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Woods Cop #2
Blue Wolf in Green Fire
Conservation officer Grady Service has his hands full when a campaign by a group of animal-rights activists gets out of hand and two people are found murdered at a wolf lab. By the author of Ice Hunter. Reprint.
347 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2008
90 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Heywood
50 books189 followersSee also Joe T. Heywood
Joseph Heywood is the son of a career USAF officer. His dad was from Rhinecliff, New York on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, and his mother is from Mize, Mississippi in Sullivan County. His mother’s maiden name was Hegwood and she had only to change one letter to convert to her married name.
He is a 1961 graduate of Rudyard High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Chippewa County). Played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track.
1965 graduate of Michigan State University (BA-Journalism). Joseph played on the Michigan State Lacrosse Club for three years, crease attack, tri-captain in 1965. He was in the last class of mandatory ROTC for land grant universities and predictably chose the Air Force.
In 1965, he married Sandra V. Heywood (1943-2002) of East Lansing. Five children, one dog. Widower.
1965-1970, USAF Instructor Navigator, KC-135 tanker, honorably discharged as captain. Vietnam veteran. Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Graduate studies, Western Michigan University, 1974-75, completed course work for MA in English Literature; no degree.
Joseph worked for The Upjohn Company [now Pfizer], 1970-2000, retiring as vice president for worldwide public relations.
He walks every day in all weather conditions, and have hunted and fished Michigan since 1958, mostly alone.
Joseph Heywood's Woods Cop mysteries are based on the lives of Upper Peninsula conservation officers, and for going on seven years has spent about one month a year on patrol with officers, in all kinds of weather, all times of day and under sundry conditions. He worked in all 15 Upper Peninsula Counties as well as in another 15-16 counties BTB (Below the Bridge).
In preparation for work with COs, he often hikes alone at night (flashlight for emergencies) using only ambient light. He has spent nights alone in jungles and on mountains. Has canoe-camped in Michigan, Missouri and Arkansas, over the years he has had one close encounter with a wolf (six feet away in tag alders on the Iron River), and with a cow elk and her calf (in Idaho). Too many close meetings with black bears to count, no injuries.
He loves to take photographs while walking, hiking and fishing, and use some of the pix for his paintings.
Joseph always carry a ruck with emergency equipment, compass, etc. even for short sorties on foot in the U.P. It’s too easy to get under cedars and old growth in an overcast and get hopelessly turned around. He does not use a GPS. "When it comes to lost in the woods there seem to be two categories of people: Them that have been and them that will be. Iron ore deposits can make compass navigation interesting…."
The Upper Peninsula is not just a setting and base for Joseph Heywood but serves as a character in many of his novels. "When I write, I try to take readers to places and events in the U.P. they might not have occasion to visit or experience on their own. For me, the U.P. is a natural jewel and I am always surprised by how little people from BTB know about it."
"The day we arrived in the U.P. to report to Kinross Air Force Base (later renamed Kincheloe, and since decommissioned) my mother cried as we drove up the several-mile two-lane to the front gate; looking at all the woods passing by, I had a feeling I was coming home."
Joseph Heywood is the son of a career USAF officer. His dad was from Rhinecliff, New York on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, and his mother is from Mize, Mississippi in Sullivan County. His mother’s maiden name was Hegwood and she had only to change one letter to convert to her married name.
He is a 1961 graduate of Rudyard High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Chippewa County). Played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track.
1965 graduate of Michigan State University (BA-Journalism). Joseph played on the Michigan State Lacrosse Club for three years, crease attack, tri-captain in 1965. He was in the last class of mandatory ROTC for land grant universities and predictably chose the Air Force.
In 1965, he married Sandra V. Heywood (1943-2002) of East Lansing. Five children, one dog. Widower.
1965-1970, USAF Instructor Navigator, KC-135 tanker, honorably discharged as captain. Vietnam veteran. Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Graduate studies, Western Michigan University, 1974-75, completed course work for MA in English Literature; no degree.
Joseph worked for The Upjohn Company [now Pfizer], 1970-2000, retiring as vice president for worldwide public relations.
He walks every day in all weather conditions, and have hunted and fished Michigan since 1958, mostly alone.
Joseph Heywood's Woods Cop mysteries are based on the lives of Upper Peninsula conservation officers, and for going on seven years has spent about one month a year on patrol with officers, in all kinds of weather, all times of day and under sundry conditions. He worked in all 15 Upper Peninsula Counties as well as in another 15-16 counties BTB (Below the Bridge).
In preparation for work with COs, he often hikes alone at night (flashlight for emergencies) using only ambient light. He has spent nights alone in jungles and on mountains. Has canoe-camped in Michigan, Missouri and Arkansas, over the years he has had one close encounter with a wolf (six feet away in tag alders on the Iron River), and with a cow elk and her calf (in Idaho). Too many close meetings with black bears to count, no injuries.
He loves to take photographs while walking, hiking and fishing, and use some of the pix for his paintings.
Joseph always carry a ruck with emergency equipment, compass, etc. even for short sorties on foot in the U.P. It’s too easy to get under cedars and old growth in an overcast and get hopelessly turned around. He does not use a GPS. "When it comes to lost in the woods there seem to be two categories of people: Them that have been and them that will be. Iron ore deposits can make compass navigation interesting…."
The Upper Peninsula is not just a setting and base for Joseph Heywood but serves as a character in many of his novels. "When I write, I try to take readers to places and events in the U.P. they might not have occasion to visit or experience on their own. For me, the U.P. is a natural jewel and I am always surprised by how little people from BTB know about it."
"The day we arrived in the U.P. to report to Kinross Air Force Base (later renamed Kincheloe, and since decommissioned) my mother cried as we drove up the several-mile two-lane to the front gate; looking at all the woods passing by, I had a feeling I was coming home."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
June 24, 2018
If I have a complaint about Heywood's prose is the odd names he uses. But that is at most, nitpicking.
Heywood is descriptive, he allows you to feel the cold, the mud, the snow down the back of a collar, the beauty of the woods, the bouncing of driving on washboard roads and so much more. He deals with sex without being pornographic and uses words that seem real when men are discussing certain acts, be they man or animal.
One thing I would have liked for Heywood to have included in his acknowledgements is to tell us how much a blue wolf is myth or real. I absolutely adore wolves and loved how Heywood honored them realistically in this novel, but I've never heard of a blue wolf before. Are they real, myth or one of those things cryptologist study?
This book was filled with data about wolves and their reintroduction into the lower 48 as well as the study of those wolves. It also was filled with local law enforcement's disdain and antipathy toward "feds". One has to wonder if those feelings are truly the norm or whether they have been exaggerated by both fiction and true crime novels.
This book was interesting in many ways; obviously the wolves for me, but the investigation into poaching as well as murder in the wilds of the UP.
This is the second book I've read by Heywood but it won't be my last. It kept me interested in spite of the complexity of the plot and I believe Heywood uses real life anecdotes, disguised or not about COs and their interaction with civilians in the wild.
If you enjoy nature, intrigue, interactions between humans and animals, humans and humans, weather and humans, you should like this book.
Heywood is descriptive, he allows you to feel the cold, the mud, the snow down the back of a collar, the beauty of the woods, the bouncing of driving on washboard roads and so much more. He deals with sex without being pornographic and uses words that seem real when men are discussing certain acts, be they man or animal.
One thing I would have liked for Heywood to have included in his acknowledgements is to tell us how much a blue wolf is myth or real. I absolutely adore wolves and loved how Heywood honored them realistically in this novel, but I've never heard of a blue wolf before. Are they real, myth or one of those things cryptologist study?
This book was filled with data about wolves and their reintroduction into the lower 48 as well as the study of those wolves. It also was filled with local law enforcement's disdain and antipathy toward "feds". One has to wonder if those feelings are truly the norm or whether they have been exaggerated by both fiction and true crime novels.
This book was interesting in many ways; obviously the wolves for me, but the investigation into poaching as well as murder in the wilds of the UP.
This is the second book I've read by Heywood but it won't be my last. It kept me interested in spite of the complexity of the plot and I believe Heywood uses real life anecdotes, disguised or not about COs and their interaction with civilians in the wild.
If you enjoy nature, intrigue, interactions between humans and animals, humans and humans, weather and humans, you should like this book.
July 1, 2017
#1 was a good read and I hope #3 will also be. This one was a bit of a disappointment. Far too many pages spent looking for the wolf. Convoluted plot and somewhat difficult keeping track of the characters. The endless sex talk between Nantz and Grady added nothing to the story. I find it odd the author has Grady, a conservationist, smoking and flicking his butts into the environment.
January 28, 2013
Another adventurous tour through the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula with Grady Service, newly appointed, and first, Wildlife Resource Protection Unit detective, and 20-year veteran DNR Conservation Officer. Service finds himself reporting to everyone, including the FBI, while investigating trophy kills, a 50-caliber rifle, an explosion at a wolf reintroduction site, murder, environmental zealot mayhem and the best place for sub sandwiches. We lucky readers have a close view of the breadth and depth of Michigan's U.P. as Service spends more time driving his truck than boots on the ground. We get a darn good wolf education, and a conservation officer's view of the government's program of wolf management. This book was published in 2002, and Heywood knocks on wood in the acknowledgments that our gray wolf packs prosper, from the 200 animals counted at publication. Unfortunately the government in Michigan has chosen to open wolf hunting in 2012, with only 700 wolves estimated. We need more Joseph Heywoods, protecting our natural environment, and fewer bureaucrats selling our wilderness habitat to trophy hunters.
June 28, 2023
This is another in a series I'm enjoying reading. It features Upper Michigan Conservation Officer Grady Service and is the second entry in the series. In this one, there are ongoing protests by a group of animal rights activists. The protests appear, at least on the surface, to be related to a double murder at a wolf lab which resulted in the release into the wild of a rare "blue" wolf. Service must defend his hallowed Mosquito Wilderness and the wolves that live there against poachers out to bag that "blue" wolf.
December 7, 2020
It’s a great read. He uses some super odd names but maybe those are applicable to the area the story is set. It is a little tough early on in the book to keep all the characters straight in your head but that could just be my lack of sleep kicking. Great book overall. On to the next one.
September 5, 2008
I enjoyed this book about a conservation officer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, investigating a poaching ring and the murder of two government employees, and the bombing of a federal wildlife reasearch facility. It felt like it gave a pretty realistic portrayal of a game warden's life, although the plot did stretch credulity a bit. The mix of poachers, illegal gun-buyers, violators of the Endangered Species Act, IRA terrorists, animal rights extremists, traffic accidents, plane crashes, etc. was a heady mix, and sometimes I found myself wishing the author had focused more on fewer strands for a simpler but richer story.
The book is set immediately after 9/11. The feds are crawling all over the U.P., displaying the dismissive arrogance toward local law enforcement that has become a bit of a stereotype (albeit a believable one) in crime fiction.
I was little put off by the eccentric names the author gives to his characters, some of which were more unusual than they needed to be (e.g., Shamekia Cilyopus-Woofswshecom). I found this distracting rather than quirky. I was also annoyed by the way the 50-something protagonist was having wild sex with his much younger girlfriend. (Envy, maybe?)
Still, this was an entertaining read, and I'd be willing to pick up something else by this author.
The book is set immediately after 9/11. The feds are crawling all over the U.P., displaying the dismissive arrogance toward local law enforcement that has become a bit of a stereotype (albeit a believable one) in crime fiction.
I was little put off by the eccentric names the author gives to his characters, some of which were more unusual than they needed to be (e.g., Shamekia Cilyopus-Woofswshecom). I found this distracting rather than quirky. I was also annoyed by the way the 50-something protagonist was having wild sex with his much younger girlfriend. (Envy, maybe?)
Still, this was an entertaining read, and I'd be willing to pick up something else by this author.
December 8, 2021
So many problems with this book. The main is in there is such a huge layer of unnecessary complexity added in that the central plot action doesn't make any sense at all as the way to push it to the resolution, it kind of make the hero look like a stupid asshole for doing it the way he did. There are many events and the whole larger villain background and motivation are just head scratchers on why they needed to be part of the novel, feeling like season 10 of a Tv show that has gone off the rails trying to be bigger for the sake of it rather than tell stories. I also get rubbed the wrong way by the hypocrisy of the hero who gets to selectively decide when things are good or bad, often contradicting stances taken earlier.
I'm surprised as well that many reviewers' only quibble was the names, which though I hated the plot the authenticity of the book in describing the area was spot on. Minnesota and Michigan are homes to huge Scandinavian enclaves still, so this felt accurate versus weird.
I'm surprised as well that many reviewers' only quibble was the names, which though I hated the plot the authenticity of the book in describing the area was spot on. Minnesota and Michigan are homes to huge Scandinavian enclaves still, so this felt accurate versus weird.
December 23, 2013
This is the second in a series set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Grady Service has just been promoted to a detective position in the Department of Natural Resources, an agency he has worked for for over 20 years. One of his first assignments is to work as part of a multi-agency team to find who is responsible for the murder of two people who were working at a wolf research facility in the wilderness. The story was captivating, and the characters are interesting. The authors descriptions of the UP landscape create a great "sense of place"; the writing is good, with the exception that the dialog sometimes seems stilted. I plan to continue this series.
April 18, 2011
This book, the 2nd edition of the woods cop series, was okay. In some ways better than the first, in a lot of ways there were entire chapters of blah. Overall though I enjoyed it.
September 11, 2021
This is a good book, well written, compelling story, Complex plot, Good Guys vs bad guys-wolf shooters, or any animal abuse., as told by an ex-game warden who knows what he is talking about.
I can highly recommend this.
A string of protests by animal-rights activists appear to have culminated in a double murder at a wolf lab, which releases into the wild a rare animal: a blue wolf. To the Ojibwa a blue wolf means luck; but if captured or killed, Armageddon. Grady Service is in a race against time as an elusive poachers' ring chooses its final target: the blue wolf.
For more on Joseph Heywood and the Woods Cop Mysteries, visit www.josephheywood.com
I can highly recommend this.
A string of protests by animal-rights activists appear to have culminated in a double murder at a wolf lab, which releases into the wild a rare animal: a blue wolf. To the Ojibwa a blue wolf means luck; but if captured or killed, Armageddon. Grady Service is in a race against time as an elusive poachers' ring chooses its final target: the blue wolf.
For more on Joseph Heywood and the Woods Cop Mysteries, visit www.josephheywood.com
January 13, 2018
Living in Michigan, I enjoy reading books that take place in my state. Although I live BTB, as the author would say, (below the bridge), reading about the lovely upper peninsula and its dedicated conservation officers is enjoyable to me. Mr. Heywood writes a good story with interesting, sometimes quirky, characters. This is the second book in the Woods Cops series and I know I'll go on to read the rest of them.
August 24, 2023
This is the second book in the series about Grady Service. As in the first book, Heywood does a good job detailing the work of a “.woods bop” in the vast area of Michigans UP. His description of the area physically is excellent, as are his descriptions of the processes and tracing these people do everyday. The story is complex and there are many characters and government agencies to keep straight, but it is worth it.
July 15, 2020
A great series for Michiganders, in particular those w/ a fondness for the Upper Peninsula. This series treks east-west-north-south around the UP, but primarily west-north-south and not so much the east (no Drummond Island or Cedarville here). Also recommended for those who enjoy woodsy mysteries w/ tough men and tough (and raunchy) women.
January 3, 2022
Really good story by an author new to me. Written to keep you on the edge of your seat and not wanting to put it down.
Grady Service, a Northern Michigan conservation officer, is handed a commercial poaching case that develops into something way bigger than he'd imagined. Great characters with names you could only find in that region of the U.S.
Grady Service, a Northern Michigan conservation officer, is handed a commercial poaching case that develops into something way bigger than he'd imagined. Great characters with names you could only find in that region of the U.S.
October 2, 2022
I really enjoyed the action. The characters were well well rounded. I liked how the guys helped each other.
However I bought the paperback edition. The font was too small and the spine of the book did not allow for easy reading in the ditch.
I was disappointed that there was so little focus on the blue wolf.
However I bought the paperback edition. The font was too small and the spine of the book did not allow for easy reading in the ditch.
I was disappointed that there was so little focus on the blue wolf.
February 27, 2022
I read this first before I realized it is second in a series. Same opinion as the first book, too many characters, but interesting plot and setting. I’m a Michigander and enjoy the books about the UP.
September 18, 2022
Enjoyable follow-up to number #1 Great continuation and development of key folks and interface with new ones. I’m liking the fun little sun stories Heywood pops in his books. The main story is there but every now and then something comes up. Will we see the State Senator again?
February 6, 2023
Names were very confusing. A complex mystery but not very interesting. For some reason there always has to be a big portion of sex in all these male author mysteries. The only truly good part was the showdown at the end.
June 24, 2018
What an amazing read!!! Learnt so much about what it takes to be a Fish and Game warden, things you would have to deal with including animals, people and conditions.
February 19, 2019
exciting story about a conservation officer and his fight to protect natural resources from poachers
April 27, 2019
Quite an interesting sequel to Heywood's first Woods Cop mystery set in the U. P.
January 2, 2020
The Woods Cop Mysteries are truly spellbinders. I'm not sure the sexy sex stuff is necessary, but it does build the characters. Really enjoyed the book. Will likely read the next one in the series.
April 21, 2020
Another great story
This would be my second Woods Cop book read and was not disappointed. Read it one day, couldn't stop. Excellent. Looking forward to the next one.
This would be my second Woods Cop book read and was not disappointed. Read it one day, couldn't stop. Excellent. Looking forward to the next one.
March 26, 2021
Heywood's are a bit predictable and sometimes it seems like he's just filling pages. The ending has a touch of," don't go down in the basement" moments to create a bit more drama.
May 6, 2021
In some ways, this is similar to Paul Doiron's series about a Game Warden/Conservation Officer in Maine. Heywood's plots are more complicated but also very well written, and conservation is a topic dear to my heart. It really is extraordinary work that these men and women do, and both writers offer valuable insight into the lives and beliefs of people living in remote areas of the US.
Just as I was reading this, the Idaho legislature passed a law permitting ranchers and hunters to kill up to 90% of the current wolf pack in that state. The reintroduction of wolves, an apex predator, is a complex issue, on which both sides have very strong views. Not a quick read, but well worth the effort.
Just as I was reading this, the Idaho legislature passed a law permitting ranchers and hunters to kill up to 90% of the current wolf pack in that state. The reintroduction of wolves, an apex predator, is a complex issue, on which both sides have very strong views. Not a quick read, but well worth the effort.
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October 7, 2023Story keeps you guessing.
August 12, 2012
#2 in the Woods Cop series. Very satisfying novel set in the wilderness dominated Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There are too many plot lines for me to rate this effort 5 stars. The main plot has Grady Service tracking down a major poaching ring; there is also a series of eco-terrorist attacks and adeadly bombing at a federal wolf research facility, that may be connected; an over-the-top federal cover-up links the two plots. Grady does a lot of traveling and it seems that he can't hit the road without encountering a delaying incident - domestic post 9/11 vigilantes; a gubernatorial candidate involved in a multi-casualty bear-archer-auto conflict; or, a suspended license pilot coming up short of the runway. In the background throughout is his extremely energetic lover, whose career aspirations are being sidetracked by the governor - probably as a retaliation against Grady. If this basket is not over-stuffed, add a star.
Woods Cop series - Grady Service, Conservation Officer returning from a 60 day suspension imposed by a vindictive governor. Is promoted to detective by an appreciative department. In addition to the normal problems encountered with hunters during the deer season, Service has come across hints of a major poaching ring going after tropy bucks, bear gall bladders, and wolf heads. An explosion at a wolf research facility, supposedly by eco-terrorists, releases a rare blue wolf into the wild. The wolf is targeted by the poaching ring. The explosion is covered up by the government.
Woods Cop series - Grady Service, Conservation Officer returning from a 60 day suspension imposed by a vindictive governor. Is promoted to detective by an appreciative department. In addition to the normal problems encountered with hunters during the deer season, Service has come across hints of a major poaching ring going after tropy bucks, bear gall bladders, and wolf heads. An explosion at a wolf research facility, supposedly by eco-terrorists, releases a rare blue wolf into the wild. The wolf is targeted by the poaching ring. The explosion is covered up by the government.
March 31, 2012
Definitely not my usual genre (I picked it up for a Rainbow of Books challenge where every book read must have a color in the title).
Overall, not a bad story. I haven't read a mystery since the mid 1990s, so I'm not up to speed on their pacing; however, this one seemed pretty well paced and there was enough going on to keep me interested. One thing that I really liked about this book was that it felt real: the relationship between Service and Nantz felt like something I could relate to, the way people interacted with each other felt real, and even the events felt real. Why didn't I give it four stars instead of three? Because I didn't like it enough to pick up more Woods Cop mysteries, but anybody who enjoys mysteries or is really into the wilderness scene will probably like it a whole lot more.
I also like that you don't have to read the first book in the series to enjoy this book.
Overall, not a bad story. I haven't read a mystery since the mid 1990s, so I'm not up to speed on their pacing; however, this one seemed pretty well paced and there was enough going on to keep me interested. One thing that I really liked about this book was that it felt real: the relationship between Service and Nantz felt like something I could relate to, the way people interacted with each other felt real, and even the events felt real. Why didn't I give it four stars instead of three? Because I didn't like it enough to pick up more Woods Cop mysteries, but anybody who enjoys mysteries or is really into the wilderness scene will probably like it a whole lot more.
I also like that you don't have to read the first book in the series to enjoy this book.
October 23, 2014
Although my book group, on a whole, doesn't agree with my "I really liked" the first book in this series - I did and totally enjoyed book 2. Grady Service is complex - definitely dedicated to his job and his lady-friend, dedicated to his friends and right up there at the top of the list, dedicated to taking care of the Mosquito Wilderness. Lots going on in this one. Perhaps because I am a Michigander now transplanted (for many years) in Wisconsin - but all the references to places struck home and the dedication of the Conservation Officers to their jobs and what they face really has an impact on me. Will definitely continue reading this series.
December 10, 2009
I read this book over a couple of weeks (unusual for me, but have been very busy) and had some trouble keeping track of the many plot threads and characters. The IRA / CARP / AFL theme was escpecially confusing. I very much liked the first book in this series and will definitely go on to the third in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews