In High Places by Tom Morrisey Published by: Bethany House Publishers (2007) 316 pages Rating: 9/10 Buy it Now:    Also by Tom Morrisey: Deep Blue Turn Four Dark Fathom Wind River

Tom Morrisey has written some great "man's man" novels, like Deep Blue and Dark Fathom. They're adventure stories, dealing with things like scuba diving or Nascar racing. So from the cover of his latest, In High Places, it was easy to assume this would be in a similar vein - an adventure novel featuring rock climbing.

Except that it's not. Sure, rock climbing is a major focus and driving background to the story. And the details of said climbing are extensive and often vital to the story itself. But this is not an adventure, not in the strictest definition of the word, anyway.

Instead, this is at times a much quieter novel, dealing primarily with the relationship between a teenage boy and his father, both of whom have lost the one person most important to their lives... without any answers as to why.

Kevin and Patrick Nolan move to a new town and start their own business (guess what it's related to), trying to escape. Each seeks comfort in different ways, trying to find a way to deal with the unanswered questions and the horrible doubts. Things begin to change when Patrick meets a girl - a pastor's daughter, in fact - who starts guiding him toward a new understanding of the world and the way things work in it.

If it weren't for the detailed descriptions of rock climbing and its gear (and the name on the cover), I wouldn't have thought this was Tom Morrisey. His action sequences certainly come through as they always have, but there's a depth of character development here that's far greater than his previous books. I'm reminded strongly of Dale Cramer's novels and his ability to bring the reader down into the head and life of the main character. And the last page left my eyes somewhat damp.

I'm extraordinarily impressed. This is easily Morrissey's best work, and now I'm truly interested to see what he does next. Highly Recommended.