Peter Bowen Books In Order

Publication Order of Gabriel Du Pre Books

Publication Order of Yellowstone Kelly Books

Peter Bowen was one of the most successful writers from America wrote books based on the western, historical fiction, and mystery genres. He was born on January 01, 1945, in The United States.

Peter passed in April 2020.

Along with being a writer, Peter had also worked as a fishing and hunting guide, cowboy, poet, folk singer, and essayist. Author Peter is particularly well known for his successful books in the Gabriel Du Pre mystery series and the Yellowstone Kelly historical fiction series.

Apart from writing under his original name, he uses the pen name of Coyote Jack for writing the articles based on hunting and humor. As of today, author Peter lives in his house located in Livingston, Montana.

He started his writing career in the year 1987 with his debut novel titled ‘Gentleman and Scout’. Author Peter says that when he was born, World War II was coming to an end. He went to spend his early growing years in Indiana and Colorado, where his father was working for his Doctorate. While in Colorado, author Peter’s family used to live in the mountains located to the west of Denver. He used to walk for about a half-mile every night in order to look out for lights in the city.

In the year 1955, Peter’s father got appointed to a post at the Montana State College. So, he had to move along with his family to Bozeman at the age of ten. A quarter-mile from his house in Bozeman, there was a fishing lake. There were also scenic mountains to the east and south, as well as bird hunting regions nearby his house.

Author Peter began liking Bozeman and was attracted to a bar called The Oaks, where he used to find older cowboys spending their time talking and drinking, while waiting for their death. Many of the cowboys were in their 80s and 90s and had driven to the place from Texas during the 1870s. Author Peter used to hear interesting stories from them due to which he used to visit the bar more frequently. He used to finish listening to at least one novel from the cowboys every afternoon. When Peter grew old enough to be able to go to college, he joined the Michigan University with much difficulty.

After spending a few initial terms at the university, Peter started going to Montana University and completed a couple of terms there. He was a student of the Writing Program. After a few months of his stay at the Montana University, Peter received a letter from the English Department’s Chairman, stating that there were many defects in is characters and writings.

The Chairman also told him that he could not find any record about him to have ever been a part of the Montana University. Citing the reputation and prestige of the university, he told Peter that if he tried to claim to have been a part of the university then he will sue him. After forcefully being made to leave the Montana University, author Peter went on to become a novelist and used the defects in his writing skills to his advantage in order to become a successful author. He says that he likes to describe the stories about places that he knew about, like most other writers, and induce several people in them in order to make the stories flow.

Ptere lived in Linvgston, which is a small town located around 90 miles to the north of the Yellowstone Park. He said that the town used to be a major railroad hub and the giant buildings which were used to rebuild engines are still standing there. Peter does not like the polluting petrochemical industries located in his town which tend to give out toxic chemicals like asbestos quite often. However, Peter also says that Livingston has always attracted the artists, writers, and actors, for some reason.

Author Peter has informed that he is going to make an effort to take on his town and the people living in it in his next writing project. He desires to have a look at the changes that have taken place in the town over the years and the people who used to live there during the old days as well as the ones who are living there currently. Peter has the intention of living and dying in his native land located in the West. He also wishes to describe the place in one of his novels sometime.

The Gabriel Du Pre series written by author Peter Bowen consists of 15 books in total, published between the years 1994 and 2018. One of the books in the series is titled as ‘Wolf, No Wolf’. It was released by the St. Martin’s publishers in the year 1996 and is set in Toussaint, Montana, United States. The main characters depicted in the book include Gabriel Du Pre, Booger Tom, Harvey Wallace, Madeline Placquemines, and several others. Gabriel is introduced as a cattle inspector and sheriff, stationed in Montana. Being a cattle inspector, Gabriel works to stop the killing of the animals and the selling of their skins to the Sears Roebuck in return of merchandise.

When the wolves seem to go away from the mountains, the outsiders become desperate enough to get them back so that they can sell the animal skins to them. But, there seemed to be a trouble in that the people had started to kill each other in the tussle over the wildlife. At first, a couple of activists are found dead with gunshots from a sniper rifle. Later, the dead bodies of 4 more people are discovered during a brutal winter storm, due to which carnivals of protestors, Feds, and reporters reach the mountains. Gabriel seems to know that one of his own people is behind all the blood spilling. He also understands that people in the rugged land will not stop hunting until they are dead themselves.

One of the other books in the Gabriel Du Pre mystery series written by author Peter Bowen was released under the title ‘Notches’. It was also published by the St. Martin’s publishers in the year 1997 and set in Toussaint, Montana, United States. At the beginning of the book, it is shown that the gruesome dead body of a young woman is found near a long highway in Montana, known as the Hi-Line. The woman is very much difficult to identify as all her teeth and jaw are missing. When Gabriel comes to know about the case, he becomes very much angry and desperate to find the murderer.

But, he does not seem to have any clue. Therefore, he begins to hunt the whole of the countryside to find any clue. After a little, more dismembered dead bodies of young women begin to turn up, which forces the ranching community to go in extreme shock. Gabriel is made to swear by his wise and fierce lover named Madeline that he will do justice for the victims by making the brutal killer pay for his crimes. Soon, Gabriel comes to know that Madeline’s own daughter has gone missing and this makes him even more desperate to catch the killer. Somehow, he finds it difficult to decipher the mystery that the killer leaves beside the murder scenes. Then he begins to think like a serial killer and comes to the troubling conclusion that there might be two serial killers out there, spilling the blood of younger women in a brutal manner.

2 Responses to “Peter Bowen”

1. Lester Bradford: 6 months ago

   I have read all the Kelley and DuPre books. On the dust cover of Kelly Blue there is mention of a novel Bowen is working on (in 1991) about the sixties – a time in American history the Bowen regards as rich in pious imbecilities. Any idea of the title or if it has been published. Thanks.

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2. Nate: 4 years ago

   Thank you for recognizing Mr. Bowen. I discovered him many years ago when someone gave me a copy of Kelly and the Three Toed Horse. I have since collected, read and reread the other eighteen books he has written (that I am aware of). He is right near the top of my list of favorites. My collection will be passed to my children, all of whom were born in Montana, as was their mother and I. He will be missed.

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