The Violators

The subject of animal poaching is evenhandedly examined in Landers's second ( The Deer Killers ) strong ecological thriller. Feeling guilty about having left his family to pursue undercover assignments, U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent Reed Erickson resolves to make his latest mission his last one. His task now is to infiltrate a band of hunters working Yellowstone National Park, then nab them in the act of violating federal game laws. As cover, Erickson convinces Lonnie Jeffris to hire him as a ranch hand. He learns that Lonnie is somehow beholden to Max Clausen, a rancher with interests as outsize as his giant frame. Then he discovers that Lonnie's cousin, a full-blooded Indian named Brian Coyote, has been supplying Clausen with bald eagle headdresses, thus intruding the thorny issue of Indian rights into the larger issue of protecting endangered species. Clausen eventually invites Erickson on a hunt for ram and grizzly--but not before Coyote, who hates his cousin for ``selling out'' to white men, points a finger at the agent, leading to a memorable battle of wits. All but rabid hunters will find Erickson engaging and his arguments plausible. (Dec.)