To Kill a Common Loon

by Mitch Luckett

To Kill a Common Loon is part murder mystery, part contemporary fantasy, part eco-fable, and all fun. Harp P. Gravey, a down-and-out sometime-banjo picker, just wants to fulfill a deathbed promise to a friend and scatter his ashes in the wilderness. He never bargained on shape-shifting dragons, Indian Princesses, hat-loving cougars, and a villain who will stop at nothing to steal his friend's land.

Genres: Fiction

358 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Mitch Luckett spent the first 12 years of his life on a hard-scrabble farm in the hills of ol' Missouri. He did a stint in the Navy during the Vietnam era and returned to Missouri to get a BA in English Literature from Truman State University. He then headed west to Oregon and settled on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. He has been a hod-carrier, pre-school teacher, landscaper, school bus driver, and Portland Audubon Nature Sanctuaries Director.

Mitch enjoys storytelling, songwriting, and playing old-timey music. Mitch's flair for storytelling and music came together in a CD, "Tall Tales & Bluegrass." As a free-lance writer for thirty-five years, he has written dozens of articles and short stories for regional magazines and newspapers. "To Kill a Common Loon" was his first novel, followed by a sequel, "The Man in the Loon." "Holy Roller Heart" is his third novel.

Reviews

[Val Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

First, I love loons, so to hear him describe being a loon was so intriging. The idea of a loon as a power animal intrigued me even more. Tying in a murder mystery, a love story and a confused young man turned around through nature made this a book I couldnt put down.

[Barbara K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes you places you didn't know existed. In and out of sanity, in and out of insightfulness, from sky to water, from city hysteria to Native American backwater, this book will carry you along its currents and eddies. You'll remain immersed and be sorry when it's over.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this contemporary fantasy. The descriptions drew me in so that I felt like I was actually present. I laughed out loud and am looking forward to a sequel.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book!!