Tree markers are professionals hired by lumber companies to roam the forest and pick out individual trees to be harvested. Cut down this one, leave that one for next year. The tree marker here is an undercover FBI agent named Danny Barrett. He's been sent to infiltrate a wood-products company in northern Maine that attracted the Fed's attention when a big pile of money turned up in the company's bank account. Maybe Danny can uncover the elusive methamphetamine sources deep in this frozen forest. That's the plot of this noir-tinged effort, which displays author Corbett's flair for striking, occasionally poetic language: A thug has "restless eyes that darted around like mercury droplets." An alcohol smell is so strong "it could have passed for disinfectant." What really interests Corbett is the intertwining of implacable forces--a failing economy, a drift toward criminality--with their emotional side effects, like destructive friendships and blighted romances. Corbett is also the author of the Frank Yakabuski mystery series, which, like this novel, uses the winter landscapes of the Northeast to great advantage.

The former Detroit beat cop who narrates this pulse-pounding series launch from Edgar finalist Corbett (the Frank Yakabuski novels) assumes the alias Danny Barrett for his latest undercover assignment. The FBI has its sights on Lee Forestry Products, one of the "oldest lumber companies in Maine," after learning of a suspicious wire transfer into the company's bank account from a known ecstasy dealer. A transfer of a quarter of a billion dollars the FBI subsequently identifies suggests the company is laundering money on a massive scale. After its first covert agent trying to infiltrate Lee Forestry's operations is killed, the FBI taps Barrett to replace him. Barrett poses as a tree marker, whose job is to decide the best trees to cut down. The perilous assignment turns into a murder inquiry after a double homicide occurs. From the opening line, "The first time I worked undercover, I arrested my brother," Corbett makes Barrett a distinctive figure, nuanced enough to carry multiple sequels, and goes on to humanize even some of the bad guys, no mean feat. Vivid and detailed descriptions of the Maine woods enhance the intricate plot. Paul Doiron fans will be enthralled. Agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary. (Apr.)