While I have read and enjoyed Native American-themed mysteries, I have not found any that grabbed my attention until now. Former policeman Charlie Moon is unwittingly drawn into the murder case of a young archeology student that seems to be tied up with the ancient legend of White Shell Woman and her sons the Twin War Gods, represented by the towering sandstone monoliths near which the murder took place.

Critics have described James Doss' books as a cross between Tony Hillerman and Carl Hiaasen, and I agree - while the book does not lack in mystery and mysticism, what really made it different and more engaging was the wry humor. Strange but not as bizarre as Hiaasen's, Doss kept me chuckling at intervals throughout the book but really had me laughing at the end. Now I will have to find the earlier books (this is book 7 of the series) and read them from the beginning to understand the characters better. I'm looking forward to them!

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Charlie Moon, PI. How fun is that?

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Similar to Tony Hillarman.

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A very good novel of crime detection and solution set in the four corners with a good dose of education about the Ute Indian culture thrown in as well as life in that area of Colorado, which is NOT ski bunnies and yuppies, a real surprise for the outsider and a great education as well as a very good mystery. I would recommend it to anyone, Doss is on a par with Hillerman any day, and should emerge soon as the great writer that he is. A great story teller and the immages of the land and people combine with his humor and the surpises of the story to make this one hard to put down.

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