Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Friday, July 12, 2019
A Lot to Love in Engaging, Atmospheric Native American Mystery Series Debut
9:22 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Fire-Sky tribal member Sandra Deering had everything going for her, including a college degree she was about to receive. Why would she have committed suicide just when she stood on the cusp of getting everything she'd worked so hard for? It doesn't make any sense, especially since Sandra's is the latest in a string of suspicious deaths linked to the Fire-Sky people. Like Sandra, the victims appear to have been murdered by a killer familiar enough with the tribe's beliefs to make sure his/her victims cannot receive proper burials, dooming their spirits to wander the earth forever.
Monique "Nicky" Matthews, a sergeant and special agent working with the Fire-Sky Pueblo Police, is called in to investigate. Along with her partner, a suave newcomer she's not sure she can trust, Nicky begins looking into the odd deaths. Guided by good police work as well as the strange visions that have always been a part of her life, she uncovers some very sinister goings-on on the rez.
Determined to catch a murderer and bring closure and peace to the victims' families, Nicky will stop at nothing to solve the case. With the people she loves being threatened and her own neck on the line, she'll have to risk everything to bring the cold-blooded killer to justice. Can Nicky catch the culprit in time to save lives or will her spirit be the next to join the tortured souls already on eternal walkabout?
In the tradition of Tony Hillerman, Carol Potenza has penned an exciting, well-written mystery steeped in Native American tradition and culture. Although the Fire-Sky people are fictional, their beliefs are based on those of known tribes, giving Hearts of the Missing an authentic feel. The characters in this satisfying debut are well-drawn and complex, the setting is vivid and atmospheric, the plot is taut and twisty, and the prose is skilled and readable. In short, there's a lot to love here. I thoroughly enjoyed this series debut and can't wait to see what the next installment brings.
(Readalikes: I've read very little Hillerman, but Hearts of the Missing definitely reminds me of his novels, as well as the Wind River Reservation mystery series by Margaret Coel.)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (two F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, references to illegal drug use, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
Top Ten Tuesday - Spring TBR24 minutes ago
-
Spring 2024 TBR: Ten Books I Hope to Read54 minutes ago
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR | 20242 hours ago
-
TTT – Books On My Spring 2024 TBR3 hours ago
-
-
-
Daily Prompt 18 March monday7 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Harris, Robert "Fatherland"20 hours ago
-
Breath as Prayer22 hours ago
-
-
Books from the Backlog #81 day ago
-
-
Don’t Foget Me by Rea Frey1 day ago
-
-
-
-
Sunday Post3 days ago
-
-
Timeline by Michael Crichton3 days ago
-
33. Ferris4 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Witch Hat Atelier: Kitchen, Volume 11 week ago
-
Catching up1 week ago
-
Review: Dating Dr. Dil1 week ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?5 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra8 months ago
-
-
-
Sundays with Sam – The Sunday Post11 months ago
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ▼ 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)