Bowen defends the old ways with assault weapons and stereotypes. He defends the descendants of the native Americans and 19th-century immigrants, whose children are fleeing, whose cows are cold, and whose towns are dying (or dead). But his biggest enemies are those college professors and nonsmoking law abiders who have taken over the U of Montana area. Also he defends old dead mammoths hiding in the badlands. Finally, he writes great descriptions of bleak snowswept deadly landscapes. ( )

Peter Bowen is consistent. This story had a bit more mystery than the other two, though it seemed a somewhat scattered way to solve it. The characters remain strong, the narrator excellent, and the historical details intriguing. Whether they are factual or fictional is unknown to me. Just as the characters are strong, the language, drinking and smoking is strong too. ( )

always good ( )

Protagonist: Gabriel Du Pré
Setting: the wilds of eastern Montana
Series: #5

First Line: "I thought Le Doux Springs was on state land," Said Du Pré.

After a serious earthquake shakes up the locals, Du Pré, the part-Métis Indian who frequently serves as deputy to county sheriff Benny Klein, gets involved in a story of greed that links ancient Indian residents of Montana with a Japanese group's plans to turn a spring into a commercial trout farm. There's a murder too: a snowmobiler is shot while carrying a valuable fossilized tooth of a T-Rex.

Bowen does more to define setting and character with the rhythms of speech than any other writer I can think of at present. Once I start reading about Du Pré, I'm immediately transported to his world, and since I don't have to experience the cold and snow of eastern Montana, I enjoy my visits there. The archaeology and anthropology were welcome additions to a tale of greed and fascinating characters. The letter of the law is not always abided by in Du Pré's world, and there's not always a tidy "wrapping up". Just like real life, eh?

Hopefully this is a series of books that will never see itself filmed by the PC gurus of Hollywood. Du Pré smokes too much, likes to drive his old police cruiser 100 MPH down Montana highways, and obeys the spirit of the law as he defines it. I find his brand of wisdom and independent spirit a breath of fresh, bracing Montana air. ( )