Sunday 7 July 2019

Cold Skies: A Dreadfulwater Mystery by Thomas King

 I've wanted to read a Thomas King novel for awhile and finally did so with Cold Skies: A Dreadfulwater Mystery.

Thumps DreadfulWater has finally found some peace and quiet. His past as a California cop now far behind him, he’s living out his retirement as a fine-arts photographer in the small town of Chinook. His health isn’t great, and he could use a new stove, but as long as he’s got his cat and a halfway decent plate of eggs, life is good.

All that changes when a body turns up on the eve of a major water conference and the understaffed sheriff’s department turns to Thumps for help. Thumps wants none of it, but even he is intrigued when he learns the deceased was developing a new technology that could revolutionize water and oil drilling . . . and that could also lose some very powerful people a lot of money. As strangers begin to pour into Chinook for the conference, Thumps finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into a conflict between secretive players who will kill to get what they want.

It's my first Thomas King book and I really enjoyed it. I loved how Thumps Dreadfulwater was portrayed. He's an ex-cop who just wants to take photos so he can sell them. The local sheriff, however, wants to make him a temporary acting sheriff so he can go on a vacation with his wife. Thumps wants none of it. Then a murder is discovered.  As much as the sheriff tries to draw Thumps into the case, Thumps resists.

I love how Thumps' mind can wander and his lack of interest, not only in the case but the goings on of those around him. That is, except for his cat, Freeway.

A very entertaining read. I'm looking forward to reading others in this series and more books from Thomas King

About Thomas King

Thomas King was born in 1943 in Sacramento, California and is of Cherokee, Greek and German descent. He obtained his PhD from the University of Utah in 1986. He is known for works in which he addresses the marginalization of American Indians, delineates "pan-Indian" concerns and histories, and attempts to abolish common stereotypes about Native Americans. He taught Native American Studies at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, and at the University of Minnesota. He is currently a Professor of English at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. King has become one of the foremost writers of fiction about Canada's Native people.

1 comment:

Shonna said...

This sounds like a good read. I've read a few by him and always enjoyed his writing.