Rattlesnake Brother

Gabriel Hawke #3

by Paty Jager

Corrupt officials. Illegal hunters. Death to those who dare complain. Book 3 in the Gabriel Hawke series Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke encounters a hunter with an illegal tag. The name on the tag belongs to the Wallowa County District Attorney and the man holding the tag isn’t the public defender. As Hawke digs to find out if the DA is corrupt, the hunter’s body is found. Zeroing in on the DA, Hawke finds he has more suspects than the DA and more deaths than the hunter.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 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

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the beginning. The main character Hawke is an interesting protagonist. He tries to keep people at a distance and not form close relationships. Despite his attempts to lead a solitary life, he has people to want to be in his life. Two of those people are Dani and Justine. When these two ladies meet, you can tell Hawke is uncomfortable. As a reader, you can't help but see the humor in the situation. The mystery is full of suspense, suspects, misdirection, and well-developed.

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator does a fantastic job of bringing the characters and the story to life. He is great at giving each character his/her own voice.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.

[J.J. Rusz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way Paty Jager’s “Rattlesnake Brother” opens with a mundane crime that steadily grows more complicated. The tale might have worked better were it a tick simpler—it's hard to keep track of all the characters. But Gabriel Hawke is an appealing investigator who keeps an intricate story moving.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kind of don’t even know what to say about this story. The mystery kicks off from the moment the book opens, and it left me guessing and trying to catch up for its entire length. It’s a twisty, devious plan that kept me constantly off balance. Every time I thought I’d pinpointed the correct suspect, a spanner would get thrown into the works and I was back to the drawing board, sorting through the clues as Hawke gathered them. This is exactly how every book I read from the author is better than the last; they’re unique and chillingly believable.

[Don Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very good read

Each book in this series brings you back to an almost family visit. Trooper Hawke is the main character. He is intense as an investigator but the author is skilled at sharing Hawke's real side.
Paty Jager also has a neat technique of giving in site on as to what the character is thinking when he or she says something.
I read these books in the evening and usually over many evenings. The characters are carried from book to book and become very familiar. The total number of characters in a book is kept to a manageable number, so reading over many nights is not a problem.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't wait to read this latest book by Paty Jager in the Gabriel Hawke series, and it didn't disappoint in the slightest! A wonderfully well written story which was hard to put down, if it wasn't for the fact it was 3am I would have read it in 1 sitting.

Hawke stops a well known tag violator to check his kills, on checking the tag he finds one belongs to the local District Attorney, and he isn't there. The plot thickens when the DA says it wasn't him who purchased the tag, and when people start getting killed Hawke is suspicious that there is something more to the case.

Not Hawkes usual murder setting, this is mainly set in the town not on the mountains, but characters from previous books are in this story, including Dani and Kitree.

I really enjoy reading this authors books and I can't wait for the next one to be released. ..

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. This book is more focused more on Hawke's investigation aspect of his job than him relying on his tracking skills, like the previous books. While interesting I think it is his wilderness skills that has me returning to this series, especially as Dog is more active them. It does mean there is more of a mystery, as he tries to puzzle out who is behind the deaths. With a number of suspects and deaths it certainly gets interesting, if slightly complicated with so many characters and small town connections. I also really like the characters and it was nice to see A number of them returning to provide Hawke with some home life drama and the listener a few chuckles. I don't normally listen to books from the same series straight after each other (the stories tend to blend in with each otherwise) but I found myself downloading the next book in this series before I finished this one.
It's hunting season and Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke most busiest time of the year. Checking permits and catches has him working non-stop but when a routine stop finds him questioning a man known for poaching, things get complicated. He has the district Attorney's permit and claims it brought it from the man himself. The DA deny it and Hawke sets out to investigate it further. Then the poacher is found dead and the evidence points to the DA. Hawke can't help but feel more is going on and the more he digs the more bodies he finds. Can he find the killer and the motive behind the deaths?
I like the narrator. He helped the story move along at a good pace and kept me hooked until the very end.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntary left this review.

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriel Hawke is a Fish & Game State Trooper in Oregon. The story starts with Hawke encountering a well-known poacher with a hunting tag that's perfectly legal, for once, and a another hunter with him, whose tag was issued to the local district attorney, who is not part of this hunting party. From this seemingly mundane crime, the kind Hawke handles all the time, there slowly develops a disturbingly complex tangle of bodies, conflicting evidence, and clues weirdly pointing at a fatal car accident that happened decades ago when the current DA was in high school.

This is #3 in the series, but I didn't find it hard to catch up with the recurring characters. Gabriel has a dog named Dog, and two horses and mule, one of whom is named Horse, and I don't find that nearly as clever as many seem to, but he also convincingly cares about and for his animals. He's also got a growing circle of friends in the area, including Justine, who waits tables at his favorite breakfast spot, and Danny, the woman who runs the local hunting lodge. Neither is a love interest; they are genuinely friends. Even peripheral characters give the impression of being full and complex people with lives that persist when they're off-stage.

It's a satisfying and enjoyable mystery. Recommended.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, and am reviewing it voluntarily.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Location - Oregon, Wallowa County, small town very close to forests and the mountains
Time - contemporary, November, several months after previous book in the series
Genre - mystery, police procedural
Rating - 3

I enjoyed getting back to characters in this series: particularly Gabriel Hawke, who is a fish and Wildlife State Trooper. He is native American and a bit of a loner.
This book is mainly about a series of murders that baffle the police. Hawke becomes convinced that their initial suspect is being set up for the murders. But why, and by whom?
Although I was pretty sure I knew who it was about 3/4's of the way through the book, it didn't decrease my enjoyment of the story.
I didn't like this as much as the first two books in the series because it all happened in and around several small towns in the district. I preferred the other novels, where much of the action occurred up in the mountains and forested areas. That is where Hawk is most at home, in the wilderness with his horses, mule and dog. That is where he can use his incredible knowledge of the area, and his tracking abilities that his grandfather taught him. Even so, I enjoyed the book and will continue on with the series.

[Anne Rightler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rattlesnake Brother by Paty Jager, is the third installment in the Gabriel Hawke series. Having read the previous books in the series, I was looking forward to reading this one and was not disappointed. State Trooper Hawke of Native American heritage, on a routine check comes across a hunter with an illegal tag and there begins 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, past wrongdoings, politics, and a couple of lady friends who form the Hawke fan club all make for an intriguing story. I am looking forward to reading more about Trooper Hawke and his friends. 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.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Oregon Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Hawke is checking hunting tags he finds a known poacher in possession of a tag belonging to the District Attorney. What follows is an investigation into possible corruption in the DA's office and murder. Not just one murder, but three murders. As with the first two Gabriel Hawke books, the twists keep coming. Ms Jager writes in a way that draws you in. I felt like I was standing behind Hawke watching and listening as he worked the puzzles, connected the dots. Once I started reading I literally did not put the book down until I was finished.

I also enjoyed Hawke's interactions with the people in his life. His awkward interactions with Justine and Dani had me chuckling.

Bottom line, this is a great read. I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had me from page one! I was so vested in the mysteries that I would stop reading and write down pertinent clue information as if I were Hawke's partner investigating these crimes! Yikes! I couldn't figure out who the bad guy was until the very end.

Hawke is such a stoic, straight-laced guy that I got a real kick out of the scene where he and Dani share a meal at the place where Justine works. Hawke doesn't want any of the town folks to think He and Dani are "together". He decides that he should leave before Dani but when he leaves he sees that Justine sat down in his seat and she and Dani had their heads together. This scene had me almost giggling as I read.

I really enjoyed this story and if you like police procedurals with a twist, you would enjoy this too

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabriel Hawke may wear the badge of a Fish and Wildlife State Trooper, but he's really a detective at heart with the linear thought process and mind for due diligence on a murder case that grows out of an illegal game kill license. And that was only the first murder. Since this is my first time meeting Hawke I still don't know exactly where he patrols and his ethnicity is not the kind of thing that screams at the reader like Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. What do I know, I live in Wisconsin. Good procedural with lots of twists, red herrings, and realistic, engaging characters. I think that this book stands alone very well and the only need to read the earlier ones is that I liked this one so much.
Narrator Larry Gorman gives an excellent performance.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: Book 3 of the "Gabriel Hawke" series was as twisted and coiled as the rattlesnake that was pictured on the cover of the book. While Trooper Hawke was checking tags to ensure that hunters were collecting only the game that they were entitled to bag, he found a hunter with an illegal tag. This started Trooper Hawke into an investigation which widened at every turn in the story. I liked the complex mystery. My admiration for Trooper Hawke as a character has grown with each succeeding tale. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Larry Gorman's narration was skillful and kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of this author for a while and this series, the Gabriel Hawke series, has captured me big time!! I found it very difficult to put this down so therefore finished it in record time! Hawke is intriguing and yet a real human being who is not without his issues, especially with women! Just ask his female friends Justine and Dani😀. He is like a dog with a bone when he is working a case. I look forward to reading more in this series. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a review.

[Holly Lenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rattlesnake Brother is an entertaining mystery with a Native American game warden who gets involved in an investigation that starts with a poaching arrest that leads to murder. This book is part of a series, but it works fine as a stand alone.

This is the third book I’ve listened to with this narrator, and I did not really care for him at first, but I found myself enjoying his narration this time around. So clearly he is growing on me.

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

[Ellen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elk season had just opened for those who requested and bought a tag. A known poacher Siglar says he got it from the DA, and questioning the DA said he didn’t buy one this year. Looking up the paper work he did, and you can not legally give them to another person. So why would the DA of all people lie, or is there blackmail.
A twist plot that became a murder of two people, Hawke goes back and forth interviewing people trying to find the link. An incident from their past set up this chain reaction that was as a snare and caught others.
Good flowing plot to the end.

[TAMMIE L HOTALING · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

This is another great series by a great author. I have read the Higheagle series which I really enjoyed. Now the Hawke series is even better. I have an interest in Native American mysteries, and have read Hillerman, Coel, Box, Chappel and so many others. It matters not what tribe is the center of the book,I love them all. Learning about the Nez Perce tribe through these character's has just deepened my interest and respect for all native Americans. Read the series. You will fall in love with Gabriel Hawke!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this well-written book. Gabriel Hawke finds a hunter with an illegal tag and while investigating, a murder takes place. He follows the clues to piece together the situation. Hawke, his animals and the secondary characters made for a really interesting book. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is #3 in the Gabriel Hawke series. This book was entertaining and I look forward to reading more stories in the series as well as other books by this author.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had me from the first page. Gabriel Hawke is a different kind of sleuth. I think that is why I like Jager's books so much, because they are not cookie cutter mysteries. The storyline has three murders, lots of twists and turns. I just love Jager's descriptive writing style, makes you feel like you are there. Definitely a page turner. look forward to reading more in this series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy I received from the author

[Tracey Tranter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is yet another great story from Ms Jager. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ms Jager again gives you a well written murder mystery full of suspense and intrigue that keeps you hooked from the beginning to the very end.

I had a lot of trouble putting it down.

I cannot wait to read her next story.

It is very rare for me to give a book five stars but this one deserves it.

Highly recommend.

[Roberta Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plausible situations and characters

Hawke is insiteful l!hut no genius.; seeks assistance and gives credit when due. He exhibits fear, remorse and empathy. Stumbles but owns his errors. Loves his animals. Deaths butno excess gore. female characters are well represented and vary widely.

[Joyce Burk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Gabriel Hawke Mystery

I did not guess the killers in this mystery which had some very interesting characters. My only problem while reading the book, it was difficult to remember all its many suspects. It would have been a good idea to list them at the beginning of the book.

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great narration from Larry Gorman

State Trooper Hawke is on a routine check, when he comes across a hunter with an illegal tag. Which starts a murder investigation. There is hardly any clues, lots of suspects, and plenty of twists. Throw in past wrongdoings, politics, and a couple of lady friends who form the Hawke fan club, making this a great murder mystery.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

After state trooper Hawk found a known poacher with a legal hunting tac, he discovers one body after the next and, like usual, starts investigating as insistently as ever, even if it's getting more confusing by the minute. Will he be able to solve the higher pilling of murder cases?
Hawk, his animals and friends do their best to solve the twisting and turning crimes

[Rose Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the third book of this series. I am fascinated with Wildlife State Trooper Hawk. The mystery that develops when he encounters a hunter with an illegal tag that incriminates the DA was such a fun read. I love trying to figure out who dun it. I also liked that Paty Jager continued the romance developing between Hawk and Dani, and that we find out how Kitree is doing, a character from the last book. Such a fun read. I actually listened to the audio version of this book and again, it was the same narrator from the last two books and he's so good. He definitely has become the voice of Hawk.

[Marsha L. Butterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have enjoyed the first three!

The Gabriel Hawke books are as interesting as the Shandra Higheagle books! Am going to have to check her other books. Patty Jager is a keeper. Don't take my word for it, read them yourself!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading how Gabriel uses his tracking skills to solve mysteries, and how he wants to know the answers to the issues he finds. He is not willing to leave it up to someone else to solve. Dani and Justine are wonderful side characters and help to keep Gabriel on his toes.

[Tracey S Choat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will there be a number 4?

I liked the first two books better than this book. I liked the main character better in the wilderness and I liked the Native American aspect both of which were slim in this book.

[Carol J. Carman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I love the Gabriel Hawke series. The are well thought out and logistically followed through. The fact that he is Native American makes it even better. We need more hero's and heroines like him and Dani Singer

[Tony R. Homer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Couldn't guess the ending. Have read all three, am looking to buy number four.

Great book Couldn't guess the ending. Have read all three, am looking to buy number four.



Keep writing about Hawke and friends.