Double Eagle

DreadfulWater #7

by Thomas King

From the #1 bestselling author of  Indians on Vacation and Deep House   Buffalo Mountain is set to host a gold coin exhibition with dealers coming from all over, and Thumps DreadfulWater winds up with the task of making sure the event goes off without a hitch. As if he didn’t already have enough to do.   For starters, he and Claire Merchant are trying to work out their relationship. Should they move in together or should they continue on as they have in the past? And there’s Sheriff Duke Hockney, who wants Thumps to give up landscape photography and return to law enforcement. And last but not least, Cisco Cruz, the ninja assassin, shows up in town with a fiancée in tow.   Can things get any more complicated for our hero?   Yes, they can. When one of the dealers at the exhibition winds up dead, Cruz’s fiancée is revealed to be an FBI agent responsible for his protection. And Claire’s adoption of Ivory hits a major snag. Like it or not, Thumps is going to have to help Claire as best he can, discover why Cruz is really back in town and try to unravel the murder of the coin dealer—before anyone else dies. In this new DreadfulWater instalment, our favourite reluctant investigator returns with his signature wit and wry humour to solve a mystery that only Thomas King could create. 

Genres: Mystery, Canada, Indigenous, Fiction, Crime, Humor

304 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2023

About the author

Thomas King was born in 1943 in Sacramento, California and is of Cherokee, Greek and German descent. He obtained his PhD from the University of Utah in 1986. He is known for works in which he addresses the marginalization of American Indians, delineates "pan-Indian" concerns and histories, and attempts to abolish common stereotypes about Native Americans. He taught Native American Studies at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, and at the University of Minnesota. He is currently a Professor of English at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. King has become one of the foremost writers of fiction about Canada's Native people.

Reviews

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, a Thomas King book was out for months before I heard of it. Despite the fact that I follow him on Goodreads and should have been notified by the New releases feature. Please register my reaction as “disgruntled.” How did I finally hear about it, you ask? On one of my favourite radio shows,The Next Chapter on CBC, that's how. Where this series was described as “cozy mysteries for emotionally stunted men.” Not sure quite what to think of that, since I adore Thumps DreadfulWater. Perhaps they are for emotionally stunted women as well?

It took me a few pages to settle back into Thumps’ life in Chinook, but it was like slipping into an old comfortable pair of boots. It just felt right. Life never stays the same and there have been changes in the town, and not just that Thumps now has two cats. If you know the cast of characters, you will learn what's happening with them all. I appreciate this more than the actual mystery (which was good, BTW, and sufficiently mysterious). But it's best to find out what's up with Duke and Macy, Moses, Cooley, Morris Dumbo, the Heavy Runners, Al and her restaurant, Claire and Ivory, to mention a few. And to meet new folks to care about (Scoop for example).

We also have the return of Cruz, always good for amusing dialogue. Plus the FBI agent who he is accompanying, whose relationship to Cruz is frequently up for debate. Dialogue is where King shines, along with his charming cast of characters. Plot may come third, but the author doesn't stint on that either. He makes it look as easy as pie (to eat, not to make).

If you haven't tried Thumps DreadfulWater, what are you waiting for? Please consider this review to be your engraved invitation. You could jump in at any point, but why not at the beginning with DreadfulWater? If you don't like Mr. DreadfulWater, my apologies, but kindly don't shit on anyone else's enjoyment, okay?

Please, Mr. King, may we have some more? I know you said you were done writing, some stuff and nonsense about being too old. Please, pretty please, take a leaf out of that other King's book (that's Stephen King, BTW) and know that I will be treasuring and re-reading your books for as many years to come as I've got. Thank you, sir, for your fabulous writing.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected delight from Thomas King to start 2024 with five stars!

I never would have known about this book if GR friend Wanda had not posted her own review of it a few weeks ago.

She was also caught by surprise, because King supposedly had retired from writing. So a big thank you to Wanda for the heads up, and another big thank you to TK for giving us a seventh chance to send time with Thumps DreadfulWater!

It was very easy to slip back into his world and I really really hope there will be an eighth book in this series someday.

And yes, I know I am not saying much about the plot so here is a crumb: there is a coin show at the Buffalo Mountain resort with a certain group of people attending, but are they truly there merely for a semi-working vacation?!

There you go. Now go find the book and read it! Or start with the first book of the series and have a DreadfulWater marathon.

I just might join you.

[Ian M. Pyatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thumps DreadfulWater is back and gets talked into finding the killer of a wealthy coin dealer at a coin exhibit in Buffalo Mountain.

By working with local law enforcement officers from the town, other residents who offer unsolicited advise, the coroner and FBI agents, he's able to solve the crime by talking with other suspects and some photographs. As with all murder/mystery books, there is a hint or two that could lead those who are able to absorb all those details to the murderer, alas, not me!

A distraction in the story is the return of Thumps love interest, which does nothing for me.

If any of my GR friends have read the previous six books in the series and liked them, then this is another to add to your list.

[Gabriel Maracle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid Dreadfulwater book. This one was a solid vacation read. it's funny, and very light

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite enjoy this series in particular and Thomas King in general. If you want a wry, dryly comic whodunnit with a cast of small town characters I recommend him. In this one Thumps DreadfulWater takes on a bunch of high end coin dealers up to no good.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Nice to see old friends again. Worthwhile and recommended.

[August Bourré · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit thin, but still entertaining.

[Linda Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Great book! Seems like our favourite kinda -but-not sheriff , Thumps DreadfulWater, is on the hunt again, this time of coin collectors with nefarious intent. The usual cast of characters at Al’s cafe provides the hilarious repartee to poor Thumps who just wants his breakfast. He and Claire seem to be moving in the same direction at last. And he has joined the digital age!

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thumps Dreadfulwatter is back, with his cats and quirky friends. That pretty much sums it up. There’s a hint of a plot but it’s overwhelmed by all the donuts. I really enjoyed some of the earlier books but this one didn’t do much for me.

[Art Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Tom King for a long time. His foray into the world of mystery writing was very welcome, and this series has yet to disappoint for good natured light entertainment. If you are looking for grit and realism in your plotlines this won't be for you. The mysteries themselves are as laconic as the protagonist and they all survive very nicely in the fantasy world King creates where everyone has their own quirks but are well meaning. (think 'Northern Exposure' further south with more Indians and criminal activity).
But there is something else going on here. It is an imaginary town with imaginary people but all of whom seem on the verge of some existential crisis. We're not looking at 'Waiting for Godot' here but every character including the town itself is stuck in some way, like dinosaurs in tar, waiting for reality to come in and wipe them out. There is a lot of waiting here- the sheriff waiting to find out if his wife's dementia can be treated, waiting for the protagonist Thumps to take over as sheriff so he can retire, Thumps himself waiting for his on and off girlfriend to get serious, the reserve waiting for the landfill lawsuit to settle, everyone waiting for old people to die. It seems like there's a slow motion trainwreck is heading their way but nobody has any enthusiasm to fight it.
There is a rumour that King is done with writing and this series and perhaps its for the better. I for one would hate to see the gentle humanity that inhabits these books obliterated by the impending tidal wave of reality that is lurking just outside the town's borders. If this is another version of Oz, I for one have no desire to see what happens when Dorothy gets back to Kansas- You know it won't end well for her and Toto.

[Marise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I first found Thomas in a library summer reading challenge, I've learned to appreciate the journey a story takes you on. While most of the books I've read by him have no definitive endings, the tiny peeks into his characters day to day lives make me happy.

When I read Sufferance, I had heard it was to be his last book. Deep House also just came out around that time, and I felt sad that there wouldn't be any more books after Deep House. I briefly complained about it to my mother-in-law one night, and not even 2 hours later I discovered that Double Eagle had been released.

Once again I've jumped into Thumps life, with his off again on again relationship with Claire, just to discover it's been about four to six years after the last book. It was nice seeing all the characters that have been introduced over the last six books, and I felt this slice of life story was amazing. I noticed that the mystery part of this book didn't even begin until I was 53% of the way through, and I wasn't even upset about it. The ending was reminiscent of the first book, in which all the loose ends are tied up, but things can't progress in the way you want them to.

I honestly hope that Thomas continues with Thumps and company in the future, and that maybe Thumps will finally take care of his diabetes (please don't put him on ozempic, I don't want to read about my work life in a book, thanks)

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've finally reached the end of my DreadfulWater mini-marathon ... for now. I enjoyed the shape of the mystery in this one - probably one of my favourites - but sadly it felt like it barely featured in the book.

Cisco Cruz is one of my favourite side characters, so I was glad to have him back - though having him in the next book again is making me worried that he is destined to go out in a blaze of glory.

A lot of the heart in these books is in the cast of background characters in the town and how their lives are changing and evolving over the series, and Thomas King has hit all the right beats in keeping them feeling real and lively. If anything, it's Thumps who feels frustratingly stagnant - I'm glad he's finally on board with working with Duke and figuring out a cellphone and computer for himself, but the storyline with Claire has felt stagnant and arbitrary for too long. Things are happening, but he has little choice or agency in them, and I would like to see that change!

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guilty pleasure getting better.

[Gary McGugan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story. I enjoyed it!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery by an Indigenous author and a fun read!
This is a series by Thomas King, but this is the first one that I have read and it is #7, so I intend looking for other books in the series.
I was intrigued by the characters , especially Thumps DreadfulWater ! What a name and what a character ! He is pulled back into police work even though he doesn't seem to want to be there.
I spent time chuckling throughout the book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
A new series for me !

[Malcolm Van Arkadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The newest in the Dreadful Water series and one of the best

[Vontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series, with its' wry observations of human character, motivations & interactions. This book certainly is another entertaining addition, with hints of possible developments in the plot for the next book in the series. At least I hope there is another one.

[Ann Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest in the series of A Dreadful Water Mystery and not a disappointment. I enjoy this series because of the characters and the wit that Thomas King writes with. A small town with a murder and Dreadful Water has to solve the murder despite the confusion of the various characters that appear. A good , enjoyable series.

[Craig Heron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not
My favourite DreadfulWater mystery because nothing really gets resolved.

[Martin Curran · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy Thumps I think he is my all-time favourite detective, and I love a lot of detectives like Vera, Alan Banks, Jimmy Perez, Armand Gamache.
I like the Dreadful Water series because of the humour and the sparse sentences that Thomas King uses. I also like it because I can hear the tone of voice when characters are talking. This is so much clearer in Thomas King novels than in any other novel. In an interchange with Al the owner and cook at the place Thumps goes to for breakfast I can just hear Al saying to Thumps that he is terrified about going into the morgue in a tone that is simple and honest. No drama just a statement of fact.
I also like that Thumps is a reluctant hero. He just wants to be a photographer, but the good people of his small town and the local sheriff see things differently. All the characters in this series are interesting and seem to know Thumps better than he knows himself.
I like the references that Thomas King makes regarding real life, comments about dealing with Amazon, technology, watching cat videos.
In this story Thumps has to investigate why there are several high-powered coin collectors that come to town for a lowly coin show. There is nothing of interest for these coin experts at this show so why are they there? We do learn a bit about coins and if you are a coin collector you might find this mystery interesting.
Also, in this story the relationship between Thumps and Claire is again under question. Will these two ever be on the same page at the same time.
I look forward to reading more Dreadful Water mysteries.

[Roger Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas King's Double Eagle is the latest in his Thumps Dreadfulwater series, and it does not disappoint. I must admit that after reading the first couple of books in this series six years ago, I did not find them particularly memorable; however, since returning to the series this year, my perception has changed dramatically. King is a master at injecting humour into his books, and this series has more than its fair share. From characters with strange names, to a guy who thinks he loses a member of his tour group because on the way out he counted himself and the way back, he did not, to the eccentric members of Thumps small town - a mad Greek, a crazy Russian, and numerous colourful native characters, the books are full of fun even though they are also mysteries involving dead people.
Another thing I like about this series is that is strong on dialogue. King's stories are about people, so he provides minimal descriptions of scenery and such and lets the reader use his or her imagination do the rest. His writing reminds me a bit of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series which had the same style and has always been a favourite of mine. I highly recommend the Dreadfulwater books and suggest that you read them in order for the best effect.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 5 out of 5]

DreadfulWater #7
Double Eagle
Thomas King

King’s writing is authentic to Native Experience and ethos. The turns of phrase, the sense of flex time, diffuse responsibility, collective ownership, and overall the sense of humour. Thumps DreadfulWater has an eccentric circle of friends even given Reserve values. Anyone who has ever spent time on Reserve will feel immediately at home on King’s turf.

Since Professor King has taught classes he’s obviously sold out to White Society’s sense of scheduling but he understands native sensibilities and pokes gentle fun. Any on reserve event I’ve ever attended never followed the published schedule. The native story teller only showed up when he felt like it and the only thing that happened on time was the sunrise ceremony over which mother earth had absolute control.

It takes half the book before the dead body makes its appearance.

The double eagle of the title was an illegally produced gold piece struck after America went off the gold standard and recalled all gold coins.

[Michelle Skelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly wish more people knew about this series.

Thomas King’s Thumps DreadfulWater novels don’t rely on high-stakes thrills or twisty crime plots. They offer something more special, a slow, immersive walk through the dry humor, small-town rhythms, and subtle wisdom of life in Chinook, Montana.

The mystery in Double Eagle is there, but it’s never the point.

These books are about spending time with Thumps, Claire, Duke Hockney, and the odd cast of visitors who drift through town. There’s warmth, wit, and an undercurrent of sharp social commentary that King slips in with ease, on race, tech, surveillance, politics, doughnuts, you name it.

It isn't gimmicky, it just gently nudges you to look closer.

The pace is slow, and that’s part of the charm.

I don’t read this series to race through, I read it to settle in. It feels like bumping around town with neighbors you’ve known for years, even if they’re a little eccentric.

King is the master at character-driven mysteries with heart, brains, and bite.

[Sandra Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a faithful reader of the DreadfulWater series by Thomas King and was a little disappointed in Double Eagle. The first half of the book was an introduction to what he has written before. I suppose if I hadn't read his previous six books in the series, I would have found that part of the book more interesting. Finally when the mystery of the double eagle coin was finally happening, the book was what I had expected all along. In one of the first books of the series, there was a listing of the writers that had inspired him and that is where I found Craig Johnson and now have read all his books, too. Thank you Thomas King......for that you get a 4 star rating.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thumps Dreadfulwater a landscape photographer is encouraged to go back to law enforcement, by Duke the sheriff. Reluctantly Thumps agrees to provide security for a local coin exhibition. Something seems off when so many high profile dealers show up to this off the beaten track show and Thumps uses his investigation skills to find out what is up. Meanwhile the FBI shows up along with Thumps mysterious covert friend Cisco Cruz. All the while Thumps is dealing with relationship issues with girlfriend Claire who has gone AWOL.

While I generally avoid mysteries, this was a fun read with humour and likeable characters.

[Susan Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas King is one of my favourite authors. And he continued to engage me with this newest book.

This is the latest in his Thumps Dreadfulwater series - the reluctant detective, reluctant because he really doesn't want to go back to police work and would rather be a photographer.

King writes well, tells an engaging story, sets it in the fictional small town of Buffalo Mountain (in the US but sounds a lot like prairie Canada) and weaves in First Nations material. He has a light, dry humour that I find appealing.

Another win.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good pacing. Lots of conversation and local color. Thumps Dreadfulwater is still sorting his life with lots of advise. Meanwhile there is something afoot at Buffalo Mountain involving rate coins and a cast of suspects. Fun, intriguing and a step into 21st technology for Thumps as he discovers cat videos.

[Barbara Brydges · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sure people read these for the characters and their repartee, rather than the mystery, and certainly it’s the teasing relationships between Thumps Dreadful Water and his friends that carries this week mystery - but only so far. What I’d really like is a reissue of King’s “Dead Dog Cafe” radio series, which accomplished the same thing without dragging it out to novel length.