Long Son [Paperback]

Peter Bowen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2000

In Toussaint, Montana, old family secrets, forgotten for more than one hundred years, come to light after a young woman and her land-owning parents die under suspicious circumstances. When Larry Messmer, the brother and son of the victims, auctions off his parents' ranch, Gabriel Du Pre discovers a string of unexplained deaths buried deep in the family's past. Steeped in the rich traditions of Metis storytelling, Long Son is the sixth in this highly acclaimed series.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With his distinctive, minimalist prose, Bowen (Thunder Horse, etc.) once again transports readers to the vast open spaces of Montana, in the sixth entry of his Gabriel Du Pr? series. Sociopath Larry Messmer has returned to Toussaint, Mont., to take over the ranch his parents left him after their deaths in a tragic accident. Long despised and feared by residents for his cruelty, Messmer appears to be part of an organization intent on setting up some nefarious business on the ranch. At the request of a friend in the FBI, local Native American Du Pr? begins looking into the matter and discovers a long history of violence and murder. When Messmer himself is slain, however, his associates think Du Pr? is responsible, and he becomes the target of their revenge. Bowen's writing is lean and full of mordant observations. His hardy charactersAtough teachers, smart barmaids, rambunctious children, wise-cracking menAcome to life, and his wry humor ("How come things that are good for you taste terrible?" a little girl asks, and Madelaine responds: "That is how you tell.") provides relief from the haunting, wind-bitten cattle-ranch landscape. Bowen incorporates M?tis folklore and history to great effect, and he provides an unsentimental, galvanizing portrait of life in small-town Montana.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

After three members of a Montana family die suspiciously, their son and brother sells the family ranch. Only then does series protagonist Gabriel Du Pr? (Thunder Horse, LJ 3/1/98) discover several related suspect deaths. Storytelling and local atmosphere at their best.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (April 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312253982
• ISBN-13: 978-0312253981
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #905,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully evocative read, May 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Long Son (A Gabriel Du Pre Mystery) (Hardcover)

I do not understand the basis for the Kirkus reviewer's objections. The plot is in no way overly complicated, the language, "casually obscene" as it may be, fits the characters to a tee, and there are some of the most evocative descriptions that I have ever read. As an example, the description of Miss. Porterfield and the music box on pages 94 and 95 of the book left me in tears. I have known people like her. I also chortled out loud over the description of the blind owl that DuPre adopts. It still hunts and the descriptions of its successful hunts are both very funny and very true to nature.

I have just finished the book and I would like to say that it is the best of his works, and I have read them all. I loved it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Bowen. Not the best, but good., April 27, 2000

By 

BJ Little (Charlottte, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Long Son (A Gabriel Du Pre Mystery) (Hardcover)

Gabriel Du Pré is definitely one of my favorite characters in fiction...as is Bart Fascelli. Anyone familiar with Bowen's writing will be right at home with Long Son. Readers looking for an introduction to Bowen would be better off starting with Notches or Wolf, No Wolf.

The story is, as usual, wandering. Readers who like to try and solve the mystery beforehand will be tested not by the complexity of the mystery but by the diversity of its elements. In the end, it's good Bowen, if not his best Du Pré work. The stories of the Métis are, as usual, well worth the read in and of themselves.

Regarding comments by Kirkus and other reviewers, a couple of items. First, the dialect is authentic, if only to a specific population of Montanans. Just because you don't recognize it doesn't make it nonexistent. Also, Montana does have a daytime speed limit. So I'm not sure where that criticism comes from.

Kirkus objects to the "wandering plot" and "casually obscene" conversation. I don't find that the plot wanders any more than Bowen's normal wont, and my daily conversations are no more "casually obscene" than Du Pré's. Maybe it's just where I'm from.

Good writer, good read. Money well spent.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, July 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Long Son (A Gabriel Du Pre Mystery) (Hardcover)

I have read and enjoyed all of Peter Bowen's novels. LONG SON is enjoyable for its unique writing style, the colorful language, the Montana setting, and the very likable characters.