Hungry Ghost

Howard Moon Deer #7

by Robert Westbrook

On a cold November night, Howard Moon Deer is walking home through the woods when he is accosted by a ghost from his Nick Stanton, his long-ago roommate at college, who makes a seemingly simple request for Howie to take a message to his sister, Grace. But Nick is an eco-terrorist who is on the run from the FBI and his beautiful sister Grace, now a bestselling author, was Howie’s first love when he was nineteen. Their father is U.S. Senator Harlan Stanton and when murder intrudes at the family’s secluded New Mexico ranch, Howie finds himself the prime suspect in a baffling series of deaths. Fifty years ago, the property where the Stanton Ranch now stands was an Indian boarding school where a sensational murder occurred, and it looks as though the horror of this old crime has returned to haunt the present. With Howie in jail, it is up to Jack Wilder to clear his name and discover the real killer before violence strikes again. HUNGRY GHOST is a deadly family drama of passions, murder, money, and lies. "Fans of Hillerman will love this unique and quirky detective duo." —Leslie Glass, bestselling author of Tracking Time "Westbrook...possesses a masterful sense of narration."—The Washington Post Book World "A racy and readable writer." —The New York Times Book Review

Genres: Native American

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2021

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good if you like a mild mystery as I do!

[J.J. Rusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rich and privileged sure make for juicy suspects and villains. That’s certainly the case in “Hungry Ghost,” latest book in Robert Westbrook’s Howard Moon Deer Mystery series. Moon Deer straddles several worlds. He's a poor-kid educated at Dartmouth because of his Lakota Sioux heritage. Still a dissertation short of a PhD, Howie has been working for years (and in six previous mysteries) as a private investigator in a small New Mexico town.

This time, his Ivy-League past and a rich former girlfriend draw him (and his boss Jack Wilder) into a hugely complicated, generation-straddling tale of intrigue, deceit, and murder. Westbrook doesn’t miss a trick, layering one surprise atop another, right up to the final chapter. I do wonder how in the age of the iPhone Howie manages to rent a Chevy Nova in West Palm Beach. (Last one rolled off the assembly line in 1988.) Maybe an insider joke—the poor guy has no luck with cars? But no matter, this is a wonderful addition to a fine series.

[Sunnyblueyez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each Book is Better than the Last

I have become a huge fan of Westbrook’s novels. Each story improves on the characters, & even the return of previous characters are well developed & fleshed out. As sad & horrifying as murders are, Westbrook manages to include humor as well. Just finished the series to #7, & pleased to discover another book on it’s way! Definitely looking forward to the next one!

[Laura Poppenwimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series, the main characters are a big unusual for private detectives, one a blind retired police officer and the other working on his PhD. The plots are engaging and the writing style keeps you turning the pages. This book seemed to have more plot twists than the earlier books and I didn't see the ending coming.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast action and a dusty past

Howard is in over his head from the very first page! The present and the past keep coming together to confuse what he has become involved in. People he knows die and he is always nearby! Can Jack bail him out of this? Only time will tell!

[jack armer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story lots of twist and turns couldn't put it down

[William A. Frye]

Great series

I really hated to have this series end, I loved the characters and the suspense flowed throughout. The plots were well written and kept the reader wanting more!