From Publishers Weekly
This entertaining series launch introduces Molly Bearpaw, 28, an investigator for the Native American Advocacy League, a fictional agency of the Oklahoma Cherokees that protects their civil rights. After Abner Mouse dies at the Country Haven Nursing Home in Tahlequah, the Cherokee capital, his son Woodrow asks Bearpaw to find out if the death was caused by a ravenmocker--a feared Cherokee witch in the form of a raven that sucks out the life force from the bodies of the enfeebled patients. But an autopsy says Abner was a victim of botulism. Soon a similar death occurs in the nursing home, though no trace of the bacteria can be found on the premises. Were the deaths simply accidents covered up by nervous staff members, or were they caused by something more sinister? With the help of D. J. Kennedy, deputy sheriff and her sometime lover, Bearpaw uncovers a conspiracy involving land grabs and toxic waste dumps--circumstances that seem as improbable at first as the concept of a ravenmocker. Of Cherokee descent, Hager ( Ghostland ) is comfortable with tribal lore and culture. She captures the rhythms of life in Tahlequah and creates in Bearpaw a charming and intelligent--albeit reluctant--detective. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Molly Bearpaw, another first-time detective, investigates varying complaints for the Native American Advocacy League in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. When a Cherokee man dies of food poisoning in a local nursing home, she attempts to discover the source of the tainted food. Working with sometime sheriff's department boyfriend D.J., Bearpaw repeatedly interrogates victims' relatives in order to pin down clues establishing motive and means. Rural gossip and intrigue contribute to a minimally entertaining title.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
The award-winning author of The Grandfather Medicine introduces Molly Bearpaw, an investigator for the Cherokee Tribe, who looks into a mysterious case of botulism in a local nursing home. She is also asked to verify that the victim's heart was not stolen by a ravenmocker--a Cherokee witch. In sorting through the means and motives for the murder, Molly enters a deadly race for time.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This entertaining series launch introduces Molly Bearpaw, 28, an investigator for the Native American Advocacy League, a fictional agency of the Oklahoma Cherokees that protects their civil rights. After Abner Mouse dies at the Country Haven Nursing Home in Tahlequah, the Cherokee capital, his son Woodrow asks Bearpaw to find out if the death was caused by a ravenmocker--a feared Cherokee witch in the form of a raven that sucks out the life force from the bodies of the enfeebled patients. But an autopsy says Abner was a victim of botulism. Soon a similar death occurs in the nursing home, though no trace of the bacteria can be found on the premises. Were the deaths simply accidents covered up by nervous staff members, or were they caused by something more sinister? With the help of D. J. Kennedy, deputy sheriff and her sometime lover, Bearpaw uncovers a conspiracy involving land grabs and toxic waste dumps--circumstances that seem as improbable at first as the concept of a ravenmocker. Of Cherokee descent, Hager ( Ghostland ) is comfortable with tribal lore and culture. She captures the rhythms of life in Tahlequah and creates in Bearpaw a charming and intelligent--albeit reluctant--detective. (Dec.)

Library Journal

Molly Bearpaw, another first-time detective, investigates varying complaints for the Native American Advocacy League in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. When a Cherokee man dies of food poisoning in a local nursing home, she attempts to discover the source of the tainted food. Working with sometime sheriff's department boyfriend D.J., Bearpaw repeatedly interrogates victims' relatives in order to pin down clues establishing motive and means. Rural gossip and intrigue contribute to a minimally entertaining title.

BookList - Donna Seaman