Customer Reviews

Carreta de la Muerte (Cart of Death)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you like Tony Hillerman's books; you will love these. Mari Ulmer has created an unique series of mysteries set during the feast and festival days of Taos, New Mexico. Her heroine and hero and engaging and fun. The book leaves you feeling like you just spent two wonderful weeks in Taos actually taking part in the festival; standing in the plaza in the hot sun, eating fried onions and peppers, following the parade into the quiet, dusky confines of the church.

Along the way, you dine with the residents, visit all the historic places and stay in the local bed and breakfast, a wonderful old haceinda. This is a terrific new author and I can't wait for the next book.

After her husband died, attorney Christina Garcia y Grant returns to her hometown of Talpa, New Mexico just south of Taos. Talpa is a small community where crime rarely happens and Catholicism is firmly rooted. At times there is a feeling of the mystical in the air. Christy, tired of the law, turns her grandmother's hacienda into a bed and breakfast inn that is gaining in popularity.

While the townsfolk prepare for Las Fiestas holiday, a clever thief systematically steals valuable artifacts from the local churches. Further complicating matters, someone burglarizes a gallery killing an employ with another missing, the girlfriend of Christy's protege. The B&B owner and her close friends begin their brand of sleuthing in hopes of stopping a crime spree but mostly saving the life of an innocent.

Mari Ulmer creates a story line that often reads like a ballad even though the tale is a regional mystery. The culture of an old fashioned town vividly comes to life in CARRETA DE LA MUERTE. Readers will admire the characters that star in this fresh and unusual series. There are some books that are so memorable they are unforgettable and this is one of them.

Harriet Klausner

This is the second highly readable book in Mari Ulmer's murder mystery series set in Taos, NM. The book is rich in atmosphere and abounds with colorful characters from Taos's unique blend of Spanish, Native American, and Anglo cultures. Featured are: a reluctant sleuth who would rather be writing fiction than solving mysteries; a pair of foppish art dealers who are mysteriously poisoned; a suspicious entrepreneur; a corrupt archivist; and many more characters. The plot has a surprise twist that will astonish even the most jaded readers.

Surprise - this is a good book. I didn't like Mari's first book very much. I only brought it because I collect books on New Mexico. I thought it was slow and she needed a good editor. She found one. This book I bought almost out of curiosity and am glad I did. CARRETA moves along at a much faster clip but still doesn't loose the ambience the author is after. I guess the best recommendation is that I'm looking forward to the next one. Ms. Ulmer did a good job this time. Good for her. To buyers: I don't know Mari Ulmer and have no need to push any of her books. I live in Laguna Beach, not Taos.

Though the backdrop of Taos supplies much that is rich and rewarding, getting through this book is more like wading through slush. It needs tighter editing and stronger writing. We don't find out much about characters from their behavior; the author supplies all that stuff. We get lots of details about meals and wearing apparel, but it has nothing to do with the nominal plot. One can be optimistic and look forward to increasing strength in the writing with future books.