The Listening Ones - Hardcover

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Single mother Jordan Tidewater, tribal sheriff for the Quinalt Nation on the Olympic Peninsula, must solve the brutal murders of two young children nearly her son's age. Then there's the ongoing problem of poachers killing eagles and bears. Stokes' novel has a lot going for it: Jordan's family life with her son, brother, and great grandfather is affecting and realistically portrayed; she capably integrates Native American folklore into the action; and the setting--the Olympic Peninsula itself, as well as the shores of the Pacific Ocean--is vividly described. On the other hand, plot details are often supplied in lengthy monologues rather than through meaningful dialogue; extraneous plot elements slow the action; and the climax is wordy and bogged down by a contrived fight between a Siberian tiger and killer whales. Still, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses, and the series itself displays considerable promise. Hope for tighter prose and crisper plotting in the next installment. John Rowen