Bear Brawl
“Jon Finkel’s gifts as a rollicking storyteller are on full display in his thriller Bear Brawl, along with his deep expertise in what happens when we’re pushed to our physical and mental limits. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll buy an extra can of bear spray next time you head into the woods.”
Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author of Endure and The Explorer’s Gene
Fight Club meets The Revenant in Bear Brawl, a heartfelt revenge-and-redemption story perfect for fans of Jaws and Rambo.
Brick Bridger, 6'6", 265 pounds, is a two-time NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion, BJJ black belt and winner of eight fights in the UFC before retiring from a knee injury to run his own wrestling academy in his home state of Arkansas. One summer night, he's running fifteen minutes late to his mom's BBQ at their family cabin and disaster strikes. A rogue 450-pound black bear goes on a rampage, breaks into the cabin, kills his mom and puts his brother in a wheelchair. Brick is devastated. Torn apart with guilt. He believes in his heart if he had been there on time he could've stopped the bear.
From that moment forward, Brick vows to get revenge on the beast. No guns. No knives. No weapons. By enlisting the help of a top zoologist, his old wrestling coach and his training partner and brother, Brick goes on a quest to get inside the mind of a bear while training to track and take down the fearsome animal. This is what happens when a mountain of a man with a black belt fights a black bear.
Bear Brawl takes readers on a blockbuster adventure with heart-pounding scenes, humor, heart, bear history, William Faulkner (you'll see), and family. Dropping into the action from the first sentence, the pages fly by, covering tracking, training, fighting, philosophy, pain, grief, love and a cast of unforgettable characters you'll root for like you're watching your favorite action movie-or your favorite wrestler.a