not territory familiar to me, the author manages to explain the technical aspects of how these types of operations roll out, without ever condescending to the reader. So you'll learn a lot! As I absorbed what the characters were seeking to accomplish--the bravery and personal risk it would require of them--I got the feeling that the author knows this world quite well. He certainly communicates it in an inspiring way.
The dialog was pitch-perfect. Each word moved the plot or offered deeper insight into what the character was thinking, feeling, or hoping. Bravo to Cam Torrens for creating a lovable if imperfect main character who is always striving--sometimes clumsily--to do the right thing. I'm looking forward to reading the next Tyler Zahn adventure.
Great debut novel. Tyler Zahn is the perfect protagonist for an action thriller; former military, suffers a great tragedy and drowns his sorrows, turns his life around and becomes a driven Search and Rescue team member. This was a fast paced, action packed read with interesting characters. The author's background shines through in this clever and well written story. I am really looking forward to many more books in this series. Perfect for fans of Robert Crais, David Baldacci or Lee Child. Thank you Black Rosr Writing and Netgalley for this ARC
Mr. Torrens is a great storyteller. He captured my interest and attention from Chapter 1. He handled the child trafficking and kidnappings with an unexpected gentle finesse.
The book could trigger people who grew up in abusive situations, but it is an awesome book. I worked child welfare for 5 years, and now I’m an assistant district attorney/felony prosecutor. The book spoke volumes to me about trafficked children and interpersonal relationships.
I was highly impressed with Stable, and look forward to reading more by Mr. Torrens.
This was a great thriller! It moved at a good pace and I think the characters were well written. I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. 10/10 highly recommend! Special 'Thank You' to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book prior to publication.
Cam Torrens's suspense thriller, Stable, is a page-turning, knuckle-biting adventure. Tyler Zahn is an Air Force veteran with plenty of his own past problems. He tries to solve present day problems with lost or injured hikers by joining the Chaffee County Search & Rescue volunteers. A cast of fantastic characters makes us invested in this world, but none more so than Zahn's estranged daughter, Daria, who might be giving him a second chance. A web of lies and deceit hovers just beyond Zahn's perception as he misses out on time with Daria while he tries to find a missing girl. Then, suddenly, Daria is missing too. Zahn will stop at nothing until he figures out how he can try to save her. Read the novel for its epic ending!
"Stable" is one of the strongest debuts I've read since Michael Koryta's "Tonight I Said Goodbye" nearly two decades ago. While this intricately plotted kidnapping thriller has its fair share of white-knuckle escapes, the true centerpiece of the novel is its complex exploration of a father and daughter attempting to find a renewed connection after great personal loss. These moments feel just as real as the occupational expertise that Torrens brings to his hero's search-and-rescue background.
Confident and entertaining, "Stable" delivers on everything it promises for fans of the genre. The climax is so particularly nail-biting that one might be cautioned to wear gloves while reading it; otherwise, you might find your fingers gnawed completely to the bone.
This is my first book of Cam Torrens and it won’t be my last! This honestly isn’t my usual read but I thought it was well written and kept my attention. I found myself needing to know what was going to happen!
Tyler is retired Air Force pilot who has become a Search and Rescue volunteer. His daughter, Daria, who he hasn’t seen in six years comes to visit him in hopes that they can reconnect. The problem is Tyler organizes their day down to the minute. Daria feels like she’s being smothered and jumps at the opportunity when a gentleman next door offers to take her horseback riding. Tyler then takes a call about a nine year old girl who’s missing. But what unravels will leave Tyler and Daria in danger. It’s a race to find the missing girls and who’s taking them in this small town!
From start to finish the whole story flowed really well, I found myself becoming emotionally invested in the characters' fates, and I couldn't help but cheer them on with encouragement at certain parts of the story.
I enjoyed sitting down each evening to read a chapter or two, but before I knew it, I found myself needing to read more and more until I was finished.
I gave 4 stars as whilst I really enjoyed it start to finish and was engaged all the way, I felt like the outcome at the ending was a little predictable. Good how it was written, just predictable.
I received this book as an advanced reader copy for free and have provided my review absolutely voluntarily.
Torrens seems like a pretty solid dude and it's always fun to read thrillers from someone with the right background to write action scenes, and for a debut novel this is pretty good. Human trafficking is an icky subject and this novel manages to talk about it without being gratuitous or gross, and the story was good, even if the bad guy was obvious right away. I also like that the author chose to portray the girls as total badasses rather than victims. Character development could have been a little better but i hope Torrens keeps writing.
This book is so well-written. Tyler Zahn is a flawed hero trying to reconnect with his daughter and get his life back on track. Reading the creepiness level of the antagonist's actions gave me a literal stomach ache without being explicit, which is impressive. I thought it was pretty obvious who the bad guy was, and I still couldn't put it down. I bought this book from a tiny bookstore in Leadville, CO, on the "Local Authors" shelf, and I'm looking forward to another trip to pick up the next book in the series once it is released.
A terrific read. Steady. A page turner, and fast-paced.
Tyler Zahn is a wonderful, somewhat flawed lead, and so likeable. The story itself is reminiscent of my Lives Trilogy and Prequel about missing kids, but it takes a different approach and about halfway through the book, there is a huge twist readers will like.
Cam Torrens uses his expertise and experience in search and rescue to build this story around. Not preachy and not overly technical, but enough to let you know how things are done in his, and Zahn's, world. This is truly a five-star read and worth it from cover to cover. I'll be reading more from this author to be sure.
It took me a while to get into this and there were a few parts that dragged a bit but overall I still found it a pretty decent read. It's really dark so be warned, but not to the extent of pointless gore and shock value. I did like the characters and certainly was surprised more than once at how things played out
This book pulled me in from Chapter 1! Great mystery written by Cam Torrens. It was one of those books you can’t put down. You can feel your own anxiety build as you want to know who and what is going to happen! I read this book in just over 2 days! I can’t wait until the next Tyler Zahn novel is released!
It's obvious the author of this book is no stranger to combat missions. This particular story centers around the search and rescue of young girls who've gone missing. Not my usual type of thriller read, this was nonetheless sufficiently enticing to keep me reading. I also felt the pace was good. I received an advance copy of this book in return for a voluntary review. 4 stars
I loved it! Great characters and thoroughly engaging storyline. Sharing a background (AF pilot) with the main character, I can say Torrens’ portrayal is spot-on and I look forward to more adventures with Tyler Zahn.
An interesting story. There were a few spots that were a little slow, but overall a good read. The plot was well written and it definitely had a “I didn’t see that coming” moment. Many thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review.
You would never know this was a debut novel! I was hooked from the very beginning up until the last page. It’s really fast paced and I didn’t feel like it dragged on at all. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a quick/suspenseful thriller read!
Sensational debut … Brilliant writing … An exciting and well-developed psychological thriller. The twists and turns in the story lead to an explosive finale. Highly recommended read worthy of five stars.
Great debut novel by Torrens! I received this book as an ARC and am excited to see more from the author. The book was fast paced, the characters were likable (even the bad guys), and it never got boring. Congrats to Torrens- I think he’s going to have a lot of success as an author.
I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent thriller from Netgalley, author Cam Torrens, and at the invitation of publisher Black Rose Writing. I have read Stable of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Cam Torrens to my must-read author lists and recommend him to friends and family. He writes a tight mystery with a firm look into this land I love, sharing with us the beauty and remoteness of the Colorado Front Range.
Stable doesn't read as a debut novel - author Cam Torrens brings us an exciting, fast-paced trip through the remote towns and mountains of the Colorado Front Range. His protagonists are well-defined, well-rounded people we can relate to without effort, with the exception of the crazies. And even after finishing the book, I wasn't sure if the title was in recognition of the horse barn or the crazies, but it didn't really matter. It was a good read, and I look forward to the next from this author.
Reviewed on Goodreads and Netgalley on July 10, 2023. Reviewed on July 20, 2023, on AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo.
Gripping, well written and authentic. I read book 2 first as an ARC and was happy to find that the debut was just as good. Hope there will be many more in this series.
Thoroughly Engaging Storyline an Intriguing and Thrilling Ride. I loved this first book by Can Torren’s. It is full of great characters and a thoroughly engaging storyline. The book is a mystery-thriller with loads of action and suspense and the storyline keeps the reader turning the pages. Tyler Zahn has a Search and Rescue background, and Zahn is asked to try to locate a missing girl. Unfortunately, the young girls are being taken from other states, so nobody is even looking for them in the mountains around the small and beautiful town of Buena Vista in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The girls are being kidnapped, held hostage, and photographed for the dark web whist being hidden in plain sight in an unground room on a ranch. You will become immersed in Tyler’s Zahn world, becoming active participants in his harrowing journey as he finds himself entangled in the clutches of the enigmatic Rocky Mountain with a kidnapper, whilst desperately striving to save his daughter Daria and two other girls from the clutches of this deranged man. The book is an intriguing and thrilling ride, with well-timed plots twists and turns leaving the reader guessing what might happen next. I became immersed in Tyler’s world and found Cam Torrens has a remarkable talent for constructing and exploring thought-provoking themes. I Highly recommend this book, which is professionally written, and I am looking forward to your next book. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
No Spoilers intended. I just finished reading STABLE and OH MY, Gus lives on!!! Truly enjoyed every minute of reading it well past bedtime as I had to finish. Kudos to Cam!
The overall story was good. I thought the concept of the girls being kept in the underground bunker and how they lived and the way they were “working” etc was the best part of the story. I personally didn’t enjoy the church/religious themes of the story and I felt like the story dragged on much more than needed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The first line of Stable pulled me in and never let go. I was turning pages late into the night and waking early in the morning to keep reading climbing mountains and scaling rocks with Tyler Zahn, my new favorite protagonist. He reminds me of Bosch. The father-daughter story woven into this nail-biting thriller captured my heart. This was a fun read for one who generally reads historical fiction. A real treat.
Excellent Rocky Mountain thriller, a la C.J. Box. Propulsive and exciting, I devoured it in a weekend. Cam gets extra points for being a great guy and a gem of the BV community :)
In his debut novel “Stable”, the first in a series of suspense and adventure, Cam manages to incorporate several elements that makes a good read for me. The pleasure of living in a small Colorado mountain town, a main character Tyler Zahn, who struggles with every-day life and relationships (particularly his young adult daughter), strong female characters, and a fast-paced suspenseful mystery. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series, “False Summit”.