The Shaman Laughs

Rating:
Summary: An excellent Southwestern Indian mystery
Review: "The Shaman Laughs" is the second in a series set on an Indian reservation in southwestern Colorado. The shaman is Daisy Perika, an aged Ute woman who lives in a trailer near a sacred canyon. The mystery involves ritual-sacrifice slayings, spilling first animal, then human, blood, and a controversy over the possible disposal of nuclear waste in the sacred canyon. As befits the title, this book is lightened by humorous episodes amid the grim goings-on. Characters include a nervous, prickly FBI special agent named J.E. Hoover; the shaman's malapropistic cousin Gorman; a crooked insurance man with political ambitions; an unfortunate Belgian poet and would-be Indian mystic; the pitikupf, a sort of Ute leprechaun who lives in the sacred canyon; and a collector of antiquities and data who says the ritual killer is an elusive individual he calls "Cain." Who is this devilish Cain? It's up to policemen Scott Parris and Charlie Moon to find out. I thought this book didn't quite measure up to the outstanding "The Shaman Sings" (a hard act to follow), but it's still a good, entertaining read, and I definitely plan to continue on with the series.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent Southwestern Indian mystery
Review: "The Shaman Laughs" is the second in a series set on an Indian reservation in southwestern Colorado. The shaman is Daisy Perika, an aged Ute woman who lives in a trailer near a sacred canyon. The mystery involves ritual-sacrifice slayings, spilling first animal, then human, blood, and a controversy over the possible disposal of nuclear waste in the sacred canyon. As befits the title, this book is lightened by humorous episodes amid the grim goings-on. Characters include a nervous, prickly FBI special agent named J.E. Hoover; the shaman's malapropistic cousin Gorman; a crooked insurance man with political ambitions; an unfortunate Belgian poet and would-be Indian mystic; the pitikupf, a sort of Ute leprechaun who lives in the sacred canyon; and a collector of antiquities and data who says the ritual killer is an elusive individual he calls "Cain." Who is this devilish Cain? It's up to policemen Scott Parris and Charlie Moon to find out. I thought this book didn't quite measure up to the outstanding "The Shaman Sings" (a hard act to follow), but it's still a good, entertaining read, and I definitely plan to continue on with the series.

Rating:
Summary: Get it!
Review: As always I can't recommend these books highly enough. Just plain old good readin'

Rating:
Summary: Get it!
Review: As always I can't recommend these books highly enough. Just plain old good readin'

Rating:
Summary: Mystery set in the Southern Ute reservation
Review: This is the second of a four book series Doss has written. It is part police procedural BUT with some definite twists: Charlie Moon is the big rez cop and his aunt Daisy is the aforementioned shaman. The first chapter is very atmospheric-lots of well written description. The remainder of the book is at times humorous, with dialogue that sounds very natural, lampooning much and lauding little. I especially like the way Moon leisurely (remember we're on rez-time) unravels the mysteries. I suspected about 10 people, discarding some suspects then revisiting them as the story unravels. The ending-especially with regard to the obnoxious Federal agent was perfect!