Native Mystery

A lion shifter. Vincent’s oldest enemy is his brother. And now he’s brought before the Council of Elders to determine his fate and Vincent is called as the solitary witness. A lioness shifter. Veronica’s first love is back. That was a lifetime ago, before he left his clan and her behind. She’s built a new life, and clearly so has he. Why can’t she convince herself of that? Sometimes the past refuses to stay in the past. Once upon a time, these two shifters were fated mates. Then circumstances parted them. Has it brought them back together just to keep them apart again?

Spirit Pass tackles an all-too-real issue that gets all-too-little attention - the disappearances of young women on Native American reservations. This concept alone ensures plenty of emotion for the piece and the novel does a good job of showing the full scope of those affected. This is especially poignant when we see old friends Agnes and Bernice, who find themselves possible rivals following Claudia’s murder. That there are so many suspects for this killing is also a nice touch - this keeps us on our toes and guessing until the reveal in the climax.

Star MedLab occupies what was once a factory in Shelton, Connecticut. Now, the medical facility boasts its ability to cure an assortment of mental illnesses and emotional disorders. To make it truly accessible it offers a payment for each admission! But is it a benevolent sanctuary or a place where coercion and experimentation on the vulnerable takes precedence over wellness?

Maggie Tall Bear Sloan, half Irish, half Yurok, and 100 percent gutsy, is a retired criminologist who shape-shifts into the Pukkekwerek, the Yurok nation’s monster-killing raven. After she brings down a cannibalistic child murderer possessed by a manitou, Maggie, and her lover, Jake Lubbock, a former sheriff, move from the mountains in Northern California to a desert town in Southern California. All is well for Maggie and Jake until the local sheriff shows them photos of a dentist, his wife, and teenage son, roasted over separate fires on spits, their flesh cannibalized.

Leo Malone. Running from his past. Running into trouble. In Martinique, Leo Malone meets Taylor Hoffman, a young man who could be his identical twin. Whey they run afoul of a local gangster, Taylor is murdered and Leo assumes his identity to sneak safely out of the country and back to Los Angeles. But when Taylor’s estranged parents meet Leo at the airport, mistaking him for their son, Leo’s best-laid plans spiral out of control. Full of surprising twists and turns, Too Much in the Son is part Agatha Christie, part Elmore Leonard, with a dash of David Mamet and served with a Larry David...