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For mystery buffs who like a little magic mixed into their mayhem, James D. Doss serves up the third in his series of regional mysteries set on Native American reservations. In The Shaman's Bones, Doss's hero, tribal policeman Charlie Moon, and a Shoshone shaman named Blue Cup are both on the trail of a murderer, but their methodology is vastly different. While Charlie employs the usual police procedures to solve the crime, Blue Cup sends his spirit after the killer. What happens next makes for a spooky, gripping read.
Book Description
A women of the Tohono O'otam tribe has been savagely -- and ritually -- murdered in Wyoming, outside the jurisdictions of Granite Creek, Colorado, Police Chief Scott Parris and Ute tribal policeman Charlie Moon. But a brutal, unprovoked assault by the suspected killer on one of Parris's detectives -- and the dark, unsettling visions of Charlie's shaman aunt, Daisy Perika -- are pulling two dedicated lawmen and an aging Native American mystic into the hunt.
Daisy's dreams of raining blood tell her that more will die. Despite the healthy skepticism of his good friend Moon, Parris is inclined to heed the shaman's dire warnings. But the trail of a murderer is leading them all to perilous and unexpected places, where secrets of past betrayals and treacherous tribal politics are buried, and where the pursuit of a stolen Power has turned some men greedy and hungry. . .and deadly.
Customer Reviews:
not quite Hillerman.......2006-06-09
This is a pretty good book, but it could be better. The author uses foreshadowing far too often. There is an ominous hint of things to come on every other page, it seems. The effect is not heightened drama. It's just tedious teasing, like some obnoxious kid who chants "I've know a secret and you don't." Also there are a lot of cliches, like the pretty woman who runs a bar, good-looking but packs a punch like a prize fighter. The dialogue is very wooden, descriptions trite.
That said, it is still an interesting book to read, and I'm going to order some of the author's other books. I hope he will learn to write more simply and directly, which is always more effective than the tricks the author uses in this book to impress the reader.
The O'odham NOT O'otam. C'mon Jim........2005-06-01
When the Spanish arrived in the area that today is northern Sonora and southern Arizona, this extremely harsh environment of the Sonoran Desert was inhabited by groups of Native Americans with one language but different dialects being spoken in different areas. These natives called themselves O'odham, translated as "we, the people". This large area of land was called the Pimería Alta by the Spanish. Today the Pimería Alta is an area that encompasses two countries from the Colorado River in the west to the San Pedro River in the east, and north from the Gila River to the Rio Conception, south in Mexico. The two largest groups are the Akimel O'odham (Phoenix area) and the Tohono O'odham (Tucson area). From the Spanish "Pimería", the O'odham living in this area along the Gila river traditionally were called Pimas by non-Indians. The O'odham living in the desert to the south traditionally were called Papagos. Today, non-Indians use the indigenous language (how nice) in referring to these people. Now the Pima are the Akimel O'odham "River People" and the Papago are the Tohono O'odham "Desert People".
Many believe the modern O'odham are the original Arizonans. The prehistoric people in the Sonoran Desert were named "Hohokam" by the famous Archaeologist Emil W. Haury. According to Haury, the Akimel O'odham and Tohono O'odham are most likely the living descendants of the Hohokam Indians. The Hohokam could be descendants of Paleo-Indians in the area but most likely migrated from Mexico into the Pimería Alta around 300 B.C. The pre-historic remains of pit-houses, ceramics, tools, and items of trade from the ocean and large Mesoamerican societies in Mexico have been left behind in this area for archaeologists to decipher. There are many excellent Museums in Phoenix and Tucson that show artifacts and how the Hohokam lived and survived in such an arid climate. The "Paths of Life" exhibit at the Arizona State Museum on the campus of Tucson's University of Arizona is an excellent showcase of all the Indians of the southwest. The "Paths of Life" created with input from many tribes show the Native Americans in a new light, in a continuum from people who lived here before to the modern Indians who are here now. The language, religion, and culture are as important today as yesterday but in today's America the Native Americans struggle to stay alive with hardships and roadblocks that are dynamic in many ways unknown to the non-Indian. I believe books written by James D. Doss and Tony Hillerman are important because the cultures, traditions, values, and beliefs of these very important people are shown in a modern perspective of Indians living today. It is the responsibility of these authors not only to entertain but to educate the non-Indian audience.
A Definite Read.......2002-08-21
While yearning for more Tony Hillerman after reading his last book, I accidently came across The Shaman's Bones. I absolutely loved it. I could easily imagine neighbors from my childhood that could easily play some of the characters in this book. The only problem I had with this novel were the few dream sequences, which I thought tended to be unnecessarily long and disruptive to the flow of the the plot. Regardless, I intend to read the other 'Shaman' novels.
Another winner.......2002-01-15
Always enjoyable reading and a good yarn. Great characters.
Memorable, gripping and haunting - can't put this book down........1999-10-22
Mr. Doss writes in a style that gives the reader vivid mental pictures of what is happening with each of his characters. I have not enjoyed any murder mystery this much before. The Shaman's Bones integrates humor, murder, and mystery with emotion and Ute mysticism and lore.
Anyone who likes Tony Hillerman's books will LOVE the Shaman series by James D. Doss. I recommend that anyone who wants to step into Mr. Doss' world, begin with the first book in the series (The Shaman Sings) and work their way through the series. Warning: If you read one, you'll have to read them all!
Book Description
Through a combination of traditional healing rituals and cutting-edge psychology, Native American shaman Wolf Moondance reveals the secrets of uniting the physical and spiritual selves--and changing your life. "The author is very adept at melding sound psychological techniques with ancient wisdom, thus providing unique insights in a readable form. A truly different way of examining consciousness and spirit--providing an impetus to change."--Fate.
Customer Reviews:
Not Quite Sure.......2005-04-15
I bought this book without having read much of it first. I know practicaly nothing about Native American studies or shamanism, it's not my calling or interest. Anyways, I bought this one anyway and am sorta confused. Like I said, I know hardly anything at all about Native American culture but I would assume they didnt go out have get pink, blue, yellow, purple, red, oarnge and indigo candles for their work. Almost every working in the book calls for all these rainbow things. I wonder if this is authentic? I am going to borrow from another reviewer I saw a while ago and say This book is probably good for the "bookstore shaman" . Thats about all I can say.
No Race Just Truth.......2001-04-11
I have heard peopel speak of the author not bing an indian. She is now and she is Native mixed. I know cause I have been a student for many years of hers. If you read the writings youwill see the power in the truth she tells. In bone medicine you will learn the ways of a hollow bone and these ways are sacred. Good work, Great book. I understand the human more.
Recommended for students of Native American spirituality........2000-02-04
Native American shaman Moondance's visions form the foundation of a guide which considers how to use shaman wisdom for spiritual enlightenment. How to make and work with medicine blankets and bundles and how to create magic tools and perform sacred ceremonies are only a few of the topics covered in this guide.
We Need More teachings like this........1999-10-28
I have read a lot of these kind of books and this is good work. I have read them all and like the way the books read. The truth is clear that the author is stating her own vision and the vision has touched her life. I support these books by Wolf Moondance 100%. Thank you. Jim Jackson-Okla
I have Changed my life because of this book!.......1999-09-30
When I read Bone Medicine I was looking for something to guide the loss in my spiritual life. I did not ever in 35 years understand the purpose of my life or the reason for the human body. After the work I have done through the ceremonies in this book I understand and respect my physical life. I would love for anyone to read this book because it is Great. I am a mixed blood and can say I have found a true Elder! Thanks... Jerri Storm-K.C
Book Description
Lyrically written, filled with irony, mystery, and magic, the author shows how this powerful mythic story can be a pattern for everyone's life and how understanding ancient myths can ensure our spiritual survival in the modern world.
Customer Reviews:
Profound and touching.......2007-09-26
You wouldn't think it possible to say "this is Martin Prechtel's best book yet" because they are all so exceptional. If you are interested in current Mayan culture, indigenous peoples, love, life, Central American politics... this book is a tour de force. Martin Prechtel is one of the most truly amazing, talented, gifted, wise, insightful people you might ever hope to meet. On top of this, he is an extraordinarily gifted writer. Buy the book. Buy them all.
The One You Keep.......2006-11-16
TV, more than any other medium, has become America's storyteller. Sometimes that's not so bad; other times it presents shallow and false values to impressionable minds. When I'm hungry for ultimate truths, I've often found it best to go to other cultures and borrow their stories. One of the very, very best is "Stealing Benefacio's Roses." Within this story you will find your heart and be surprised at how strong and lovely it is. You will find your soul and come to know your true self. It's a story that works on the surface level of "Once upon a time . . ." yet also touches the deeper realms of mythology, spirituality, psychology, history and the many varieties of love. The writing is superb. Here's a quote: "Onto the floor I dropped to sleep, drifting on the tossing sea of my aching heart in a little canoe of Gustavo's friendship, into dreams filled with the unkillable perfume of Benefacio's roses." To understand and savor the last five words, buy the book and enjoy the revelations. This is the one you will keep to reread over time.
A suggestion.......2003-03-27
It might help readers to know that this book and "The Disobedience of the Daughter of the Sun" are written to be read aloud. When you do this the prose has a rhythm that is part of the meaning of the book.
The Great Story.......2003-03-27
"In much wisdom is much grief" says the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, "and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow." There is much wisdom, grief, knowledge, sorrow, and finally joy in Martin Prechtel's new book. You don't have to read his previous three, *Secrets of the Talking Jaguar,* *Long Life, Honey in the Heart,* and *The Disobedience of the Daughter of the Sun* to understand and appreciate the message of *The Toe Bone and the Tooth* - but it helps.
This is a story about keeping the Great Story alive - "An Ancient Mayan Story Relived in Modern Times: Leaving Home to Come Home."
It starts out with Martin's return to Guatamala in 1992 after many years in exile from his adopted country, where his village of Santiago Atitlan had been destroyed and 1800 of his friends and villagers slaughtered by American-backed death squads in the 1980s. He was picked up at the airport by three teenage boys (who had been small children when the devastation took place) and smuggled back to the village under a truckload of Mayan squashes. Along the way, the boys were eager to hear the story of the Toe Bone and Tooth that had been outlawed (as well as their language) by the various and many invaders of their country. Landmarks of the Story were everywhere (much as Australian Dreamtime stories are dependent on the land for the telling).
Martin was welcomed in Santiago Atitlan as the Shaman and healer that he was for many years. He had had a Mayan wife and three sons there (one son died) and his little family had barely escaped with their lives.
The ancient story of the Toe Bone and Tooth is inserted here - the Story of a mortal, Raggedy Boy, who fell in love with the Water Goddess, the story of her death after bearing him two corn children and being forgotten when her husband returned to the mortal world. When he did remember her through dreams, he had to re-member her, gathering her bones with the help of Coyote (who had the toe bone and tooth) and descending into the underworld to retrieve her heart. He was helped by an old magical couple. Re-membered, she became an ordinary woman and he became an ordinary man, and from them, all humans are descended.
The next few chapters chronicle the story of Martin's first arrival in Santiago Atitlan - how he'd been lost in a blizzard in his American homeland of Northern New Mexico in his youth, and how he was saved by a mare named Morningstar and an old Spanish lady who cured him of an almost fatal fever with bear grease and herbs. During his convalescence, he had 11 dreams of Santiago Atitlan and Nicolas Chiviliu Tacaxoy, who was to become his teacher, friend and mentor and who had called him through dreams for three years before he finally arrived in the village. Says Prechtel, "Though I was blond and born far away, we were the old and young generation of throwbacks from other times and layers of existence in which a humble dynasty of people in service to the remembrance of the Dismembered Goddess was continued from century to century."
Another chapter tells of Martin's defense of a young Mayan seminary student, Gaspar Culan, who was accused of worshipping idols because he had participated in an ancient Mayan sacred ceremony involving Holy Boy, whom the Catholic Church had branded as a devil but is actually a Christ figure. Martin (who speaks English, Spanish, and Mayan fluently) was to be Gaspar's advocate. Holy Boy had been called a Jew by the Church. Martin pointed out that they had dubbed the deity a Jew (and a devil) because Jews were at least considered to be human and therefore were subject to the 16th Century Inquisition. Mayans hadn't been considered people before that, so if their God was a Jew, the Inquisition could persecute and prosecute them. Martin won his case, and Culan was ordained as the first Mayan Catholic priest.
Several chapters are devoted to the Prechtel family's nothing-short-of-miraculous escape from Guatamala. Martin's teacher had ordered Martin to stay alive at all costs so that he might carry the seed of the story to the U.S. and preserve it for the Mayans whose history and culture had been outlawed.
When Martin got back to the U.S. and his old homeland in New Mexico, he and his family lived in poverty and difficulties for several years, but in Santa Fe he met a homeless couple who were like the old couple in the Story. Here, the narrative goes into the third person as the old couple tell Martin's story and do for him what he had done for countless people in his life - re-membered him for the holy amnesiacs (all of us). Martin's story mirrors the Great Story - "the story of ordinary people, extraordinarily in love and the story of the struggle of what it takes to be graced with such love is the story from which all humans are descended."
The author dedicates this book to the "deer-eyed daughter of the mountain, the mother of the great diversity" and to "all those peoples, plants and animals who have been and continue to be forcibly uprooted, rerouted, relocated, corralled, cut, branded, burnt out, burned down, burnt up, crushed, eradicated or driven from their homes in infinite diasporas of all types, to live where they may be unwelcome, while still trying to keep alive their seed capsules of cultural memory in hopes to regrow a home again. May their descendants be carved by the inherited grief of their ancestral loss to become feeders of what is holy in the ground, dedicated to something bigger than their need for justice and the pursuit of revenge."
This is a fantastic, exciting but true story, and in my opinion, this is a life-changing book. Read it!
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
Product Description
Omnibus edition of 3 Glen Cook novels: Old Tin Sorrows Dread Brass Shadows Red Iron Nights
Customer Reviews:
Consolidation of the 2nd Three Garrett Books.......2005-11-05
Since most of Cook's Garrett books are long out of print and very difficult to come by, you might end up having to buy this consolidation to find the individual stories. This book, "Garrett, P.I.," is the 2nd of 3 consolidations (so far). The others are "The Garrett Files" and "Garrett Investigates." This book contains the 2nd three stories in the Garrett series: "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," and "Red Iron Nights." "The Garrett Files" contains the 1st three: "Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," and "Cold Copper Tears." "Garrett Investigates" has the last three so far consolidated: "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat." The remaining two books ("Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols") still appear to be in print on their own. As was the 1st consolidation ("The Garrett Files"), this book is well bound, has good quality paper, and is well cut. As a pure average of my ratings for the three contained stories, I rate this book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5. My individual reviews follow:
"Old Tin Sorrows:" Excellent 4th in Cook's Garrett Series. If this isn't the best of the whole Garrett series, it's right up there fighting for the slot. For all intents and purposes, there's no Dead Man in this book: it's all Garrett, with some support from Morley and a couple of appearances from Saucerhead and the Dojango triplets. It's got good pacing and keeps you scratching your head trying to figure out what's going on all the way to the end. It's also one of the darkest books in the series. Nasty stuff. But, it explains why Garrett is so fixated on his picture of Eleanor in later books. Excellent, excellent book. I rate it at 5 stars out of 5.
"Dread Brass Shadows:" Very Good 5th in Cook's Garrett Series. Unlike the previous book, this one has a lot more Dead Man in it. Unfortunately, as a counterbalance, the pacing is a bit uneven (nothing horrible, just noticeable). This book also introduces Winger. Alas, Cook's portrayal of her is inconsistent. From scene to scene, she varies from competent to incompetent at specific tasks. For instance, in one scene, she's not all that good at hand-to-hand combat. Yet, in another scene, she defeats someone whom Garrett would be afraid to tackle. Ditto for her tracking ability: at one point, she's essentially blind to what's going on around her. At another, she's picking out people Garrett misses. It's a shame, since she plays such a large part in the book (basically replacing Morley and Saucerhead). Given that, I rate the book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.
"Red Iron Nights:" Very Good 6th in Cook's Garrett Series. It's a good book, but the pacing could use some work. Also, Cook introduces several minor plot elements and does very little with them until the end. One of them, having to do with Morley, he doesn't do anything with (like explain it) at all. Regarding recurring motifs in the series, in this book, Cook introduces Chodo's daughter and the Parrot. His introduction of the Parrot is disappointing considering its prevalance in later books (if you don't know to watch for it, you'd miss it entirely). But, still, overall, a very good book. I rate it at 4 stars out of 5.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good 6th in Cook's Garrett Series.......2005-11-05
This is the 6th in Cook's Garrett series ("Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," "Cold Copper Tears," "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," "Red Iron Nights," "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat," "Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols"). It's a good book, but the pacing could use some work. Also, Cook introduces several minor plot elements and does very little with them until the end. One of them, having to do with Morley, he doesn't do anything with (like explain it) at all. Regarding recurring motifs in the series, in this book, Cook introduces Chodo's daughter and the Parrot. His introduction of the Parrot is disappointing considering its prevalance in later books (if you don't know to watch for it, you'd miss it entirely). But, still, overall, a very good book. I rate it at 4 stars out of 5.
BTW: At the time of this review, this book is long out of print. It's tough to find anywhere. As an alternative, look around for the SFBC's "Garrett, P.I.." This book is part of that collection.
A triple whammy.......2000-05-17
Garrett and his partner the Dead Man go from famine to a plethora of cases in this novel. Garrett only has to follow one of the local soapbox conspiracy orators after he is released from prison, find a green butterfly belching serial killer and find the wayward daughter of the boss of the underworld. He accomplishes this in his usual way, and manages to rescue 3 damsels in distress along the way. Of course things do get a little interesting after the serial killer dies, and still keeps on killing. But that is almost par for the couse in TunFaire a real melting pot for all sorts from this fantasy world.
I enjoyed reading this even though at times, I felt that Cook was flat out telling the reader the solution prior to his character's enlightenment. This did not lessen the enjoyment any. And Cook still managed to get enough in to set up for his next book. I would definitely reccomend this one if you like Same Spade style mysteries and fantasy.
Excellent read.......1998-06-04
GOOD book for a rainy day. Has some plot twists that can only occur in a world with magic. Excellent characters. Glen Cook is my number one favorite author.
Another great Garrett story!.......1996-12-29
The whole Garrett series is fantastic and this is just anothergreat example. A spectacular mix of Chandler-esque P.I. workand surrealistic fantasy.
Books:
- The Shaman's Handbook (d20 System) (Master Classes)
- The Sugar House: A Tess Monaghan Mystery
- The Thin Woman
- The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club
- Three Complete Novels (The Servants of Twilight / Darkfall / Phantoms)
- To Collar a Killer
- Top Of The Heap (Hard Case Crime)
- Wicked Fix: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery (Mainely Murder, The)
- A Catskill Eagle, a Spenser Novel
- A Darker Place
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids Favorite Meals
- Streams in the Desert
- Leonardo's Swans: A Novel
- Lies, Inc.: A Novel
- Landscape Architecture, Fourth Edition
- Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning
- Shiloh--In Hell Before Night
- The Animator's Workbook: Step-By-Step Techniques of Drawn Animation
- Lines in the Water: Nature and Culture at Lake Titicaca
- Korea, I Was There
General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
The Shaman's Game (Shaman Mysteries)
The Night Visitor: A Shaman Mystery (Shaman Mysteries)
Grandmother Spider: A Charlie Moon Mystery
White Shell Woman
The Shaman Sings (Charlie Moon Mysteries)
