A Death in Eden

When scarecrows appear in the cliffs above Montana´s famous Smith River and a little girl reports being chased by one in the night, state investigator Harold Little Feather is brought in to find the culprit. Are the menacing effigies related to a copper-mining project that threatens the purity of the Smith? That´s Harold´s initial suspicion, but his investigation takes an ominous turn when a decapitated body is found in the river. As Harold´s search leads him back in time through the canyon´s history, Sean Stranahan launches his raft upriver. He has been hired to guide a floating party that includes Clint McCaine, the manager of the mine project; Bart Trueblood, the president of "Save The Smith," a grassroots organization devoted to stopping the project; and the documentarian filming their arguments. McCaine and Trueblood grew up on the Smith on neighboring ranches, and as they travel downstream, it´s revealed that the two share a past that runs much deeper and darker than their opposing viewpoints. The currents of the seemingly unrelated trips will soon flow together, and Stranahan´s long-time love Sheriff Martha Ettinger will enter the fray as the boats hurtle toward a date with danger at a place called Table Rock. A Death in Eden is the seventh novel in the acclaimed Sean Stranahan mystery series.