Description
Navajo Autumn by R. Allen Chappell - first in a new series, has been compared to the works of Tony Hillerman, and rightly so. Set on the Navajo Reservation, a land steeped in tradition, the fast-paced story and depth of characters draw readers into an intriguing look at the culture. Chappell not only wrote an interesting book, but told a great story. Natural born story tellers are a pleasure to read. Personally, I could not put this book down and read far into the night to find out how it was going to end. Bella online: Mystery book reviews by Edie Dykeman Fans of Tony Hillerman will enjoy this highly rated mystery! Law schoolgraduate Charlie Yazzie investigates the strange deaths of two verydifferent people in New Mexico, and the mystery leads deep into themystical culture of the Navajo. Kboards Review With the deserved success of Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee mysteries, other aspiring authors hustled to find their own place in this new niche. Some were good, many were not. What always makes the difference in this or any crime fiction is the writer's storytelling ability and his knowledge of setting andcharacters. R. Allen Chappell has all this in abundance. Kittling: Books The greater part of my life has been spent in the Southwest, a good bit of it in the back-country. I grew up with the Navajo, went to school with them, and later worked alongside them, forging enduring friendships along the way. Those friendships became the inspiration for this series. My writing focuses on the people of the Four Corners region, past and present. I tend not to romanticize my characters, preferring instead to paint them as I find them. They have much the same qualities, good and bad, as the rest of us. Though this book is a work of fiction, a concerted effort was made to maintain the accuracy of the culture and people, as I have come to know them. I hope you like them as well as I do. This story hearkens back to a slightly more traditional time on the reservation, and while the places and culture are real, the characters and their names are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Writer, poet, R. Allen Chappell's work has appeared in magazines, literary and poetry publications, and featured on public radio and television. Chappell grew up at the edge of the great reservation in the Four Corners area. He and his wife spend most winters on a small sailboat and summers at home in Colorado where he pursues a lifelong interest in Southwestern prehistory. He welcomes readers comments at [email protected] Read more
Features & Highlights
- Newly revised and edited!
- Thomas Begay is found dead-drunk under the La Plata Bridge ...not unusual for Thomas Begay. What is unusual, is the beautiful BIA investigator Patsy Greyhorse, found lying beside him ...not drunk, or even a Navajo, but very dead nonetheless. Long time friend Charlie Yazzi, fresh from law school, risks his career ...and even his life to help his old schoolmate. The Answer seems to lie with the Yeenaaldiooshii ...should one choose to believe in such things. In the far reaches of the reservation there still are traditional Navajos living their lives with few concessions to modern mores. Guided by their strong sense of cultural heritage these outliers remain a strong anchor for the Navajo Nation. This story follows the lives of such people, caught up in a plot that could have far-reaching implications for the entire tribe. "The depth of character and culture transcends that generally seen in novels of the genre."
