The Hatak Witches

As informative as it is gripping, this supernatural mystery from Mihesuah (The Roads of My Relations)—the 88th installment of Sun Tracks: An American Indian Literary series—is rooted in Choctaw cosmology and contemporary Native American life. Set on Oklahoma’s Chalakwa Ranch, the story follows Det. Monique Blue Hawk as she investigates a break-in and the murder of a security guard at a nearby children’s museum. The thieves stole ancient, unidentified human remains from the museum’s collection, and Monique soon links the crime to a family of shape-shifting witches. As Monique’s investigation pulls her deeper into the supernatural, Mihesuah expertly weaves in Choctaw legends and superstitions, including the belief that owls, a recurring motif throughout the novel, are omens of bad luck. The author’s ability to immerse the reader in the lives of her characters is prodigious, making the social realism of Monique’s life as fascinating as the supernatural elements. The only flaw is the repetitive exposition of the details of the mystery, but this is easy to forgive as the suspense mounts. Readers looking for intelligent, diverse supernatural fiction will be captivated. [em](Apr.) [/em]