The Tree People

Twisting like the roots of the great trees it describes, this atmospheric first novel, a mystery filled with Native American history, traces past and present events in Oregon's coastal timber region, once home to the numerous Northwest Coast Salish tribes, of which few members now survive. According to Quinault legend, when the evil shaman Xulk was buried alive in 1490, a young cedar was planted above him. Modern-day logger Mike McTavish, granted cutting rights on The Tree People's reservation, marks the Old Cedar for preservation. However, Aminte, a descendent of Xulk's lover, moves the marker and the tree is cut, freeing Xulk's spirit. Soon, police chief Paul Prefontaine's wife apparently falls to her death; a tour director goes missing; McTavish is believed to have died in a logging accident; a high-school boy disappears. Chief Prefontaine and his sister, acting tribal sheriff Jordan Tidewater, must decide if modern criminal investigation or ancient ceremonies will stop the rampant evil. The narrative is burdened by lengthy, didactic passages on Quinault lore, logging practices and environmental politics. Although the material seems authentic (Stokes is part Cherokee and she owned a logging company), the action scenes are shortchanged by exposition, and the potentially interesting investigation scanted. Yet Stokes (The Castrated Woman) can write poetically and effectively about this vanished heritage. (Feb.)