An excerpt from Leif’s Legacy by Newell Searle, the second novel in the Alton County mystery series. The retired forest ranger is a man of opinions shaped by observation and hard experience. In this selection, he reveals something of his inner life to Boston Meade during the newsman’s visit at his farmstead at Tarn Lake:

The forester interrupted this reminiscing, drew on his pipe and pointed at the sooty terns and tree swallows that darted after insects just above the water’s surface. “See them? Notice how plants and animals support each other. A place for everyone. All equal. That’s how I come to forestry,” he said. “Studying natural science will reveal more about God and his intentions than what’s in the Bible or Luther’s catechism. If you’re looking for revelation, it’s all around you… in the creation.” –Leif Nielsen