The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes

 

First Lines: Millie Lang could hear the girls gossiping through the thin walls of the boardinghouse. They were talking about her.

On the wrong side of a political scandal, Works Progress Administration (WPA) editor Millie Lang is shipped off to Montana to work on the state's American Guide Series-- travel books intended to put the nation's destitute writers to work.

Upon her arrival, staff members claim their missed deadlines are due to sabotage, possibly from the state's powerful mine owners who don't want their long and bloody history with union organizers available for the rest of the country to read. Instead, Millie suspects that the answer might lie with the town's mysterious librarian, Alice Monroe.

A decade before, Monroe created the Boxcar Library to deliver books to isolated mining towns where men craved entertainment and connection. Monroe thought miner's daughter Colette Durand would be the perfect librarian to staff the train car. Now no one in Missoula will tell Millie why Alice and Colette went out on the inaugural journey of the Boxcar Library, but only Alice returned.

What happened to Colette Durand?

~

The Boxcar Librarian pulled me right in and wouldn't turn me loose. The characters of Millie Lang, Alice Monroe, and Colette Durand were well-drawn, and they all made me care about their well-being.

While the mystery was a good one that kept me guessing, I think the setting had the strongest grip on me. The Depression-Era time period was fascinating. I loved learning about the Boxcar Library (based on Montana's Lumberman's Library-- don't miss the author's note at the end), Montana's mining history, and the Federal Writers' Project. I have a reprint of the Arizona edition of the American Guide Series, and this book made me take it off the shelf to reread sections.

Strong setting, story, and characters. I definitely recommend The Boxcar Librarian.

The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes

eISBN: 9780063376311

William Morrow © 2025

eBook, 464 pages

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Hell and Back by Craig Johnson

 

First Line: There was the sound of bells and then the silence-- the kind of quiet that only comes with snow, capturing the soundwaves of life and smothering them before they can cry out.

 

Fort Pratt, Montana has an unhappy history. In 1896, thirty Native American boys died in a boarding school fire there, and it's where Sheriff Walt Longmire wakes up, lying in the middle of the street with his sheepskin coat frozen to the ground.

Why is he in Fort Pratt? Why is he covered in blood? Why is there a bullet missing from his gun? The sweatband in his hat has a name printed on it, but... who's Walt Longmire?

And why does everyone he meets in town seem so familiar?

~

If you pick up Hell and Back and think you're about to enjoy the usual Walt Longmire mystery, think again. Open this book, and you're in the Twilight Zone. 

I found Hell and Back to be perfect reading for the Halloween season, because as Walt begins to roam the streets of Fort Pratt in order to find answers to all the questions swimming around in his head, I was getting creeped out. This is the type of book that a reviewer can't say much about without giving things away, but I will say this: (1) if you haven't read all the books in the series, you're going to be confused, and (2) if you're not a fan of Native American mysticism, dream sequences, and the fact that Henry Standing Bear and Vic Moretti only make cameo appearances, you might want to give this one a miss.

This is a very different Longmire novel, and I liked exploring this departure. I also admire Johnson for his bravery because something tells me he has a lot of fans who are not going to be happy-- to the point where they get their flaming torches and sharpened pitchforks and head to Ucross, Wyoming. 

What's going to be very interesting is finding out where Craig Johnson takes Walt next. I look forward to finding out.

Hell and Back by Craig Johnson

ISBN: 9780593297285

Viking © 2022

Hardcover, 352 pages

 

Thriller/Suspense, #18 Walt Longmire mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

Treasure State by C. J. Box

 

First Line: Private investigator J.D. Spengler of Tampa Bay, Florida, was taking the highway exit from I-90 West onto Montana State Highway 1 when he was blinded by the setting sun and he ran over something big enough on the road that he nearly lost control of his rental car.

 

When private investigator Cassie Dewell gets a phone call from a woman in Florida, she's really not interested in taking the case... until she gets a few more details. The woman was conned out of millions of dollars, and the trail of the man who did it leads right to Anaconda, Montana-- an old mining town not far from Cassie's office. It's not going to hurt to take a preliminary look, is it?

In the meantime, Cassie has a very odd case. A poem left in the bar of a Montana town purports to be a treasure map leading to millions of dollars. The poet reassures Cassie that the treasure is real; all he wants her to do is to check his anonymity. He doesn't want anyone to be able to find him through any clues he might have left in his poem.

 

As Cassie works on both cases, she realizes that both clients have been selective with the facts they've chosen to give her. This may make her work more difficult, but she's beginning to find the information she needs to solve them both. She can't quit now, even though she's walking straight into danger.

~

Whether reading about game warden Joe Pickett or private investigator Cassie Dewell, C.J. Box knows how to spin a tale that makes readers keep turning the pages. Although I like Joe, I have to admit that I have a special fondness for Cassie, and watching her solve the two cases in Treasure State was a real treat.

Cassie shines in Treasure State, but so do the secondary characters: her new intern, April Pickett; her annoying mother Isabel; the young Kyle Westergaard who's determined to find the treasure no matter how hard Cassie tries to stop him; even the Lothario who roams the country stealing as much money from women as he can-- all these characters keep readers fully engaged in the story.

Both cases Cassie is investigating are gems, and I love watching her mind work as she pieces things together. She always works hard to be one step ahead of the bad guys in order to keep herself and all those she cares about safe. It's refreshing to have the main character go out of her way not to do anything stupid.

Having spent many happy hours out in the middle of nowhere (and closer afield) locating old mining towns in the mountains and deserts of Arizona and learning their fascinating histories, I soaked up everything Box had to say about Montana's mining past, in particular, the town of Anaconda, a town long considered to be the heart of the American labor movement. 

Characters, mysteries, history-- Treasure State was downright fun to read, and I can't wait to see what Cassie Dewell gets up to next.

 

Treasure State by C. J. Box

eISBN: 9781250768032

Minotaur Books © 2022

eBook, 320 pages

 

Private Investigator, #6 Cassie Dewell mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson

 

First Line: "Play me."

 

When basketball phenom Jaya Long, niece of Tribal Police Chief Lolo Long, begins receiving death threats, Chief Long asks Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire for help. Bringing along Henry Standing Bear as backup, Walt travels up to Lame Deer, Montana, where he learns that Jaya's older sister disappeared the previous year, undoubtedly a victim of the scourge of missing and murdered Native American women in the U.S.

 

Lolo is hoping that Walt's presence will bring more public attention to Jaya's plight, but what she doesn't realize is that she's also inadvertently placed the sheriff in a one-on-one situation with what may be his deadliest adversary in this world or the next.

 

~

 

A year without a new tale from Craig Johnson is a year with no sunshine as far as I'm concerned, so I was glad to hear of his latest book. When I learned that one of the focuses of Daughter of the Morning Star is the horrendous scourge of missing and murdered Native American women, I couldn't wait to read it; I knew that Johnson would have something important to say about that, and he does.

 

What he also does is pay homage to bookstores by having Walt walk into PAPER TALK, talk with the owner, and walk out with just the book he needs to shed some light on his little unofficial investigation. One of the things this investigation of his uncovers is a bit of Native American supernatural folklore, the Éveohtsé-heómėse, the Wandering Without, the description of which makes the hair stand on the back of my neck. It is...

 

"...a collection of lost souls that hunger for the living. The outcasts banished from the tribes over the centuries-- the murderers, the mad, the deranged who were driven off to die in the wilderness."  

 

"...like all carnivores, it culls the herd, preying on the sad and lonely, those living in its hunting ground on the outskirts of humanity."

 

Daughter of the Morning Star also touches on something else that I hope is discussed more in the next book, the fact that some of the Indian boarding schools were so tragedy-ridden that they were removed from the history books. Walt's work is not done at the end of this book, so I shall have to wait and see what happens in the next.

 

This latest Longmire mystery has all the touches we've come to expect and to love. New characters like Betty One Moon make appearances, Betty being the type of person that even Dog backs away from, Dog having made the trip with Walt and Henry. We also get to revel in some of Johnson's trademark humor as Walt and Henry try to keep Jaya safe, no matter how much the anger-filled young girl tries to pretend they're not there.

 

Although I did enjoy Daughter of the Morning Star, I have to come clean about something. I know that Craig Johnson has a plan. He knows where he wants to take this series, and I will be with him every step of the way. My confession is this: I do miss the camaraderie of Walt and his crew.  Couldn't Walt have a short vacation from his quest where he can spend some quality time with Vic and Henry and Ruby and Cady and all the rest? Then we'll all be refreshed and ready for the next adventure.

All in all, Daughter of the Morning Star was enjoyable, but it felt a bit disjointed, and that some of the plot threads were loose and not woven completely into the story. But there's always next time, and I'll be ready and waiting with a big smile on my face, for that's what happens when a writer creates a cast that is so filled with life that it feels like Family.

Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson

ISBN: 9780593297254

Viking © 2021

Hardcover, 336 pages

 

Police Procedural, #17 Walt Longmire mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

Ridgeline by Michael Punke

First Line: Crazy Horse struggled to sort among the flood of sensations, to push away the confusion and the fear, to keep his focus on what he and the other decoys must do.

 

The clash of cultures in the Powder River Valley of Wyoming was inevitable, but one side would never have believed the outcome. With the American Civil War barely over, Colonel Henry Carrington and his troops are sent right into the heart of sacred Lakota hunting grounds to build a fort that will defend a new road for settlers and gold miners. They are watched closely by Red Cloud, one of the most respected Lakota chiefs, and by visionary warrior Crazy Horse. The two men know both the implications of this invasion and how high the stakes are. Their homes, their culture, and their very lives hang in the balance. 

As autumn slowly turns to winter, Crazy Horse and his band of warriors constantly harass the soldiers building the fort while Red Cloud works to form the alliances between tribes that he knows are crucial for ultimate success. Meanwhile, Colonel Carrington has problems of his own. His officers don't think much of his command strategy while the rank-and-file soldiers are still divided by North and South, Yankee and Rebel... and are tempted by the lure of the goldfields in Montana.

Disaster is waiting for them all, just over that ridgeline.

~

I really enjoy well-written non-fiction and historical fiction about the American West, and in Ridgeline, Michael Punke has created a tale based on real people and events that held me in its grasp from beginning to end. 

 

Any well-told tale has to have a first-rate cast of characters, and there certainly is one here. The arrogant ignorance of so many in Carrington's band of soldiers makes you shake your head. Carrington himself had no battle experience, and as they journey to their destination in the Powder River Valley, he is reminded of the African safaris undertaken by British nobles. After all, officers' wives and other women are traveling with them as well as the band he insisted upon so they could have music in the evenings around the campfires. Oh, how very civilized.

Others also make contributions to Ridgeline. Frances Grummond, the wife of the most arrogantly ignorant of Carrington's officers, writes of her experiences in two different journals: one for public consumption and one private, for-her-eyes-only. Jim Bridger, hired as a scout, helps show just how ignorant the soldiers are, and I loved his reply to one of the officers in one of their many meetings: "Don't ask me if you don't wanna know." How many times have so-called intelligent people refused to listen to the experts they hired?

But it was watching Red Cloud and Crazy Horse that kept me focused the most. Watching them work with other Lakota and then other tribes, convincing warriors that they needed a new way to fight the soldiers in order to win, forming their strategy that was so brilliant that it would ultimately be taught in military academies around the world. Watching events unfold knowing it was ultimately for nothing.

 

Although I knew how Ridgeline was going to end, I still got caught up in Punke's story. I still got caught up with the characters. That's some powerful storytelling, and I look forward to his next book.

Ridgeline by Michael Punke

ISBN: 9781250310460

Henry Holt & Company © 2021

Hardcover, 384 pages

 

Standalone Historical Fiction

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams

First Line: "You look...exactly like her."

 

It's been three months, and Lena Nguyen refuses to believe how her identical twin sister, Cambry, died. The official police story is that Cambry drove to a remote bridge seventy miles outside Missoula, Montana, and jumped two hundred feet to her death. Lena is determined to uncover the truth, so she gets a cassette recorder, packs up her sister's car, and drives to the bridge. 

 

First on her agenda is talking with the highway patrolman who discovered her sister's body. Corporal Raymond Raycevic agrees to meet Lena at the scene. He's sympathetic and forthright, but the more he talks, the more Lena believes his story doesn't add up. 

 

Lena will do anything to learn the truth, but as her sister's final hours begin to come into focus, Lena finds herself fighting for her own survival... and learning that she didn't know her sister as well as she thought she did.

 

~

 

Author Taylor Adams certainly knows how to set a scene and ratchet up the suspense, and he was wise to let readers occasionally hear Cambry's voice as her final hours on earth unfolded. However, what could have been a white-knuckle, edge-of-my-seat read turned into a bit of a mess.

 

First and foremost, I didn't care one little whit about any of the characters. The bad guys didn't even drum up much of a response, and Lena-- although some of her plans showed signs of genius-- was so hostile that I gave up on her, too. What kind of a reader am I? One that has to have at least one character in a book that holds my interest, even if it's the bad guy. This didn't happen in Hairpin Bridge.

 

Second-- and most important-- was the plot. The first half of the book was good. The pace was steady and everything flowed well, but then the second half of the book came unglued. I'm probably dating myself with the analogy I'm going to use, but as a reader, I felt like a playing card stuck in the bicycle spokes: I kept getting slapped upside the head by one plot twist after another in rapid succession until the whole thing became unbelievable.

 

There are some good things in Hairpin Bridge, but ultimately, I found it weighed down by an unbelievable plot and unlikable characters. Your mileage may certainly vary.

Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams

ISBN: ‎ 9780063065444

William Morrow © 2021

Hardcover, 320 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: C-

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen

 

 

https://youtu.be/7qgG7zIoVFI

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

 

First Line: You see something and you raise your hand.

 

Fragile Star Radley has been battered by life. Fortunately, her thirteen-year-old daughter, Duchess Day Radley, is a self-professed outlaw who possesses all the strength of will and determination that Star lacks. Duchess is the fierce protector of her six-year-old brother Robin and parent to her mother. The Radleys also have a guardian angel in Walker, who's the chief of police in their small coastal California town. Everything is serious to Walker, and he is still racked with guilt over providing the testimony that sent his best friend Vincent King to prison thirty years ago.

 

Secrets and ill feelings have been simmering away under the surface for years there in town, but everything comes to a boil when Vincent King is released from prison and returns to town. Both Walker and Duchess are going to find out which is stronger: the families they were born into or the families they've created.

 

~

 

We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel and one that's difficult to talk about without giving plot points away. Just when I thought I had things figured out, author Chris Whitaker would throw in another twist, another surprise, and have me racing to reconfigure everything in my mind. The opening scene grabbed me by the throat, and I hadn't read many more pages before I knew that I was reading something very special. The further I read, the more I knew I was right.

We Begin at the End is a story about loyalty, a story about secrets, a story about redemption, and the one thing that powers this book into one of the best books I've ever read is its characters. These characters are going to live with me for a long time. Chief Walker, who seems to feel responsible for everyone and does his level best to protect them all. Dolly and Hal in Montana for their love and patience in dealing with difficult personalities. Martha May the lawyer who prefers defending battered women. Young Thomas Noble who sees Duchess Day Radley for the treasure she is and sticks to her like glue. 

 

And-- towering above them all-- Duchess Day Radley, herself. Readers will be hard-pressed to find another thirteen-year-old who can so easily make them wince, make them laugh, make them hold their breath, and make them cry. If you tell Duchess that, when life hands her lemons, she's supposed to make lemonade, you'd better duck because those lemons are going to be flying straight at your head. This young girl is so filled with rage and hurt and love that you want to wrap her in a bear hug and never ever let another thing hurt her. What does she want? It's simple. Just listen to what she tells her mother: "I just wish there was a middle, you know. Because that's where people live. It doesn't have to be all or nothing... sink or swim like that. Most people just tread water, and that's enough. Because when you're sinking, you're pulling us down with you."

If you want to know if Duchess Day Radley and her brother Robin ever get to experience life in the middle, pick up a copy of We Begin at the End. It's a phenomenal book.

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

ISBN: 9781250759665

Henry Holt & Company © 2021

Hardcover, 384 pages

 

Literary Mystery, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen Bookstore.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

First Line: Numbers floated round my head like stars.

 

Not until the Nazis march into Paris in 1939 does young Odile Souchet begin to understand how tenuous her ideal life is. She has a handsome police officer who loves her deeply and a job she's passionate about: she works in the periodicals room at the American Library in Paris where the regular subscribers have become like members of her own family, only nicer because they love books as much as she does. When the Nazi grip tightens around the city, she and the other librarians join the Resistance by ensuring that all their subscribers continue to receive books regardless of Nazi laws.

 

In a small town in Montana in 1983, young Lily is a lonely teenager who finds her next-door neighbor to be shrouded in mystery and simply irresistible to her nosy nature. As Lily learns more about her neighbor's past, she discovers that they share quite a few things as well as a secret from the past that connects both of them. 

~

The Paris Library is a beautifully written book based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris who defied the Nazis by continuing to provide subscribers as well as soldiers as many books as they possibly could no matter what restrictions the Nazis placed upon them. As Odile learned after a short time working there, "The Library was more than bricks and books; its mortar was people who cared." In fact, the library itself is a powerful character in the book, and its employees and regular visitors become important members of this literary family.

 

The story is told in two timelines: Odile as a young Parisian woman in 1939 and as an older woman living in Montana in 1983. In many ways, I thought the second timeline was unnecessary other than to show Odile attempting to rescue a young girl who was on the same path that Odile traveled so many years ago-- and of course for the complete unveiling of Odile's past.

 

Odile drew me right into the story. I could smell the books on the shelves of the American Library in Paris. I could hear the two old friends' daily arguments in the periodicals room. And I felt no shock when the "crow letters" began arriving at Nazi headquarters informing them that the librarians were hiding forbidden literature and providing reading material to Jews. 

 

As beautifully written as The Paris Library is-- and there are many passages that illuminated my imagination-- I had a difficult time immersing myself fully into the story. As much as sentences like "Her bookshelves ran over, so her vanity table was a mixture of pink blush and Dorothy Parker, mascara and Montaigne" warmed my heart, and facts such as Zora Neale Hurston being Odile's favorite living writer made her come alive to me, part of me still held back.

Why? It has more to do with me as a person than it has to do with the story. The overarching theme of The Paris Library is jealousy, and I've always had trouble warming up to people or characters who live by that emotion. Since my reaction to this novel is so subjective, take my opinion with a grain of salt and give it a try. It is a rich and multi-layered tale.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

eISBN: 9781982134211

Atria Books © 2021

eBook, 368 pages

 

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Bitterroots by C.J. Box

 

First Line: The Crazy Mountains were on fire and Cassie Dewell sat alone in her car at night on McLeod Street across from the Grand Hotel in Big Timber, Montana, looking for a twenty-four-year-old reprobate known as Antlerhead.

 

Cassie Dewell may be a private investigator now, but she's still a cop at heart, so when a friend calls in a favor and asks Cassie to help exonerate a man accused of raping a young girl from an influential family, she really wants no part of it. That old friend finally gets her on board by telling her that Cassie would really be going over all the evidence to prove that the prosecution's case was airtight.

 

But when she gets to the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana, she finds that the Kleinsassers have ruled the area for decades, and they want Blake Kleinsasser, the black sheep of the family, put away in prison for good. As Cassie begins going over each piece of the evidence against Blake, she unleashes the deadly power of a twisted family. When it comes to what the Kleinsassers of the Iron Cross Ranch want, Cassie is going to find out that her life means absolutely nothing.

 

~

 

Taking place during Montana's "Summer of Fire," C.J. Box's The Bitterroots is a story that has the sudden, ferocious power of a sledgehammer. When Cassie Dewell tells someone where she's going, she's told "You have no idea what kind of... snake pit you're going to fall into," and that's the honest truth. The smoke of countless forest fires may obscure the Kleinsassers' sinister grip on the county in which they reside, but the acrid stench of the smoke gives them away. Even the name of their property-- the Iron Cross Ranch-- has an ominous ring to it.

Cassie Dewell faces one challenge of escalating intensity after another, but, folks, she's put down her Denise Mina novel, and she's determined to get to the bottom of things simply because the other side is overplaying their hand. These challenges are humiliating, shocking, infuriating... and I would have done exactly what she did. (Some folks don't react well to intimidation.) The only qualm I had was that, for the single mother of a teenage boy, Cassie went much farther out on a limb than she should have. 

The Kleinsassers are a family of vipers, and I wanted to see Cassie bring them down. One person remarks, "We seem to be witnessing the Olympics of family dysfunction right here in Montana." Some of the Kleinsasser revelations didn't surprise me one bit, and I cheered Cassie on to the very last page.

As always, the setting has an important role in Box's novels. Readers will experience the Summer of Fire in the steep mountains and deep valleys of northwestern Montana close to the Idaho border, but they will also learn a bit of history. This is the land of the Big Hole Battlefield, where Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce fought for their freedom, and Box's story does justice to the landscape and history of the area.

Now begins the wait for Cassie Dewell's next investigation.

The Bitterroots by C.J. Box

eISBN: 9781466852006

Minotaur Books © 2019

eBook, 352 pages

 

Private Investigator, #5 Cassie Dewell mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson

First Line: The wetlands dedication was a resounding success until the gunman showed up.

 

When her job in Boston ends, wildlife biologist Alex Carter is offered a position monitoring wolverines on a preserve in Montana. After a messy breakup with her boyfriend and the harrowing conclusion of the dedication ceremony of the wetlands preserve, Alex is more than ready to leave the city and head for the wilderness.

 

Even though she's greeted with a great deal of suspicion in the small town where she buys necessities, the job is perfect for Alex. The solitude is a balm for her spirit. Until she checks footage from one of the cameras she's set up and sees a badly injured man apparently lost and wandering in the wilderness. Search and Rescue are unable to find the man, and the attitude of local law enforcement makes Alex suspicious.

 

Her suspicions are confirmed when she realizes that she's stumbled upon something she was never supposed to have seen-- there's a far-reaching illegal operation being conducted here, and now she's a threat. She's going to need all the skills at her disposal just to stay alive.

 

~

 

When I learned that A Solitude of Wolverines was a mystery with a wildlife biologist as the main character, I perked up. When I learned that the book was written by an actual wildlife biologist, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Now I can say that this first Alex Carter mystery is a winner, and I can't wait to read more.

Wildlife and the wilderness are at the center of this story, and you can really get a feel for the type of conservation work wildlife biologists do. If you love all creatures great and small, there's even a bibliography so you can learn more about the animals being studied in the book. But if the wilderness is at the center of A Solitude of Wolverines, Alex Carter is its beating heart. When asked to lie about her findings for her bosses who have taken bribes in a previous job, Alex refuses in spectacular style knowing that she has a lot to lose by telling the truth.

 

This is not your usual female character. Her mother was an Air Force fighter pilot who devised games for her daughter that taught Alex how to think on her feet and use the items at hand for her survival. When something like that is mentioned in a book, you can take it to the bank that this is going to be a big factor in the story later on-- and it is. There are plenty of high octane action scenes in A Solitude of Wolverines, and there is no candy-coating of the consequences for neither man nor beast. (I mention this for those readers who might be a bit squeamish.)

 

The only thing that made me wonder about Alex is her choice of best friend and boyfriend. Anyone with two working brain cells should have been able to deduce that her boyfriend was a high maintenance waste of space, but I suppose that tells us that she makes mistakes like the rest of us mortals. Her best friend is a typical high rolling Hollywood actress, and that makes for an odd combination with the middle-of-nowhere loving Alex. I do have to admit that it's probably not a good idea for a main character-- no matter how dynamic-- to be a hermit. There's also a shadowy third character in Alex's orbit. One that she didn't realize she had, and it would appear that this dangerous shadow will figure more prominently in the next book. Why is this person a "dangerous shadow"? Because he's Alex's serial killer guardian angel. How's that for a shocker!

 

A Solitude of Wolverines is a momentous opening chapter in Alex Carter's story, one that changes her: "A new sensation spread inside of her, a loss of innocence." I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what she does next.  

A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson

eISBN: 9780062982094

William Morrow © 2020

eBook, 320 pages

 

Amateur Sleuth, #1 Alex Carter mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Net Galley

The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne

 

First Line: 1989. The woods were wrong.

Dr. Theo Cray is a computational scientist. He sees patterns in chaos. When mutilated bodies are found deep in the forests of Montana, local law enforcement chalk it up to a rogue grizzly bear. But Cray sees something they missed. 

Seeking the truth behind the death of one of his former students, Cray tries to guide the police in the right direction, but all he does is convince them that the killer is either a bear or Cray himself. Cray has to work fast before he's either thrown in prison or becomes a serial killer's next victim.

 

The voice of Dr. Theo Cray drew me right into The Naturalist. Cray is a wimp. He's a nerd. He has trouble relating to people because his head is so thoroughly buried in science and he spends so much time alone on field trips. Some readers' eyes may cross at all the talk of science, but I enjoyed 98% of Cray's shop talk. (Hmm... does that make me a wimpy science nerd who doesn't relate to people, too?) The science really got me into Cray's character, and it does add background to the story. The reason Cray decided to go out on a limb and hunt for his former student's killer is guilt, and that says something about his character, too. He's not all about science after all. He feels that, as a professor, he spent too much time doing things like showing and critiquing the film Avatar to get his students to like him and not enough time teaching them how to be safe on field trips in the wilderness. He's a smart guy whose heart is in the right place even though he's out of step with the rest of us. But-- as the characters in all good stories should-- Cray changes as his hunt for the killer progresses, especially when he walks into a certain diner for a meal. But I digress.

I did have a problem or two with The Naturalist, and it wasn't over the portrayal of law enforcement. When the police have a weird guy who keeps digging up bodies and telling them about what he's found, what else are they going to think? You got it: they're going to think he killed them all and wants his fifteen minutes of fame. No, the problems I had have to do with the serial killer himself and some of the action scenes at the end. I found both to be a bit over the top, although in the killer's case, I found his portrayal a bit unbelievable, not the facts behind his creation.

But for me, discovering the character of Dr. Theo Cray was like hitting the jackpot. I had to know how he was going to win the day, and I had to know what sort of shape he was going to be in once it was all over. Now I want to know what he does next. I'll be reading more.

The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne

eISBN: 9781477824245

Thomas & Mercer © 2017

eBook, 372 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #1 Dr. Theo Cray mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Paradise Valley by C.J. Box

First Line: "The trap is set and he's on his way," Cassie Dewell said to Sheriff Jon Kirkbride.

It's been three long years, and Cassie Dewell is still on the trail of a serial killer known as the Lizard King whose hunting grounds are highways and truckstops frequented by runaways and prostitutes. Now Cassie is working for the Bakken County, North Dakota Sheriff's Office, and she believes she's set the perfect trap for the Lizard King... but she hasn't. Her trap is a total disaster, she's disgraced and loses her job.

But a missing boy's grandmother insists that Cassie take on her investigation. Her grandson, Kyle, disappeared on the same day that Cassie's trap blew up-- and no one seems to care about what happened to him. With nothing else to do, Cassie reluctantly says yes to the grandmother, all the while knowing that she's going to keep on searching for the Lizard King. But it's a whole new world for the investigator everyone calls "relentless." Is Cassie going to be able to go solo successfully?

The feminist side in me must be getting stronger the older I get. C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series is one that I've read in the past and enjoyed, but for some reason, I'm just not passionate about keeping current with it. It's as though I know it can wait patiently until I'm ready to read it again. However, when I found out that Box was starting a new series with a female lead, I perked right up. When I did a little research, I discovered that Cassie Dewell isn't a new character but one that's been in Box's Highway Quartet books. Lo and behold, the last book in that quartet went on sale, and I snapped it up so I could see whether or not Cassie is my type of character. She most certainly is.

I didn't feel at a disadvantage beginning with the last book in the Highway Quartet. On the contrary, Box's fantastic opening scenes and pedal-to-the-metal pacing grabbed me right at the start and kept me reading. Several characters made me sit up and take notice. Yes, Cassie is relentless and just the type of person that I want to read more about. The Lizard King is appropriately creepy, young Kyle can break your heart while impressing you all at the same time, and that crusty old guy known as Bull reminded me of my grandfather.

When you put this high-octane story in a setting that stretches from the oil fields of North Dakota to Yellowstone National Park, you've got a winner. Now that I've been formally introduced to Cassie Dewell, I'm ready for The Bitterroots. Bring it on!

Paradise Valley by C.J. Box

eISBN: 9781466851993

Minotaur Books © 2017

eBook, 352 pages

Police Procedural, #3 Cassie Dewell mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Solus by Peter Bowen

First Line: Du Pré looked at the young doctor who was looking at a file on his computer screen.

When you're a good man with a family who needs a place to hide out from the bad guys, there's no place better than Toussaint, Montana, and no better man to help you than Métis Indian and former cattle inspector Gabriel Du Pré. Du Pré already has his plate full; he has an ailing granddaughter back home from college, a meddling medicine man, and an eagle hunter from Kazakhstan keeping him busy.

Hoyt Poe was a guard at a Kabul prison and witnessed his fellow soldiers abusing the inmates. His testimony is going to expose the military contractor responsible for the prison's brutal interrogation program. That military contractor wants Poe dead, and he'll do anything to achieve his goal. How long will it be before his mercenaries find Poe and his family hiding out in Toussaint?

I've loved this series since the first book, Coyote Wind, but I do know that it is not for everyone. The main character is a Métis Indian-- a tribe descended from Canadian Indians and French trappers that moved down into Montana. He and his extended family and all their friends there in Toussaint are not politically correct. They speak in a gentle sort of dialect that shows their French roots, and it's amazing how Bowen accomplishes this using little more than well-placed commas and a few missing prepositions. These people may not behave the way we more "civilized" people want them to, but they are good people, fiercely independent, and much more willing to stand up for their principles than most of the rest of us. When Du Pré and his friends are given the task of protecting Hoyt Poe and his family, they take it very seriously indeed.

Solus is more social commentary than mystery, although readers will wonder who survives and how as they turn the pages. If you do not like politically incorrect people and if you dislike good people who speak out against the present government, please don't bother to read this book. It will only raise your blood pressure.

Besides the stories and the humor, one of the things I love the most about this book-- and the entire series-- is the cast of characters. From fiddle-playing Gabriel to his fizzy pink wine-loving Madelaine to Bart's wife who is ex-FBI and a steel-spined force of nature called Pidgeon, each character is special. Even the ones you never get to meet like Hoyt's Granny Dulcie, who "found the good in people and made them live up to it."

Reading Bowen's novels reminds me of my childhood when I would sit behind an easy chair or underneath the kitchen table and listen to the old folks talk. These relatives in their seventies, eighties, and nineties knew the previous century, and they certainly knew how to tell a tale. Listening to them, I learned that you took care of your own, you helped other folks when they needed it, you stood on your own two feet, and you never started a fight-- but when one was forced upon you, you finished it. And since I come from a long line of farmers, it sounds normal to me when customers walk into the Toussaint saloon for a meal and a good time and ask, "Who are we eating tonight?"

Solus ("a man alone" in Latin) isn't just about Hoyt Poe, although he's certainly one of the loneliest people on the planet with so many bad guys after him. It's also about people like Gabriel Du Pré and his friends. As I said before, this may not be a book or a series for you, but if it does sound intriguing, please give it a try. For the right reader, Peter Bowen is a very special writer.

Solus by Peter Bowen

eISBN: 9781504050906

Open Road Integrated Media © 2018

eBook, 226 pages

Law Enforcement, #15 Gabriel Du Pré mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Death on the Greasy Grass by C.M. Wendelboe

First Line: Sun-bleached wood creaked under Willie With Horn's weight as he made his way up past others who were sitting in the stands waiting for the Real Bird Little Big Horn Reenactment to begin.

FBI agent Manny Tanno is on vacation with tribal police officer Willie With Horn. In Garryowen, Montana, all Manny wants is to soak up a little history by watching a reenactment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Instead he's dragged right into the middle of an investigation when one of the reenactors is shot and killed.

The man who was killed had found Levi Star Dancer's journal. Star Dancer was a Crow Indian scout for Custer, and he listed a lot of secrets in his journal that the families of those involved do not want to have shown in the light of day. The dead man's willingness to sell Star Dancer's journal to the highest bidder undoubtedly led to his death. Now all Manny has to do is figure out who-- which isn't going to be easy because the killer will stop at nothing to make sure the past stays buried.

Wendelboe's Spirit Road mysteries are valuable reading on several levels. Good mysteries, vivid settings, multi-faceted characters, and laugh-out-loud humor are some of them, but the most important one to me is the chance to see the world through the eyes of Indians. (I know. I didn't call them Native Americans. Neither do they.) FBI agent Manny Tanno has worked for many years in Washington, DC, so he hasn't really been enjoying his "banishment" back to the Rez-- the Lakota reservation in South Dakota.

"Don't worry about it." Manny had heard comments like that all his life: people surprised that an Indian drove a decent car or wore neat clothes or shopped in public with children that were clean and well behaved.

Wendelboe shows us the problems that are faced every day on reservations throughout this country: domestic violence, alcoholism, unemployment, drugs. In Death on the Greasy Grass he also shows us another-- the sale of Indian artifacts-- by creating the fascinating story of an Indian survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. That this survivor goes on to learn how to succeed in the white world is more than a bit gratifying.

While Manny is traveling around listening to polka music and interviewing all the suspects, we also watch women dealing with the fact that the men they love are dedicated to jobs in law enforcement that may very well kill them. This all makes for a page-turning story with a very interesting resolution. I doubt there will be more Manny Tanno mysteries, and I will miss them. This FBI agent taught me well, and he made me laugh. If you like mysteries with Indian settings, give C.M. Wendelboe's Spirit Road mysteries a try.
    

Death on the Greasy Grass by C.M. Wendelboe

ISBN: 9780425263259

Berkley Prime Crime © 2013

Paperback, 373 pages

Native American Mystery, #3 Spirit Road mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen. 


 

Bitter Creek by Peter Bowen

First Line: Du Pré's sleep dissolved; he heard bacon sizzling in a pan, he rolled to Madelaine and found her gone.

Madelaine's son, Chappie Plaquemines, hasn't had an easy transition from serving in Iraq. When his lieutenant comes to Montana to convince Chappie to accept a medal, he and Du Pré have to find him first. Once he's located, a trip to a sweat lodge is in order, and it's there that things become a little strange.

Otherworldly voices within the lodge begin talking of a place called Bitter Creek and of a band of Métis who were last seen trying to escape from General Black Jack Pershing's men in 1910. The men decide to look for Bitter Creek, which leads Du Pré to the last living survivor of the massacre. Led by the frail, ancient woman, Du Pré finds that he and the others are about to uncover some long-buried secrets that no one in the area wants brought to light. Chappie, Patchen and Du Pré know what they're getting into, but they also know that the massacre victims deserve both justice and to finally rest in peace.

I have long been a fan of Peter Bowen's series. It's been several years since the last book (Nails) was published, so I was thrilled to see this one. It brings back everything I love about these books, although some of those things might not be for everyone.

Bowen writes about the Métis, a group of mixed French and Native American people, living in the wilds of Montana. The author does an excellent job in giving us a feel for the pidgin English they speak. The words that are left out give the Métis' speech a French cadence that is part of their heritage. I love it, but I can see why it might prove to be an annoyance to other readers. The Métis also often have outspoken views and ways of doing things. For instance, Du Pré's grandchildren are growing up to be fine human beings despite parenting of which many modern experts would disapprove. The Métis are a proud people-- independent spirits-- and for all intents and purposes, they are left alone now, mostly because they live where no one else wants to.

Bowen has created an excellent cast of characters that I love to read about. The old cowboy Booger Tom is the focus of most of the humor in Bitter Creek, thanks to a water buffalo named Eustace. The war between those two is hilarious.

The focus of this book is the 100-year-old mystery of exactly who was responsible for the massacre of the band of Métis trying to escape to Canada, and Du Pré and the others are dealing with the descendants of the people who were probably responsible. This creates a lot of tension as the story progresses because the reader is never certain what those people are willing to do in order to keep century-old secrets buried. Those scenes of Booger Tom and Eustace provide much needed levity.

There's also a modern-day murder in Bitter Creek, but it definitely takes a backseat to the old mystery. In fact, it almost feels tacked on-- as if Bowen wanted to prove that not all country sheriffs are stupid (and they're not).

I loved spending time with Du Pré and the others. I've missed them-- and I'm hoping that Bowen may have a Montana story or two left to tell us in the future.

Bitter Creek by Peter Bowen

eISBN: 9781497685123

Open Road Media © 2015

eBook, 237 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #14 Gabriel Du Pré mystery

Rating: A-

Source: NetGalley 

Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson

From the Acknowledgements: After I was fortunate enough to win the Cowboys & Indians Tony Hillerman Award with "Old Indian Trick," the first short story in this collection and the first short story I had ever written, I got the bright idea that I'd send it to the folks who subscribed to my newsletter as a free gift for the holidays.

Author Craig Johnson just didn't know what he was getting himself into. The following November fans starting asking him about that year's Christmas Eve story, and thus began a tradition. Each Christmas Eve, those fans who've signed up at Johnson's website are treated to a short story-- another little glimpse into the life of beloved character Sheriff Walt Longmire. It didn't take long for folks to start asking about print editions of these stories, and Wait for Signs is the first collection. 

Having read each tale-- except for the brand-new "Petunia, Bandit Queen of the Bighorns"-- in my Christmas Eve emails, I looked forward to having a copy sitting on my Craig Johnson shelf in my personal library. With an introduction by Lou Diamond Phillips who portrays Henry Standing Bear on the hit television series Longmire, this volume contains gems, including "Divorce Horse" and "Messenger" which have only been available as digital editions. These stories are filled with humor, with the characters so many fans have grown to love like family, and with glimpses into Walt's present and past. 

Wait for Signs is the perfect introduction for new readers who have yet to travel to Absaroka County, Wyoming, and it's perfect for fans. As soon as I got my copy, I had to sit down and start reading because I quite simply needed a Walt Fix. Yes, I'd read them before, but there's no better pick-me-up than to laugh at the sly wit in "Old Indian Trick," to revisit the Port-A-Potty in "Messenger," to meet the woman who believes Walt is a deity in "Ministerial Aide," or to laugh at the pork rind-addicted crooks in "High Holidays."

I'd better warn you: if you're a first-time Craig Johnson reader when you pick up Wait for Signs, don't be surprised if you immediately begin a fevered quest to get your hands on all books Walt Longmire. Craig Johnson's writing is more addictive than those Lays potato chips we used to hear about all the time.

Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson

ISBN: 9780525427919

Viking © 2014

Hardcover, 192 pages

Short Stories, Sheriff Walt Longmire

Rating: B+

Source: Publicist