Book Review: Coyote Revenge

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Coyote Revenge     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Fred Harris
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Historical
HarperCollins, Nov 1999, $24.00, 197 pp.

In 1935 Cash County, Oklahoma, someone shoots Hoyt and Inez Ready before torching the farmhouse with the bodies inside. Who did it and why remain a mystery even two years later even though their son Dub is the sheriff of nearby Vernon.

In November 1937, Okie Dunn returns to Vernon after giving up on law school. However, Okie's life radically changes when his friend Dub is killed in what apparently is a hunting accident. The townsfolk give the law enforcement job to Okie, mostly because of his time in law school. He thinks the former sheriff was deliberately murdered. Okie begins to investigate the killings of the three Readys, wondering if a tie to Hoyt's former activities as a banker repossessing property in Dust Bowl, Oklahoma is related.

COYOTE REVENGE is an excellent historical fiction tale that centers on a mystery. However, the who-done-it seems to take a back seat to the lifestyles of people suffering through the Depression in Oklahoma. The story line is entertaining as the era is brought alive so that readers can feel the frustrations of the locals. The mystery is fun, but not earth shattering. Fans of historical fiction will devour Fred Harris' insightful tale.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner