ANIMAL PARTS, A PETER ROMERO MYSTERY

A police officer tracks a band of Native American cannibals with the help of a wise and mysterious cougar spirit in Knop’s novel.

Soon after Cochiti Pueblo policeman Peter Romero kills a cougar that attacked hikers near Bandelier National Monument, the cat’s spirit (referred to simply as “Cougar”) confronts him over the deaths of his family members at the hands of poachers. Not nearly as surprised by this turn of events as one might expect, Romero launches into an investigation of the poachers—with the cougar spirit by his side—after some local game wardens are found murdered. His investigation soon leads him to the Pratts, a family suffering from a mythological disease known as Windigo psychosis that turns people into cannibalistic monsters: “All four of these boys, they suffer from a disease, an incurable condition, some kind of genetic thing. It has been in the family for generations. I’ve lost two husbands because of it. It’s all consuming. It eats at them, it eats at me, but there’s no stopping it.” Romero attempts to convince FBI special agent (and Cherokee member) Jean Reel of what they’re dealing with, but she prefers to stick to the facts. Meanwhile, Romero’s personal life is falling apart, with his wife eventually leaving him over his obsession with the case. With no alternative in sight, he eventually realizes that he must cut off the windigos at the source: “Romero closed his eyes, inhaled deeply. When the time felt right, he walked through his irises deeper into the past, into oblivion with no time, direction, or matter. A clear and simple purpose energized him. He would find Kimiwan, the mother of windigos, and sever her head.” This determination eventually leads him to a violent spiritual confrontation in which only one of them can survive.

Steeped in Native American folklore, the novel does much to celebrate the culture and stories of its characters. And the idea of chasing mythological creatures through the Southwest should be exciting. But despite some occasional poetic lines (“Strong denial delivers stronger suspicion. After all, windigos are reluctant cannibals”) and a few twists that readers may or may not see coming, most of the prose falls flat and fails to build any real sense of suspense. The use of the word bullshitquickly becomes repetitive, as does the near-constant fixation on Reel’s physical attributes (especially her legs) that ultimately only serves to distract readers and undermine her as a character throughout the novel (not to mention making Romero seem like a creep). Some readers may struggle with the idea that simply being Native American makes a character able to unquestionably believe certain things. For example, when Romero’s wife reacts in disbelief after he suggests that their living room was trashed by a cougar spirit, the only explanation is that Romero’s wife “was not Indian. How could she understand these things?” Meanwhile, “Back in the living room, Romero explained to Reel his run-in with Cougar. She listened. Reel’s Indian spirit allowed her to see these things.” Although the novel does have some good prose and interesting ideas occasionally do crop up, Knop’s black-and-white thinking prevents a deeper exploration into the main characters, resulting in protagonists who are overwhelmingly one-dimensional. The novel’s polarizing conclusion, meanwhile, will likely divide readers.

A plodding police procedural with Native American roots that ultimately proves light on suspense.