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In The Archer, the 13th mystery in author Betty Sullivan La Pierre’s Hawkman Series, private investigator Tom Casey takes on a pro-bono case involving a college student who literally falls into his Medford, Oregon, office terrified out of her mind.
When Laura King crashes into his office, babbling about someone stalking her, Hawkman thinks it’s just a disgruntled boyfriend—that is, until he arrives at his office the next morning to find arrows from a compound bow sticking out of his door, along with a note warning him to stay away from “my girl”—meaning Laura.
Laura’s father threatens to send her to her uncle in Georgia to get her out of harm’s way, but she doesn’t want to leave college and start over somewhere else. Her only hope is the tall cowboy investigator with an eye patch. Tom Casey offers to act as an unofficial body guard while he’s investigating her stalker problem, so Laura readily agrees.
Things heat up when a black truck tries to run them off the road on several occasions—and arrows keep flying out of nowhere wherever they go. Someone is out to do Laura harm—possibly even kill her—but Hawkman has no intention of letting that happen on his watch.
Ah, it’s good to return to a familiar place with familiar characters. I’ve read so many Hawkman mysteries that it feels as though I might actually spot Tom Casey walking down the street—with Pretty Girl (a hawk) perched on his arm—if I ever took a trip to Medford, Oregon. Hawkman is a memorable character with a big heart, and never is that truer than in The Archer, where he protects a young woman who’s hounded by a stalker.
Laura’s sweet disposition comes out even as she’s facing the challenges of attending school and fighting off danger. She reminds me of the way a young woman might have acted back in the 1950s—a vulnerable, good girl who runs to a man for protection. Yet she also has a tougher side that refuses to let her cower and hide—and, as a result, she plays an active role in finding her nemesis.
Arrows flying out of the night and black trucks lurking in the shadows heap on the suspense in The Archer, as Hawkman and Laura spend most evenings dodging a hunter with deadly aim. Though there are many suspects, you find out who’s behind the compound bow about halfway through the story—but you’ll still want to stick around to find out why, exactly, this person hates Laura so much. Plus, the whole idea of being stalked by a person with a compound bow makes the story fascinating and unique.
The Archer is another fine mystery in the Hawkman series—and I’m already looking forward to the next one.
