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Peter Bowen's spare and lyrical novels continue to garner wide praise from critics and attract new readers. With his latest in the Gabriel Du Pre series, Bowen delights us once again with singular characters, an exceptional mystery, and a flawlessly rendered Montana landscape.

In the Wolf Mountains of Toussaint, Montana, old family secrets, forgotten for more than a hundred years, come to light when Larry Messmer, the son of one of the town's oldest ranching families, decides to auction off the Messmer cattle. As word of the pending sale spreads, cattle-brand inspector and fiddler Gabriel Du Pre quickly uncovers a string of unexplained deaths buried deep in the Messmer clan's past.

Then a woman is found dead in Wyoming--shot and burned in her car. Found in her trunk is a cooler containing traces of cocaine and heroin, and a detective's hunch brings him to Larry Messmer. Du Pre reluctantly agrees to keep an eye on Messmer for the FBI, which wants him for more than just this young woman's murder.

Steeped in the rich traditions of the Metis people and filled with deft plot twists, Long Son is indisputable proof of this author's rare talent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Poor Service
Finally got this book almost 30 days after I ordered it!!Received another book 5 days after ordering it from Amazon, what a difference. Will not order from this store again. Book was in poor condition, broken spine and pages falling out, not as described

Mean damn country.I love it.
"I hate it when them places go,"said Madeline."All the stories are gone, too."Peter Bowen does a masterful keeping the stories from going.Du Pre, his beautiful lover Madeline, family and friends Metis, descendents of French voyageurs and their Indian wives, in the mean damn Montana Du Pre loves.This one is of retribution, of old families, of honor, of Du Pre's fiddle and the old songs, of a youngster wanting Du Pre to extend to her the torch of musical raconteur, of FBI agents stuffy and zany.

Find a youngster and start him/her on this for a little-known era of history, of local color, of excellent writing about a beloved subject.The child will bless you for it.

And aren't books for sharing as well as loving?You were born to make the world a better place.Here's one way to do it.

"Song, a long time gone, comes here."
The history of ranching around northern Montana towns like Toussaint is violent, frequently illegal, and, often, a desperate struggle to survive.The Messmer family has had more than their share of badness and bad luck.The current heir, Larry Messmer, has decided t sell of the ranch and its trappings wholesale, with a great deal of disregard for the community around him.He is a singularily unpleasant man, and it surprises Gabriel Du Pré not one but when Larry turns up dead.

This isn't the type of case Gabriel relishes investigating.Messmer had no redeeming qualities and sudden violent death is an old family habit.But it quickly becomes apparent that more is going on than the demise of a ranch.But one group of people suspect Du Pré of the murder, so he has little choice.Now the possibilities cover everything from money laundering to revenge for the crimes of a previous generation.

All of this with Gabriel in the middle - shot at, controlled by his women, and hassled by Benetsee, a shaman who seems to remember everything at his own convenience.Once again, Bowen pits a contemporary story against the old legends and customs of the Metís.They are the Indians of the northern borders here since before the French and The English, created out of a blend of the tribes around them.Some would deny them a heritage, but Bowen quickly makes it clear that this is a rich and talented people.

One can't help but wish that the Montana of Peter Bowen really existed in all its unspoiled and unexpected splendor.Peopled by modern warriors and musicians, as well as folks to corrupt they could curdle milk. Not a world I would be likely to survive in, but one whose freshness is a perpetual seduction.

The evil that men do
Sometimes a family can live like an unhealed sore in the body of a community, threatening to infect the innocent, generation after generation.In the case of the Messmer family, evil skipped a generation then returned full force to destroy what remained of the good.

This sixth Gabriel Du Pré mystery begins at an auction on the Messmer family ranch, about forty miles west of Toussaint.The current owners died in a road accident and the one remaining son is selling almost all of the moveable property.The FBI wants Du Pré to keep an eye on the ranch and the surviving son, but he resists the request of Harvey Wallace, aka Harvey Weasel Fat, Blackfoot and FBI agent:

"'I am old, tired, want to drink, sleep, play a little music,' said Du Pré.`You call, I get no sleep, drink too much, don't play music, maybe get shot at, something.Maybe I hang up, you call back I am gone, no one knows where.'"

Du Pré doesn't disappear but his friend, the Shaman Benetsee does (at least, temporarily).Something evil is afoot on the Messmer ranch, something so dangerous that Du Pré's long-time mistress, Madelaine decides to pay a visit to her Turtle Mountain kin.Du Pré, who is on the villains' hit list bunks up with his friends Bart and Booger Tom.

My problem with this Du Pré mystery is that "Long Son"s plot loses needed focus about half way through.The villains become more generic, as does their evil-doing.Du Pré puts his tracking skills to work at the ranch, and later at Benetsee's cabin, but his heart isn't really in the search---especially when it becomes clear that one of the villains has saved Du Pré's life.

Even as the plot tangles in on itself, the author, Peter Bowen moves from strength to strength in allowing his readers to experience the haunting, intensely familial, whisky-soaked lives of his Métis characters.`The Song of Genevette' is an old Métis ballad whose verses Du Pré must complete in order to find the murderer.It also leads him into the heart of the evil that seeped down through generations of Messmers, and caused their ultimate doom.

Good Bowen. Not the best, but good.
Gabriel Du Pré is definitely one of my favorite characters in fiction...as is Bart Fascelli. Anyone familiar with Bowen's writing will be right at home with Long Son. Readers looking for an introduction to Bowen would be better off starting with Notches or Wolf, No Wolf.

The story is, asusual, wandering. Readers who like to try and solve the mystery beforehandwill be tested not by the complexity of the mystery but by the diversity ofits elements. In the end, it's good Bowen, if not his best Du Pré work. Thestories of the Métis are, as usual, well worth the read in and ofthemselves.

Regarding comments by Kirkus and other reviewers, a couple ofitems. First, the dialect is authentic, if only to a specific population ofMontanans. Just because you don't recognize it doesn't make it nonexistent.Also, Montana does have a daytime speed limit. So I'm not sure where thatcriticism comes from.

Kirkus objects to the "wandering plot"and "casually obscene" conversation. I don't find that the plotwanders any more than Bowen's normal wont, and my daily conversations areno more "casually obscene" than Du Pré's. Maybe it's just whereI'm from.

Good writer, good read. Money well spent. ... Read more

Product Description
Cattle inspector and part-time deputy Gabriel Du Pre, totally at home in the modern Montana frontier, investigates the history of a troubled family after discovering a skeleton at an desolate ranch, learning something about his own secrets in the process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Tony Hillerman meets Zane Grey
“Coyote Wind” is a darn near perfect specimen of a mixed-genre mystery ... western. Gabriel Du Pré is laconic, honorable, and wise to the ways of the Big Sky Country---a throwback to the noble cowboy-hero of Zane Grey’s novels.He is a vulnerable hero, a Métis descendant of the French Voyageurs and Plains Indians.He has problems with his teenage daughter, who has shaved off part of her hair and dyed the rest of it a weird color.His mistress won’t marry him because in the eyes of the Church, she is still married to the sleaze who deserted her many years past.He is plagued throughout the book by an alcoholic Métis prophet.

Du Pré’s voice is unique, and perfect for this story.His dialogue is short, punchy, flicked with mordant barbs---an arrow in your heart when you are least expecting it.Two chapters into the book, found myself talking, thinking like Du Pré. Sounds like this:

“Du Pré knelt, looked, crossed himself.Some days he didn’t believe in God, but he did believe in crossing himself.

“Maybe this let you sleep now,” said Du Pré.He picked up the white skull, the color of the giant puffball mushrooms that came up in pastures in the wet years.The mushrooms were bigger, and startling in the green.

“’Now I got someone’s head in my hands, I thinking on frying mushrooms,’ Du Pré said aloud. ‘Dumb bastard’.”

The mystery of who killed whom in “Coyote Wind” is fairly easy to unravel once you get to know and care about the characters.It almost had to occur, considering the people involved.It becomes more important to see if Du Pré can help a friend stop drinking, rather than to figure out who murdered his friend’s brother.As Du Pré keeps telling everyone who will listen:“I ain’t a cop…I am a [brand inspector].”

Nevertheless, it is Du Pré who is tapped to solve a thirty-year-old murder. He goes about it in a style that is perfectly tuned to his character.Not a single false note from Du Pré or his fiddle.

“Coyote Wind” is a very satisfying read. ... Read more

Product Description
From the reviews: "... They (Gabriel and Roiter) are pioneers in this subject and they have included proofs for statements which in their opinions are elementary, those which will help further understanding and those which are scarcely available elsewhere. They attempt to take us up to the point where we can find our way in the original literature. ..." The Mathematical Gazette, 1993 "... The standard of this text is high and will be definitely appreciated by the algebraic community." Monatshefte Mathematik, 1994 "..This book is very welcome because it presents some basic material and at the same time it presents some new insights of the theory. ..." Zentralblatt fr Mathematik, 1996 ... Read more

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RFID is a key technology for Europe. Today there is a noticeable shift away from the days of RFID pilot projects, and towards a time where organisations are looking to RFID to drive efficiency and innovation. Although Europe is a leading player in the world of RFID technology, several challenges which are preventing RFID from reaching its full potential need to be addressed.

To further the advancement of this technology, coordinated European efforts need to be promoted, specifically in the areas of standardisation, user guidelines, legislation, technology development, and research and development. These themes have been analysed, and clear recommendations have been derived, stating what the different RFID stakeholders can do to support the technology. This book is aimed at decision makers in all fields of society, e.g. in companies, politics, business associations, etc.

The publication is a summary of the results of the coordination action CE RFID - "Coordinating European Efforts in the RFID Value Chain" - and is a network of European RFID technology providers, vendors and end users. It aims at promoting the use of RFID technology and supporting further development. The project was funded by the European Commission under the 6th Framework Programme.

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At the time of the writing, the author was a Professor of Physics, Syracuse Univ. The purpose as stated by the author is to present the theory or relativity for students of physics and mathematics who have had no previous introduction to the subject. ... Read more

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This book is the first time in over 20 years that Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford have collaborated creatively on a project, working together to create the complete history of Genesis. An intimate, no-holds-barred, no-stone-unturned history that allows character and personality to come to the forefront. Covering the band's story as well as the writing and performance of significant songs from each period, this treasure trove of text and photographs provides insight into the way this exceptional group of songwriters worked together. An exclusive look into the life and times of one of rock's most influential and lasting groups. ... Read more

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Biostatistik - Die Vermessung des Lebendigen

Rasch statistische Verfahren zur Auswertung experimenteller Daten lernen und handhaben – das ist mit dieser bewährten und sehr gut verständlichen Einführung in die Biometrie ganz einfach. Grundlagen und Anwendung werden gleichermaßen dargestellt, wobei biologische und agrarwissenschaftliche Beispiele besonders berücksichtigt werden. Die Autoren vermitteln dem Anwender – soweit möglich ohne Formeln und mathematische Symbolik - zunächst ein Verständnis für die hinter dem Verfahren stehende Grundidee. Übersichtliche Rechenanleitungen regen den Leser an, die Verfahren anhand der Beispieldaten wirklich nachzurechnen. Das Buch ist als Begleittext zu einer Vorlesung ebenso geeignet wie zum Selbststudium, um darauf aufbauend alleine oder mit dem Statistiker komplexe statistische Verfahren anzuwenden.

Das Werkzeug dazu finden Sie in diesem Buch.

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From the reviews:
"... They (Gabriel and Roiter) are pioneers in this subject and they have included proofs for statements which in their opinions are elementary, those which will help further understanding and those which are scarcely available elsewhere. They attempt to take us up to the point where we can find our way in the original literature. ..." The Mathematical Gazette, 1993
"... The standard of this text is high and will be definitely appreciated by the algebraic community." Monatshefte Mathematik, 1994
"..This book is very welcome because it presents some basic material and at the same time it presents some new insights of the theory. ..." Zentralblatt für Mathematik, 1996 ... Read more