When we last saw Kurt Argento at the end of HARD TOWN, the former cop had made some questionable (but justifiable) ethical choices that one suspects will haunt him for the rest of his life. As DARK COUNTRY opens, those choices have chased him to the small town of Barton, South Dakota, near the Iowa border, where he has taken on an assumed name (since he is wanted by the police) and is doing odd jobs at a local church. He is still grieving all that he has lost, but he is enjoying the quiet, uneventful life here. 

That is, until one day while mowing the church lawn, Argento is interrupted by two men who have chased a teenage track star, Majed, halfway across town, claiming he tried to steal a wallet. Majed, a Syrian refugee and church member who recently arrived in Barton with his mother, vehemently denies the allegations. The men eventually back off, especially when they realize that the imposing-looking Argento has appointed himself Majed's protector. 

"DARK COUNTRY is a regular thrill ride of a novel, which also vividly portrays the massive boredom and fatigue that can accompany a long road trip."

Argento is convinced that something more sinister is going on, particularly when he spots the handgun one man is carrying. He and the minister make plans to shelter Majed and his mother. But when another encounter with the men turns violent and tragic, it's clear that Majed is the target of a kidnapping plot. This attempt was botched, and Majed is unharmed (at least physically). Given that there is no clear motive for the crime, though, Argento encourages the boy to flee with him to Majed's only other US-based relative's home, in Oakland, California.

The two make an unlikely pair of traveling companions, but they eventually grow close. Then it becomes clear that a new pair of hired guns (and some of the most despicably memorable hit men I have ever come across in fiction) are hot on their heels. Will Argento be able to keep Majed safe? Will they uncover their pursuers' rationale and solve the case without blowing Argento’s cover? 

Like Adam Plantinga's prior novels featuring Kurt Argento, DARK COUNTRY is a regular thrill ride of a novel, which also vividly portrays the massive boredom and fatigue that can accompany a long road trip. The pairing of Argento and Majed is a fascinating one, and readers will enjoy seeing Argento try to overcome his own emotional blocks to connect with the teen, often by channeling the imagined advice of his late wife. His attempts to outrun not only their pursuers but also his old demons makes for a novel that is at times introspective, even as it's horrifically violent or (at least in brief glimpses) surprisingly funny elsewhere. 

Much of the humor comes via the handful of colorful secondary characters, most of whom are villains. The deluded lawyer who sets the plot in motion as a means of achieving his goal of abandoning his humdrum life and embarking on an imaginary love affair with his physical therapist is especially ripe for humorous potential. 

It might be beneficial to read Plantinga's first two novels, particularly HARD TOWN, but DARK COUNTRY also stands on its own merits and leaves the door open for yet another chapter in Argento's story. Readers eagerly will await learning where he will land next.