Customer Reviews

The Eagle Catcher

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An unlikely couple of sleuths team up in this mystery to uncover murder and theft. Father John O'Malley, a Jesuit priest at the Wind River Indian Reservation, gets "his nose into other people's business" and so begins a caper that already has three sequels. His alter-ego help comes from Vicky, the Arapaho Lawyer, surnamed Woman Alone. Their disparent skills become all that is needed in finding out the murderer and the one responsible for the great land theft against the Arapaho Nation.

But what makes this unusual novel so likeable is its rich respect for two faiths and cultures: the Native-Americans and the Jesuit priests. Coel provides a synthesis of faith in the midst of an entertaining mystery and that is talent. And it makes the reading of the tale a multi-level experience of pleasure.

The novel captures the dual nature of modern Native American
life: tradition vs progress. What makes the story wonderful is the realistic characterizations, the descriptions of Wyoming countryside and the crisp pacing. Add to all this a story with as many twists and turns as a dark country road, and "The Eagle Catcher" becomes one of the best stories to be published in the last few years.

My mom gave me six Margaret Coel novels, all about Father John O'Malley and Vicky Holden. Let me say, that at the time of this review I have already started the second book and it is even better than this one.
First off, the characters are realistic, painfully so. Real problems and real life issues insert themselves through-out the story. Yes, there is a murder on the reservation but Father John O'Malley has to worry about everything from a new assistant to his fight against the bottle.
The detailed pages within these books allow me to feel the wind off the plain, smell the food at the powwow and see the colors of the sky. A mixture of Rex Stout and Zane Grey!

I wasn't sure if I liked it at first, and almost gave up on it. Instead I kept at it, and once I was past the first couple of chapters or so I found that I began to enjoy the story. I became interested enough in the characters to want to know what was going to happen to them. And interested enough to want to follow the story to see where it was going. I didn't, perhaps, enjoy it quite as much as some of the Tony Hillerman books, but the series does have some very positive possibilities.

You can't go wrong with any of the Margaret Coel books. They are enjoyable to read and you can hardly believe when you've come to the end that it came so quickly. Fortunately, you can buy them all and continue to the next one in the series. These people become as real to you as your own friends. Don't stop at one - get them all.

Margaret Coel hits all the right notes in this first book of her series which takes place on an Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Father John O'Malley has been sent to the reservation after his battle with alcoholism during his previous post in Boston. His struggles with drinking have given him insight into the alcohol problem which is so prevalent among the Arapahos that he serves. Just before a festive powwow is to begin, Father John discovers the dead body of Harvey Castle, one of the tribal council members. He teams up with an Arapaho attorney, named Vicki Holden, and the two begin an investigation in order to protect Harvey's nephew who has been accused of the murder. Coel creates interesting characters, and both Father John and Vicki have past problems which give them more depth than many characters in mystery stories. Coel also does a good job of portraying the Arapaho culture and adds interesting details about things such as funeral customs, "Indian time", and the "moccasin telegraph". I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

This is a decent enough story, and the material about Arapaho culture and tradition is interesting, but the writing is simply not good. The author seems to string one cliche after another into her text. I can't recommend these books to anybody who cares about good writing. The author is yet another Tony Hillerman wannabe, and she doesn't measure up.

The Arapaho customs are interesting. The book is well written but a bit on the slow side. I think the problem may be that the main character is not all that interesting. I'd like some oomph here. Another problem is that it is clear who the villain is about 1/4 of the way through the book. I think a little suspense would help.

Margaret Coel's mystery novel debut is a well-crafted, compelling thriller about how the ghosts of the past continue to haunt the present. I cared about all of her protagonists, but what's more, I also cared about the fates of minor characters. I wanted to know if Ernest would get his act together and reunite with his family and if Homer Lone Wolf's baby would live as much as I wanted to see all my questions about Harvey Castle's murder answered.

Coel lets her readers in on who the villains are fairly early in the novel, but the story remains compelling because you want to learn about the motives behind their actions. What terrible information did Harvey find in his historical research that someone would kill him for it?

Coel also excels at capturing the quiet dignity of the Arapaho people and at describing the Wyoming setting. I grew up in Wyoming, and her writing stirred memories of the bleak, oddly beautiful landscape I once knew so well.

This is a first in a new series set in the Western US. It centres around an Arapaho reservation. The principal characters are a Jesuit priest and an Arapaho lawyer. The story itself is well written, the plot moves along at a good pace. The clues are fairly given, allowing the reader to follow along with the protagonist. If there is one thing that I found a little sterotypical was that all that the white people, with one exception, are out to rip off the Natives. I have no doubt that this goes on and went on. Yet, it would be better to have a mix, such as in the Tony Hillerman works. Still, an excellent read and an author I would continue to read.