Distinctly Montana Magazine

58 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 5 - 2 0 2 6 in people's lives at the worst time in their lives, you know?" He sees using such experiences as too much of an indulgence. He never wanted to turn himself into a commodity, either. "That doesn't bode well for marketing in the modern world," he says. But Reid is a good sport. So, he frequented readings, spoke on panels, appeared in a French documentary, and on CBS's Top Cops. Reid tries something different with each new project. He learned that publishers consider this a curse. Publishers want one book that people will buy with variations to follow until they don't sell anymore. He understands books are a tough business. Pigeon- holes are necessary to keep lights on and people employed, but they can stifle creativity. In recent years, Bob and Gayle walked the 84-mile Hadrian's Wall Path through England. The trail follows the protective mili- tary wall built by the Romans in the first century. The experience galvanized Reid to compile research and write a creative non- fiction book. He now pursues its publication. "That'll be just a matter of how much despair I can endure," he jests. He has also returned to a novel he started years ago. Its narrative sweeps back in time to World War I and traces a life through the twentieth century. Regarding Rozette's enforcers and malefactors, Reid believes he has said all he had to say. He succeeded at what he set out to do—compellingly cast police characters as ordinary people, doing their best at a hard job unlike any other, when everyone outside the job thinks they know more about it than those work- ing it. And he wrote the Montana he saw. For all Western literature's transcendent fly-fishing sessions and sublime auburn sunsets, he balanced with, say, inclement weather and human corruption. Besides crime fiction, Reid is well-versed in writing poetry, liter- ary fiction, and, now, nonfiction. Writing has been a consistent force for most of his life. No matter the genre, he still revels in making something out of nothing. The process entails discov- ery, and for Bob Reid, that is something beautiful. After over fif- ty years, he still loves letting a scene rip, not knowing exactly where it's going, and discovering something about a character or maybe even life itself. He'll take that over carving out a niche for himself in the market. On a beautiful day in Missoula, the home he has loved, protect- ed, and served for much of his life, he says, "Nothing is more fun, at least for me, to read back over something and just stop. I can't believe I said that, you know?" He quips that there's a flipside: "I can't believe I said that," either. D M G O R S U B S C R I B E A D S U B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E T O D AY T O D AY A N D B R I NG DI S T I NC T LY MON TA NA A N D B R I NG DI S T I NC T LY MON TA NA W H E R E V E R T H E R OA D TA K E S YOU. W H E R E V E R T H E R OA D TA K E S YOU. SUBSCRIBE TO DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE AND GET IT DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOME (WHEREVER IT MAY BE!) distinctlymontana.com/subscribe SEND A CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT MATCHING THE SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD YOU'D LIKE: 1 YEAR - $39.95 2 YEARS - $69.95 3 YEARS - $99.95 MAIL CHECKS TO: DISTINCTLY MONTANA • PO BOX 84 • BOZEMAN, MT 59771 TO SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE, CALL 406-600-7660 TV SHOWS FAIL TO CAPTURE HOW EXHAUSTED DETECTIVES ARE ALL THE TIME. WHEN A SHOW DEPICTS EVIDENCE COLLECTION, THEY'LL HAVE ALL THESE TECHNICIANS AND A TEAM WITH 10 PEOPLE WORKING FOR THEM. WELL, IN THE '80s, THERE WOULD BE TWO OF US THAT DID ALL THAT WORK.

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