This is the fourth book in BJ Bourg’s Clint Wolf series, about a Louisiana police officer who lost his wife and daughter in a shooting he feels responsible for. He took a job as Sheriff in the small town of Mechant Loup, but quit that position at the end of the last book.

For the past year, Clint has been working as a canoe guide for people who come to the area. However, when three boys discover a body in one of the many canals that surround the town, he’s called back to work as an Investigator. It’s a bit complicated, though, with Clint now engaged to Susan, the deputy who was named Chief of Police when Clint resigned from the position. Clint must navigate their professional and personal relationships without stepping on any toes.

One of the boys who discovered the body is also found murdered. Clint thinks he saw something he shouldn’t have and didn’t tell anyone, but every lead seems to fall flat. As he investigates, he connects this murder to one many years before in Tennessee.

There are a couple of sub-plots along with the main mystery, as Susan and Clint work on the plantation house he inherited from his late wife, intending it to be a domestic violence shelter for women. Susan is also a boxer, who is training for what she says is her final fight, scheduled against a Russian with a reputation. Why she says it will be her final fight is a mystery until the end when she drops a bomb on Clint.

The mystery here is good, although I don’t think there was any way for the reader to figure it out on their own. There aren’t enough clues or information given; we just follow along with Clint and his discoveries. I liked the small-town feel of the book, and how Clint was still struggling to “find himself” after losing so much in the first three books in the series and before.

But Not Forever is well-paced and made for a great read. The canvas that is Mechant Loup is growing nicely, as is the character development. It’s very believable that a small town would only employ an Investigator as needed to augment their police department. The question is if Clint will stay in that role or if being a regular member of the force is what he needs. The surrounding towns they interact with seem ripe for conflict in future books in the series.

I think this was slightly less than the first three books in the series, but not by much. The previous book left me flat in a couple of areas. as this one does. Still, it’s a good read if you enjoy a good thriller and mystery. I’ll definitely be continuing with the series as soon as I get a chance.

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