In Kesterson by Craig Wilson, Phil Abbott has a $200K bounty on his head and has just escaped an assassination attempt. Phil wonders if his investigation into the environmental emergency at Kesterson National Wildlife Reserve has caused Midlands Water District's founder, Bob Baxter to take extreme measures to silence him. After all, Baxter had built his empire with fierce determination since 1958. Baxter had taken advantage of struggling farms in the area and slowly built a highly lucrative water project in the San Joaquin valley which, on the surface, was a great benefit to society. Even the drainage problem had been solved by diverting the drain water towards the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge. However, this creative solution to the drainage issue became the death sentence to the visiting birds. Baxter is determined to keep this problem a secret so his farming operations can continue. Up until now, Baxter had managed to buy co-operation and silence from everyone including congressmen. Even the death and deformity of birds was successfully covered up thanks to his navigation of an ally in the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Everything was going to plan until Phil discovers the wildlife catastrophe has been caused by high levels of a mineral called selenium in the water coming from a drainage canal. Phil uncovers corrupt bureaucracy and bribery at the highest level but is determined to bring those responsible for the disaster to justice.

The action begins immediately in this fictional depiction of the real environmental disaster at Kesterton in the 1980s. Each character has been created with a great deal of detail and consideration which highlights their moral compasses perfectly. I loved the lead character, Phil; he was tenacious and relentless in his pursuit of justice. I thought his relationship with Amy developed perfectly as the story progressed. They made an excellent investigative team and the obvious chemistry between them brought an interesting layer to the story. The plot also uncovers the immoral lengths some people will go to in order to further their own careers, businesses, and financial status. The safety of the environment and the well-being of nature is considered just an irritation and inconvenience to their goals. The amount of bribery and corruption in the federal government was very realistic but also unnerving. There is a tremendous amount of tension, twists, and turns throughout Kesterson which will keep you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely loved the explosive scenes in the court towards the end. This is a brilliant story by Craig Wilson of how good battles evil and the importance of holding true to your beliefs and fighting for those without a voice.

Kesterson by Craig Wilson is a story based on a real-life experience. It is about a water crisis in Southern California. A bunch of farmers had found a way to get water to them so they can grow their crops. It was cheap for them, but they soon realized it was not. An owner of a duck farm next to them learned the hard way that the water was not safe. He hired some lawyers to look into it and it became a government issue. It is like getting a behind the scenes look at how the government works.

I thought that Kesterson by Craig Wilson was a fascinating read. I loved how you get a detailed look at what a court case is really like. The world-building was really well done. I had no trouble picturing everything and I never felt lost. I should warn you, Wilson is very descriptive (which I like), but in some cases, maybe too descriptive. He does go into great detail about hunting and cooking a duck, so if you get squeamish easily, you might want to skip that chapter. I liked all the characters, especially Amy; she used her smarts in a good way. If you are fascinated with court cases, or how the government works, this is a great read. Also, if you are into helping climate control this will give you some aha moments, which I loved. There was a twist in the end that I never saw coming; it was fascinating. A definite must-read.