It was a short story that led me to Thomas King’s DreadfulWater series, and, after reading the first book in the series, DreadfulWater, I’ve already ordered the second one. Although Thumps DreadfulWater is no longer a homicide detective, he’s caught up in a murder investigation. As someone says to him, “For a photographer, you’re not a half-bad cop.”

Thumps was a homicide cop in Eureka, California for eight years. When a case went wrong, Thumps quit and headed east, stopping only when he arrived in Chinook, somewhere in the northwestern United States. He’s a photographer who freelances for the sheriff’s department when they need pictures. When a realtor discovers a body in a condo at the new Buffalo Mountain Resort, she calls her boss, the sheriff, and Thumps, in that order.

The victim is a computer programmer for Genesis Data Systems, the company doing the programming for the resort and casino. Sheriff Duke Hockney does have a suspect in mind. Stanley (Stick) Merchant had the know-how to hack into the computer system, and that’s why the programmer was there, checking to see if there was a virus or worm before they casino opens to the public.

Stick is involved with the Red Hawks, a group of Indians protesting their tribe’s new casino. He’s also a teenager, only nineteen. And, he’s the son of the head of the band council, Claire Merchant, a single mother who campaigned to build that casino and resort. She’s DreadfulWater’s lover, which is how he gets caught up in the case. Stick has disappeared.

Sheriff Hockney might want Thumps to stay out of his case, but when Claire asks him to find Stick he can’t say no. He’s soon involved in computers and a second murder, and he still can’t find Stick. And, at one point he realizes he just has too many clues.

In Thumps DreadfulWater, King has created a fascinating man with a tragic backstory. Readers will learn about that in the course of the story. He may be a photographer now, but he’s a reluctant investigator in a carefully plotted story that reads like any excellent police procedural. He follows his numerous clues to a not-so-surprising conclusion. In the case of this story, it’s Thumps himself who provides the humor to alleviate the darkness of murder.

DreadfulWater is going to be hard to find if you’re looking for it. I bought a copy through Amazon, but I paid a hefty amount for a paperback. It’s just too bad that we don’t appreciate Canadian authors enough in this country. DreadfulWater is worth reading. As I said, I’ve ordered the second one, but it will be used copy because I didn’t find a new copy of the second one. That’s okay. I’m looking forward to Thumps DreadfulWater’s next case.

DreadfulWater by Thomas King. HarperCollins, 2002, 2017. ISBN 9781443455374 (paperback), 441p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I bought a copy of the book.