A Death in Eden

Sean Stranahan #7

by Keith McCafferty

"Keith McCafferty is a top-notch, first-rate, can't-miss novelist."
--C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author

When scarecrows appear in the cliffs above Montana's famous Smith River and a little girl reports being chased by one in the night, state investigator Harold Little Feather is brought in to find the culprit. Are the menacing effigies related to a copper-mining project that threatens the purity of the Smith? That's Harold's initial suspicion, but his investigation takes an ominous turn when a decapitated body is found in the river.

As Harold's search leads him back in time through the canyon's history, Sean Stranahan launches his raft upriver. He has been hired to guide a floating party that includes Clint McCaine, the manager of the mine project; Bart Trueblood, the president of "Save The Smith," a grassroots organization devoted to stopping the project; and the documentarian filming their arguments. McCaine and Trueblood grew up on the Smith on neighboring ranches, and as they travel downstream, it's revealed that the two share a past that runs much deeper and darker than their opposing viewpoints.

The currents of the seemingly unrelated trips will soon flow together, and Stranahan's long-time love Sheriff Martha Ettinger will enter the fray as the boats hurtle toward a date with danger at a place called Table Rock. A Death in Eden is the seventh novel in the acclaimed Sean Stranahan mystery series.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Westerns, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

319 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2018

About the author

Keith McCafferty is the Survival and Outdoor Skills Editor of Field & Stream. He has written articles for publications as diverse as Fly Fisherman Magazine, Mother Earth News, Grays Sporting Journal and the Chicago Tribune, and on subjects ranging from mosquitoes to wolves to mercenaries and exorcism. Based in Montana and working on assignment around the globe he recently spent a month in India trekking the Himalayas, fishing for golden mahseer and studying tigers. Keith has won numerous awards, including the Robert Traver Award for angling literature. He has twice been a finalist for a National Magazine Award.

Reviews

[An · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Death in Eden is the seventh installment in the Sean Stranahan series. As someone who has never read the earlier novels (or any of Keith McCafferty's writings for that matter), I found the story easy to follow. McCafferty does a great job of capturing the atmosphere and landscape of Montana, and the central mystery is tightly plotted. It's also clear from the strong chemistry and character dynamics that the main cast have a rich history between them. Overall, I thought A Death in Eden was an enjoyable mystery set in the heart of America's mountain states.

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of A Death in Eden through Goodreads' Giveaways.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

There is something strange happening along the Smith River in Montana. Several scarecrows have been erected on the cliffs above the endangered waterway. Is someone putting them up to protest the proposed copper-mining project or is there something else going on. After a little girl claims to have been chased by one of the scarecrows State Investigator Harold Little Feather is brought in to put the matter to rest. Instead, his investigation turns up a headless body floating in the river.

While Investigator Little Feather digs deep into the canyon’s history to find answers, our protagonist Sean Stranahan is hired to guide a floating party down the river. The party includes the manager of the mine project, Clint McCaine, and the president of “Save the Smith”, Bart Trueblood, his group is trying everything to stop the mine project. They are joined by a documentarian who is filming their journey down the river and their arguments about the project.

Soon Sean’s group and Harold Little Feather come together and Sheriff Martha Ettinger joins them as they set up for a dangerous showdown.

I have enjoyed this series from the start and am a huge fan of the author’s laid-back writing style. From casting a line in the water to the characters traversing up, down, and around the river and its cliffs everything just comes to life. You can almost hear the rush of the water, smell the smoke from the campfires, and reach out and touch the cliffs. Mr. McCafferty does this better than many other authors that I have read. He really takes his readers on the journey.

This time our characters are a ways away from home and we meet several new characters with their own agendas. Harold Little Feather really shares the spotlight with Sean and Martha this time. He had expected a pretty low-key investigation so he invited the son he barely knows to meet up with him for the trip for a bit of bonding. I enjoyed getting to know him better and meeting his son very much. The acidic documentarian, Lillian Cartwright, brings her own drama to the situation. Anything to make a name for herself as she tees up “discussions” between McCaine and Trueblood. But there is a dark underbelly to this story. Someone has a score to settle and will go to any lengths to get what they want.

I was really drawn into this book by so many things. The fact that the scarecrows were located by ancient petroglyphs left by Native Americans. The history of it all was very captivating along with the mystery of Why? The Smith River itself and that people wait years for their names to be drawn in a lottery for the opportunity to float down the famous river. The dangers faced when you stop to camp like wild animals and rattlesnakes and other humans as well. All the character’s interactions were so enjoyable to observe.

The author’s keen wit can be felt throughout the story. Especially when it comes to Sean and Martha. Where will their relationship lead? I wonder if we will ever know but until then they do this unique dance throughout each story. One thing I do know is that they have each other’s back. When the bullets start to fly or a threatening menace arrives on the scene they will pull out all the stops to rescue each other and save the good people caught in the chaos. This time I was right up to the very edge of my seat and I am surprised there wasn’t smoke pouring out of my Kindle as everything came to a head.

A Death in Eden has become my favorite book in the series so far. Keith McCafferty is a superb storyteller. So much happens within the pages of this book it is almost impossible to put down while you are reading and it is a story that will stick with you long after you reach the end.

*Note the story does contain some explicit language.

[Cyn McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone is building huge scarecrows along the Smith River, apparently protesting a proposed copper mine in the area. Someone else is poaching bears in Yellowstone Park and taking just the gall bladders. Harold Little Feather is undercover investigating the second case, but he's pulled off it to investigate the first -- and then he and his son disappear. Sean and Martha have to solve both cases before snowmelt upstream swells the river to dangerous levels.

As always a little too technical with the fly fishing for those who don't fish, but the descriptions of the flies make them sound as gorgeous as the Montana scenery. McCafferty clearly loves the area. If you like your mysteries heavily laced with environmental consciousness, this is an excellent series.

[Chris Conley]

As usual, Montana is front and center in this latest Sean Stranahan story. Actually, this book is more Harold’s story but still very powerful.

[Tommy Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great nature imagery with a good mystery as well.

[Michael Rowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Keith McCafferty brings Montana alive in a way that makes me wish I’d been there, or was at least going for a visit!

This latest book feels like something of a departure at first. Sean is there, of course, and Martha, but this feels very much like Harold’s book. A significant part of the plot and story revolve around him and from his point of view, and at first I was, just off a moment, a little disappointed by that. That quickly turned to enjoyment, however, as it really felt like Harold was now fully part of the experience. Always intriguing, but somewhat distant, we finally we got to see the man himself.

This is a book about relationships: between friends, lovers, fathers and sons, people and animals, the land and the those living and working it. Of the threats and opportunities, the costs and responsibilities we all have to our environments.

I don’t fish, I don’t hunt, and I’ve never been to Montana, but Keith McCafferty brings it alive in all its seeming glory and faults. This may not be the most sophisticated plot of the series, or even the most satisfying, but it paints that landscape like you can almost hear the water and smell the trees. It made me think of larger things, and for that and the welcome return of characters that feel like old friends, I’ve given it five stars.

[Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

-3.49- Unfortunately this book started great, possibly 5 star territory and just took a wet healthy on me. The back story of a possible copper mine destroying the Smith river in Montana was interesting, but the "poaching ring" was less so. The story begins at a solid pace with our protagonist Sean Stranahan doing his usual solid job investigating a mystery tied to fishing. As per usual in the series it takes a downward spiral when Martha the tiresome Sheriff enters the equation. The best analogy I can provide to describe her personality is 40 grit sandpaper on a nut sack. She is a special level of coarse. Weather she is putting her fingers to her neck to check her pulse, being tiresomely insecure over nada, or making stupid comments under her breath she ruins the majority of books in which she is featured prominently. Alas, it is too much to hope for that she get killed off in some macabre fashion. The actual mystery devolves from implausible scenario to outright absurd story telling. Fingers crossed the bangtail ghost his next book does not contain this level of suckitude.

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again McCafferty has written a great book. Even though his main character Sean Stranahan doesn't take so much space in this book it's fun reading about the evolution of the people in this series. I actually think this was one of the best so far.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Keith McCafferty's books since I happened on the first in the series, The Royal Wulff Murders. Fly fishing fans will recognize that as the name of a fish fly, something I didn't know until I read the book. McCafferty has since written six more in his mystery series set Montana in beautiful fly fishing country. (you don't need to be a fisherman/woman to enjoy these books, don't think that for a minute) I recently finished his latest, A Death in Eden and if this doesn't make you want to go down the Smith River in Montana, nothing will. I just love books with both a good story and a setting that becomes almost like another character. His writing continues to grow and the characters continue to develop. Love this series.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Smith River and it’s towering cliffs with caves full of pictographs are really the heart of this novel. McCafferty presents the two opposing sides of copper mining under the river through two equally passionate and earnest advocates, although all the Stranahan Mysteries regulars seem to be on the side of keeping the mining out of this pristine area. Sean and Martha apparently come to a happy agreement at the very end of the book. I got lost in the VERY detailed descriptions of the land, the river, the caves, the cliffs and the danger involved for all who traverse the area.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read. Enjoy the characters (the 'good' guys anyway). Suspensful, good background and you can tell the research that went into it. I'm all for saving the Smith River from the copper mine now, too.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a Harold Little Feather story than Sean Stranahan but a good one involving poachers and a multinational copper mine as well as a float trip. The author has a nice picture presentation on his webpage of his Smith River float and fishing trip. For Harold the trip takes on more of a “Deliverance” vibe. Lots of personal surprises for both Harold and Sean in this book. It will be interesting to see how the author explores them in the next installment.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Read

Thank for another great read. Really suspenseful throughout the book. Keith McCafferty’s prose makes me want to take up fly fishing. Strong sense of place, accurately portrayed. I hope Keith is at work on another in this series.

[Kalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery; 7th in the Sean Stranahan series. Keith McCafferty always features a Montana locale and this time he selected the Smith River which you can float only by lottery. Adding the story of scarecrows and anti-mine slogans along the way was appropriate and interesting. This story focuses on Harold Little Feather (who is my favorite character in the series) and his son. Harold is investigating the scarecrows and graffiti which earns him a boatload of trouble along the way (pun intended). The author is well-versed in Montana locations and attitudes and it is reflected in his books. There are a few graphic scenes, so beware. Otherwise, this is everything you would anticipate in a Sean Stranahan book. Great read!

[Jessica Waters · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only made it through the first two chapters. Not a fan of foul language or poor character development. Seemed like every character was course and morally deficit by design as if that would make them interesting. Thankfully, I bought it used for $4. Only McCafferty book I’ve tried to read. Probably won’t try again.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After an undercover operation with some really intimidating and sketchy poachers, Harold Little Feather is tasked with investigating the installation of eerie scarecrows along the Swift River Canyon in Montana. The effigies have so alarmed tourists that the area parks superintendent has shut down the river to all but Harold’s investigation and a documentary crew. It doesn’t seem a high risk assignment so Harold invites his newly met teenage son to meet him on the river. Harold will travel along with a one-woman film crew, a copper mining executive, and his former childhood friend who objects to a potential mine near the river’s primary spawning aquifer.

Sean Stranahan, watercolorist, PI, exceptional tracker, and occasional tour guide, is one of the guides escorting the film crew. The documentary is promptly terminated when the mine opponent is struck by a rattlesnake. Harold is beginning to be alarmed by the near death on the documentary, rising river levels, and by the more threatening aspects of the scarecrows. He sends his son Marcus along with the film group to their pull out point planning to meet him there a day or so later.

Harold disappears as does Marcus. A headless body is found in the river. Stranahan who is also the lover of Sheriff Martha Ettinger and Harold’s friend starts looking for answers. There are multiple mysteries set in a gloomy and threatening ambiance. The interrelated subplots and multiple POV’s made it hard for me to get too involved in any of the characters other than Harold and his son. This is the seventh in the series which is a difficult place to start. I am intrigued enough to go back and start at the beginning. At this point I would recommend the series to readers who enjoy the challenges of the outdoors, the west, and books by C.J. Box, Paul Doiron, and Nevada Barr.

Readalikes:
William Kent Krueger’s Cork O'Connor mysteries; C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett novels and collection Shots Fired; Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series; Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch novels; Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries; Victoria Houston’s Loon Lake fishing mysteries; Kelley Armstrong – City of the Lost; J.A. Jance – Partner in Crime.

Pace: Fast
Characters: Culturally diverse
Story: Intricately plotted
Writing style: Richly detailed
Tone: Strong sense of place; Suspenseful
Frame: Smith River Canyon Montana; contemporary
Theme: Rural police

[Deon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Death in Eden, a Montana mystery features Sherriff Martha Ettinger, Sean Stranahan, and Harold Little Feather among a cast of other characters. They are all great to spend time with, but Harold Little Feather is a particularly appealing character and he has the lead in this edge of your seat story. Harold recently left his post as one of Martha’s deputies to take a position as a detective with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. He just came off of an undercover investigation involving some nasty men poaching bear to sell their gallbladders. It was not an assignment he enjoyed, the men were dangerous and Harold does not take kindly to hurting animals. So his new assignment is odd but welcome.

Montana’s Smith River is so gorgeous and remote; it is a 7 year wait to receive a permit to float the river. Lately someone has been putting up scarecrows above the river, with signs saying “NOT ON MY WATCH” and “N0 SMITH RIVER MINE”, sentiments Harold might agree with but the powers that be want the perpetrator caught. A documentary filmmaker, Lillian Cartwright, has permission to float the river with Clint McCaine (a wealthy man and manager of the mine project) and Bart Trueblood (president of Save the Smith dedicated to stopping the mine). Lillian figures the fur will fly with the two opponents trapped together on the river, giving her good filming opportunity. She hired Sam Meslik’s outfit to handle the float, Sean Stranahan is helping Sam.

As tensions rise and things grow sinister, Sheriff Martha Ettinger will enter the fray. I couldn’t put this book down! Had to know what was happening with Harold Little Feather. There are also surprises about the characters. Series fans will love this entry! If you are reading Keith McCafferty for the first time, this will make you want to read all of his books.

[Dragonlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

As tempers flare over a proposed copper mining operation close to Montana’s beautiful Smith River, an important fishery habitat, a series of disturbing scarecrows begin appearing on the overlooking cliffs. Not only are the figures scaring river rafters, they are frequently close to ancient petroglyphs left by Native Americans inciting fears of possible desecration. State investigator Harold Little Feather is assigned to float the river and investigate the effigies just as he learns he has a teenaged son who is going to accompany him on the trip.

As Harold begins looking into who is behind the scarecrows, river guide and private investigator Sean Stranahan along with longtime friend, Sam Meslik are taking rivals Clint McCaine, manager of the mining project and Bart Trueblood, president of a grassroots group dedicated to saving the Smith River on a float trip through one of the more picturesque sections. The river trip is the brainstorm of Lillian Cartwright, a driven if bitchy documentarian dedicated to making a name for herself. She hopes to get the two opponents engaged in lively discussions around the evening campfires. During the course of the trip, old wounds come to the surface but it is the discovery of a decapitated human body that shows someone on the river is playing for keeps.

Seventh of the Sean Stranahan series, this tale grabs your attention with the strength of a river current and doesn’t let go. The past plays a huge role in some surprising and potentially deadly ways. While the mystery is satisfying with plenty of twists and turns, it is the ongoing character building that really makes it work. One need not read previous titles in the series to fully enjoy this satisfying novel but of course, it helps.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#7 in the Sean Stranahan series. This 2018 series entry by author Keith McCafferty is a fine read that combines an action crime adventure modern western with an ecological message about the despoiling of our wild rivers by rapacious developers. Author McCafferty write a book that is impossible for me to skim, or even read rapidly. His prose reads like a string of finely crafted magazine articles with one gem of a situation or description after another. I've read his first seven novels in the last year and now anxiously await the next.

When scarecrows appear in the cliffs above Montana's famous Smith River and a little girl reports being chased by one in the night, state investigator Harold Little Feather is brought in to find the culprit. Are the menacing effigies related to a copper-mining project that threatens the purity of the Smith? That's Harold's initial suspicion, but his investigation takes an ominous turn when a decapitated body is found in the river. As Harold's search leads him back in time through the canyon's history, Sean Stranahan launches his raft upriver. He has been hired to guide a floating party that includes Clint McCaine, the manager of the mine project; Bart Trueblood, the president of 'Save The Smith,' a grassroots organization devoted to stopping the project; and the documentarian filming their arguments. McCaine and Trueblood grew up on the Smith on neighboring ranches, and as they travel downstream, it's revealed that the two share a past that runs much deeper and darker than their opposing viewpoints. The currents of the seemingly unrelated trips will soon flow together, and Sheriff Martha Ettinger will enter the fray.

[Cheryle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the previous books in this fine series and this newest addition is top notch.
"Keith McCafferty is a top-notch, first-rate, can't-miss novelist."
--C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author

When scarecrows appear in the cliffs above Montana's famous Smith River and a little girl reports being chased by one in the night, state investigator Harold Little Feather is brought in to find the culprit. Are the menacing effigies related to a copper-mining project that threatens the purity of the Smith? That's Harold's initial suspicion, but his investigation takes an ominous turn when a decapitated body is found in the river.

As Harold's search leads him back in time through the canyon's history, Sean Stranahan launches his raft upriver. He has been hired to guide a floating party that includes Clint McCaine, the manager of the mine project; Bart Trueblood, the president of “Save The Smith,” a grassroots organization devoted to stopping the project; and the documentarian filming their arguments. McCaine and Trueblood grew up on the Smith on neighboring ranches, and as they travel downstream, it’s revealed that the two share a past that runs much deeper and darker than their opposing viewpoints.

The currents of the seemingly unrelated trips will soon flow together, and Stranahan's long-time love Sheriff Martha Ettinger will enter the fray as the boats hurtle toward a date with danger at a place called Table Rock. A Death in Eden is the seventh novel in the acclaimed Sean Stranahan mystery series.

[Mark Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Death in Eden is the seventh of the Sean Stranahan mystery stories. There are six published before this one.
Sean is an outdoorsman and watercolorist who hangs out his shingle as a private detective. He is not a native Montanan. Keith deliberately chose to have Sean come from out of state in order to show Montana through fresh eyes. Keith McCafferty's experience in the outdoors and as a long-time contributor to Field and Stream influenced the series early on. As Keith says, he likes to create characters with whom he would like to hang out. Keith is an expert angler, and Sean is, too.
A Death in Eden is set on the Smith River and some of its tension is based in a real controversy about a copper mine going in close to this extremely popular but as yet pristine area. The Smith is so popular that it has long been necessary to limit the number of visitors by requiring a permit to float the river, the permits only available by winning a lottery. Other tension is implied in the use of "Eden" in the title. The title refers to the name of the famous float people take on the Smith, and it points to McCafferty's subtly use of imagery drawn from the Bible's Book of Genesis.
I had the opportunity to ask Keith if it is necessary to read the books in the series in order, beginning with the first. The answer is "no," the books are sequential, but the each book provides enough context so that you can read it without referring to any of the others.

[Homerun2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It can't be easy to sustain the quality of a character driven mystery series. But Keith McCafferty seems to be doing just fine with the Sean Stranahan books, of which this is #7.

These books are appealing on many levels -- the terrific Montana wilderness settings as affectionately described by fly fisherman-artist-private detective Sean Stranahan. The humor and wit of the dialogue and character interactions are a great pleasure, and the quirky ensemble cast never disappoints.

This outing highlights Harold Little Feather, Sean's friend, Sheriff Martha's ex-lover, and a superb tracker. He has been working undercover in a wild animal trafficking case involving some extremely nasty bad guys. And to spice things up a bit, Marcus, Harold's newly discovered teenage son is along for the ride. They are also checking out the appearance of large scarecrows bearing signs protesting possible copper mining development in the Smith River area.

Meanwhile Sean and Sheriff Martha are still dancing around their big question -- can these two independent and semi-cantankerous souls find happiness together on a permanent basis? I look forward to each new book in this enjoyable series. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley in return for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Dave Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harold Little Feather becomes the central figure in this seventh installment of the Sean Stranahan series by Keith McCafferty. The rest of the familiar crew are also involved, but Harold is the main focus. In addition, Harold discovers that he has a seventeen year old son after the death of his mother in an automobile accident, and in an attempt to get to know Marcus, Harold invites him along on an assignment. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, although it is probably not my favorite of the series. McCafferty does a masterful job of blending multiple storylines in this mystery. A proposed copper mine at the headwaters of the Smith River is a central theme, and poaching of bears combines to create a dangerous intersection of events for Harold. The interaction and bonding of a newly discovered father and son add depth, and of course we follow the ever evolving relationship between Sean and Martha Ettinger. Yet another angle describes the conflict between former childhood friends, Clint McCaine and Bart Trueblood. McCaine is an executive for the company promoting the copper mine and Trueblood heads up the organization opposing the environmental threat. There is a lot to sink your teeth into in A Death in Eden. I highly recommend it.

[bellasong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this novel through a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


This is my first Sean Stranahan novel. I didn't have any trouble getting into the plot; I rushed straight in and fell into the flow of things like we were old friends. Moreover, I couldn't keep up with the constant mysterious turn of events and was slightly surprised at some of the events of the plot. I very much liked how intimate the writer was with all of his characters. There was very much a fleshed out world everyone resided in and lived to their fullest in each their own way. The characterization and opposing viewpoints both resided in a good rationale put forward by the impending work of the copper mine both sides keep concerns over. And everyone also kept their own interests in mind as well. Regardless, the story carried well in every aspect. I laughed along with the funny parts, worried about the characters in their high-turned great peril, and was relieved by complete safety by the end of it. Thick and thin, this had me intrigued by a satisfying mystery and story.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCafferty's books are really special for me because I've been to many of the places in Montana that he writes about. This book is set on the Smith River near White Sulpher Springs which is in the north eastern part of the state. I haven't been to the river yet, but I'm determined to go. Sean Stranahan is a fly tyer, an artist and sometime detective. Someone is erecting huge scarecrows along the Smith River. The Smith is scenic and remote and so popular for floating that you need to get reservations to do it. The forest service hires Sean's friend Harold, a native American to find out why the scarecrows are being put up. The Smith is very controversial because a huge seam of copper has been discovered near by and there is a fight between those who want to mine it and those who want to protect the watershed for the river. (This is in fact actually happening.) While Harold and his son are investigating, they are kidnapped. Sean and his girlfriend Martha (a sheriff's deputy) set out to find him. It's a great story and the scenery is beautiful.

[KathyNV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't love camping, friends & family, small towns and a mystery? Add in my favorites of fly fishing, camping, pictographs and dogs (I love dogs!) and you have a great combination! This was an interesting and at times serious read, but so satisfying. I really loved the main characters Martha, Sam and Harold. Keith McCafferty wrote them a fast paced and intriguing story with the unusual themes of poaching and copper mining with it’s potential contamination of a prime spawning stream. Through his writing you will feel the chill in the air, hear the rush of the Smith River and smell fall in the air. I was surprised to find the challenge to the beautiful & wild Smith River is real and ongoing. This story spreads the word on the peril this 59 miles of pristine trout fishing river is in. Thank you to Penguin and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this wonderful book! I highly recommend it!

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through the First Reads program. It is the seventh in the series. I have not read the first six. My library doesn't have them. This may have contributed to my dissatisfaction with this book.
I found the characters to be bland. Maybe Mr. McCafferty did all the development of his main characters in the first six books. But I found nothing of interest here. I didn't care about the characters which makes the book very dull.
Too many plots spoil the book. Development of a mine versus preservation of wild land should have been the focus of the book. It was not developed enough. The other tangents were an unnecessary complication.
What Mr. McCafferty does do well is his descriptions of Montana. He is writing about what he knows and loves. It shows.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sighting of Scarecrows along Montana’s Smith River Canyon shut the river to white water rafters after guide Sean Stranahan last group already left to film a documentary on what copper mining would do to the river. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation assigned Harold Little Feather to figure out what is happening. Considering they shut down access to the river, scarecrows keep popping up. Relationships and tensions only increase friction as opposite side feud and emotions run rampant. The scenery is a character by itself. There are some unexpected twists and turns.

I was randomly chosen to receive this book. I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series that I've read. McCafferty is a good writer, capable of describing scenery, animal behavior, human interaction, adventurous activity, and violent action. In this book he's successfully interwoven two or three main storylines. He succeeds in making me want to visit the Smith River, although I'm not sure I'm up to navigating it, and he makes various idiosyncratic characters multidimensional. I wouldn't mind spending time with some of them. He also is fairly even-handed in explaining the opposing arguments of resource extractors and environmentalists. In the end, though, I'd say that he comes down on what I consider to be the right side of the argument. Save the Smith River!

[Mhd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started as a sort of average ok book. I had some thoughts of quitting but the writing and milieu and some of the characters were indeed interesting. About midway, there's an unexpected twist (and a little skip-able violence too graphic for me) and it turned into a page turner. I didn't know anything about the Smith River of the Greater Yellowstone area, despite having been there twice...I will sure research it now! I stumbled on this book and was so desperate for something to read that I read it even though it is #7. I will check out more McCafferty. With just one book read, I like Harold Little Feather better than Sean Stranahan. I also suspect/hope there will be more with Little Feather.