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.

I loved everything about this book, from its retro western book cover to its exciting, creepy plot. Are the scarecrows that have shown up along the Smith River in Montana, coming to life and killing people? Harold Little Feather walks a fine line between his role as a state investigator and his life as a Native American. He thinks the scarecrow sightings have something to do with a copper mining plan that has the potential to cause huge environmental harm to the river. The investigation ramps up when a body missing its head is found in the river. At the same time, a rafting expedition that includes the manager of the mine, the head of the group opposing the mine and a filmmaker documenting their arguments, sets off on a trip that proves treacherous and deadly.