Buffalo Jump Blues (Sean Stranahan)

In Buffalo Jump Blues Keith McCafferty transports readers to southwestern Montana where fly fishing is a way of life and a source of livelihood. The beauty of Madison Valley is disrupted when a herd of bison wander from public land and plunge to their deaths.

The efforts of Sheriff Martha Ettinger and her deputy Harold Little Feather are rivaled by private investigator/watercolor artist/fishing guide Sean Stranahan in a race to find the catalyst for the bisons’ demise.

McCafferty skillfully weaves characters from diverse backgrounds (Blackfeet, Chippewa Cree, Botswanan, Ivy League university students, activists, local fly fishermen, mermaids) into a cohesive plot focused on solving the mystery.

In the process, a subplot emerges concerning the rescue and survival of a bison calf which brings together representatives of the Montana Department of Livestock, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Animal Damage Control, Intertribal Buffalo Council, Sheriff Ettinger, Deputy Little Feather, and others, causing conflicts along the way.

Buffalo Jump Blues is highly recommended because of McCafferty’s excellent writing, engaging characters, and an abundance of action peppered with bits of interesting historical information.