Ravenmocker

This entertaining series launch introduces Molly Bearpaw, 28, an investigator for the Native American Advocacy League, a fictional agency of the Oklahoma Cherokees that protects their civil rights. After Abner Mouse dies at the Country Haven Nursing Home in Tahlequah, the Cherokee capital, his son Woodrow asks Bearpaw to find out if the death was caused by a ravenmocker--a feared Cherokee witch in the form of a raven that sucks out the life force from the bodies of the enfeebled patients. But an autopsy says Abner was a victim of botulism. Soon a similar death occurs in the nursing home, though no trace of the bacteria can be found on the premises. Were the deaths simply accidents covered up by nervous staff members, or were they caused by something more sinister? With the help of D. J. Kennedy, deputy sheriff and her sometime lover, Bearpaw uncovers a conspiracy involving land grabs and toxic waste dumps--circumstances that seem as improbable at first as the concept of a ravenmocker. Of Cherokee descent, Hager ( Ghostland ) is comfortable with tribal lore and culture. She captures the rhythms of life in Tahlequah and creates in Bearpaw a charming and intelligent--albeit reluctant--detective. (Dec.)