One of the features I enjoy using in Goodreads is recommendations based on what I’ve read and rated so far. This has brought a number of new authors and series to my attention. One of the more recent was the first book in author Keith McCafferty’s Sean Stranahan series set in Montana. This is likely due to my enjoyment of Paul Doiron, C.J. Box, and Nevada Barr. If any of those authors are ones you enjoy reading, this series might intrigue you as well.

In this first book, we are introduced to Sean Stranahan. He’s a former private investigator from Vermont who is also an artist and a fly fisherman. The failure of his marriage had him get in his car and drive to Montana, where he stopped and started carving out a new life for himself. Having failed to get a new private investigator’s license, he can’t officially be hired. That doesn’t stop a new woman in town, Vareda Beaudreux, who goes by the stage-name Velvet and is singing at one of the bars, from hiring him to find the spot her father used to fish at so she can spread his ashes. There’s also the issue of her brother, who was supposed to meet up with her to do this, but hasn’t shown up.

Martha Ettinger is the homegrown local police officer who is brought in when a body is discovered in the river by a fishing guide. It’s meant to look like an accidental downing, but she notices a few problems with that. The body also has a fishing fly embedded in its lip. Through a series of events, Sean realizes the body is Velvet’s brother, whom he is searching for. There is a strong possibility of foul play, and Martha reluctantly allows Sean to help with the investigation.

If you are the outdoorsy type who is into fly fishing in particular, I think you’ll love The Royal Wulff Murders. The title itself refers to a type of fly used in fly fishing. The most experience I have with the subject is watching the movie A River Runs Through It. While the parts of the story that so intently focused on fishing dragged for me, I did enjoy the story overall. For a first book in the series, McCafferty has the partnership of Sean and Martha grow in respect as they investigate.

This isn’t a romance, as Sean falls for his client. This angle and her character are seemingly a staple of many mystery series. Granted, Sean is on the rebound from the failed marriage, so getting involved with someone who practically has neon signs blinking WARNING! DO NOT APPROACH! is somewhat therapeutic for him. She’s a tortured drifter of sorts who seems to have an adverse reaction to the truth at times. It’s a good rebound relationship for Sean, but it also felt like she was in the way of any romantic undertones between Sean and Martha. Perhaps that’s good, though, because he gets a chance to work a number of things through on someone he eventually won’t see again, even if he seems to be chasing her all too much now.

The mystery kept me guessing a good part of the book. The Royal Wulff Murders tackles environmental issues without becoming preachy. When rivers start noticing drop-offs in fish population, it can be very damaging to local businesses as well. This is particularly the case in Montana, where hunting and fishing are a huge part of the economy. It didn’t hammer the reader over the head with an environmental message, but couched it as something they are conscious of in states like Montana.

The audiobook is narrated by Rick Holmes, who does a good job, although I had to laugh a bit at the voice he used for Vareda/Velvet. It’s such a typical sound for a character like this with the Louisiana-type accent and breathy quality. He reads very well, though, and I have no complaints about the narration.

I didn’t feel like I had to suspend disbelief a lot with this book, which was good. The mystery was informative and well-written. Since this is the start of a series that will follow Sean Stranahan and Sheriff Martha Ettinger, there is strong background information for both of them here, without revealing all. It’s definitely worth checking out if you like outdoorsy mysteries.

Next book in the series: