A Death in Eden — Keith McCafferty

Scarecrows are appearing in the cliffs above the Smith River in Montana, and state investigator Harold Little Feather, is trying to discover the culprit behind the menacing hay figures. On the surface, the incidents are related to a copper mining project that threatens the river, but his investigation takes an ominous turn when a little girl claims that a scarecrow chased her in the night, and a decapitated body is found in the park.

At the same time, Sean Stranahan and "Rainbow" Sam Meslik have been contracted as guides to float a party down the river, which includes the manager of the mine project, Brad Yeager; Bart Trueblood, the president of "Save Our Smith," a grassroots organization devoted to stopping the project; and the documentarian filming them. Both men grew up on the Smith on neighboring ranches, and as they travel further down the river, it's revealed that the two have a shared history that runs much deeper and darker than their opposing viewpoints.