West County is an unusual place by any measure. Filled with a mix of hippies, artists, outlaw growers and old-school rednecks, it has a breathtaking landscape of vineyards, dense forests, rolling meadows, and small, picturesque towns. Add a spectacular coastline and a snaking river valley, and it’s the very definition of Northern California. Magic and mystery abound.
It’s no coincidence that Scott Lipanovich’s new book, the fourth in a mystery series featuring former private detective Jeff Taylor, takes place here. Lipanovich moved to a ridge seven miles from Forestville in 1979, where the area’s natural beauty impressed him.
“I never tire of the landscapes … I never tire of driving to Jenner, north to Meyers Grade and up to the seemingly endless roads of the region,” Lipanovich said in a recent interview. Unsurprisingly the protagonist, Taylor, traverses winding back roads to arrive at unusual locations as he makes his way through the twisting plot of this latest book…