Trips out of Civilization is comprised of five original thrillers, all packed with action, sudden twists and psychological revelations. "The Crossbow" takes place in the Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, far away from tourists and beaten paths. "A Mathematically Precise Curve" invites the reader to the most spectacular part of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. "Arawak" offers an unusual adventure on an uninhabited island in the Bahamian Archipelago. "Lynx" is staged in the wilderness of Northern Quebec. "Trio" unfolds as a fly-in trip from Vancouver, deep in one almost unexplored region of British Columbia. All these stories have several features in common - a rich cast of characters is searching for real, still untamed Nature, fights for survival, reflects on living conditions of our age, explores our instincts in extreme situations, when human and animal worlds collide. Nature, pure and crisp, because not tainted by civilization, becomes a catalyst and an active player in human dramas.

Ukázka:

THE CROSSBOW

The shore formed part of the natural canal connecting two lakes in the Algonquin Provincial Park. As their canoe glided along under the bright sun Helena reflected that this place resembled the River Dyje in Moravia, deep and slow, with its banks alternatively converging and diverging as if it were all a giant, unregularly pulsating organism.
Looking around she could see that the rock above them appeared to be continually changing shapes, contours and colours, but it was always the same granite, descending steeply to the water. Savage looking and picturesque, this granite wall was decorated in the most inaccessible places by oddly twisted little pines and young birches, but – more importantly – it completely prevented them from landing their canoe.
Ed, in the starboard position of the canoe, directly in front of Helena, was thrusting his paddle smoothly and effortlessly in the water, displaying the magnificent muscles on his arm and back. In her mind’s eye she pictured the excellent anatomical study – triceps, brachiordialis musculus, latissimus dorsi. His paddling, even now, showed little effect of the long hard day they had been through.
Helena did not put too much strength in her strokes, being content to put out the effort she was comfortable with, especially since the third part of their trio, Daniel, was sitting in the back satisfied with a half-hearted effort limited to steering the canoe.