Synopses & Reviews
Charlie Henry, former Special Forces operative and newly minted pawnbroker, thinks that hes finally turned a corner and the calm, quiet life hes always wanted is just ahead. But life never really works out that way.
A young Navajo man comes into Charlies shop, FOB Pawn, claiming that his girlfriend mistakenly pawned a beautiful family heirloom, a turquoise necklace that she desperately needs back. When hes unable to produce any proof of this tale, Charlie is immediately suspicious and sticks by the golden pawnbroker rule: No claim ticket, no exchange. Then the young man returns with reinforcements—and guns—making it abundantly clear that theres more to this story than a family treasure.
This necklace quickly becomes the focus of a case where everyone lies, and every question seems to answer with gunfire. With the help of his semi-estranged brother, Alfred, a tribal cop working undercover, Charlie quickly finds out that the pendant was the work of a Navajo silversmith who was recently murdered. And, in an act so taboo in Navajo culture as to be unthinkable, his grave dug up and this piece of jewelry removed. With multiple parties vying to get their hands on the necklace—for what ill-gotten gains, no one knows—its up to Charlie and his comrades-in-arms to help find out whos really telling the truth, and uncover the mysteries that this heirloom holds.
Review
"Lethal Weapon meets Ella Clah… with a touch of The Fast and the Furious thrown in. This book should come with seatbelts. The Pawnbroker gives the traditional mystery a much-needed shot of adrenaline." —Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling author of The Heist on The Pawnbroker
"The entire novel moves at a breakneck pace through burglaries, stakeouts, and car chases… A promising debut for a very contemporary character." —Booklist on The Pawnbroker
"Fans of the Sister Agatha and Ella Clah mysteries will find the Thurlos new series kickoff more thriller than mystery, though theres still a touch of the trademark Navajo lore."—Kirkus on The Pawnbroker
"This looks to be a promising new series for the Thurlos, which hopefully will match and exceed the level acquired by their other books." —Bookreporter
"A winning mix of suspense, romance, and Navajo Nation lore; a must-read for Tony Hillerman fans." —B. J. Daniels, USA Today bestselling author, on A Time of Change
"A bracing series debut... [with] plenty of gunplay." —Publishers Weekly on The Pawnbroker
"This whodunit is... heavily laced with action and rife with deceit. Its difficult to sort out the good guys from the bad, which heightens the suspense." —RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
Synopsis
Just as Charlie Henry thinks life might have calmed down, he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous case involving a beautiful silver-and-turquoise necklace with a mysterious history. When a young Navajo man shows up at FOB Pawn, claiming the necklace is a family heirloom of his girlfriend, Charlie is skeptical. No claim ticket, no exchange. But when the same young man returns with reinforcements—and guns—its clear that theres more to his story than originally appears.
This necklace quickly becomes the focus of a case where no one seems to be telling the truth, and where everyone seems to answer with gunfire. Also on the case is Charlies semi-estranged (and recovering alcoholic) brother, Alfred, a tribal cop working undercover, whos attempting to infiltrate one of the gangs involved with the shooting. Eventually, the necklace is identified as the work of a Navajo silversmith, who was recently killed, and this piece of jewelry was buried with him. And while highly taboo in the Navajo culture, it appears that someone has robbed this mans grave. Now there are multiple parties trying to get their hands on the necklace—for what ill-gotten gains, no one knows. And its up to Charlie and his comrades-in-arms to help find out whos really telling the truth, and uncover the mysteries that this heirloom holds.
About the Author
DAVID & AIMEE THURLO have, together and separately, written more than seventy novels. Their books have been sold worldwide in more than eighteen countries and have received the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, a Willa Cather Award for Contemporary Fiction, and the New Mexico Book Award for Mystery and Suspense. David Thurlo was raised on the Navajo Nation in Shiprock. Aimée Thurlo was born in Havana, Cuba, and passed away in 2014. David still lives in New Mexico.