Dream Stalker

Murder, romance, a nuclear storage facility and Indian lore blend appealingly in this third mystery (after last year's The Ghost Walker) featuring Arapaho lawyer Vicky Holden and Father John O'Malley of the St. Francis Mission near the Wind River Reservation of Wyoming. Holden's opposition to building the storage site on the Legeau ranch near the reservation runs counter to the fervent support of most Arapaho, who welcome the job opportunities the construction promises. At first, her position generates threats, which escalate into attempts on her life as she tries to learn more about the proposed site and those who would benefit most: wealthy rancher Alexander Legeau and his wife, Lily; ambitious Lionel Redbull; suave Paul Bryant, president of United Power Company; and others. The double-stranded plot also involves the murder of an old Indian cowboy whose midnight call sends O'Malley to a deserted cabin to hear a confession that's never made involving the cowboy's ties to a 30-year-old killing. Adding spice is the intense attraction, which threatens to boil over at any time, between the Boston-bred, opera loving O'Malley and stubborn, cause-oriented Holden. The nicely drawn Wyoming backdrop, capable plotting and engaging characters all add up to another coup for Coel. (Oct.)