This is the first book in the Charlie Moon mystery series which was published in 1994. I admit I randomly picked this author from "Stop you're killing me" for my "D" pick and thought this sounded like an engaging series. I tend to be a mystery purist and like to read the first novel of a series to see how the author sets the stage for future novels. What is interesting is that in this novel Charlie Moon is really a minor character. The mystery is set in Colorado and at the site of a fictional Polytechnical University where a female physics student who is studying the theories behind superconductors is killed. The plot twists nicely with the characters of Police Chief Scott Parris and the local shaman Daisy Perika whose visions clearly stir the plot. The Ute Indian culture and traditions create a fertile environment for future stories. The author James D. Doss has been likened to Tony Hillerman. The author has an obvious red herring the in the character of Julio, the Mexican handy man who is set up to be the main suspect. I enjoyed the story line with the interweaving of a Native American spirit life. I look forward to reading the next book in the series The Shaman Laughs to see how Charlie becomes a main character. Check out this series at the CWMARS libraries and I plan to donate my copy to the Thompson Library because they do not own this series.
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