Sharon M. (sgmensing) reviewed on 12/1/2012 + 24 more book reviews

Renee LaRoche is an Ojibwa teacher in Minnesota, where she lives with her daughter Jenny and her lover Samantha. A set of Native American artifacts is stolen from their display case at the school, launching Renee (and her cocker spaniel) into the mystery involving the theft. She works with the tribal police chief, and between them they bring down an international ring of thieves who are trafficking in native artifacts. Her spiritual connection with the tribe and her ancestors plays a role in the book, as does her sexuality. Her roles as a mother and a teacher are much less evident in the plotline.

laFavor does little to help the reader visualize the characters in the book, and this combined with similar names (three of the villains are Anderson, Thompson, and Peterson) makes it difficult to keep track of the minor characters. Renee herself, though, has a vivid thoughtful perspective on events, and being inside her head helps the reader connect with her.

As far as I can tell, laFavor wrote only two books in the series, and those in the 90s. I'm interested to pick up the next -- apparently the last.

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