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Morning Mist of Blood by Eric Wilder Gondwana Press
book review by Marjetta Geerling
"Coyotes didn't worry the man but another sound did, riveting it along with the slow burning fire in his gut. Some tortured creature was crying out, its tormented moans echoing through the darkness."
Eric Wilder's western-flavored mystery is jam packed with exciting adventure for former cop and cowboy Buck McDivit, the private detective hired to discover who killed a local ranch hand. Buck's murder investigation uncovers cattle rustling, cattle breeding secrets, shenanigans at an oil company, and the secrets of what exactly all those women do on their pagan commune inconveniently located in the middle of cattle country.
With the help of old friends, new acquaintances, and ex-girlfriends, Buck follows every lead, no matter the danger to himself. There's nowhere Buck's not willing to go, even if it means traveling in the spirit realm, and nothing he's not willing to do, like using his ladies man charms to enlist the aid of a suspect's girlfriend, to find information about the mysterious circumstances that pile up around him. Sorting through the personal and case-related facts becomes quite challenging for Buck. Between his bed-hopping, involvement with the women's commune, brushes with the supernatural, investigation of the oil company, and other personal issues that arise throughout the novel, the murder seems to lose its importance. However, once Buck's life becomes endangered, he refocuses on finding the killer and the mystery gets back on track to a satisfying ending.
Morning Mist of Blood is fast-paced and peopled with many memorable characters. Wilder has a particular talent for description and the Oklahoma details felt personal and real. With moody settings and funny dialogue, Wilder crafts an entertaining story for mystery lovers to enjoy.