Synopses & Reviews
Suspicions run high when murder mixes with identity theft in the latest installment of the popular Sadie Walela mystery series set in Cherokee Country. No sooner does Sadie embark on an unexpected business trip to the beautiful island of Maui, when her long-time neighbor, Buck Skinner, a full-blood Cherokee and World War II veteran, goes missing and becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a petty identity thief.
Iconic lawman Lance Smith joins a community-wide search, but Buck is nowhere to be found. As evidence mounts against her old friend, Sadie rushes to return home to help—only to be delayed by an island-wide earthquake and her own sinking suspicions.
A diverse cast of characters weave together a breathless story of murder, thievery, and the toll of war on the human spirit. In her effort to restore balance to her neighbors life, Sadie not only uncovers the truth, but unravels much more than a murder.
Review
"Hoklotubbe uses her experiences growing up in Oklahoma as a Cherokee tribal citizen to add interest to her mystery."—Kirkus
"Likeable characters remain vivid and linger long after the book is put down. . . . a quick, enjoyable read."—Maui News
“Sara Sue Hoklotubbe’s Sinking Suspicions will weave its way into the tapestry of your literary life with characters that will charm you, frighten you, and, best of all, surprise you—one heck of a good read.”—Craig Johnson, New York Times Best-Selling author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries and the basis of A&E’s hit drama Longmire
“In Sinking Suspicions, Sara Sue Hoklotubbe’s third Sadie Walela mystery, her likable and resourceful heroine takes a solitary trip to Hawaii. On her way to the islands, Sadie learns that a Cherokee neighbor has gone missing and that her partner Lance is doing his best to find him. Sadie’s island journey, full of light and enchantment, is described beautifully by Hoklotubbe. Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, Lance’s crime solving is full of darkness. Hoklotubbe deftly explores the darkness and the light in this fascinating mystery.”—Judith Van Gieson, author of the Neil Hamel and Claire Reynier mystery series
Review
“A riveting beginning, a fascinating background, and an engrossing story make
Sinking Suspicions another excellent book in Sara Sue Hoklotubbe’s superior series.”—Carolyn Hart, author of
Ghost Wanted “Another intriguing mystery from a gifted storyteller. With a sure hand, Sara Sue Hoklotubbe ratchets up the suspense while exploring the myths, passions, and fears of modern-day Cherokees. If you haven’t yet caught up with this author, Sinking Suspicions is a fine place to make her acquaintance.”—Margaret Coel, author of the Wind River mystery series
Review
“Action, romance, and even bit of World War II history combine to make Sinking Suspicions a memorable story that leaves readers satisfied—and with a grin on our faces. Sara Sue Hoklotubbe returns to the world of spunky Sadie Walela, a can-do Cherokee crime solver with a heart as big as the plains of her native Oklahoma.”—Anne Hillerman, author of the New York Times Best-Selling Spider Woman’s Daughter
Review
“There are only a handful of Native American writers in genre literature, and even fewer who feature Native main characters. This is a solid mystery with excellent Native themes and characters.”—Lee Francis IV, National Director of Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers
Review
"Fresh, subtle insights into the minds and traditions of Oklahoma’s Cherokee people are a bonus in the Sadie Walela mystery book series,
which is based on the author’s own rural, native roots in Rattlesnake Hollow, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pin-point in northeastern
Oklahoma."—The Oklahoman
Review
“Hoklotubbe does an excellent job of maintaining tension, as chapters alternate between Sadie in Hawai’i, Lance in Oklahoma, and Buck stuck somewhere in the wilderness, creating a race against time as the story lines interweave."—Foreword Reviews
Synopsis
Sinking Suspicions offers a heartwarming story of loss and redemption, murder and healing in Oklahomas modern-day Indian Country. Mystery writer Sara Sue Hoklotubbe crafts an authentic tale that mixes stolen identity with a fast-paced search for a killer.
About the Author
Sara Sue Hoklotubbe, a Cherokee tribal citizen, is the author of the award-winning Sadie Walela Mystery series. The American Café received the New Mexico-Arizona Mystery Book of the Year Award, the WILLA Literary Award, and the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers Mystery of the Year Award. Sara won the Writer of the Year Award from Wordcraft Circle for Deception on All Accounts. She and her husband live in Colorado.