Wolf, No Wolf

Gabriel Du Pre #3

by Peter Bowen

Montana is no hotbed of crime, but in Wolf, No Wolf, Gabriel Du Pre, a Metis Indian who works as a cattle inspector and sometime Sheriff's deputy, finds himself at the center of a national controversy, when a group of environmentalists, protesting cattle-grazing practices, turns up dead, shot and burned in their cars.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Westerns, Native American, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Suspense

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1996

About the author

Peter Bowen (b. 1945) is an author best known for mystery novels set in the modern American West. When he was ten, Bowen’s family moved to Bozeman, Montana, where a paper route introduced him to the grizzled old cowboys who frequented a bar called The Oaks. Listening to their stories, some of which stretched back to the 1870s, Bowen found inspiration for his later fiction.

Following time at the University of Michigan and the University of Montana, Bowen published his first novel, Yellowstone Kelly, in 1987. After two more novels featuring the real-life Western hero, Bowen published Coyote Wind (1994), which introduced Gabriel Du Pré, a mixed-race lawman living in fictional Toussaint, Montana. Bowen has written thirteen novels in the series, in which Du Pré gets tangled up in everything from cold-blooded murder to the hunt for rare fossils. Bowen continues to live and write in Livingston, Montana.

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you remember Gabriel Du Pré? If not, you may want to back up to Coyote Wind. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is Book 3 in the series. Those who are fans of Johnson’s Walt Longmire series may find this another pleasure.


Du Pré, as everyone seems to call him, is a native Montanan, a cattle inspector to pay the bills and a traditional fiddler to be true to his muse and his Métis heritage. Yes, he’s a throw-back in some ways, or as he describes himself: “I am a two-lane man in a four-lane age. And they are welcome to it.”

[Warning: Wolf, No Wolf is somewhat different from the previous two novels. Bowen is working on multiple levels and one or more of them may offend, enrage or sadden you depending on your view of America, minorities, addictive habits, attitudes attributed to gender, endangered species, the uses of government land, etc. My review is not intended to “spoil” the story nor to discuss those aspects in any depth.]

Things start out fast in Wolf, No Wolf:
"A trail wound back and forth down to the wreck. Du Pré started toward it. His moccasins slid some. He skated on the yellow earth. Benny came after him. “You stay the hell up there, Benny,” said Du Pré. “You puke on me twice, you know, you don’t do that again.” Du Pré went on. He slid the last ten feet straight down…(Benny is the local sheriff and a friend.)
"“Benny, my friend,” said Du Pré, “you quit now. You resign today.”
Benny looked up.
“What will happen, you stay, they will think you are part of some group did this, they accuse you. They will try to scare you anyway, but don’t stay, this one will maybe kill you. Please…"
Benny nodded. “Susan said the same thing. But who will be Sheriff? They’ll do the same thing to them, you know. I can’t just leave my people to hang. I swore an oath.”
“You didn’t swear no oath to fight with them FBI,” said Du Pré. “They don’t care they get the right person, you know, just some person. I hear that they are better now. I hope they are, you know, but this will kill you."

Montana is changing with a lot of outsiders and their money coming in. Some of them want to change the land to fit their pre-conceptions.

"“How nice,” he said, “that you’d like to avoid mass slaughter. Now, would you care to speculate as to just how many wholly illegal automatic weapons right on up to cannon there are out there? There’s one P-thirty-eight, four fifty-caliber Brownings and a twenty-millimeter cannon, and two Mustangs. The late models, also with cannon. Where, I do not know. There’s all sorts of soldiers, and this state produced an uncommon lot of Lurps and SEALS and demolitions champions. They don’t like governments, cops, daytime TV, fluoride in their water, Democrats, big words, and especially they don’t like arrogant pricks from Washington, D.C.”"

There’s a lot of history that Bowen weaves into the plot. Part of that is Gabriel’s background, part the way the land was settled, part the conflicts on how government land should be used, part about how feelings and prejudices are exploited.

"Some the Métis, they come down here, North Dakota, the buffalo are gone and they have nothing, they got maybe a Red River cart, hoe, ax, couple horses. Nine children, probably. They stay here, Indians hate them call them white, whites hate them call them Indian. But we live.”
Foote nodded. They smoked.
“Now these new people come, they say everybody here is bad people, you go away now, we want to play on your land. Bring back wolves. Bring back buffalo. But they don’t know, these people.”
Foote nodded.
“So these people here, first they don’t understand, they are some confused. Then they get very angry, when they do understand.”"

Conflicts ensue. The governor and then the FBI are now engaged. Soon that creates more problems than it solves and they bring in a new FBI field boss---a woman named Banning. This is what she has to say to Du Pré.

"Now, you aren’t exactly a cop so I suspect you’re too smart to be one which I admire but when you get back you’re going to find ol’ Bart there at the bar with a badge for you on account of how I asked him so nice and blinked my baby blues at him and waved my ass under his nose. Actually, I just told him it would be easier and he agreed.”"

"… you know we got to stop this because otherwise it’s going to be a sport, you know, shoot anything walks funny, eats tofu, or carries around a flag with baby seals on it. You know, I know, small-town West is going to die, our wonderful government is going to kill it off. They like doing that to small cultures, did it to the Indians and now it’s us but it’s how history moves, and beef is a bad word now and we live in a democracy and we got a very small voice. Oh, by the way, when they release those damn wolves up there they’ll last about two hours and I know that and I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it, or about it. That’s Fish and Wildlife crap, doofuses."
(Du Pré
"“I tell you I help. You are right, it was not right, kill those people. I wish it had not happened. I wish for many things in my life. I wish it happened someplace else, I wish my leg was broke. I wish much. But I help you. I will find myself in front of somebody I went to school with, hunted with, drank with, maybe someone who saved my life, this country almost take it few times. I don’t like this.”
“Thanks,” said Banning. “I didn’t know if you could fly high enough to see it. I am truly grateful.”"

So now you have the set up and a sense of how Bowen uses language and character to advance his plot. I enjoyed the way he brings the weather in as another character. For me, it worked well.

A full 5* for Bowen's willingness to dig deep into attitudes, history and the diversity of indigenous peoples.

I culled some additional quotations for those who want or need that to decide if this book is going to be of interest.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

l like this series quite a bit because of the characters. They're predominantly Mètis and have inhabited Toussaint, MT and the area for generations and have their own way of looking at life.

A group of mostly young "tree huggers" have decided that cattle should not be kept on government land in Montana and have a movement to reintroduce wolves and buffalo there. Some have gone so far as to cut fences and shoot some cattle.

Well the locals aren't having it. Two young activists are found shot and killed in their car which has been found in a ditch.

Du Pré is recruited once again to be a deputy, mainly to try and figure who is behind the murders and put it to bed before it becomes an all out war.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF Turned off by the rant in this book and the fact that Du Pre doesn't see the irony of the ranchers claiming their rights & "their" land when their ancestors were the ones who took that from the native Americans in the first place.

I really enjoyed Du Pre (aside from his politics) in the first two, but I don't think I care to read any more in the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was deeply sad. People coming in from outside with their causes without truly understanding a place or its people and end up causing a terrible situation. The dialect makes it difficult at times which causes me to slow down and think about things while I am reading. And that’s a good thing. I like Du Pre and his friends and I appreciate the way this author makes us aware of things we might not understand otherwise. The loss of life was depressing and Du Pre’s grief for all involved makes me like him even more. The little breaks of humor throughout makes the grief more bearable in this sad tale.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of the Montana Mystery series to date. Wonderful characters, great plot and a lot of discussion about the reintroduction of wolves into Montana by the Federal Agencies. There is murder, humor, and a lot more in this book. I wish I could write more but I am suffering from a tooth ache and so keeping my thoughts coherent while on pain meds is a bit difficult. Nonetheless a very fine read!

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

In eastern Montana in the late 1990s, will it be wolves or cattle?

It’s been about 25 years since this book was written, but given the setting in very rural Montana, I didn’t have a sense of disconnection to the past. I’m reading this series out of order, mostly when I want a quick read with a cultural shift to Gabriel Du Pré’s world and to his Métis voyageurs ancestors.

Soon after the re-introduction of wolves to the eastern Montana mountains, Fish & Wildlife Services wardens and environmental activists are murdered. Needless to say, the wolves are killed. Local law enforcement officers (LEOs) and the FBI investigate the human murders. The POV LEOs are from a ranching community—not the FBI or Staties—so this isn’t the usual rural mystery with a predictable plot.

As always, with Peter Bowen’s books, there are numerous side plots and historical vignettes—which I enjoy reading. Mid-book, the murder storyline meanders and stalls, and the author time skips forward by weeks and/or months—without chapter signposts. Otherwise this is a quick and enjoyable read.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

In farm-country Montana, environmentalists seek to reintroduce wolves to the nearby Wolf Mountains. When their methods go too far, amid locals' outrage, two die. Du Pre and Bart take the reins of law enforcement and after more deaths, the FBI gets involved. Things escalate and all attempts to find the killers of the first two prove futile. A new and different FBI case leader comes to town and winter proves a hindrance.

I liked the first two in the series so read this, the third. Several things left me nonplussed. An act of violence by Du Pre affected my opinion of him. The book seemed more violent as a whole than the first two. Then there was me, biodiversity advocate and tree hugger, caught between the goals and inappropriate actions of the environmentalists. On the other side, Benetsee, a wise old Indian and/or lush, continues as a strong element. Du Pre's woman, Madelaine, shines. For now, I will consider this a forgivable miss and return to the series hoping it returns to higher levels.

[Carol Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy these odd books and the odd dialect in which they are written. Du Pre takes on the slaughter of some eco-friendly people who want to reintroduce wolves to the ranching area of Montana and the consequent escalating hostilities.

[Mellodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book as much as I've liked the previous books. I felt the author was trying to identify with his character a bit too much. The main character is a Metis man living in Montana. The author is non-Metis. As much as the author would like to identify with Native/Metis perspective, in this instance it was something of a fail based on the plot of this book. I thought the author put his own personal opinion of the subject/plot of the book as a non-Metis person. I am Native and have many friends in Montana who are also Native American. The opinions expressed by the author are not the same as the opinions of most Native American people but the author gives that impression in this book. He writes as if he alone is speaking for native people. Otherwise, the writing was fast-paced and the story moved along.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time I read a book in this series, and I had a very hard time tuning in to the Metis patois, Nevertheless, consulting Wikipedia I learned that the Metis are a multi-ancestral indigenous group whose homeland is in Canada and parts of the United States between the Great Lakes region and the Rocky Mountains. The Métis trace their descent to both Indigenous North Americans and European settlers.
Gabriel Du Pre is a Brand Inspector and fiddler in Montana who ends up solving a variety of mysteries in the region he inhabits in Northern Montana. For many years, I've been hearing the case for reintroducing wolves to this part of the world, so it was jarring to read a story from the perspective of the cattlemen and Metis people who are on the opposite side of the controversy. That's the thing about reading--you never know where you'll wind up....

[Charlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first book in this series was very enjoyable. The characters seemed real and there was a good bit of humor. Unfortunately, in this book the author was so busy making a point (lecture) that he forgot to create a decent story, and the characters were just caricatures.

[Doctor Science · Rating 2 out of 5]

No better than OK. WAY too many deaths.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible Audiobook Library 📚:
December 9, 2019
November 15, 2021
August 20, 2022

[M. Sprouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, It was my first Gabriel Du Pre and Peter Bowen book. I usually try to start with the first book of the series for background. Sometimes, like Du Pre, I break the rules. As others mentioned I found the Metis dialect unusual, it seemed similar to Cajun and at first a little difficult. After 2 or 3 dozen page I got used to it and it was easier as I flew through more pages. The story is a mystery, but not really a whodunit. It started and a moderate pace and would unexpectedly and without warning speed up for key developments, sort of like real life. The political bias of this book did not bother me, as I tended to agree (from experience) and from what I know of Peter Bowen, he doesn't seem like he's going to put too much effort into being balanced just for the sake of political correctness. Benetsee was one of the more interesting characters and I enjoy the hint of a "supernatural" element(s) in the story. I really applaud this book which was tailored for an outdoorsman like myself. It has held up well over the past 22 years.

[Jane K. Stecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding mystery

This series just keeps getting better and better. The topics explored in this mystery are just as relevant today as they were when the novel was written. Environmentalists want to release wolves into the Montana wilderness and the ranchers see an unnecessary element of problems added to their difficulties as cattlemen and sheepherders. People start dying and Gabriel Du Pre and his friends are in the middle. Once again the characters are well-drawn, the action is fast, and Du Pre and Madelaine are a special delight. Please keep writing more about Gabriel Du Pre, Mr Bowen. He is a fascinating character who seems so real.

[Joey Binard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually make myself wait between each of the Du Pre books. If I don't wait, I'll read the entire series at one go. This was my fifth book of the series and, as with each of the others, they just keep getting better. I love the rural Montana setting. It reminds me so much of Colorado when I was a kid; particularly the characters. I've known people so much like them it makes me nostalgic for the good old days.

Can't recommend the Du Pre books enough. Bowen writes with a unique POV that takes you into a society/culture you will come to cherish.

[Kathe Forrest · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a strange story with lots of people with dirty mouth that’s for sure. This author, Peter Bowen lived in Montana, most of his life, and this is what he writes about? The story of wolves being brought back to Montana,and ranchers claiming rights to their land yet an Indian was the main character whose grandfather killed the wolves????? and depicting FBI agents as some monsters I mean, I really didn’t get this story, I kept reading because I thought maybe there was going to be some justice or some sense of all of it but I don’t believe there was.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one moves a bit slowly, and Du Pre’s personal struggle is a little oblique to me. That said, and acknowledging my slow brain, there are stunning scenes and conversations in this book that add richness to the novel that make it a good read. There is no sappy romanticism of the Métis here, but there is an elegiac note in the series so far. The ending requires some thought — and a willingness to let the Métis be who they are.

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. The first I've read by this author. At first I felt bored over what appeared short, disconnected sentences. As I continued to read it became easier and I started realizing it was a Canadian Métis Creole dialect. It is not a high adventure book. It is the realism of slow, methodical mystery, sad deaths where the old is changing, FBI is sent in, but Du Pre is still old west and efficient.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a unique voice from a mystery writer you need not search any further here. An obscure part of the U.S. and an even more obscure cultural viewpoint as expressed by the protagonist, Gabriel Dupre, who is of Metis origin. Quirky characters, evolving riddles a lot of humour and a touch of common sense all combine and make for a pretty good read. Be warned though if you are offended by 'crusty' language. It has more than it's share.

[Veronique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Faut-il ou non réintroduire le loup dans les montagnes d'élevage ? L'avis du Métis Gabriel Du Pré est vraiment déstabilisante. De quoi lancer un bon débat entre des amis écolo et des éleveurs.

[Mike Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolf, No Wolf

The settlement don't like that the government is releasing wolves in their territory and also are planning to retake their grazing land. Some have gone and too far to stop it.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

10 It’s not often that I read a book which ends up with me really wanting to befriend and be liked by the community of fictional setting. Great protagonist with a good sense of humour evident through out.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the characters. Good story line. Just not as good as the first two.

[Chartreuse · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

HARD LIFE

This book told a story about the hard life that some people in the West had to live. Their never ending struggle for dignity and survival.

[Lisa Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great combination of magical realism, history and imagination.

[George Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

slower reading than others but rewarding

[Virginia Adi · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very discouraging story--well told.

[Ralph Blackburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Filled with Native American lore and thoughts. Meandering but engaging.