Crow's Mind

The author of the critically-acclaimed John Denson Pacific Northwest Mysteries introduces Jake Hipp, a modern-day Henry David Thoreau as sleuth, and his American Indian partner Willow Blackwing. Jake and Willow pursue a girl with the same zeal that digital brains are killing paper books.

"Hoyt has a fresh, invigorating style that grabs the reader immediately. He is a master."-The New York Times

"Hoyt is an adroit and zestful writer."-Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Hoyt is a delight to discover and a treat to read."-Library Journal

Richard Hoyt leaves his critically-acclaimed John Denson Mysteries behind, creating an even more engaging sleuth, the philosophical pothead Jake Hipp and his American Indian partner Willow Blackwing, a hacker and tournament archer. Willow claims to be Raven, a mythical shape-changing trickster. Willow is trying to recover her powers as Raven, lost when she went to work for the government. As Jake comes upon crows feeding on the body of a young woman, a mechanical crow firing .22 bullets tries to kill him. The girl's father hires Jake to find his daughter's murderer. As the laid-back Jake and clever Willow pursue the murderer, they themselves are attacked. We learn all manner of crow lore. As Jake and Willow peel away layers of the mystery, we slowly understand that Crow's Mind is metaphor for something larger: technology that is killing us in numerous ways including the serial murder of paper novels.

"Crow's Mind is an extraordinary effort, cleverly written and filled scenes that will have his readers laughing out loud...You won't find many private investigators as richly imagined and with a story packed with as many colorful characters as this one."-Jack Hart, author of Skookum Summer, a novel of the Pacific Northwest.

"Crow's Mind is smart, literate, funny and a heart-pounding mystery...Mystery fans and readers who like unusual stories, American Indian mythology and colorful characters won't want to miss this one."-Katherine Dunn, author of Geek Love, nominated for the National Book Award