Anne Montgomery, whose book Wild Horses on the Salt I reviewed in late 2020, is back with her latest novel, Wolf Catcher. And it’s quite the adventure.
In 1939, archeologists discovered something spectacular and mysterious in a place called Ridge Ruin in Arizona. They found a long-deceased man from centuries ago. This ancient man was outfitted in turquoise and beaded jewelry. He was also surrounded by intricately-carved swords made of wood. Some of those on this archeological dig, the Hopi workers, just knew these swords meant something. This ancient man was a magician. Yet, something about this man was different. After close examination, it appeared that this magician had European features and physical build. How could this be? Europeans hadn’t discovered the North American continent until several centuries later, right?
Back in the 12th century, an active volcano altered the landscape causing the local residents to move away and find a new home with different tribal members. Some of the new members were able to fit it, but others, alas, weren’t so fortunate.
Now let’s fast forward to the modern day. Meet Kate Butler. Kate used to work as a television reporter but that career is in the past. Now she is working as a freelance journalist using her well-honed investigative skills and experience to write articles. Kate finds out about this man, this magician, and learning he was quite different from a majority of the people who lived in the area at the time, she knew she must know more about him. Adventure awaits…and danger. Poachers are now ransacking this ancient ruin and trying to sell its antiquities on the black market.
Kate is not daunted. She is fearless. And she must get the story behind the story. Who is this mysterious man of a bygone time discovered in 1939? Where did he come from? Why was he so different from the others? And was he welcomed into the local tribe? It appears so.
But Wolf Catcher is not just a story about Kate and her fellow adventurers who guide and help her along this trek. Wolf Catcher also goes back in time to the 12th century, where we learn more about the Magician, and those who make up his world, especially a young woman named Kaya who was welcomed into the tribe, and now acts as a healer offering her loving and knowledgeable act of wellness to the tribe. When she meets the Magician she can’t help but be drawn to him. The Magician is so different that the rest of the tribe, much do to his physicality. And in kind, he is drawn to her. Together they learn from each other, and share their well-honed wisdom. And slowly, but surely, we learn more about The Magician and how he ended up at Ridge Ruin living amongst the tribe.
In the modern day, Kate is learning so much about this mysterious man and the world that surrounded him. She also makes the quick realization that some nefarious activity is going on when it comes to the antiquities that have been discovered through the archeological dig from the thirties. And soon she’s going to find out that someone she knows is involved with these sleazy shenanigans. Is her life in danger? Will she make it out alive to tell the story of the Magician?
Wolf Catcher seamlessly weaves the story of the Magician and Kate Butler going back and forth from the 12th century to today. There are a lot of twists, turns, and suspenseful moments, and also a lot of surprises. The Magician is one quite compelling fellow, and both Kate and Kaya are fully-dimensional women characters. Plus, there is so much to learn in this book. Montgomery clearly put her reporting skills to work, and thoroughly did her research to give us such a compelling book. If you want to be educated as well as entertained, I highly recommend Wolf Catcher.
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