I was recently in Hawaii, my favorite place on Earth, soaking up nature’s magnificence and marveling at all its wild, wonderful creatures. Naturally, as a writer with a penchant for the dark and twisted, I couldn’t just enjoy the grace of humpback whales or the playfulness of monk seals. Nope. My brain immediately veered toward extinction. (You know, light vacation musings.)
Take the Hawaiian monk seal, for example. On the beach near our hotel in Kauai, one of these incredible animals made a daily appearance to nap. Eight to ten hours, like clockwork. Honestly, this seal was living my dream life. While it snoozed, human “seal protectors” roped off the area, stood guard, and ensured no one disturbed it. Why? Because there are only about 1,600 Hawaiian monk seals left in the wild. That’s it. 1,600. I’ve seen longer lines at Costco for free samples.
If you’ve read either of the first two Porter Beck mysteries, you already know I like to explore the technologies and human tendencies that edge us closer to our own extinction. (Why? Because I spend far too much time pondering the “Great Filter,” that cheery concept about how intelligent life tends to self-destruct before it can make it to the interstellar neighborhood BBQ.) But here’s the thing: while my books flirt with humanity’s demise, they always leave you with a shred of hope. Think of it as a “things are bad, but maybe we’ll squeak by” ending.
And that brings me to my next book, The Blue Horse, which hits shelves on July 8, 2025. This time, I’m shifting my focus to the plight of wild horses, one of the most iconic yet endangered symbols of American freedom. Most Americans have never seen a wild horse in its natural habitat. (Trust me, the ones at your cousin’s ranch don’t count.) These magnificent creatures have been pushed to the brink, just like our monk seal friend, thanks to human encroachment and our insatiable need to bulldoze everything in sight.
Researching the wild horse took a while, and much of it was like going to the doctor and understanding only about half of everything they tell you there. There’s some science behind the “condition” of the modern mustang and the rangeland it inhabits, but much of it is conveniently made-up jargon and educated guesswork that satisfies a need. And much like going to the doctor, I approached the wild horse issue with an open mind. But I left with the realization that we (selfish humans) have never gotten past the idea of Manifest Destiny and our supposed divine right to make the world ours. If this were written as a simple equation, it would read “mustang ≤ cows.”
I enjoy steak as much as anyone, but make no mistake. In our “need” to keep livestock grazing on public lands, we’ve pushed wild horses into a corner, both literally and figuratively. The scales aren’t balanced; they’re tipped heavily in favor of profit over preservation. It’s a battle where the wild mustangs don’t stand a chance against the sheer weight of bureaucracy, politics, and big agriculture. And while I’m all for a good cheeseburger, it’s hard not to wonder what the long-term cost will be—not just to the mustangs but to the spirit of freedom they symbolize. When we lose them, we lose more than just a species; we lose a part of ourselves.
So, if you like your mysteries with a side of existential dread—but also a reminder that maybe, just maybe, there’s still time to fix things—mark your calendar for The Blue Horse. In the meantime, I’m curious: have you ever had a moment in nature that made you reflect on the precarious balance of life on this planet? Share your stories with me!