The Tiger, by John Vaillant

A wonderful and enlightening read by Canadian author, John Vaillant. Well written, artfully paced, it was a joy to read. I love they way other topics are so deftly woven into the fabric of the story. Yes, you get a suspenseful story of a Siberia or Amor Tiger stalking human prey, but you also get a better understanding of the former Soviet Union, anthropology, hunting mentality, travel literature and so much more.

Along with the Tiger, and its victim, Markov, one of the most compelling characters is Yuri Trush. The book allows him to develop wonderfully as a character. You come to know him and like him. I can believe that Brad Pitt would indeed want to play this character in the movie version of this book. The suspense builds like some kind of Stephen King novel, but this is a true story!