cover image The Stolen Gods

The Stolen Gods

Jake Page. Ballantine Books, $19 (246pp) ISBN 978-0-345-37928-3

In Page's accomplished debut mystery, the Hopi kachinas referred to in the title--wooden representations thought by the tribe to embody the gods themselves--have been pilfered from their sacred cave and are making their way around the art-world black market in violation of federal law. On their trail are Larry Collins, a maverick FBI agent; Tony Ramirez, a Santa Fe police sergeant assigned to investigate the murder of one of the black marketeers; and Mo Bowdre, a local artist who took up sculpture after being blinded in a mining accident. With his Hopi girlfriend, Connie Barnes, Bowdre solves the mysteries of the murder and the theft so casually that readers may wonder at times if he's investigating at all. But Page has written a fast-paced and engaging detective novel that sustains the reader's interest by shifting its point of view among the various suspects and sleuths. Co-author of the nonfiction title Hopi , Page is knowledgeable about Native American art, and he captures with ease the atmosphere of the New Mexico and Arizona settings. Despite a wildly improbable solution, the work feels authentic, due to its complex, well-drawn characters and convincing detail. Film rights to Paramount. (Mar.)