Out for a day’s adventure exploring the dry bed of Lake Travis in Austin, Texas, two young boys stumble upon a skeleton. It might be all that remains of a fugitive named Randy Bear Heart. Wanted for robbing three banks and killing three cops, Bear Heart was never brought to justice.
The FBI is called on to determine how the outlaw avoided arrest for twenty-five years and who put him in the lake … in the lake wearing chains. The BIA — Bureau of Indian Affairs — gets the very same job. Special Agent John Tall Wolf is put on the case because one of the dead cops was a Native American who worked at the Mercy Ridge Reservation.
The FBI wants John to “coordinate all your efforts” through SAC Gilbert Melvin. John is having none of that, saying, “I’ll conduct my investigation as I see fit.” He doesn’t even get along with his own boss, Marlene Flower Moon, head of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services.
While interviewing John for his job, Marlene was amused by his assertiveness, and asked him, “What do you want, a license to take scalps?” John said, “Yeah, that’d be good.”
more
I enjoyed the characters in this story and the interactions between government agencies. I will be getting the other books in the series.
I’m in the middle of this book and I’m finding it a fun, easy read with a slightly different twist. It does move from the present to the past but it’s easy to follow as the date of each, short, chapter is clearly stated at it’s beginning. I think I’ll be seeking more by this author.
Though there is a strong Native American element to this first book of a new detective series, it is not really all that similar to Tony Hillerman’s work. The hero, John Tall Wolf may be genetically Native American and have a job with the BIA, but due to odd, and somewhat mystical circumstances, was raised by a very eccentric white couple. Despite …
A unique story
Loved the hero’s sensitivity to the spirit world and his sense of humor! Great story ; five stars
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the characters are great. The plot is quite good, and I like the way the author writes.
I enjoyed a couple of evening reading about this mystery and finally it was solved. Many twists and turns along the way. John Tall Wolf is a patience detective. Good travel to interesting places too.
Well written. Interesting use of humor.well laid out plot.
I mostly enjoyed the character development and the scary relationship between Tall Wolf and the Director he works under. I didn’t guess the ending before I got there, which is always nice, and I liked the little bits of humor that made the protagonists immensely likable. I was lucky that the first Flynn novel that landed in my lap was this first …
The title intrigued me. The opening caught my attention. The writing was really good, with some memorable lines (“If Randy’s body was recovered anytime soon, it would be found pulped but not perforated.”) The characters made me care. And the interaction between various law enforcement agencies was…interesting. Well worth a read. Now to find the …
couldn’t finnish it sorry
Loved the whole series, and several more by the same author, with overlapping characters.
I was disappointed in this book. I decided to read it after reading some recommendations in Goodreads. I should have read further. It was compared to the books of Tony Hillerman, which I enjoy. Unfortunately, I found it confusing with a flippant sort of writing that simply made it a bit hard to follow. Not only that, but I just couldn’t …
Enjoyed this book from start to finish. Love he main character. I always enjoy stories about the southwest and native people. This made me want to start the second in the series right away. Five stars for sure.
John Wolf, a Native American, raised by university professors, one of whom is a bruja or witch, is recruited by the Bureau of Indian Affairs because he has a foot in both worlds. he’s tall, handsome, independent and totally likable. His Indian heritage leads other law enforcement officials to underestimate him. Fun, light read with a savvy hero.
At first I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish it, but as ridiculous as the story is, I kept reading to the end so I guess that earns it three stars.
Language
Great storyline with engaging characters, especially the main character. Also wove in many interesting facets of Native American history & culture that added depth to the story. I will definitely read the next books in the series.