An award-winning editor for Field & Stream magazine, Keith McCafferty presents his debut novel, The Royal Wulff Murders. A local fisherman lands more than he bargained for when he pulls a dead body out of Montana's Madison River. Sheriff Martha Ettinger takes on the case and soon comes into the company of reclusive artist, Montana newcomer, and ex-PI Sean Stranahan. After teaming up to investigate, Martha and Sean soon uncover evidence that the murder has ties to one of the state's biggest industries: fly fishing.
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"It was a slow starter in the first couple of chapters but picked up really well. I enjoyed the writing and storyline. The writer kept the mystery going well throughout the story while also keeping the rest of the story interesting. Enjoyed the setting of the story and also learning more about fly fishing and all the different characters. Overall good book!"
— Diane (4 out of 5 stars)
“The Royal Wulff Murders hit all my buttons: mystery, fly-fishing, Montana, the Madison River, beautiful women, and whole pickup loads of authentic Montana characters, many of them wonderfully quirky. Keith McCafferty is one terrific writer.”
— Patrick F. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw“Thoroughly entertaining…McCafferty blends plenty of fly-fishing lore (the Royal Wulff is a lure) with a host of intriguing characters…The vivid Montana setting is a plus.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“McCafferty’s superb outdoor writing (not surprising for an editor at Field & Stream magazine) feels like an academic mystery thanks to a complex research topic.”
— Library Journal“A fish story with a homicidal hook…An entertaining debut.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Sam Meslik, a fishing guide, discovers a body in the Missouri River while out with a client one afternoon. Sean Stranahan is a artist who fled a broken marriage in Vermont in order to paint and fish in Montana. Now he paints at the Bridger Mountain Cultural Center and lives out of his Land Cruiser, trying to survive. On the door of his studio, he claims to be a private investigator, which he was, back in Massachusetts. A beautiful woman walks into his studio a few days after Sam finds the body and Sean is hooked, line and sinker. Vareda Beaudreaux wants Sean to find the place on the river where her father fished; together, they find out the body was Vareda's brother. Sean and Vareda want to find out why Jerry was killed and what it has to do with a fish hatchery and whirling disease, a disease that infects fingerling trout and kills them, decimating native trout populations. This was an interesting book and I learned a lot about fly fishing and fish biology than I ever really wanted to know, but it was quite entertaining. "
— Viccy, 2/18/2014" The Royal Wulff is a fly--that is used in fly fishing...and for those that enjoy fly fishing, this book is definitely for them. For those of us who don't fish at all, the mystery and rest of the story is enjoyable...but sometimes the fishing talk lost me. "
— Terri, 2/11/2014" A little too predictable. Overall, it was ok but the end was a little flat. "
— Dave, 2/5/2014" This book was only okay for me. It started to drag in the middle, and much as I wanted to finish it, I did not. 3 stars because of an entertaining concept and generally likable characters. "
— Kristen, 1/28/2014" I love a good mystery. I don't fish, so the details about fishing lost me a little. "
— Tina, 1/3/2014" Good book. It took me a while to get into it, and it started to pick up just as it got to the end. It's a good choice for people who like outdoorsy type murder mysteries (cue Anna Pigeon novels by Nevada Barr). "
— Aimée, 12/9/2013" I liked this ok but felt I was pretty hampered by my lack of knowledge of fly fishing. I would read another in the series though. Good characters. "
— Jennifer, 12/7/2013" Even if you don't like or know anything about fly fishing, it's a jolly good story, and a fun read. "
— Annie, 11/24/2013" It was a good mystery. If you don't fish, the details about fishing are a little much. I almost stopped reading, but got involved with the mystery. "
— Evonne, 8/31/2013" Would give it 3.5 if that were a choice. Interesting twists. "
— Claudia, 6/11/2013" Good first novel. Is Stranahan or Ettinger the hero (heroine)? Too many characters. "
— Al, 3/4/2013" In the same ballpark as James Lee Burke, though maybe a little less troubled. If you like Western Montana, fly fishing for trout, or a solid murder mystery then you'll probably like this book. "
— Mike, 12/7/2012" I just loved the heck out of this book..there wasn't a page I didn't enjoy. Heck, Big Sky country, a mystery, a lady sheriff, fishing and love. What's not to like? And p.s., you don't have to know one end of a pole from the other to like this mystery. "
— Leslie, 11/30/2012Keith McCafferty is the award-winning survival and outdoor skills editor of Field & Stream, and the author of The Royal Wulff Murders, The Gray Ghost Murders, and Dead Man’s Fancy. He lives in Montana.
Rick Holmes is an actor best known for his roles in the films The Stepford Wives and Spinster. He received his BA from Gettysburg College and his MFA in acting from New York University.