cover image Tainted Mountain: A Nora Abbott Mystery

Tainted Mountain: A Nora Abbott Mystery

Shannon Baker. Midnight Ink (www.midnightink.com), $14.99 trade paper (360p) ISBN 978-0-7387-3422-4

Action trumps character development in this fast-moving first in a new series from Baker (Ashes of the Red). A northern Arizona ski resort owner, Nora Abbott, must contend not only with a severe drought but also angry Hopi Indians, a threatened takeover by powerful energy tycoon Barrett McCreary, eco-terrorists led by a phony Native American called Big Elk, and the arrival of her overbearing mother. Against some nasty—and sometimes deadly—opposition, Nora is determined to complete the snow-making project that can save the resort. Meanwhile, the spirits of the mountain are said to be angry at her for trying to upset the balance of the Earth. After Nora’s husband dies, handsome Cole Huntsman, a uranium mining expert, seeks to protect her, but can he be trusted? Baker dwells too much on what Nora is thinking, while shifts to the chief villain’s viewpoint disconcert. Readers will wish for more show and less tell next time. (Mar.)