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Hokee Wolf
HumanMade Top 105 Best Suspense, Thriller, and Mysteries of All Time On a sunny afternoon in sleepy southeastern Idaho, a bread truck carrying three million dollars in cash receipts from West Yellowstone is robbed on a lonely pine shrouded highway. Except for the missing money, there is no evidence that a robbery ever occurred. Hokee is hired to find the thief or thieves and return the money. A glamorous New York Television reporter named Glory, temporarily exiled for her safety, joins Hokee in his investigation. Using the sweat lodge ceremonies, Hokee teaches Glory many of the shaman rituals he uses in his investigations. The search leads through Hells Canyon, underground rivers, The River of No Return, treacherous cinder cone lava flats, and ultimately to an island in the Caribbean where they both nearly lose their lives.
219 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
September 27, 2017
Very dry narrative style, clumsy and extremely clichéd. Ugh. Only finished 10%
August 2, 2017
Loved it
This book was so engrossing with its descriptions of how the shaman powers are used, the beautiful descriptions of the area of Pocatello and the islands. Oh what I would give for a house like Hokie's!
This book was so engrossing with its descriptions of how the shaman powers are used, the beautiful descriptions of the area of Pocatello and the islands. Oh what I would give for a house like Hokie's!
October 2, 2017
Shaman Detective
This novel was fascinating, especially if the reader is interested in Native American rituals. The plot and characters are well developed. The shaman rituals are integrated in to the story enriching the reader's experience. I enjoyed the romantic aspect. Hokee Wolf is a wonderful book boyfriend!
This novel was fascinating, especially if the reader is interested in Native American rituals. The plot and characters are well developed. The shaman rituals are integrated in to the story enriching the reader's experience. I enjoyed the romantic aspect. Hokee Wolf is a wonderful book boyfriend!
November 14, 2017
Very odd beginning then became cliched. Didn't finish
December 24, 2017
Wild west meets true romance meets x files meets woo woo
I'm sure some out of body experiences are real with the right drug. No man or woman is nearly as perfect as these two. So far out, I couldn't wait for it to end, and I really enjoy fiction.
I'm sure some out of body experiences are real with the right drug. No man or woman is nearly as perfect as these two. So far out, I couldn't wait for it to end, and I really enjoy fiction.
October 6, 2017
Facinating look at shamistic rituals including induced hallucinations and out of body experiences in native American (and Tibetan) practices. The main character explains: "Matters of faith are related to the supernatural, but religious teachers put faith in an outside power for their miracles while shamanism is the science of acquiring and using energy emanating from yourself." Further "A talisman is used to draw things to you. An amulet keeps things away." While "a ‘Familiar’ which is an animal-shaped spirit, or some believe a minor demon that serves a witch or magician as a domestic servant.... can act as a spy and companion" like a witch's black cat or Harry Potter's Hedwig the owl. Although not specifically termed a familiar, the main character's wolf companion seems to have some of these characteristics.
The book was largely based on a true story in that money was shipped from West Yellowstone to Pocatello, Idaho, in an Eddie's Bakery bread truck for many years instead a more expensive armored truck. The robbery of the bread truck depicted in the book was only in the author's imagination. Hokee Wolf, a Pocatello private investigator and Glory Bingham, a high-flying New York reporter, team up to recover the $3,000,000 stolen from the bread truck. With no visible signs of a robbery having taken place we learn that the thief has supernatural powers and used a doppelganger to steal the money then vanish without a trace. Hokee must call on his own supernatural powers to find the thief and recover the money while protecting himself and Glory from the thief's considerable powers. Is there going to be a sequel? I would enjoy seeing what the two main characters get up to after this book's conclusion.
The book was largely based on a true story in that money was shipped from West Yellowstone to Pocatello, Idaho, in an Eddie's Bakery bread truck for many years instead a more expensive armored truck. The robbery of the bread truck depicted in the book was only in the author's imagination. Hokee Wolf, a Pocatello private investigator and Glory Bingham, a high-flying New York reporter, team up to recover the $3,000,000 stolen from the bread truck. With no visible signs of a robbery having taken place we learn that the thief has supernatural powers and used a doppelganger to steal the money then vanish without a trace. Hokee must call on his own supernatural powers to find the thief and recover the money while protecting himself and Glory from the thief's considerable powers. Is there going to be a sequel? I would enjoy seeing what the two main characters get up to after this book's conclusion.
October 6, 2017
Clark Viehweg and Tony Hillerman
Tony Hillerman, God rest his soul, wrote mysteries set on the Navajo res. He gave his readers good mysteries but also good insight into the culture, and traditions of life in Navajo country. He also gave us memorable characters. As far as I know this is the first Hokee Wolf story. I hope there will be more. Hokee Wolf is a private detective in Pocatello, Idaho. He is a fairly young man, in his 30s who is very good at what he does, so good that the cops seek his help. In this case, a multi-million dollar robbery stymied the locals and he is asked to help out. At this point Viehweg managed to sell well a couple of unlikely plot twists. The first is that Hokee learns that the robbery involves a doppelganger, as explained in the book. The second unlikely sell is that a first-time New York TV news reporter is sent out to cover the robbery and investigation. She is not thrilled but gets over it when she discovers what a hunk Hokee is. During the Investigation the two have a good Chance to thoroughly and, ah, completely bond. Also during the investigation the reader gets some exposure to Indian shamanism.
The book is not perfect. Lots of the kinds of typos we have today and occasional language issues make it sound like a sophisticated New Yorker is acting like a college kid having a crush. But I will remember this pair and hope I get to see more. Thank you Mr. Viehweg.
Tony Hillerman, God rest his soul, wrote mysteries set on the Navajo res. He gave his readers good mysteries but also good insight into the culture, and traditions of life in Navajo country. He also gave us memorable characters. As far as I know this is the first Hokee Wolf story. I hope there will be more. Hokee Wolf is a private detective in Pocatello, Idaho. He is a fairly young man, in his 30s who is very good at what he does, so good that the cops seek his help. In this case, a multi-million dollar robbery stymied the locals and he is asked to help out. At this point Viehweg managed to sell well a couple of unlikely plot twists. The first is that Hokee learns that the robbery involves a doppelganger, as explained in the book. The second unlikely sell is that a first-time New York TV news reporter is sent out to cover the robbery and investigation. She is not thrilled but gets over it when she discovers what a hunk Hokee is. During the Investigation the two have a good Chance to thoroughly and, ah, completely bond. Also during the investigation the reader gets some exposure to Indian shamanism.
The book is not perfect. Lots of the kinds of typos we have today and occasional language issues make it sound like a sophisticated New Yorker is acting like a college kid having a crush. But I will remember this pair and hope I get to see more. Thank you Mr. Viehweg.
October 27, 2017
Excellent book!!
This is an amazing story! A Native American is shamanistically trained and is the best P.I. in a small city. The descriptions of shamanistic practices are correct explained, and fascinating. He uses this ability to help people, and is very good at it. The development of his character had me really liking the man, and he’s very believable. The scenes are so well described that I could see them in my mind’s eye easily. I hope this author writes more novels about this man soon.
This is an amazing story! A Native American is shamanistically trained and is the best P.I. in a small city. The descriptions of shamanistic practices are correct explained, and fascinating. He uses this ability to help people, and is very good at it. The development of his character had me really liking the man, and he’s very believable. The scenes are so well described that I could see them in my mind’s eye easily. I hope this author writes more novels about this man soon.
October 3, 2017
Great story
This story had my attention from the beginning. I liked the big Indian, Hokee. He was interesting, knowledgeable, smart, and a crack detective. The book described the Idaho lava flats, and Hokee's home in striking detail. I liked the somewhat mystical aspect. The Indian sweat lodge, etc. I truly enjoyed this story. I'd like to read more books about Hokee Wolf.
This story had my attention from the beginning. I liked the big Indian, Hokee. He was interesting, knowledgeable, smart, and a crack detective. The book described the Idaho lava flats, and Hokee's home in striking detail. I liked the somewhat mystical aspect. The Indian sweat lodge, etc. I truly enjoyed this story. I'd like to read more books about Hokee Wolf.
March 6, 2018
Like this detective
Very enjoyable read. The imagination this author has leads you through a world of mystical adventure of the use of the mind to find and solve the crime. There is a sequence problem- Chapter 6 and 7 are reversed.
Very enjoyable read. The imagination this author has leads you through a world of mystical adventure of the use of the mind to find and solve the crime. There is a sequence problem- Chapter 6 and 7 are reversed.
September 30, 2017
A Fascinating Journey
I really enjoyed reading Hokee Wolf's story. The setting of his home was stunning and incredible...I've only driven through Idaho and now wish I could experience the lava plains and the magical world described by Mr. Viehwig. The interplay between Hokee and Glory was wonderfully written, and the dark magic of the villain was equally well described. My favorite part of the book was Hokee's resolution of the theft and the thief. I look forward to a reading a continuation of Hokee's story.
I found a few errors in punctuation and words, but I was dismayed that, at the beginning Hokee's sacred pipe was called a peace pipe, a name which none of my Native American friends would ever use...a better name would be sacred pipe. I was offended by the reference to a "squaw" having made something; that word is like referring to someone as the N word. The third hit to my inner editor was, while Hokee was teaching Glory a bit about magic and protection, the sacred cup - a chalice - was spelled "challis" which is a lightweight woven fabric originally silk and wool.
I really enjoyed reading Hokee Wolf's story. The setting of his home was stunning and incredible...I've only driven through Idaho and now wish I could experience the lava plains and the magical world described by Mr. Viehwig. The interplay between Hokee and Glory was wonderfully written, and the dark magic of the villain was equally well described. My favorite part of the book was Hokee's resolution of the theft and the thief. I look forward to a reading a continuation of Hokee's story.
I found a few errors in punctuation and words, but I was dismayed that, at the beginning Hokee's sacred pipe was called a peace pipe, a name which none of my Native American friends would ever use...a better name would be sacred pipe. I was offended by the reference to a "squaw" having made something; that word is like referring to someone as the N word. The third hit to my inner editor was, while Hokee was teaching Glory a bit about magic and protection, the sacred cup - a chalice - was spelled "challis" which is a lightweight woven fabric originally silk and wool.
October 25, 2017
I notice that in an interview Clark Viehweg says he is a lousy editor but edits his own books. This is a problem for this reader. There is a good story in here - and it shine through in the last quarter of the book. To reach that point, however, the reader has to work though typographical, layout and grammatical errors as well as pages of information about Sharman practices, and beliefs. The narrative only begins to flow towards the end.
Gloria, the female interest needs to do more than make mistakes and get rescued if she is to be a player in future books. It isn't yet clear if we are dealing with a Superhero here - it has all the hallmarks of the Phantom, or Superman-on-drugs. I'd like to see Hokee Wolf embedded a bit more into a community so I could shake of the suspicion that his practices and powers bowdlerise rather than reflect any Native American belief system.
There's potential here - but a way to go.
Gloria, the female interest needs to do more than make mistakes and get rescued if she is to be a player in future books. It isn't yet clear if we are dealing with a Superhero here - it has all the hallmarks of the Phantom, or Superman-on-drugs. I'd like to see Hokee Wolf embedded a bit more into a community so I could shake of the suspicion that his practices and powers bowdlerise rather than reflect any Native American belief system.
There's potential here - but a way to go.
January 7, 2020
The shaman rituals were well portrayed and quite believable; not so the amateurish, repetitive and inconsistent writing.
Constant references to the most beautiful woman in the world with the amazing body and the most handsome man ever went from annoying, through juvenile to cringe worthy funny. The beautiful woman with the amazing brain was totally unable to follow simple instructions, which to be fair, the handsome man, after telling the beautiful woman with large, pointy breasts, she should stick close, immediately left her alone. Our handsome Indian with the amazing body, even speculated how he was going to set about reclaiming the memory of this lady with a body to die for, when it was clear to the reader her missing brain was probably an improvement.
So why finish? Having belatedly realised this was a comedy, I wanted to see how this pair of amazingly clever and beautiful people resolved the crime - which must also place me in the dumb category.
Constant references to the most beautiful woman in the world with the amazing body and the most handsome man ever went from annoying, through juvenile to cringe worthy funny. The beautiful woman with the amazing brain was totally unable to follow simple instructions, which to be fair, the handsome man, after telling the beautiful woman with large, pointy breasts, she should stick close, immediately left her alone. Our handsome Indian with the amazing body, even speculated how he was going to set about reclaiming the memory of this lady with a body to die for, when it was clear to the reader her missing brain was probably an improvement.
So why finish? Having belatedly realised this was a comedy, I wanted to see how this pair of amazingly clever and beautiful people resolved the crime - which must also place me in the dumb category.
September 21, 2020
Good ideas but truly awful execution
I like to give authors encouragement so will say that there are some really good ideas in this novel, and Hokee is an intriguing character. However, the novel’s flaws are many: It is poorly edited, which is distracting; it is full of wild coincidences; Hokees night walk, while one of the most interesting, gripping passages in the book, does absolutely nothing to advance the story and is thus pointless; And the climax of the novel depends entirely on “black magic”, shamanism (?), and the tired trope of amnesia. It’s kind of a fun, absorbing read, but it really needs to go back to the rewrite stage.
I like to give authors encouragement so will say that there are some really good ideas in this novel, and Hokee is an intriguing character. However, the novel’s flaws are many: It is poorly edited, which is distracting; it is full of wild coincidences; Hokees night walk, while one of the most interesting, gripping passages in the book, does absolutely nothing to advance the story and is thus pointless; And the climax of the novel depends entirely on “black magic”, shamanism (?), and the tired trope of amnesia. It’s kind of a fun, absorbing read, but it really needs to go back to the rewrite stage.
September 21, 2020
Had to abandon this one. It needs a good, professional editor. There are technical issues, there are portions of chapters out of order for example. And I don’t care for the writing style. We are told so many things when it would be far stronger to be shown. We go through an elaborate setup for a prop for the big heist, and then we don’t get to see it being used. It is quickly the discovered after the heist by the detective, and that’s it. We should have lived through the antagonist at least using the item.
Too many books, too little time for a book that will constantly annoy me with the writing style.
Too many books, too little time for a book that will constantly annoy me with the writing style.
December 18, 2017
Nothing wrong with this book that a good editor and a wheelbarrow full of commas couldn't fix. I'm not sure that would raise it above the mediocre, but it would be less annoying. I don't know about anyone else's version, but mine has an entire chapter out of order. Too much repetition, especially in the physical descriptions of the protagonists. If I hadn't downloaded this book for free, I'd have found it far more aggravating to read. As it is, I think I'll avoid Mr. Viehweg's writing in future.
March 12, 2018
very interesting story
The first thing I need to say is the publisher needs to employ a better proofreader. There were so many places where commas were needed, and so many other places where commas or periods were unnecessary, that at points that made it difficult to enjoy the story. However, this was one of the most entertaining stories I've read in a long time. The characters were interesting without being over the top, and the exploration of the possibilities involved in shamanistic practices was probably my favorite part.
The first thing I need to say is the publisher needs to employ a better proofreader. There were so many places where commas were needed, and so many other places where commas or periods were unnecessary, that at points that made it difficult to enjoy the story. However, this was one of the most entertaining stories I've read in a long time. The characters were interesting without being over the top, and the exploration of the possibilities involved in shamanistic practices was probably my favorite part.
April 27, 2018
OK for airplane reading. Otherwise, the typical too-perfect main character: Hokee. Too perfect, too accomplished, too rich, too skilled, too wise for his age and upbringing.
Hokee Wolf, a private investigator in Pocatello, Idaho, is contracted to solve the robbery of a truck transporting money to the bank. Big-city TV reporter, Glory, is sent to Pocatello to cover the story and of course, she is perfect as well. Animal attraction ensues as they work off of Hokee's shaman skills to solve the crime.
Hokee Wolf, a private investigator in Pocatello, Idaho, is contracted to solve the robbery of a truck transporting money to the bank. Big-city TV reporter, Glory, is sent to Pocatello to cover the story and of course, she is perfect as well. Animal attraction ensues as they work off of Hokee's shaman skills to solve the crime.
November 23, 2020
A very good book......
A very unusual book. If you have an open mind and are not offended by the paranormal you will enjoy this book bot it is very deeply into Shamanism and the bad guy is into some seriously evil black magic. I enjoyed immensely, but, I'm not going to lie to you , there are some disturbing parts of it. However, if you read it as strictly fictional and you like a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance and whole lot of paranormal you will luv this book. Highly recommended.
A very unusual book. If you have an open mind and are not offended by the paranormal you will enjoy this book bot it is very deeply into Shamanism and the bad guy is into some seriously evil black magic. I enjoyed immensely, but, I'm not going to lie to you , there are some disturbing parts of it. However, if you read it as strictly fictional and you like a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance and whole lot of paranormal you will luv this book. Highly recommended.
November 14, 2017
I liked the main character, but Glory seemed very unbelievable. I also liked the description of rituals, but it seemed a bit too far fetched: with those powers, who needs the police! The story moved at a good pace, but this book REALLY needs a good editor and style corrector! there are many punctuation and grammar mistakes, and the writing is difficult to follow. Sometimes I had to read sentences twice to understand what was going on...
November 23, 2017
This was a good story but Hokee Wolf was just too good. Almost cliched. Good looking, college degrees, well-read, everybody's crush. He needs some character flaws to make him human. No one can build the house he built single-handedly. He's a plumber, electrician, architect, taper, etc. Who held the boards when he nailed them up? Anyway, the story was fun and covered a lot of familiar ground geographically. That always makes a book more interesting to me.
May 16, 2019
This would have been a 3 or ever 4 rating but I came across a word that the author used to describe Native American women. He used the word, squaws. In my world, that word has become derogatory and demeaning. There was absolutely no reason why the author could not have used the word, women, in the passage instead. Reading this gave me a negative impression of the author - whether deserved or not. I will not be reading any more of his books.
October 3, 2017
This was an interesting read. Native American detective/shaman in training. Beautiful blonde from New York City takes his eye. Yeah right! The two are trying to find a robber of three millions dollars and do some sweat lodge and tripping to find their way. Reminiscent of Carlos Castenada books.
Not a read for everyone but I did enjoy it.
Not a read for everyone but I did enjoy it.
October 7, 2017
LOVED this book...it is one of the best ebooks I have ever read. I've read all of Tony Hillerman's books, and this really compares favorably. I so enjoyed the descriptions of Idaho, the lava beds..everthing..and I liked the protagonist..the author really didn't nee to insert a woman into the mix, but that was okiay...want to read more of his books....
October 13, 2017
A LITTLE CONFUSING IN SPOTS BUT I ENJOYED IT TO ME IT HAD JUST TOO MUCH DETAILED INFORMATION (stuff I really didn’t want or need to know). THE ENDING WAS A LITTLE ANTICLIMATIC, THE CHARACTERS WERE ENJOYABLE. I WOULD HAVE LIKE THE STORYLINE TO HAVE LESS DETAILS BUT I WOULD READ ANOTHER IF IT WAS WRITTEN. DIFFERENT TYPE STORYLINE. ;0
January 3, 2018
I loved the challenge this was to read. I had to stay focused in order to connect all the dots which together made up this most interesting subject and perspective. There were a few times I felt the author dwelled too long in explanation, only to realize later it was necessary to comprehend the events unfolding at this juncture of the story. Well done Hokee Wolf!
February 28, 2018
The book was a disappointment. Hokee was perfect. He made no mistakes, evidently never. He had no faults, was a perfect investigator, a gourmet cook, and a perfect lover. Anyone would feel terribly insecure next to Hokee. I thought this would be a great book but the guy was too perfect. I did finish the book but found myself skipping over sections it got so boring and predictable.
November 11, 2018
Hokee is right
Started okay, but suddenly we weren't solving a crime anymore. Full of grammar errors, (comma use, mainly), and well, it just lost my interest. I wanted to enjoy it because it takes place in one of my favorite parts of the US. I skipped ahead to see if they ever caught the bad guy, which they did, and he had the same name as another character. Really?
Started okay, but suddenly we weren't solving a crime anymore. Full of grammar errors, (comma use, mainly), and well, it just lost my interest. I wanted to enjoy it because it takes place in one of my favorite parts of the US. I skipped ahead to see if they ever caught the bad guy, which they did, and he had the same name as another character. Really?
November 7, 2019
Wow, really, really loved this! Such an original mystery, and I found the supernatural and Shamanism elements fascinating. There are some sex scenes that are undetailed, so they didn't ruin it for me. If you are looking for a gripping mystery that is totally different, this is it!
Would be so happy to see the author create a series around this character.
Would be so happy to see the author create a series around this character.
April 22, 2020
I hope you fix this
The editing in this book leaves much to be desired. The author needs to understand that referring to a native woman as a squaw is a pejorative along the lines of calling a woman a cunt. I almost stopped reading at that point you will be called out by any native who reads those lines.
The editing in this book leaves much to be desired. The author needs to understand that referring to a native woman as a squaw is a pejorative along the lines of calling a woman a cunt. I almost stopped reading at that point you will be called out by any native who reads those lines.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews