Hyaenas [Hardcover]

M. G. L. Mills (Author), Sandy Dengler (Author, Preface)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998

Gar, a shaman of his clan, discovers a beheaded body in his territory. Now, No-Head's clansmen want Gar to find the killer or they will send evil spirits to destroy his kin. Gar, one of the Real People, or Neanderthals as we call them today, must search out the killer, traveling amid threats from man-eating animals and Hairies - or Cro-Magnons. And a mysterious stranger with the heart and strength of a hyna follows him every step of the way.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Fans of historical mysteries may have noticed that just about every era now has its own detective or series of books. The one exception may have been prehistoric times, but that gap is now filled by Dengler's (Ageless Love, Zondervan, 1996) latest novel. Gar is a revered shaman of his clan of the Real People. When he sees a woman standing over the decapitated body of a man, weapon in hand, he must prove her innocent of the killing before she will be accepted into his clan. Dramatic, powerful, and with a great sense of history, this mystery is certainly a great read that should find readers hoping for a sequel. Highly recommended.?Melissa Hudak, Centegra Health Systems, McHenry,
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

As far as this reviewer knows, Sandy Dengler has pioneered a new sub-branch of the historical mystery with her prehistoric who-done-it. The adventurous story line is highlighted by an anthropological look into two divergent societies striving for world mastery. Though much is unknown and speculative, Ms. Dengler makes both cultures seem genuine as if recorded history guided her hand. Though the emphasis on food gathering becomes a bit much, the novel remains a superb mystery. For anyone who wants something a bit different with their mysteries, Hynas is the answer, hopefully with future novels starring Gar and company. -- Harriet Klausner, reviewer for amazon.com

At first, the premise sounds preposterous: a murder mystery set in 35,000 B.C. But Sandy Dengler has done a cracking good job of telling a story of greed, sex, intrigue and murder among two prehistoric societies; at the time of the interface between those whom we moderns call the Neanderthals and the Cro-Magnons. A good enough story that I had a hard time putting the book down when I needed to do some work. -- Tom Griffith, reviewer for DorothyL e-mail forum

Dengler is masterful at creating characters that come alive in any era. I loved Gar. Hes so nakedinside and out. Yet at the same time, he is mysterious and secretive. Im reminded of Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael series in the way Dengler has placed a unique individual in a unique settingin a time and place one would least expect to find so astute an amateur sleuth. This mystery buff is already clamoring for more. -- Pat Rushford, author of the Helen Bradley Mysteries

This Pleistocene era mystery takes place in France, when the Real People (Neanderthals) were in decline and the Hairies, or Water People (Cro-Magnons), were in ascendanceI do think the author has promise. -- Murder: Past Tense (The Historical Mystery Appreciation Society)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: St Kitts Press; 1st edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966187911
• ISBN-13: 978-0966187915
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,435,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique, flawlessly written, prehistoric murder mystery., March 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hyaenas (Hardcover)

Hyaenas is a unique, original and fascinating mystery set in 35,000 BC amidst a tribe of Neanderthals who called themselves the "Real People". When a girl of the tribe is found standing over the body of a decapitated man with a bloodied skinning blade in one hand and a flint bone-chopping adze in the other, Gar (a shaman of the clan) is coerced into finding the person wh took the fellow's head. The spiritual health and very survival of his clan depend upon his skill and luck in uncovering the perpetrator. Once the dominant species, the clan has dwindled into a mere remnant struggling to survive in a should that increasingly favors a water folk called the "Hairies". Those were recent interlopers with a penchant for travel, strangers with beards and long hair, who didn't mind getting wet. Sandy Dengler (with a personal background in paleontology) has created a world of Pleistocene France during the Wurm glaciation, with its oddly different animals and uncertain climate. Her attention to historical and cultural background detail is meticulous and based upon the latest information available on Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon ways. Hyaenas is both a terrific murder mystery and a work of unique, flawless written exploration of prehistoric antiquity.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall, this prehistorical who-done-it is worth reading, February 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hyaenas (Hardcover)

In 37,000 BC France, Gar the Neanderthal Shaman worries about how the Real People will survive the influx of this new race of hairy invaders. Gar places his concern for the future on hold when he comes upon the decapitated corpse of one of his people. Hovering nearby is a Neanderthal female and her half-breed son. In the general area of where the deceased lies also stands one of the others, a female Cro Magnon.

Gar quickly realizes that the two females know each other and deeply loathe one another. Though he prefers to ignore the brutal death, for the survival of his clan, he must to learn who killed a member of the Real people and why. Gar also decides to find out what has caused these two individuals to hate each other so much. Fifty millenniums of tribal history may not be enough to guide Gar into the virgin area of sleuthing.

As far as this reviewer knows, Sandy Dengler has pioneered a new sub-branch of the historical mystery with her prehistoric who-done-it. The adventurous story line is highlighted by an anthropological look into two divergent societies striving for world mastery. Though much is unknown and speculative, Ms. Dengler makes both cultures seem genuine as if recorded history guided her hand. Though the emphasis on food gathering becomes a bit much, the novel remains a superb mystery. For anyone who wants something a bit different with their mysteries, HYAENAS is the answer, hopefully with future novels starring Gar and company.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars 35,000 BC and justice is needed...., October 19, 2011

By 

Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hyaenas (Hardcover)

A good mystery is hard to find. A good historical novel set in prehistoric times is even harder. To find a good historical mystery set in the prehistoric time period, with great characters, a wonderfully twisted plot, and tons of imagination is impossible. Well, at least I thought it was before I found this book.
A fast swift read, hard to put down, I was sad to finish it. The main character Gar, is an amazingly intelligent, well balanced character with his own fears, dreams, merits, and flaws. Both strong and cunning, he makes a wonderful detective. Or should I say Shaman?
The natural world and spirit world that makes up the background is interesting without overwhelming the foreground - many authors of historical novels like to let you know just how much they have studied and researched and collected. Not Sandy Dengler - she is here to write a murder mystery not to bore you with prehistoric facts and figures.