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How can one describe Gabriel Du Pre? He's a member of the Metis Indian tribe living in Toussaint, Minnesota. He's been involved for many years in a relationship with a local woman, Madalaine. He has two daughters, one of whom has 12 children. He's a family man and a cowboy and a fiddler and a detective when he needs to be. But most of all, he's a man who loves his friends and family wonderfully and well. He places himself in the background until he's needed, and then he's the one who makes everything all better. Du Pre's Aunt Pauline, an aging beauty who's had a stable full of husbands, comes down to Toussaint to ask Gabriel to look for her current husband, Badger, who has gone missing. It doesn't take long for Du Pre to find him, unfortunately with a bullet in his head. Du Pre contacts his friend at the FBI, Harvey Wallace, and ultimately uncovers an illegal horse racing operation. With the help of a local ranch hand Booger Tom and his 14-year-old granddaughter Lourdes, Gabriel and Tom set up a scam. They acquire a few horses and assume the role of rancher and hand so that they can participate in the races. One of the horses, who Lourdes names Stewball after an old children's song, is a standout. And as strange as it sounds, he became one of my favorite characters in the book. As always, half of the Toussaint population gets involved in the investigation, including Du Pre's rich neighbor Bart, and the local medicine man Benetsee. Of course, they prevail; but along the way, they face danger and some surprises. The book is liberally dosed with humor which counteracts some of the violence which occurs. Bart even acquires a love interest, which is the one part of this book that did not quite work for me. I am a person who has loved every one of the books in this series without reservation. At times the plots are thin, the writing imperfect, a character or two unlikeable. But that doesn't matter at all. Because once you are hooked on this series, you will find that you overlook every one of these missteps. The critical and important element is the cast of characters, who Bowen has managed to portray in a way that makes them completely real and alive in the reader's mind. Each book is like going to a vast family reunion where you can't wait to find out what everyone has been up to. Is STEWBALL perfect? No. Did I love it? Yes.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, May 2005
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