Eagle Falls

Howard Moon Deer #9

by Robert Westbrook

Howie and Claire are hiking on the remote trail to Eagle Falls in the mountains of New Mexico when they find the body of a 17-year-old girl, Zia McFadden, floating in the river at the foot of the falls.

It looks like suicide. But could it be murder? Zia is the granddaughter of Charlie McFadden, San Geronimo’s most famous author. When he hires Wilder & Associate to investigate Zia’s death, Howie, Jack, and Howie's daughter, Georgie, find themselves on a baffling case that takes them on a rollercoaster ride of secrets and revelations and a deadly high-altitude adventure to discover the truth of what really happened at Eagle Falls.

"Fans of Hillerman will love this unique and quirky detective duo."—Leslie Glass, bestselling author of Tracking Time

"Westbrook...possesses a masterful sense of narration."—The Washington Post Book World

"A racy and readable writer."—The New York Times Book Review

Genres: Mystery

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2023

Reviews

[J.J. Rusz]

Howard Moon Deer dominates Robert Westbrook’s mystery series now, his blind boss and mentor Jack more ailing and bed-ridden than ever in “Eagle Falls.” Howie’s put on a few pounds himself, but gains a reliable office assistant for their detective agency, his daughter Georgie, raised in Scotland by adoptive parents, educated at Cambridge, and now living with her father in fictional San Geronimo. It’s a good cast.

The mystery to be solved this go-around involves a seventeen-year-old girl found floating in the water below a waterfall. Accident? Suicide? Murder? Suspects abound among a cast of folks Westbrook handles particularly well: writers, artists, aggrieved spouses, and their children. Occasional blips in the plot are easy to forgive because the prose moves effortlessly. Makes me look forward to the next book.

[Susan]

Howie Moon Deer is a private detective in northern New Mexico. He is in a relationship with Claire, whose career as a classical musician takes her around the world. Howie recently discovered that he had a daughter Georgie who grew up in Glasgow but is now visiting her father in New Mexico and gets drawn into helping with the investigation. The plot is intriguing. However, this is an author who enjoys killing off his characters even when there is no mystery involved in their demise.

[Laura Poppenwimer]

Another good mystery in this series. The pieces don't come together until the very end of the book, but the read to get there interesting. I am looking forward to the publish date of the next book in this series.

[Donald R. Bell]

the twists and turns in the plot keeps one turning pages!

Liked freshness of the plot and the travel around Santa Fe and area. Explaining the difficulty law influences one has to deal with. Believable characters.

[Deborah Mansfield]

Enjoyed this one.

Always enjoy reading how Howie gets his self in trouble and makes a case out of his adventures. Loved it.