The Whisper Soul (A Nick Drake Novel)

In this fourth outing of the series featuring Nick Drake, former marine and current wildlife refugee ranger in far Eastern Oregon there are two unrelated story lines to follow. In the beginning Nick and another ranger rescue an Indian woman from a fire on the high desert terrain and she tells of how her husband had died and her twin children have gone missing. As the story unfolds an arson is setting fires setting the stage for what I felt was a very implausible reason and this plot line was rather weak to me. Secondly, Nick promises to find the missing children and I thought this was quite interesting.

In searching for the missing children there is a lot of Native American mysticism and folklore that was very interesting including what is called "water babies" that is an integral part of the story. In addition there is a great deal of information about the plight of native children and how they are taken from their parents and absorbed into the welfare system by the government which very disturbing to me.

It is always enjoyable to spend time with Pudge, the sheriff deputy, Gemma his headstrong daughter as well as a couple of Piute characters and Nick who seems to be softening his character. As always the atmosphere of the high desert is wonderful and makes one want to visit this desolate part of eastern Oregon. This is a very good book but i felt it slipped just a little from the previous three efforts. I will close with a quote from the book which I enjoyed..."'No two clouds look the same and no cloud stays the same for long. That is their gift-reminding us there are many trails in this life". Words to contemplate as you take your journey.

Another GREAT Nick Drake Novel

I enjoyed the twists and turns. Nice to have interesting stories told about a region I enjoy exploring.

Nick Drake is like Joe Pickett, but in Oregon. Holing takes it up several notches by intertwining with the local Native American culture, you come away with deeper appreciation for their people. The added Vietnam trauma and brotherhood with fellow war vets, brings a rich soul to the Drake character. Can’t wait to read the next one.

It just came 1/5

Good book, good series

far to Midland

Loved the native american culture and the double story lines. This was my second Nick Drake novel--loved them both

I am becoming addicted to Dwight Holing's style. Nick Drake is an evolving character and in a positive manner. I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next!

I live in Oregon and enjoy visiting Central and Eastern Oregon, where this story takes place. The author appears very familiar with the physical landscape of the area and with the type of individuals who live there. This is the 4th book, in a 5 book series. I have really enjoyed the first 4 books and look forward to reading the 5th installment. There are some running relationships in the books. So, although each book has a unique plot, it would be best to read the books in order to get a full understanding of the recurring characters. The main characters and the "villains" are all well developed. The dialogue is clever and the plots in the first 4 books are very entertaining. I enjoy the descriptions of the stark beauty of this part of the country. The books are "page turners". I recommend them highly and hope that the author continues to produce further volumes.