Synopses & Reviews
Late on a Monday night, editor Lucy Newroe answers the phone in the Capital Tribune newsroom. The caller is the notorious Scanner Lady---an anonymous elderly tipster whose hobby is to phone the newspaper with gossip from her police scanner. The old woman tells Lucy she heard two Santa Fe cops discussing a dead body. But when Lucy checks out the tip, she discovers Scanner Lady has been killed.
She tries to enlist the help of Detective Gil Montoya, but his mind is on another death. He has just been handed the case of Melissa Baca, a seventh-grade teacher whose body was thrown off the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Over the course of the next few days, as Lucy and Gil hunt down the culprits in each murder, they discover their cases are intertwined in the most intimate ways.
Rich with details of New Mexico and the people who live there, The Replacement Child is the perfect novel for anyone who has fallen in love with the Southwest that Tony Hillerman described so artfully in his Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries.
Review
Lucy Newroe, editor of the Capital Tribune, a Santa Fe newspaper, is given a tip from Scanner Lady, an anonymous reader who listens to her police scanner. That same night, the body of a young woman, Melissa Baca, is found at the bottom of a local bridge. When Scanner Lady is murdered, Lucy connects her tip with Baca's murder and tries to convince the police to investigate the link. Santa Fe police detective Gil Montoya is called upon to work with the state police to help investigate the crime, and he and Lucy end up exchanging information. Lucy is also working reluctantly as a volunteer medic and dealing with her recent romantic breakup, while Gil worries about his mother and her health. A strong sense of the city of Santa Fe and its environs and the appeal of the two well-developed main characters show why this mystery was the first winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize for the best debut mystery set (Sue O'Brien, Booklist, Oct 1 2008 )
Review
Isnt it great when a new writer comes along and makes you sit up and take notice? Christine Barber does just that with The Replacement Child. Dont miss it.”---Michael McGarrity, author of Nothing But Trouble
“Smart, taut, psychologically convincing. Christine Barber has a sure hand with character and a strong sense of place. A fine choice for the first Tony Hillerman Prize.”---Susan Wittig Albert, author of Nightshade
“In this excellent debut, newcomer Christine Barber weaves a heartbreaking mystery with the assured hand of an old pro. The Replacement Child has many charms: Its a riveting procedural, a compassionate and perceptive study of human nature, and a wonderfully labyrinthine whodunit. But its the heart of this story that is the real charmer: the fascinating landscape of northern New Mexico and the tangle of cultures, old and new, that populate it. I guarantee that if you let Christine Barber take you there once, youll want to go back with her again.”---William Kent Krueger, author of Thunder Bay
“The Replacement Child is a gripping story set against the deceptive calm of an ancient land in modern times. In northern New Mexico, lives and events are interconnected, and Christine Barber weaves a tale where nothing is irrelevant and no one is unimportant. Barber is a wonderful storyteller and her characters invite us into their hidden places, compelling us to turn the page.”---David Sundstrand, author of Shadow of the Raven
“A spellbinding mystery wrapped simultaneously in the gorgeous landscape and in the dark, hidden recesses of the Southwest. I kept turning the pages and holding my breath for what might come next. I was never disappointed. The Replacement Child is that good.”---Margaret Coel, author of Blood Memory
Review
“Christine Barber is new to the Southwest in the sense that The Replacement Child is her first novel. But she has a great feel for the territory and for the family connections that enforce its strong community bonds.” -The New York Times Book Review
“Provides detours into the rich Hispanic traditions, the geography, the architecture, and vagaries of life in present-day Santa Fe… I think this pleasurable novel will endure as a far more insightful tour guide than any document printed for that purpose.” -Albuquerque Journal
“The author has a sharp eye for details about Santa Fe and northern New Mexico that longtime area residents often take for granted.” -The Santa Fe New Mexican
“[Barber] has put as many twists in the plot as there are in the mountain roads near Santa Fe, and youll be fooled again and again.” -Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Brings to vibrant life the community culture of Santa Fe.” -The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
Late one night, Capital Tribune editor Lucy Newroe receives a tip from Scanner Lady, an anonymous reader who frequently calls with police scanner tidbits. When Lucy checks out the tip, she discovers Scanner Lady has been killed. That same night, the body of a seventh-grade teacher, Melissa Baca, is found at the bottom of a local bridge. As Lucy and police detective Gil Montoya hunt down the culprits in each murder, they discover their cases are intertwined in the most intimate ways.
Christine Barber, the first winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize, received overwhelming praise for her remarkable debut, which was named a New York Times Notable Book. Rich with details of New Mexico and the people who live there, The Replacement Child is the perfect novel for anyone who has fallen in love with the Southwest, and marks the emergence of a promising new writer.
About the Author
Christine Barber is an award-winning journalist as well as a certified emergency medical technician and firefighter. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she is currently pursuing a career in medicine. She previously worked as an editor at the Santa Fe New Mexican and a journalist for the Albuquerque Journal and Gallup Independent. The Replacement Child is her first novel.