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Gabriel Du Pre #15
Solus
Gabriel Du Pré is back in action, coming to the aid of a whistleblower on the run, in this all-new novel in a “wonderfully eclectic and enjoyable series” (Booklist). When a hunted military whistleblower and his family need someplace to hide and someone to trust, Toussaint, Montana, is the place, and Gabriel Du Pré the man. The Métis Indian former cattle inspector and sometimes deputy is happy to offer protection, even though he’s already got his hands full with an ailing granddaughter, a meddling medicine man, and a Kazakh eagle hunter prowling the hills above town. As a guard at a Kabul prison, Hoyt Poe witnessed his fellow soldiers abusing the Afghan inmates. Poe’s testimony threatens to expose the military contractor that led the prison’s brutal interrogation program. Now, Temple Security’s billionaire founder, Lloyd Cutler, wants him dead. But how long can the fugitive and his family lay low before Cutler’s mercenaries come to Du Pré’s hometown looking for trouble? Packed with pulse-pounding suspense, wry humor, and the romance of small-town Montana, Solus continues the irresistible adventures of the one of a kind Gabriel Du Pré, “a character of legendary proportions” (New York Times–bestselling author Ridley Pearson). Solus is the 15th book in the Montana Mysteries Featuring Gabriel Du Pré, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2018
145 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Peter Bowen
51 books75 followersPeter 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 30, 2018
After a three-year absence, author Peter Bowen returns with the fifteenth novel in his series featuring Gabriel Du Pre, a Metis Indian living in Montana who has worked as a brand inspector and occasional deputy sheriff. Du Pre is now well along in life, with adult grandchildren, but it hasn't slowed him down a bit. He still drinks and smokes and plays the fiddle with the best of them, and it's great to have him back.
In this novel, Du Pre comes to the assistance of a decorated former soldier named Hoyt Poe. While serving as a guard at a prison in Kabul, Poe witnessed the employees of a private contractor abusing prisoners. Poe did the right thing and reported the abuse. He then testified against the men he saw committing the crimes.
His efforts earned him the enmity of the thugs who run the contracting firm and of their powerful political masters in the nation's capital. Poe is now running for his life and is resettled out in Du Pre's home town of Toussaint in rural Montana. But Poe's enemies are relentless and well-connected, and even out in the middle of nowhere and even with the assistance of Gabriel Du Pre, Poe and his family may not be safe.
This is a compelling story that, given the current political climate, has more than a little ring of truth about it. But above and beyond that, this and the other books in the series are character-driven novels, and Bowen has created a wonderful supporting cast surrounding his protagonist. The sense of place is so sharp that the fictional Toussaint comes fully to life, and returning to the community after a three-year absence is like returning home again. I very much hope that it will not be another three years before we get a chance to go back.
In this novel, Du Pre comes to the assistance of a decorated former soldier named Hoyt Poe. While serving as a guard at a prison in Kabul, Poe witnessed the employees of a private contractor abusing prisoners. Poe did the right thing and reported the abuse. He then testified against the men he saw committing the crimes.
His efforts earned him the enmity of the thugs who run the contracting firm and of their powerful political masters in the nation's capital. Poe is now running for his life and is resettled out in Du Pre's home town of Toussaint in rural Montana. But Poe's enemies are relentless and well-connected, and even out in the middle of nowhere and even with the assistance of Gabriel Du Pre, Poe and his family may not be safe.
This is a compelling story that, given the current political climate, has more than a little ring of truth about it. But above and beyond that, this and the other books in the series are character-driven novels, and Bowen has created a wonderful supporting cast surrounding his protagonist. The sense of place is so sharp that the fictional Toussaint comes fully to life, and returning to the community after a three-year absence is like returning home again. I very much hope that it will not be another three years before we get a chance to go back.
November 13, 2025
The last Du Pré book before Peter Bowen's death is more of the same. The plot itself is interesting, but it's the uniqueness of the cast and their interactions with everyone they meet that make the stories memorable.
September 29, 2018
I've loved this series since the first book, Coyote Wind, but I do know that it is not for everyone. The main character is a Métis Indian-- a tribe descended from Canadian Indians and French trappers that moved down into Montana. He and his extended family and all their friends there in Toussaint are not politically correct. They speak in a gentle sort of dialect that shows their French roots, and it's amazing how Bowen accomplishes this using little more than well-placed commas and a few missing prepositions. These people may not behave the way we more "civilized" people want them to, but they are good people, fiercely independent, and much more willing to stand up for their principles than most of the rest of us. When Du Pré and his friends are given the task of protecting Hoyt Poe and his family, they take it very seriously indeed.
Solus is more social commentary than mystery, although readers will wonder who survives and how as they turn the pages. If you do not like politically incorrect people and if you dislike good people who speak out against the present government, please don't bother to read this book. It will only raise your blood pressure.
Besides the stories and the humor, one of the things I love the most about this book-- and the entire series-- is the cast of characters. From fiddle-playing Gabriel to his fizzy pink wine-loving Madelaine to Bart's wife who is ex-FBI and a steel-spined force of nature called Pidgeon, each character is special. Even the ones you never get to meet like Hoyt's Granny Dulcie, who "found the good in people and made them live up to it."
Reading Bowen's novels reminds me of my childhood when I would sit behind an easy chair or underneath the kitchen table and listen to the old folks talk. These relatives in their seventies, eighties, and nineties knew the previous century, and they certainly knew how to tell a tale. Listening to them, I learned that you took care of your own, you helped other folks when they needed it, you stood on your own two feet, and you never started a fight-- but when one was forced upon you, you finished it. And since I come from a long line of farmers, it sounds normal to me when customers walk into the Toussaint saloon for a meal and a good time and ask, "Who are we eating tonight?"
Solus ("a man alone" in Latin) isn't just about Hoyt Poe, although he's certainly one of the loneliest people on the planet with so many bad guys after him. It's also about people like Gabriel Du Pré and his friends. As I said before, this may not be a book or a series for you, but if it does sound intriguing, please give it a try. For the right reader, Peter Bowen is a very special writer.
Solus is more social commentary than mystery, although readers will wonder who survives and how as they turn the pages. If you do not like politically incorrect people and if you dislike good people who speak out against the present government, please don't bother to read this book. It will only raise your blood pressure.
Besides the stories and the humor, one of the things I love the most about this book-- and the entire series-- is the cast of characters. From fiddle-playing Gabriel to his fizzy pink wine-loving Madelaine to Bart's wife who is ex-FBI and a steel-spined force of nature called Pidgeon, each character is special. Even the ones you never get to meet like Hoyt's Granny Dulcie, who "found the good in people and made them live up to it."
Reading Bowen's novels reminds me of my childhood when I would sit behind an easy chair or underneath the kitchen table and listen to the old folks talk. These relatives in their seventies, eighties, and nineties knew the previous century, and they certainly knew how to tell a tale. Listening to them, I learned that you took care of your own, you helped other folks when they needed it, you stood on your own two feet, and you never started a fight-- but when one was forced upon you, you finished it. And since I come from a long line of farmers, it sounds normal to me when customers walk into the Toussaint saloon for a meal and a good time and ask, "Who are we eating tonight?"
Solus ("a man alone" in Latin) isn't just about Hoyt Poe, although he's certainly one of the loneliest people on the planet with so many bad guys after him. It's also about people like Gabriel Du Pré and his friends. As I said before, this may not be a book or a series for you, but if it does sound intriguing, please give it a try. For the right reader, Peter Bowen is a very special writer.
October 27, 2018
This series is an acquired taste. Quirky and eccentric with some mediocre plots. It’s nice to see another one as the author has only written two in the past twelve years. The characters and place are what make for an engaging read.
Du Pre ends up providing security for a veteran and his family who ought to be in the witness protection program. The veteran testified against war crimes committed by a powerful Defense contractor in Afghanistan. So the vet is hiding out at millionaire Bart’s ranch. But it’s not over and he has to go back to DC again. The contractors are all extremist Christians and it’s hard not to think of Blackwater. It’s a little slow with all the sermonizing as to how the country has gone to hell. Meanwhile Pallas, Du Pre’s granddaughter is having a health crisis which seems can only be cured by the alcoholic shaman Benetsee ‘s ministrations. And you’re wondering what the title has to do with anything as it’s all about family.
A trip to the airport in Spokane changes everything. The plot takes off to destinations unknown and unforeseen. Not sure I liked the direction or resolution but this series is so different and unpredictable. It will be interesting to see where the next chapter for Du Pre will take him as he has just about witnessed everything.
Du Pre ends up providing security for a veteran and his family who ought to be in the witness protection program. The veteran testified against war crimes committed by a powerful Defense contractor in Afghanistan. So the vet is hiding out at millionaire Bart’s ranch. But it’s not over and he has to go back to DC again. The contractors are all extremist Christians and it’s hard not to think of Blackwater. It’s a little slow with all the sermonizing as to how the country has gone to hell. Meanwhile Pallas, Du Pre’s granddaughter is having a health crisis which seems can only be cured by the alcoholic shaman Benetsee ‘s ministrations. And you’re wondering what the title has to do with anything as it’s all about family.
A trip to the airport in Spokane changes everything. The plot takes off to destinations unknown and unforeseen. Not sure I liked the direction or resolution but this series is so different and unpredictable. It will be interesting to see where the next chapter for Du Pre will take him as he has just about witnessed everything.
October 10, 2018
Gaaah! Too much Native American "wisdom" for me, thanks. And the pidgin English scraped my nerves to the bone!
September 15, 2018
This is #15 in one of my favorite series, which you don't necessarily need to read in order. When someone is trying to kill a war hero turned whistle blower, there is no one better to protect him than Gabriel du Pre of Toussaint, Montana. du Pre and his posse of friends and Metis Indian relatives are equal to the job as usual. The portrayal of life in the middle of Montana is done so realistically with such wry humor that I wait eagerly for each new entry in the series.
August 27, 2021
It took me two days and much mulling before rating this book. Truth is, I was shaken by how pertinent this book—set in 2018–is to current events and politics with regards to Afghanistan in 2021. It doesn’t help to have bad memories from 2018: migrant children being torn from their parents and then caged; the MBS murder of Jamal Khashoggi; a #metoo creep confirmed to SCOTUS; the Marjorie Stoneham Douglas school shooting; California wildfires; Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting; etc.
Eventually, I decided on 4 stars for “Solus,” because I enjoyed the storyline—especially following lawman Gabriel Du Pré, whilst he tried to protect a US Army whistleblower. I really sympathized with the former soldiers from Texas, whose lives were changed from afar—by Washington politics, decisions, power, animus, and greed. Unlike other novelists, Tom Bowen eschewed politicians’ names and avoided vitriol from some readers.
Recommended to Montana Mysteries readers.
Eventually, I decided on 4 stars for “Solus,” because I enjoyed the storyline—especially following lawman Gabriel Du Pré, whilst he tried to protect a US Army whistleblower. I really sympathized with the former soldiers from Texas, whose lives were changed from afar—by Washington politics, decisions, power, animus, and greed. Unlike other novelists, Tom Bowen eschewed politicians’ names and avoided vitriol from some readers.
Recommended to Montana Mysteries readers.
December 4, 2023
DuPre' does what needs doing in this late 2010s novel--always exciting, always with memorable family members and friends as well as malevolent outside forces. I think this was the last of the DuPre' stories by Peter Bowen who is now gone from this world. I so appreciate my friend Virginia introducing this series to me. There are times when I like to simply fall back into a clearly-written tale peopled by characters I already know. The books are all short (maybe this one is the shortest?) and quick to read--for me, the perfect travel book.
January 16, 2021
The last of Gabriel DuPre
Solus is the 15th and last in this series of novels about the people of rural eastern Montana. Bowen, who died recently, will be writing no more about Gabriel DuPre. The entire series is a paean to a fast vanishing way of life in a fast changing world. The novels may be read in any order, but it was fun to start at the beginning and immerse myself in Gabriel’s world for two weeks. Haven’t had a read like that since I re-read all 26 of Richard Stark’s Parker novels in a long marathon winter of 2018. Start anywhere, but do start. Bowen is a writer who will go into my permanent collection beside such other Western writers as Don Berry and Elmore Leonard. The series is a keeper.
Solus is the 15th and last in this series of novels about the people of rural eastern Montana. Bowen, who died recently, will be writing no more about Gabriel DuPre. The entire series is a paean to a fast vanishing way of life in a fast changing world. The novels may be read in any order, but it was fun to start at the beginning and immerse myself in Gabriel’s world for two weeks. Haven’t had a read like that since I re-read all 26 of Richard Stark’s Parker novels in a long marathon winter of 2018. Start anywhere, but do start. Bowen is a writer who will go into my permanent collection beside such other Western writers as Don Berry and Elmore Leonard. The series is a keeper.
October 30, 2018
I have read all the previous books in this series and have found them all to be enjoyable reads with an extremely interesting cast of recurring characters. My only criticism of this book is that it would be difficult for a new reader to fully enjoy it without having had read at least some of the previous installments and understand the backstories of each of the characters. Bowen does not crank these books out at a rapid pace like some other authors do and I am never quite sure if his latest edition might be his last. This one, however, does appear to set the stage for at least one more sequel in the future.
Read
September 21, 2019Book 15 and in some ways the best yet. I realize this series is not for everyone but I loved the characters from book one. And writing it the way the characters would speak made the books even better. Fiction and fact mixed together but still allowing me to once again realize the hardships the white man forced on so many people just because we were superior. We were not superior and in a lot of ways we failed to listen to the history these people had to offer. I am not criticizing anyone just happy to be taken down a peg or two and see how wise the people that settled in America were long before pilgrims set foot on her shores.
April 10, 2020
Absolutely fantastic
I have missed Bowen's writing. Du Pre is a larger than life unique quirky character who takes some getting used to, him and his people and his country. More than worth the time to understand. Wish I could visit his Montana neighborhood. Hope that Bowen brings him back for us again real soon. And "Solus" may just be the best of the Du Pre tales, very timely amidst a world of corruption and greed and religionists gone wrong. I hope we can handle our evil greed- and power-heads as well as Du Pre and his people handled theirs. Thank you Mr. Bowen!
I have missed Bowen's writing. Du Pre is a larger than life unique quirky character who takes some getting used to, him and his people and his country. More than worth the time to understand. Wish I could visit his Montana neighborhood. Hope that Bowen brings him back for us again real soon. And "Solus" may just be the best of the Du Pre tales, very timely amidst a world of corruption and greed and religionists gone wrong. I hope we can handle our evil greed- and power-heads as well as Du Pre and his people handled theirs. Thank you Mr. Bowen!
April 7, 2021
This book is bittersweet.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. I have read several of Peter Bowen's books and they are good clean mysteries. I miss ranching and riding, so these books take me to those memories and that feels good. I've lived my whole life in the west and mostly in the mountains, so these books are wonderfully familiar to me. I thank Mr Bowen for his writing.It's. This one delves into the the current wars and terrible costs of them that this country is stuck in.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. I have read several of Peter Bowen's books and they are good clean mysteries. I miss ranching and riding, so these books take me to those memories and that feels good. I've lived my whole life in the west and mostly in the mountains, so these books are wonderfully familiar to me. I thank Mr Bowen for his writing.It's. This one delves into the the current wars and terrible costs of them that this country is stuck in.
January 6, 2019
Bowen does it again!
There is a bit of sadness to this one. Good people die and good people are helpless to prevent future problems from happening. The characters are solid and recognizable in our own world. It is a work of fiction except for the world we find ourselves now living in.
There is a bit of sadness to this one. Good people die and good people are helpless to prevent future problems from happening. The characters are solid and recognizable in our own world. It is a work of fiction except for the world we find ourselves now living in.
April 28, 2023
The last and one of the best in the Du Pre series. He and his creator will be missed.
The former cattle brand inspector and his family and friends are trying to protect an ex soldier who blew the whistle on crimes committed by a wealthy military contractor. The usual great characters, plus a laconic Kazakh who hunts with eagles.
The former cattle brand inspector and his family and friends are trying to protect an ex soldier who blew the whistle on crimes committed by a wealthy military contractor. The usual great characters, plus a laconic Kazakh who hunts with eagles.
December 25, 2020
I came upon DuPre by accident. And I decided to read it. You absolutely have to suspend your idea of conversations and let this book take you somewhere new.
I really liked the characters and mourned with Hoyt. The ending of the book was befitting these characters.
I really liked the characters and mourned with Hoyt. The ending of the book was befitting these characters.
December 28, 2020
Love Peter Bowen's work
I'm a southern DuPre not from Montana, but I love Du Pre's almost southern idioms and straight forward style of thought.
Roll a smoke, poor a whiskey ditch and enjoy.
I'm a southern DuPre not from Montana, but I love Du Pre's almost southern idioms and straight forward style of thought.
Roll a smoke, poor a whiskey ditch and enjoy.
January 25, 2021
Gabriel is like Forrest Gump, in the middle of the action. But unlike Gump his insights and intuition often bring about the results, mostly positive. I would dislike the violence if it were not for the warmth and humor.
June 22, 2021
Du pre always spins a good tale
It is the setting , the main character and all the other strange but interesting , very human ,characters that make this series set in Montana so entertaining and readable . This one did not disappoint.
It is the setting , the main character and all the other strange but interesting , very human ,characters that make this series set in Montana so entertaining and readable . This one did not disappoint.
June 4, 2024
I have mixed feelings about the last few Du Pre novels. Yes they can be entertaining and easy reading, but he's gotten lazy in his plotting and resorting to a lot of shoot 'em up endings.
Over to you.
Over to you.
October 20, 2018
Don't miss this!
Great book and well written. I have read each of the Gabriel duPre mysteries and they never fail to entertain and amaze me. This is one of the best in the series.
Great book and well written. I have read each of the Gabriel duPre mysteries and they never fail to entertain and amaze me. This is one of the best in the series.
December 25, 2018
A very good book as the whole series has been.
November 23, 2020
Been reading this series a long time now. This one made me laugh, cry....good story. Don't read this if you are a Trump fanatic or a tea partier....you won't like it at all.
January 10, 2021
Did not finish it. Just could not get pulled into the story
January 22, 2021
Good story. A lot of whiskey and Montana cold.
April 29, 2021
I love the voices and the spaces in these books. Not one of the more dramatic, but feels like coming home.
July 21, 2021
Surprise
A fun, humorous read. Nothing but characters and banter, and a plot the meanders like the country it describes. Thoroughly enjoyable
A fun, humorous read. Nothing but characters and banter, and a plot the meanders like the country it describes. Thoroughly enjoyable
November 22, 2021
Long On Dialog
Great characters but they spend an awful lot of time going to and fro. Speaks to the horror of war and its cost
Great characters but they spend an awful lot of time going to and fro. Speaks to the horror of war and its cost
January 17, 2023
Well I have come to the last book in this series, and with this one we have a story about good and evil. I will miss this author and my trips to the vast expanses that make up the state of Montana.
December 27, 2023
Sad to be finished with this series. One day I will listen again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews