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Wolf Catcher
A reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician and discovers that black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.
In 1939, archaeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate beadwork, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine-hundred years earlier, was a magician.
Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archaeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.
In 1939, archaeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate beadwork, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine-hundred years earlier, was a magician.
Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archaeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2016
About the author
Anne Montgomery
7 books37 followers Anne Butler Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. Her first TV job came at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, and led to positions at WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, and ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter. She finished her on‐camera broadcasting career with a two‐year stint as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery was a freelance and/or staff reporter for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. Her previous novels are, The Castle, A Light in the Desert, Wolf Catcher, The Scent of Rain, and Wild Horses on the Salt. Montgomery taught journalism and communications at South Mountain High School in Phoenix for 20 years. She is a foster mom to three sons, and spent 40 years officiating amateur sports, including football, baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball. When she can, she indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, musical theater, and playing her guitar.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 17, 2022
Once again the author has created a beautiful story with a powerful message. The thing that stands out to me the most is all of the research she does. I could tell from the beginning that she was confident in her knowledge and she put it to use.
And she also does an excellent job of citing her research. There’s even a page in the back where she tells what came from research and where she took artistic liberties. Her attention to detail is astounding. She took a piece of history and brought it to life.
And while I could rave about good research all day let’s talk about the actual story. There are several different perspectives and she pieces the plot together through them, and it’s done in a really effective way. All of the characters’ stories were of equal importance and brought their own flavor to the overall story. And I won’t go into too much detail but I love how she used the white wolf from the ancient plot line to tie up the ending of one of the modern day plot lines. I just can’t say enough good things about Wolf Catcher
https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/03/16/...
And she also does an excellent job of citing her research. There’s even a page in the back where she tells what came from research and where she took artistic liberties. Her attention to detail is astounding. She took a piece of history and brought it to life.
And while I could rave about good research all day let’s talk about the actual story. There are several different perspectives and she pieces the plot together through them, and it’s done in a really effective way. All of the characters’ stories were of equal importance and brought their own flavor to the overall story. And I won’t go into too much detail but I love how she used the white wolf from the ancient plot line to tie up the ending of one of the modern day plot lines. I just can’t say enough good things about Wolf Catcher
https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/03/16/...
March 13, 2022
Read my full review on Rosepoint Publishing.
I was deeply and thoroughly embroiled in this imaginative novel that split the storyline in dual narratives: The current one and the eleventh century capturing a native people written so cleverly, you’d swear it was taken from the pages of a diary.
Kate Butler is a freelancer working on an article regarding the discovery in 1939 of a tomb near Ridge Ruin where a man buried nine hundred years previously was obviously a magician and sacred member of the tribe populating the ridge. But was he of the tribe? If not, where did he come from? And here’s where it turns fascinating—enter the world of Kaya, Wolf Catcher, Deer Runner, Badger, and the white wolf, Spirit Warrior.
Active volcanoes in the eleventh century forced tribal members to abandon their villages for greener pastures. Some peoples were peacefully assimilated; some not.
Kaya, accepted to her village as a child, is a healer. I loved her character and that of the support characters of the village. Their experience as the storyline hurtles to conclusion is gripping.
The novel melds seamlessly much of fact with fiction. The tribal experience coupled with present day looting of sites turns into an unputdownable account that includes a crushingly plausible antagonist bent on stealing artifacts.
Well researched, well-plotted and paced, a historical mystery that raises still more unanswered questions about the migrations and origins of peoples and artifacts found in unlikely places.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts. Totally recommended!
I was deeply and thoroughly embroiled in this imaginative novel that split the storyline in dual narratives: The current one and the eleventh century capturing a native people written so cleverly, you’d swear it was taken from the pages of a diary.
Kate Butler is a freelancer working on an article regarding the discovery in 1939 of a tomb near Ridge Ruin where a man buried nine hundred years previously was obviously a magician and sacred member of the tribe populating the ridge. But was he of the tribe? If not, where did he come from? And here’s where it turns fascinating—enter the world of Kaya, Wolf Catcher, Deer Runner, Badger, and the white wolf, Spirit Warrior.
Active volcanoes in the eleventh century forced tribal members to abandon their villages for greener pastures. Some peoples were peacefully assimilated; some not.
Kaya, accepted to her village as a child, is a healer. I loved her character and that of the support characters of the village. Their experience as the storyline hurtles to conclusion is gripping.
The novel melds seamlessly much of fact with fiction. The tribal experience coupled with present day looting of sites turns into an unputdownable account that includes a crushingly plausible antagonist bent on stealing artifacts.
Well researched, well-plotted and paced, a historical mystery that raises still more unanswered questions about the migrations and origins of peoples and artifacts found in unlikely places.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts. Totally recommended!
June 2, 2022
In 1939, a tomb in Ridge Ruin was uncovered, containing the remains of a man dressed with fine turquoise jewelry and intricate beadwork, surrounded by myriad pots, arrow points, and fine mineral specimens. Wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands that the Hopi workers explained identified him as a magician. Kate Butler, a former television reporter, researches the remains, finding different characteristics in his bone structure from those living in the area. Her research takes her into the area as it was nine hundred years before, as well as the modern-day black market for antiquities.
Montgomery was a journalist and had reported on the Magician. Many of the situations she went through were translated to Kate in the story. The new volcano shattered the life of the people living in the Arizona desert, and forced them to move around and potentially join other villages. Not everyone welcomed such change, and it's definitely something we can see in modern-day people. This is richly imagined in Kaya's story, in that as much as she's a healer, she still feels distant from others in the village. Centuries later, the differences between the Magician from the other people draw Kate's attention to him and pique her interest in researching him. Unfortunately, in the beginning, she comes across as entitled and disrespectful of Hopi wishes.
The current day looting is inherently dangerous. It takes a while before we see the looter of the story, or learn how it can be done so easily. We have insight into the looting with one present-day thread, the investigation is the other present-day thread, and then we have Kaya healing a beaten man with blue eyes. As Kate learns more about how archaeology works, so do we, and we all learn a lot more about the time period and how scholars figured it out. To be honest, I find the looter's thread the most boring. (Which is saying something, given that it's dangerous and there is the final battle to worry about!) I like the past story the best, seeing how the village works, the personalities at play, and the mystery of who Wolf Catcher used to be before he was found. It's an interesting story, and one I enjoyed reading.
Montgomery was a journalist and had reported on the Magician. Many of the situations she went through were translated to Kate in the story. The new volcano shattered the life of the people living in the Arizona desert, and forced them to move around and potentially join other villages. Not everyone welcomed such change, and it's definitely something we can see in modern-day people. This is richly imagined in Kaya's story, in that as much as she's a healer, she still feels distant from others in the village. Centuries later, the differences between the Magician from the other people draw Kate's attention to him and pique her interest in researching him. Unfortunately, in the beginning, she comes across as entitled and disrespectful of Hopi wishes.
The current day looting is inherently dangerous. It takes a while before we see the looter of the story, or learn how it can be done so easily. We have insight into the looting with one present-day thread, the investigation is the other present-day thread, and then we have Kaya healing a beaten man with blue eyes. As Kate learns more about how archaeology works, so do we, and we all learn a lot more about the time period and how scholars figured it out. To be honest, I find the looter's thread the most boring. (Which is saying something, given that it's dangerous and there is the final battle to worry about!) I like the past story the best, seeing how the village works, the personalities at play, and the mystery of who Wolf Catcher used to be before he was found. It's an interesting story, and one I enjoyed reading.
February 9, 2022
Kate Butler maintains her investigative journalism career by freelancing. Her latest project, focused on the discovery of a tomb in the Arizona desert, is near Flagstaff. Artifacts found at the site indicate the individual buried was a magician. When inconsistencies in the magician’s appearance raise questions about his origins, Butler is carried back in time to when a volcano changed the landscape of the high desert. But her investigation is not without its perils as she faces the black market world of antiquities sales.
Montgomery crafts a very well-researched narrative with some interesting twists and turns. I found myself getting increasingly invested in the story through the duel storyline, incorporating elements of tribal life into the modern investigation of Kate Butler and the archeological team.
Kate Butler’s character has a nicely layered complexity. The story is very well-paced, reaching a page-turning, action-packed climax to the end. I enjoyed the relationship between Kate and Cooper.
This story has all the elements of a great suspense drama centered around a historical mystery. I’d like to thank the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Montgomery crafts a very well-researched narrative with some interesting twists and turns. I found myself getting increasingly invested in the story through the duel storyline, incorporating elements of tribal life into the modern investigation of Kate Butler and the archeological team.
Kate Butler’s character has a nicely layered complexity. The story is very well-paced, reaching a page-turning, action-packed climax to the end. I enjoyed the relationship between Kate and Cooper.
This story has all the elements of a great suspense drama centered around a historical mystery. I’d like to thank the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
June 26, 2023
The author’s ability to interweave the past and the present was masterful. The characters were complex and interesting, especially with the underlying theme of rethinking the history of worldly human migration.
I saw myself in the book, through both Kate and Kaya, through the accurate representation of the balance women face between their passions, society and partnership. Without giving away the ending, the emotions I experienced in the last chapters were ones rarely felt when finishing other books. A real page turner and I am wondering when the movie is going to be made!!?
I saw myself in the book, through both Kate and Kaya, through the accurate representation of the balance women face between their passions, society and partnership. Without giving away the ending, the emotions I experienced in the last chapters were ones rarely felt when finishing other books. A real page turner and I am wondering when the movie is going to be made!!?
October 6, 2022
As a native Arizonan, I especially enjoyed this multi-layered story that not only entertains on its face, but also delves into the rich history of the indigenous people who populated the state centuries ago. The scenes are expertly drawn, and the characters come alive on the page to engage the reader in both the story and the setting. A unique and worthwhile read.
December 21, 2022
Wolf Catcher is such a fun read. If like me you like your adventure yarns with a historical background, this book is for you. The story shifts between the current world of Kate, a journalist writing about a mummy, “The Magician”, found in the ruins of a Hopi village - who was he, where did he come from? – and the 12th century when the man lived. Anne Montgomery, a former reporter herself, did her meticulous research and she brings the ancient Arizona people back to life in full and exciting colors.
April 5, 2022
In general, we Europeans have little knowledge of pre-colonial American history. Through meticulous research, Anne Montgomery opens a window on ancient Arizona native Indian culture. Not only does she take us into the carefully reconstructed daily life of the Hopi, but she also cleverly links the past to the present by involving those detectives of the past: archaeologists. I use the term detectives deliberately because their work is not just uncovering the difficult-to-find artifacts but involves combatting looters who, often in a family tradition, try to make an illicit fortune from extremely valuable objects, desecrating sites and knowledge as they operate. I love Ms Montgomery’s detailed descriptions of Hopi manufacture and lifestyle. The author describes strong characters through whom we learn about interpersonal relationships, religious beliefs and as the title suggests, relationship with nature. It might be a minor detail, but I also got a glimpse of modern Arizona. In all, a very satisfying well written novel, whose plot grips the reader. I don’t cover that aspect for fear of spoilers, but wholeheartedly recommend this excellent novel to lovers of history and archaeology.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews