Murder of Ravens

Gabriel Hawke #1

by Paty Jager

The ancient Indian art of tracking is his greatest strength...
And also his biggest weakness.

Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke believes he’s chasing poachers. However, he comes upon a wildlife biologist standing over a body that is wearing a wolf tracking collar.

He uses master tracker skills taught to him by his Nez Perce grandfather to follow clues on the mountain. Paper trails and the whisper of rumors in the rural community where he works, draws Hawke to a conclusion that he finds bitter.

Arresting his brother-in-law ended his marriage, could solving this murder ruin a friendship?

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 20, 2019

About the author

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 55+ novels, novellas, and short stories of murder mystery, western romance, and action adventure.
All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Reviews

[Amber Foxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

The protagonist, Gabriel Hawke, is an Oregon Fish and Wildlife State Trooper, a divorced middle-aged man dedicated to his work and wary of new relationships. His Nez Perce heritage is part of his complicated background, and the author handles this as well as the overall character development well.
Early in the book, Hawke comes across the scene of a bizarre murder in the Wallowa Mountains, and both his wilderness tracking and investigative processes in solving the crime are fascinating.
The suspects are all plausible. There’s a ring of truth to every scene and every character: the petty jealousies, the lies, the sexual harassment, the loveless marriages, the good friends, and the gossiping small-town acquaintances. The setting in the rural and the wild parts of Oregon is wonderful, and the relationships between humans and animals—horses, mules, dogs—are especially well-drawn.
Jager’s research is impressive, her pacing is excellent, and she brings the case to its conclusion through police work in believable contexts, never resorting to any of the mystery genre’s tired clichés. No confession-confrontation at gun or knife point. No sudden death of the guilty party instead of justice. Not only is the story strong and dramatic, it’s more fully engaging for being free of these clichés. The author gets a five star.
The editor, however, doesn’t. The book was proofread (there are no typos), but not adequately edited for grammar, sentence structure, and word choice. Letting these problems slide in such a page-turning book, rather making changes or asking the author for revisions, is like putting speed bumps in a race track. I didn’t hit enough of these speed bumps to ruin the book, but I feel that a writer with Jager’s story-telling skill deserves better work from her editor, and so do her readers.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a delightfully twisty little mystery. There are some elements in it that remind me of one of my favorite classic mysteries. (I’m not going to say which, because that could give away the very clever ending.) I really liked Hawke. It was easy to sympathise with him as his nosy ‘neighbors’ tried to dig into his personal life. But it was also clear how much those busybodies mean to him and how far he’d go for them. I enjoyed following along as all the clues were uncovered and I attempted to put the puzzle together for myself. I’d identified a tiny fraction of it, but full scope of the mystery eluded me until the end. I’m now very curious to see what’s next.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke believes he’s chasing poachers. However, he comes upon a wildlife biologist standing over a body that is wearing a wolf tracking collar. Is the biologist responsible for the death or is someone else involved? Can Hawke find out what really happened?

I enjoyed this book. This is a well-written story. The characters both human and animal are likable and intelligent which enhances the story. The pace of the mystery moves is a great pace allowing for well-placed red herrings to add more suspense and suspects to the storyline. The Native American aspect of the story is interesting making the book more original than other books in this genre I’ve read.

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator Larry Gorman was a great addition to an already great book. He did a wonderful job bringing the characters and story to life.

[Jobiska (Cindy)]

I finished this book, but the author needs more editing and tightening up. There were too many repetitions of exact words and phrases (for example, paraphrased, if he was bringing dessert, he was going to bring the bakery's signature dessert. Could have said specialty, could have totally rephrased this). I mean this happened almost every other page--so much that it was jarring! Even with the names...there was an Arlene, a Marlene, an Ilene....why? It's like JK Rowling with all of her H names! (and believe me, I criticize JK Rowling's writing too, especially how she always puts adverbs at the end, so if you're reading out loud you don't know how to read "Let's go to the dining hall!" said Harry angrily). Anyway, I digress.

The positive, and why I am not rating, is I felt there is room for improvement, with a good setting, good basis for the plot, good and interesting characters with potential backstories to unravel--and having read the 2nd book, I did find that the repetition cut down and it was overall tighter (but still with issues which I will go into on that review). But an upward direction is a good sign, and I will continue to read the series!

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

MURDER OF RAVENS is an intriguing mystery set in Eastern Oregon, in the mountains, along the rivers, and in small close-knit communities (read, everybody knows everybody else's business). Gabriel Hawke is a Fish and Wildlife State Trooper, of Native American descent, who loves the mountains and land, his dog, horse, and pack mule. At 52, he is long divorced, happy living alone with his animals, tracking, and solving puzzles that arise in the course of his job. Such a bizarre puzzle occurs while he is tracking what he thinks are poachers, and finds a corpse wearing a wolf-tracking collar, and standing over him, a biologist who studies the wolf population. As he investigates, Hawke learns that no one is really surprised that the man, a restaurant owner, is dead; and that there are far too many potential suspects to easily sort. But Hawke is a determined tracker, and he will find his man--or woman--before long. No crime goes unpunished, and even if the victim was unethical and immoral, murder is still a crime.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm. . . what to say about this book. A nice little mystery, but not totally engaging. Everyone seems to be on the game warden train - which is actually okay because I like reading about them. I guess I expected it to measure up to the William Kent Krueger and Paul Doiron books, which few can. This was like reading a rough draft. There didn't seem to have been any editing or proofreading - bad grammar, commas everywhere, etc. That kind of thing really bugs me and is very distracting. The characters were okay, but not very deep. Like I said, more of a rough, unfinished product. I don't know if the author gets any better with the next books and I probably won't read them to find out. I'm just not interested enough. I know the author has won awards, etc., so hopefully they were for books that were a bit more polished than this one.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriel Hawke is as rough and untamed as the wilderness he is sworn to protect. After his heart has been broken, ending his marriage, he shies away from emotional entanglements. That may mean his heart is unavailable but other parts of his anatomy still respond to beautiful women.
While investigating one sort of crime, he comes across something perhaps more sinister.
Regardless of the people who are neither surprised nor unhappy about the dead man found on the trails, it is Hawke`s job to bring a killer to justice.
How many secrets will be revealed before that happens?
Gritty and complicated, Hawke follows the evidence even as he must perform other duties and complete paperwork. He has long learned to set personal emotions aside in his line of work, but does it ever become easy when people you know personally are drawn into deadly matters?

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

Solid start to this new mystery series. We meet Hawke who works as a Fish and Wildlife State Trooper which makes his way of doing things quite different yet still intriguing. While on his patrol he finds a dead body. Curiosity wraps him up in the murder investigation even if it's not part of his job. The blend of nature tracking, clues, and the animals makes for a fascinating mystery that is hard to put down. Great for mystery overlooking for something different. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracking down a good book is so good to do, especially when it comes to this one. I really enjoyed this book. Hawke is a great main character, down to earth and tenacious, if slightly damaged by life. The unusual job is an interesting choice, especially with Hawke's proud heritage and I can see it leading to some intriguing adventures. It's nice to take a break from all the Amateur Sleuths and have a small town police procedural instead. This book ticks so many boxes and the mystery was good too. There is plenty of suspects and clues to keep you guessing. Off to start the next book.
Fish and wildlife state trooper Gabriel Hawke is following poachers but what he ends up tracking is a murder. He discovers a wildlife biologist standing over the dead body of a local restaurant owner. Why was he wearing a tracking collar that belongs on a wolf? More importantly who got close enough to him to put it on? Following the tracks leads Hawke to the man's lost wife and new clues to help with the investigation. Which Hawke will need, as the man had wondering hands and plenty of suspects who didn't like him. It will be up to Hawke put his skills to the test and find the killer, even if the evidence points to a friend.
I liked the narrator. He had a deep speaking voice but put it to good use giving a voice to all the different characters.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntary left this review.

[Paula Dyches · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geared for Male Mystery Lovers

Parents- PG13- high school and up
Language- PG13 - some cussing - no f-bombs
Violence- PG13- nothing overly graphic
Sexual Content- PG13 - lots of references "I had to tell my d*#* to stand down" and similar, lots of talk of affairs and the victim being the grabby type

It is not my favorite writing style with a more basic level of development and detail given, they were trying to appeal to the male reader in the perspective given through the MC- a lot of thinking or talking down of his anatomy part. Basically for me, there was just too much over-sexualization in this one, yet at the same time, there are no actual sex scenes, the act of them being mentioned in an after-the-fact way with no detail (which was appreciated). Parts of the story I found interesting and the mystery was plotted well. Overall the story was ok, but geared for an older male reader looking for a quick mystery read.

Narrator- The narration was okay but a bit slow. I found normal speaking speed at 1.35x but I preferred listening at 1.6x speed.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Anne Rightler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder of Ravens, by Paty Jager, is the first book in her Gabriel Hawke series. Having read several books in this author's Shandra Higheagle Mystery series, I was looking forward to reading this one and was not disappointed. Hawke of Native American heritage runs across a body in his routine fish and wildlife state trooper duties and there ensues a good murder mystery--one that keeps the reader guessing as to who the murderer is. With few clues, lots of suspects, and plenty of twists to the plot the author keeps the reader's interest high. Murder, mistresses, and a trail of money all make for an intriguing story. I look forward to reading more of this author's works. The narrator, Larry Gorman, does a good job giving voice to the characters as he reads the story, which made for an enjoyable listening experience. I listened to a complimentary copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

[Trinia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity.

I've read a Paty Jager book previously and have found she has progressed with her writing. This was a murder mystery story about our MC Gabriel Hawk a Fish and Wildlife Trooper who is trying to solve a murder of a man found on the mountain. We follow along on his trail as he unravels the murder and finds the guilty party.
So, I give this book a solid 3 stars. The writing was decent and the story was solid, it just didn't have that punch to it. I found the MC interesting and likable but had no real love for him. The mystery was pretty straightforward without any major twists or thrills.
The Narrator did a fine job. However his talent at whistling made me more aware of how much the author had characters whistling.
Again, a decent book just didn't spark any excitement for me and I could care less about checking out #2.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new mystery series. If you like mysteries, you will love this book! If you read Homicide Hideaway, you will remember Fish and Game State Trooper Hawke helped in solving a murder. In this book an owner of a local restaurant is murdered up in his mountains and Hawke finds the body. He asks to help find the killer. I loved how Ms Jager gives pieces of the puzzle as I read through the book. It was so hard for me to understand why any woman would want to have an affair with the married owner of the local restaurant. There were not many people in the town that liked him. There are so many likely suspects who could have killed him. I was surprised at the end who had killed him, and more surprised by what the killer did as a side job. I strongly encourage you to read the book. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 *

Paty Jager is a new author to me. I enjoyed this first book of the Gabriel Hawke series. I will definitely read the rest. I'll also try some of her other series. Gabriel is a Oregon State Trooper working the Wildlife division. An American Indian, Gabriel is integral to SAR teams, as well as their best tracker (cliche). He is dedicated to protecting the people, wildlife, and mountains of Oregon. An interesting story, with likable characters and a twisty murder mystery, this is definitely a procedural novel. Gabriel tracks and searches out clues to the crime as well as he does in the wilderness. There are side topics of the current condition of the Native American community, non-native response to natives as law enforcement, and the expectations of family and friends for middle aged unmarried relatives/friends.

[Sarahbeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly had to check to see if this was written by a man. I can't count how many times females were described as "the woman". Perhaps the author has watched too many John Wayne movies. The major physical attributes given to characters were body size. Each time the "Native" elements were described it was either as a mystical reference to "the ancestors" or to reference alcoholism and abuse on a reservation. The main character's back story was more fully described on the back of the jacket cover than in the book itself. A sentence seemingly randomly included here and there. The book scenes were reminiscent of a play. The diner. The murder scene. Another diner. The office. The hanger. Repeat. How many diner scenes do you need? Also hes a game warden with fish and wildlife. Why is he driving around questioning murder suspects in multiple locations?

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook: I was entertained by this first book of the "Gabriel Hawke" series. Gabriel Hawke was a Fish and Wildlife State Trooper who stumbled upon a dead body. Since he was the one that found the body, Gabriel thought that he should be the one to find the murderer. I enjoyed the setting due to the wonderful descriptive phrases about it. I liked the mystery and even the twist, but I thought that there could have been more clues for the reader to solve the mystery before the big reveal. I thought that the characters weren't realistic as they were too one-sided in their personalities. Larry Gorman's narration was fine, and his performance kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked, not loved this one. I found Gabriel Hawke intriguing as a character. He happens upon a murdered man while performing his duties as a Fish and Game Warden and sets about to solve the mystery of who killed the guy. The cluster of communities in Oregon where it takes place has a very small town feel with a very healthy social grapevine; no one can do anything in public without everyone knowing within hours.

The resolution of the murder was very interesting and unexpected. The journey to said conclusion seemed to meander needlessly. The multitude of descriptions of what Hawke ate in restaurants distracted from the narrative for me.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabriel Hawke is a Fish and Wildlife Oregon State Trooper and a tracker extraordinaire. He spends as much time as he can in the mountains. When he comes upon some suspicious tracks, he goes in pursuit. What he comes upon is a man murdered under very bizarre circumstances and Hawke is on the hunt for the murderer. He encounters several suspects as he delves into the murder which keeps you guessing until the end. I really like Hawke. He is a man of few words, straightforward and says it like it is. Such an interesting character! This book was so much fun to read. Lots of mystery and suspense sprinkled with some humor. I look forward to more from Hawke and author Paty Jager.

[Andrea J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recently introduced to works by author Paty Jager with “Murder of Ravens”. What an exciting book. She is definitely now one of my favorite new authors, even though she has been writing for years. That just means I have a lot of great books to add to my library.
Paty’s descriptions of the mountains and wilderness patrolled by Gabriel Hawke provide excellent visualizations. I am somewhat familiar with that area of Oregon, and it is obvious that Paty has explored those mountains and woods.
There are some exciting twists and suspense as Hawke seeks out clues to solve the murder. Definitely a page turner. Thank you, Paty.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder of Ravens is the first in a series about Gabriel Hawke, an Oregon Fish and Wildlife Trooper. Hawke discovers a body in a remote area on the mountain. The murdered man was pretty much disliked by everyone, which creates a large suspect pool. We follow Hawke's investigaion, with evidence and clues coming rapidly. This is one of those books that has you saying I'll read just one more chapter, but you can't stop reading. It is a crazy good read and I can't wait for the next books in the series. I received an advanced copy and this is my honest review.

[J.J. Rusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sort of ingenious plot that drives a good murder mystery forward can also make its resolution implausible. That’s almost the case with Paty Jager’s first Gabriel Hawke novel set in Wallowa County, Oregon. Fortunately, Hawke is a character engaging enough on his own to make “Murder of Ravens” worthwhile. In fact, some of its best moments occur when the Fish and Wildlife State Trooper is off duty—for example, meeting with his mother who supports herself by caring for children. But there’s plenty of notable sleuthing here too. Good read!

[Holly Lenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder of Ravens is a murder mystery with a Native American Fish and Game officer. The story, about a cheating husband who gets murdered while on a pack trip, should appeal to fans of Tony Hillerman. The pace is a bit slow, but overall it’s an interesting book.

The narrator does a decent job with the story, but his voice and vocal patterns can be a little off putting. His voice sounds familiar. I kept trying to place who he sounded like, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Rose Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book and enjoyed the narrator. His voice was perfect for Hawke's character. This mystery novel was enjoyable, but I gave it a three star because when I wasn't listening I didn't have the urgency to go back to the book. The storyline was ok. Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke comes across a murder in the mountain and uses his tracking skills to capture the murderer. You'll enjoy the story and trying to figure out who done it, but there wasn't a wow moment to the story that had me excited about continuing the story.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written, entertaining mystery. Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke is tracking poachers when he comes upon a body that is wearing a wolf tracking collar. He uses his master tracker skills taught to him by his Nez Perce grandfather to follow clues and solve the crime, even though the clues, paper trail and whispered rumors may involve people he knows in the small rural community. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more stories in this series!

[Judith Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

This was my first time reading a book by this author. I purchased the book based on a suggestion I read this series. I am so glad I listened and bought the book. It is interesting to read about the native Americans of the northwest United States. The book was well written and the characters interesting. I would have preferred the story to have moved at a faster pace. All in all I would say give the books a chance. You may find you have a new book fetish.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fish and Wildlife policeman Gabriel Hawke usually employs his tracking skills to go after poachers. However, when he comes across the body of a restaurant owner notorious for his bad behavior with women, his skills take him to the heart of the murder investigation. Hawke has a great deal of internal dialogue but externally is more the silent type. The plot is reasonably clever but the book overall presents little in the way of intellectual content.

[Charles T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and interesting. Loved Game Warden and sometimes State Trooper Hawks

Interesting Oregon wilderness area and characters. Fast and easy read. Enjoyed it and liked it so much I bought the whole 5 book series.

Didn’t like that a whole lot of background on Hawke including partial stories of past never got explained nor explored. So character development and motivations could use some work or better editing.
But thoroughly enjoyable story despite that

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the narration of Larry Gorman

Gabriel Hawke is a State Trooper for Fish and Wildlife in Eastern Oregon. While his rounds he comes across a friend of his kneeling beside the body of a man with a wolf tracking collar. He is determined to find out who did this. He wants the satisfaction of the prosecution. This book moves at a great pace. With red herrings add more suspense and suspects.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A restaurant owner is found dead up in the Oergon mountains. Because he is a player and cad there are many suspects. Hawke is on the case. A very methodical wildlife officer, he picks at the case piece by piece. We learn the story right along with him. Interesting characters. Interesting story.

I was gifted the audiobook from the author through Story Origin. The narrator was a pleasure to listen to. He laid the story out there for our entertainment. 5 stars for him.

[Marcus Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series. If you are a fan of C.J. Box and the Joe Pickett series, you should check out this first installment of the Gabriel Hawke game warden series. The author created a great community of characters around Hawke. Eastern Oregon is a beautiful place and often ignored when people talk about the state, so it is fun to see the place come alive in the story. Go ahead and give it a read!