Yellow Lies

Rating:
Summary: For fans of Hillerman and Native-American mysteries
Review: In New Mexico, Sal Zuni and Hannah Rawlings run a fake prehistoric fossil business where the former collects, dries and places bugs in a special formula for the latter to sell. However Sal has become nervous that someone is on to their scam, but continues to develop the products because he will do anything for Hannah who encourages him.

This latest time in the back woods to collect insects, Sal finds a corpse he thinks is his dealer Ahmed. Sal thinks it's a warning. He flees for a moment, but returns to discover the body is gone. Psychiatrist Dr. Ben Pecos has just moved into the area to provide help to the local Hawikuh tribe for the next two years to pay back his education loan. Ben is a half Indian who was raised by Mormons. That night the scalped body of Ahmed appears by Sal's trailer, parked near Hannah's boarding house where Ben stays. Ben assists Tribal Cop Tommy Spottedhorse on the investigation of the homicide.

YELLOW LIES is a wonderful Native American mystery that will provide much entertainment to fans of the sub-genre. The story line is crisp and smoothly flows as readers gain insight into life on and near a reservation. The characters vary yet the key players seem complete as personalities surface. Susan Slater scribes a strong story that will leave readers wanting more Pecos Ben tales.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Yellow Lies
Review: The book rates four stars because it combines wonderful intricacy--unfolding slowly, and the reader will be challenged to work it all out before it is all unfolded--with great character interaction. This is not all that is on offer, however; Slater makes her tale bubble with more and more suspense as it progresses--likeable characters, main and supporting, in ever greater danger--while even in the earlygoing, certain eerie or violent night scenes ought to cause a chill. It all hints at some major background scheming that has somehow led to the murder of Ahmed, a trader who sells prehistoric amber artifacts as fashioned by Sal Zuni. Or is the profit motive just a bluff? It's up to psychologist Ben Pecos to sort it out, as he takes a liking to Sal, and hurts to see him in a possible frame-up, even when he begins to realize Sal is not being totally honest with him. What is Sal's secret, what did he see in the dead of night that fills him with dread--and who else occupying the remote boardinghouse where Ben stays has got startling secrets behind their Southwestern hospitality? Ben discovers there are mental and physical repurcussions (if not late-night concussions) to getting involved; can he juggle danger and deduction as an amateur sleuth and still patch things up with Julie, an old flame? After all, when they collaborate on the case, they just seem to disagree on who is telling the truth, and who is hiding a desperate secret that has led to murder. That's trouble, because once Ben and Julie start keeping things from of each other, one of them unwittingly has a final date with a killer...

The Southwestern feel is firmly woven into the book, not damaged by the brisk pace. Other than that, though I feel one major revelation was revealed too early in what amounts to a deux-ex-machina helping-hand (handily-placed recording device), overall this suspenseful tale excels at character, mounting tension, and a wonderfully conceived bit of trickery.