Shadow of the Raven

By David Sundstrand

Book Overview

Francisco Flynn is an officer in Land Management in the Mojave Desert, and he wouldn't have it any other way. The son of an Irish immigrant railroad man and a half-Mexican, half-Paiute mother, he lives in the caboose that his father brought up to a hilltop when the railroad stopped running there. Frank loves the desert and the animals that live there. He loathes the wealthy hunters who hire Indians to lead them to where they can shoot Bighorn rams and take their heads to hang as trophies on the walls of their fancy studies. Over the years, Frank has come upon dead bodies---the remains of people who got lost and ran out of water, their corpses drying into mummies in the desert heat. But now he finds a dead man who has only recently lost his life, and it looks very much like he's been murdered. His shoes are gone, he's shirtless, and there is no canteen anywhere in sight. A day or so later, Frank hears word of a trio of bikers who have blown into town looking for a missing comrade. They pick fights in the local bar and don't hesitate to kill when it suits them. Frank is certain that the dead man he found is connected to them, and that many people could be endangered, including the woman reporter he has learned to love. Frank will do anything to rid his desert of the bikers who are spreading danger and hate, including putting his own life on the line. With Shadow of the Raven, David Sundstrand adds a shining new voice to Southwestern crime fiction.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312361351
• ISBN13: 9780312361358
• Release Date: February 2007
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.1" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

nice read

How I wish that the BLM really had people like Frank on the job. Between the offroaders and people who dump their trash in the desert the BLM is very understaffed. Any way I enjoyed the book very much. Not like Tony Hillerman or Nevada Barr but fun and it kept me, reading way pass my bedtime. I am looking forward to the next "Frank" book.

Rich characters

Francisco "Frank" Flynn is an officer with the Land Management. He's the son of an Irishman and a half-Mexican and half-Paiute Indian. His passion is the animal life of the Mohave Desert. When he finds a man who has been recently murdered, he becomes suspicious. It's not unusual for someone to die in the desert, but this corpse has no shoes or canteen. Later, Frank learns that some bikers are searching for a missing friend. He believes the dead man is the biker the men are looking for. Frank loathes the bikers and is determined to rid the desert of this human danger. He and reporter Linda Reyes look into the man's unusual death, and as a result, danger begins seeking them. I love the character of Frank. His passion runs true and deep, his voice strong, his determination is fierce. The supporting characters are richly drawn and you love to hate the bad guys. The plot is delicious and you'll find yourself turning the pages and losing track of time. Armchair Interviews says: Sundstrand's debut novel, Shadow of the Raven, is a winner.

fabulous whodunit

On his off day, Bureau of Land Management officer Francisco "Frank" Flynn plans to spend time enjoying the bighorn sheep wandering the Mohave Desert; but to his chagrin for the third time in six months he has found a desiccated corpse whose eyes and nose were dessert for ravens. Frank assumes the dead man was probably a poacher or a sportsman. However, he finds it odd that the deceased has no boots or any footwear even as he calls it in to his superior at the BLM. Frank is disgusted with the Inyo County Sheriff's Department who sent morons into the desert. He soon joins with local reporter Linda Reyes to investigate what happened to the victim with no shoes or evidence of a water container nearby. At the same time they look around beyond the sheriff's designated "crime scene" ring to other keys spots like a watering hole, three of the four Miller brothers (Roy, Hickey and Jason) look for their missing sibling Donnie. When Roy learns that Donnie is dead, assuming half-breed Frank is an impoverished illegal guide, he forces him to escort the threesome into a desert canyon so they can kill the hunter who he believes murdered his sibling. SHADOW OF THE RAVEN is a fabulous whodunit starring Frank, a fabulous lead character who fits in so well in the rugged terrain; he makes the tale though the support cast at BLM, the sheriff's department, the reporter and the low life Millers enhance understanding of him and of the desert. Fans of Joe Picket will fully appreciate this descriptive suspense filled mystery. Harriet Klausner