A Death in Eden

May 1, 2018
A pair of high-stakes journeys along Montana's beautiful, deeply endangered Smith River crisscross repeatedly without ever quite converging.Clint McCaine, a local who's joined forces with the Hard Rock Heaven Mining Cooperative, is helping plan a copper mine near the storied Smith River. His childhood friend Bart Trueblood is doing everything he can to oppose the mine, whose operation he's convinced will foul the river. The two of them agree to take a boat trip along the river accompanied by documentary filmmaker Lillian Cartwright, who'll record their every disagreement, and watercolorist/fisherman/guide/private eye Sean Stranahan (Cold Hearted River, 2017), who'll keep the peace. "It's Eden, Cain and Abel, Genesis," Bart tells Sean of his long-festering rivalry with Clint. Nor is this enough conflict for McCafferty, not by a long shot. Blackfeet state investigator Harold Little Feather's boss, Fitz Carpenter, has sent him to the same river to stop the God of Scarecrows, the unknown who's desecrated the river by erecting a series of scarecrows, nine so far, along its banks. Imagining a job that's more like a vacation, Harold invites Marcus Stands Like a Heron, the 17-year-old son he's only recently learned about, to accompany him on the trip. The deeper into the wilderness the two parties penetrate, the less their trips seem like vacations and the more they seem like a return to the landscape of Deliverance, complete with a determined couple of bear poachers and a headless corpse. There are so many possibilities for fireworks, several of which pay off, that it's easy to forget that the regional parks director has shut the river down to visitors who aren't actively engaged in detecting or promoting felonies.The river's so crowded, in fact, that it's a miracle that there's only a single death in Eden. This is one of those eventful journeys that's a lot more satisfying than its conclusion.

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May 21, 2018
In McCafferty’s enjoyable if flawed seventh outing for wilderness guide and PI Sean Stranahan (after 2017’s Cold Hearted River), Sean rafts Montana’s scenic Smith River with a TV reporter and two local men, childhood friends turned foes who represent opposing views of a copper mine proposed for the area. Meanwhile, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation agent Harold Little Feather and his 17-year-old son, Marcus, embark on a canoe trip in search of a mysterious man who has left scarecrows and anti-mine messages along the river. What appears a harmless, creative form of protest assumes sinister implications when Harold, Marcus, and the scarecrow-maker cross paths and later confront a murderous duo. McCafferty’s passion for his wilderness setting, knowledge of fishing, and understanding of local issues combine to create a rich sense of place. Unfortunately, an array of both minor and significant continuity errors, from changing ages to inconsistent chronology, mar this entry. Fans will hope for a return to form next time. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary.

July 1, 2018
There's trouble on Montana's Smith River: scarecrows are appearing on the cliffs high above the river bed, frightening tourists who have won a state lottery for float-trip permits. State investigator Harold Little Feather is on the case, attempting to track the creator of the scarecrows, but complicating matters is a documentarian on her own float trip, filming the verbal sparring between two old friends on opposite sides of a debate over a copper-mining effort that could contaminate the river's water. Along as a guide on the trip is PI Sean Stranahan. When Harold and his son disappear, Stranahan's investigatory skills come to the fore. McCafferty typically balances outdoor adventure and comic sleuthing, but this entry leans more toward the adventure, as the narrative jumps between Harold attempting to escape his captors and the drama on the river. The decision to give Harold a more prominent role this time out is a good one, affording McCafferty an opportunity to probe the inner life of a robust, thoroughly fascinating character who could easily lead his own series. Another satisfying western mystery from this talented author.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

February 1, 2018

It's bad enough that scarecrows bearing signs protesting the projected Smith River Mine are popping up along the river's cliffs. Now fishing guide and sometime investigator Sean Stranahan must float a party downriver that includes both the manager of the mine and the leader of the local group protesting it. From a Spur Award winner.

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