Synopses & Reviews
"If it's just too long between Tony Hillerman novels, the mysteries of Aimée and David Thurlo will help you bridge the canyons. An intriguing plot with a detailed look at issues and everyday life in Indian Country. If you prefer your mysteries with a little green chile and New Mexico grit, you'll want to add the Thurlos to your reading list."
--Rocky Mountain News on Shooting Chant
"An intense, fast-paced mystery that will have fans reading into the wee hours. The authors' grasp of the Navajo culture seems authentic."
--Knight-Ridder Syndicate on Red Mesa
"The Thurlos' insights into the sociology of the reservation are authentic and persuasive."
--Kirkus Reviews on Changing Woman
"A thrilling mystery series that incorporates Navajo history, tradition, and customs. The suspense runs high."
--Romantic Times on Shooting Chant
"The Thurlos have created another realistic, fast-paced, and intense story. They expertly slip in information and explanations of the Navajo culture through both dialogue and narrative, adding understanding as well as entertainment. The result is a feeling of empathy for the characters, as they face the modern world and also try to retain their cultural traditions. Action scenes keep the plot moving at a quick pace with some surprises along the way, adding to the excitement."
--School Library Journal on Changing Woman
"Red Mesa is the 87th Precinct on an Indian reservation, a murder mystery laced with mysticism, politics, and social commentary."
--Lee Goldberg, Edgar Award-nominated executive producer of Diagnosis: Murder
"The conflicts between Anglo and traditional ways are brought into high focus. Fans of Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, and of Jean Hager's investigator, Molly Bearpaw, should appreciate the way the Thurlos mix Native American lore with modern situations and forensics technique. Even readers unfamiliar with the Native American subgenre will be intrigued."
--Booklist (starred review) on Shooting Chant
Review
"Plenty of action, splendid characterizations, and a deep knowledge of contemporary Navajo life make this a rewarding read."(Booklist on Changing Woman)
Review
Praise for
Plant Them Deep:
"This book stands alone, but of course can be read by fans of the Ella Clah series as well. Informative on subjects ranging from Navajo life to botany, the book enlightens the reader as it entertains."
--New Mexico Magazine
"A tense conclusion."--Publishers Weekly
"Suspense is their thing, the Southwest is their 'hood, and they're imaginative. As always, the Thurlos do a credible job describing Navajo social customs. Rose is feisty."--New Mexican
Review
"This book stands alone. Informative on subjects ranging from Navajo life to botany, [it] enlightens the reader as it entertains." New Mexico Magazine
Review
"A tense conclusion." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Suspense is their thing, the Southwest is their 'hood, and they're imaginative. Rose is feisty." New Mexican
Synopsis
For the Navajo, to "walk in beauty"-to stay in balance with the natural world around one-is the greatest gift, and the greatest task, of one's life. For Rose Destea, to walk in beauty has meant threading a difficult path between traditionalist and modernist ways. Though she worships at the family shrine, her husband was a Christian preacher. Though her son, Clifford Destea, is a respected hataalii or medicine man, her daughter, Ella Clah, is a Special Investigator with the Navajo Police and a former FBI agent.
After decades as a wife, mother, and grandmother, Rose has become a tribal activist. Briefly in the national spotlight when she spoke against bringing casino gambling to the Navajo Reservation, Rose now works to guide not just her family but the whole tribe into a balanced future.
When Navajo healers and members of the Plant Watchers society report that healing plants sacred to the Navajo are disappearing from the Rez, the tribal council asks Rose to catalog the plants and their growing places. She faces strong opposition from hataaliis reluctant to reveal their secret herb-gathering spots and from people who think the Rez should cultivate genetically engineered plants instead of native species.
Rose finds evidence that many plants have been stolen-plants that may be valuable in the growing market for alternative and natural medications. Rose's home is burgled and her plant notes stolen. Adding to her worries is the serious illness of an old friend and the apparent extinction of a plant essential to the healing ritual that is the sick woman's only hope of a cure. Then a Navajo man is found dead, apparently of a heart attack; Rose is convinced that he was murdered by the plant thief.
Rose has picked up a trick or two from her police officer daughter; she begins an independent investigation that soon has her up to her neck in trouble.
Plant Them Deep is a stand-alone novel that complements the Ella Clah series and will deepen readers' understanding of the Navajo world.
Synopsis
For the Navajo, to "walk in beauty"-to stay in balance with the natural world around one-is the greatest gift, and the greatest task, of one's life. For Rose Destea, to walk in beauty has meant threading a difficult path between traditionalist and modernist ways. Though she worships at the family shrine, her husband was a Christian preacher. Though her son, Clifford Destea, is a respected hataalii or medicine man, her daughter, Ella Clah, is a Special Investigator with the Navajo Police and a former FBI agent.
After decades as a wife, mother, and grandmother, Rose has become a tribal activist. Briefly in the national spotlight when she spoke against bringing casino gambling to the Navajo Reservation, Rose now works to guide not just her family but the whole tribe into a balanced future.
When Navajo healers and members of the Plant Watchers society report that healing plants sacred to the Navajo are disappearing from the Rez, the tribal council asks Rose to catalog the plants and their growing places. She faces strong opposition from hataaliis reluctant to reveal their secret herb-gathering spots and from people who think the Rez should cultivate genetically engineered plants instead of native species.
Rose finds evidence that many plants have been stolen-plants that may be valuable in the growing market for alternative and natural medications. Rose's home is burgled and her plant notes stolen. Adding to her worries is the serious illness of an old friend and the apparent extinction of a plant essential to the healing ritual that is the sick woman's only hope of a cure. Then a Navajo man is found dead, apparently of a heart attack; Rose is convinced that he was murdered by the plant thief.
Rose has picked up a trick or two from her police officer daughter; she begins an independent investigation that soon has her up to her neck in trouble.
Plant Them Deep is a stand-alone novel that complements the Ella Clah series and will deepen readers' understanding of the Navajo world.
Synopsis
Medicine men and members of the Plant Watchers society report that sacred healing plants are disappearing from the Rez. In an effort to locate and protect the rare plants, the tribal council asks Rose for help. She faces strong opposition both from healers reluctant to reveal their secret herb-gathering spots and from people who think the Rez should be cultivated with genetically-engineered plants instead of native species.
Rose is shocked to discover that many plants appear to have been stolen, perhaps for the lucrative market for alternative and natural medications. Soon after her notes and maps are stolen, a Navajo man is found dead near a gathering site. Rose is convinced that he was murdered by the plant thief.
Rose has picked up a trick or two from Ella Clah, her police officer daughter; she begins an independent investigation that soon has her up to her neck in trouble.
About the Author
Aimée and David Thurlo have been married for more than thirty years and have been writing novels together for nearly that long, in a variety of genres including romance, young adult, and mystery. They have three ongoing mystery series, the
Sister Agatha series, starring a cloistered nun, the
Lee Nez series, featuring a Navajo vampire who teams up with a female FBI agent to fight crimes that have elements of the supernatural, and their flagship series, the critically-acclaimed
Ella Clah novels. Several Ella Clah novels, including T
racking Bear, Red Mesa, and
Shooting Chant, have received starred reviews from Booklist.
David Thurlo was raised on the Navajo Indian Reservation and later taught school in Shiprock, also on the Rez. Aimée, a native of Havana, Cuba, has lived in New Mexico for more than thirty years. The Thurlos share their home with dogs, horses, and various pet rodents. They have written more than fifty novels which have been published in more than twenty countries.