In their third cleverly constructed Anasazi mystery (following The Visitant
and The Summoning God), the Gears continue the saga of Browser, Catkin, Stone Ghost and the rest of their small group as they seek to ensure their survival by ending the bloody strife that's tearing apart the various villages within the Anasazi territory. Paralleling the past story is a present-day murder mystery involving archaeologist Dusty Stewart, his family, friends and colleagues. The two narratives intertwine and interconnect in ways sometimes effective and sometimes irksome. The Gears' qualifications as archaeologists have given this series a strong foundation, and although this volume adds no new insights, the background is again superbly drawn. Browser's desperate attempts to form alliances and to hunt down and slay the evil Two Hearts give the war chief a chance to display his great cunning and bravery. And Dusty is forced to confront a great many personal demons as he struggles to solve a witchcraft-related murder that could lead to more deaths. Browser's resourcefulness makes him a truly engaging character, while the identity of the witch/murderer Dusty seeks remains well hidden to the end. The Gears' extensive bibliography provides documentation for their use of witchcraft, cannibalism and the rise of conflicting religious beliefs, as well as the more mundane aspects of 12th-century Native-American life in New Mexico. (Jan. 3)
FYI:Maps, not seen by PW, should prove helpful as the ancient and modern stories occupy the same geography but employ different names.
