Coyote Wind

A Montana Mystery Featuring Gabriel Du Pré
Montana, "the last best place" of the disappearing American West, is the setting of Peter Bowen's splendid first mystery novel in a series featuring Gabriel Du Pré. A cattle-brand inspector and occasional sheriff's deputy, Du Pré moves easily among the ranchers, cowboys, Native Americans, barflies, dreamers, and Eastern dudes who populate what's left of the frontier.
In the desolate hills of the Fascelli family ranch, a skeleton has been discovered. The sheriff needs Du Pré's long experience in Montana to identify the bones. What Du Pré finds leads him on a search through the history of a troubled family, a search that brings him closer to a secret from his own past. Along the way, Du Pré meets a range of interesting folk, some to his liking, some decidedly not.
"As the best literary novels are able to do, Coyote Wind brings many worlds together and hones the language to create a fresh, memorable character and a profound vision."
"Bowen tells his story in short, perfectly crafted scenes. The dialogue, the relationships, the Montana landscape, and, most of all, the quirky and memorable characters are all matchlessly drawn."
"Bowen's writing is lean and full of mordant observations. His hardy characters…come to life, and his wry humor provides relief from the haunting, wind-bitten cattle-ranch landscape."
"The delight of this mystery is…the characters and the details of life among the Meti people. Christopher Lane shares those details with an intimate voice that drawls but still moves quickly."
"The great story and narration make this a most enjoyable production…[Lane's] skill is especially evident in the voices of the secondary characters when he reads scenes such as a shootout involving local law enforcement-the panic and terror of the dispatcher sound perfectly real."