Customer Reviews

Coyote Wind and Specimen Song: The First Two Montana Mysteries Featuring Gabriel Du Pre

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think it was a mistake to bundle these two books together, even though they are the first two in a series of Montana mysteries featuring Gabriel Du Pré---and even though I saved money by not having to buy them separately. "Coyote Wind" is a definite 'five stars.' "Specimen Song" drops down to 'three stars.'

"Coyote Wind" is a darn near perfect specimen of a mixed-genre mystery cum western. Gabriel Du Pré is laconic, honorable, and wise to the ways of the Big Sky Country---a throwback to the noble cowboy-hero of Zane Grey's novels. He is a vulnerable hero, a Métis descendant of the French Voyageurs and Plains Indians. He has problems with his teenage daughter, who has shaved off part of her hair and dyed the rest of it a weird color. His mistress won't marry him because in the eyes of the Church, she is still married to the sleaze who deserted her many years past. He is plagued throughout the book by an alcoholic Métis prophet.

Du Pré's voice is unique, and perfect for this story. His dialogue is short, punchy, flicked with mordant barbs---an arrow in your heart when you are least expecting it. Two chapters into the book, found myself talking, thinking like Du Pré. Sounds like this:

"Du Pré knelt, looked, crossed himself. Some days he didn't believe in God, but he did believe in crossing himself.

"Maybe this let you sleep now," said Du Pré. He picked up the white skull, the color of the giant puffball mushrooms that came up in pastures in the wet years. The mushrooms were bigger, and startling in the green.

"'Now I got someone's head in my hands, I thinking on frying mushrooms,' Du Pré said aloud. `Dumb bastard'."

The mystery of who killed whom in "Coyote Wind" is fairly easy to unravel once you get to know and care about the characters. It almost had to occur, considering the people involved. It becomes more important to see if Du Pré can help a friend stop drinking, rather than to figure out who murdered his friend's brother. As Du Pré keeps telling everyone who will listen: "I ain't a cop...I am a [brand inspector]."

Nevertheless, it is Du Pré who is tapped to solve a thirty-year-old murder. He goes about it in a style that is perfectly tuned to his character. Not a single false note from Du Pré or his fiddle.

"Coyote Wind" is a very satisfying read.

"Specimen Song" features the same cast of characters as its predecessor. However, their personalities are exaggerated to the point of disbelief. The Métis prophet performs magic tricks. Du Pré goes jaunting back and forth to Washington D.C. in his friend's private jet, after turning the brand inspection business over to his son-in-law. He also canoes through the Canadian taiga, following the river route of his Voyageur ancestors. All of this traveling is in search of a killer, but somehow Du Pré seems more blustery than heroic when he is removed from the land where he can read the turn of a leaf.

Or the body language of an enemy.

I very much hope that Du Pré returns to Big Sky Country in volume III.

If you enjoy character development, these are the stories for you. Gabriel Du Pre' and his cohorts are delightful---people you'd like to meet and spend time with---and you learn to know them as you get deeper into these novels. These are mystery stories written with a wonderful ear for dialogue and a wry take on life. Buy this book and enjoy these novels; you won't be disappointed.

Coyote Wind and Specimen Song: The First Two Montana Mysteries Featuring Gabriel Du Pre (A Montana Mystery Featuring Gabriel Du Pre)

First of the MANY books in this series I have read, but only the first of many since. A bit formulaic in its approach and story line, but good character development and interesting plots. I enjoyed the Montana setting and the introduction to Montana politics and peoples. I did not agree with all of the notions and lifestyle choices expressed but found the two works worth the read!

This series of books was recommended to me by my mom. We usually share the same opinions on books, but I wasn't sure about this one.

It took me awhile to get into the first book, but I did. The author switches viewpoints a lot which took me awhile to get used to. Once I did, it was great.

In the second book he picked up right where he left off. The characters are the same and the author seems to be more in tune with the characters (things flow more smoothly in my opinion).

Both stories are your generic murder mysteries with Indian superstition thrown in. In the first one Du'pre is trying to find out who killed his new friends brother 25 years ago. In the second one, someone is killing Indians in Washington DC. Bart, his new friend, falls in love with a detective in DC and Du Pre solves the mystery. Well I should say he takes justice into his own hands.

If you like interesting characters this series is great.

I agree 100% with the reviews already posted and would add only a few things.

One is that I live in the rural West and can attest that Bowen has caught the exact flavor of the place. I also admire how Bowen, in later books in the series, uses DuPre to explore the conflict, for instance, between environmentalists and locals (Wolf, No Wolf) from the locals point of view and other social issues.

Also, these are the first two books in a series that should be read in order, as the characters change and develop. And I would give it 5 stars except that that rating in this genre is reserved for Hillerman.

What a great discover this series was! This volume contains the first two books in the series and I rate Coyote Wind five stars and Specimen Song four stars.

The heros name is Gabriel DuPre and he is a descendant of French voyagers and plains Indians called Metis. He is surrounded by a fantastic cast of friends and family that create a wonderful environment surrounding the stories.

The author writes sparingly in clear simple language that coveys a great deal of emotion and feeling among the characters in the series. The author says so much with so few words it is astounding. If you like books about real down to earth people, a wonderful, somewhat bleak environment and warm human relationships revolving around a great mystery you should read this series.....Great reading and people you will remember and want as friends.