The prolific Thurlos are at their best with the Ella Clah series (Black Thunder, 2011, etc.). Though this one isn’t terribly...
When a former cop is killed on a Navajo reservation, all the forces of the Tribal Police are brought to bear.
Special Investigator Ella Clah used to date Harry Ute, a PI who was once a fellow cop. When his mutilated body is found shot to death in his pickup truck, it appears that the dangerous witches known as skinwalkers may be to blame. Rumors spread quickly, and the whole Rez is soon in fear. Traditionalists call in singers to do ceremonies to protect people. Ella and her partner and cousin Justine focus instead on the cases Harry was working for his boss, Bruce “Teeny” Little, who has his own plans to solve the murder but is being closemouthed about some of Harry’s caseload. He admits that Harry was working on the theft of some San Juan County property without revealing the name of his client. Harry, whose laptop, cellphone and notebook are missing, was last seen in a bar with a redheaded Navajo woman who may have been a prostitute. Ella’s current beau, sexy detective Dan Nez of the county police force, is working along with FBI agent Dwayne Blalock on all the off-reservation connections to the murder, including the owner of a trading post who may be selling illegal ancient pottery along with the items stolen from the county. Modernists and Traditionalist Navajos have diverse views, but they’re all unsettled by the murder. So are Ella and her family, who are threatened and attacked by the killers.
The prolific Thurlos are at their best with the Ella Clah series (Black Thunder, 2011, etc.). Though this one isn’t terribly mystifying, the information on Navajo life is well worth your time.Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7653-3403-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Forge
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
All these problems are handsomely solved at the unsurprising cost of making the human characters less interesting than the...
Just when you thought you’d seen a detective in every guise imaginable, here comes one in sheep’s clothing.
For years, George Glenn hasn’t been close to anyone but his sheep. Everyday he lets them out, pastures them, reads to them and brings them safely back home to his barn in the guilelessly named Irish village of Glennkill. Now George lies dead, pinned to the ground by a spade. Although his flock haven’t had much experience with this sort of thing, they’re determined to bring his killer to justice. There are of course several obstacles, and debut novelist Swann deals with them in appealingly matter-of-fact terms. Sheep can’t talk to people; they can only listen in on conversations between George’s widow Kate and Bible-basher Beth Jameson. Not even the smartest of them, Othello, Miss Maple (!) and Mopple the Whale, can understand much of what the neighborhood priest is talking about, except that his name is evidently God. They’re afraid to confront suspects like butcher Abraham Rackham and Gabriel O’Rourke, the Gaelic-speaking charmer who’s raising a flock for slaughter. And even after a series of providential discoveries and brainwaves reveals the answer to the riddle, they don’t know how to tell the Glennkill citizenry.
All these problems are handsomely solved at the unsurprising cost of making the human characters less interesting than the sheep. But the sustained tone of straight-faced wonderment is magical.Pub Date: June 5, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-385-52111-6
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Flying Dolphin/Doubleday
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Like a popcorn action flick: fun but lacking in substance.
Two wolf shifters must catch a criminal in the midst of hazardous winter weather: Action, adventure, and romance kick off a new series by Spear (Falling for the Cougar, 2019, etc.).
Private Investigator Nicole Grayson has an edge that some of her colleagues don’t. She’s a gray wolf shifter, and her heightened sense of smell makes for excellent tracking abilities. When her latest assignment, investigating a fraudulent life insurance claim, leads her to an isolated ski lodge inhabited by a group of shifter brothers, Nicole realizes that this particular mission is different. Blake Wolff has finally found peace and quiet, as he and his brothers have turned their land into a sanctuary for wolf shifters like themselves. When Nicole turns up at the lodge, sniffing around and looking for answers, Blake volunteers to help. The sooner she wraps up her investigation, the sooner Blake can return to maintaining the calm community the Wolff siblings have built. The suspense never fully delivers despite the setup of dangerous situations and the characters’ ability to shift into wolves. Of course, the bad guys get caught and the good guys prevail, but the stakes never seem terribly high. With corny, on-the-nose details such as having Wolff and Grayson as surnames for gray wolf shifters, it's hard to tell if Spear is in on the joke or if some things sounded better in theory than reality. The brightest spot here, as in most of Spears’ books, is her dedication to writing strong heroines with interesting professions, and Nicole fits perfectly into that box. She’s capable, competent, and a force to be reckoned with in a difficult situation. Blake is happy to let her take the lead without any egos getting in the way, which is something all readers will appreciate.
Like a popcorn action flick: fun but lacking in substance.Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-9775-6
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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