Customer Reviews

The Dark Canyon

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

 

 

Life radically changed for Sheriff Clifford A. Lansing's when a mysterious emerald totem and his great-grandfather's journal were dug up from the ground near his town house. Since they were found, there have been inexplicable happenings going on in the Sheriff's back yard of Los Palmas, New Mexico. Sheep are disappearing; a teenager has been gutted by an unknown assailant; and experienced Native American hunters have fallen prey to a mysterious beast. After reading his ancestor's journal, Clifford concludes that the People believe that an ancient demon has been set loose and only by invoking the magic of the emerald totem can it be stopped.

Although this theory runs contrary to every belief the Sheriff has, he knows that there is something weird happening that defies logic. He is perfectly willing to use the totem if it will somehow cage the beast that is wantonly killing the People in the area. However, he gave the totem to an academic friend, who was killed. The totem is missing. Clifford must track down the murderer to find the emerald if he wants to end the inexplicable events destroying his territory.

Micah S. Hackler is a master at capturing the beauty, majesty, and mystique of the Southwest. He allows his audience to obtain a glimpse into a mindset different from the Judeo-Christian ethos. THE DARK CANYON is a complex work of suspense that operates on both the mundane and spiritual levels. This adds to the drama and impels the reader to wonder whether mortal or mystical forces (or a combination of both) are the harbingers of murder. Readers who enjoy the novels of Tony Hillerman, and Aimee and David Thurlo will definitely want to peruse this fantastic work.

Harriet Klausner

If you liked RELIC,The Book, and you are into the historical west and Native American settings you will love this book. I have loved this series from the first time I discovered it and Hackler never seems to fail and captivate me. I discovered Hillerman first but Hackler keeps the pace going even faster, if you can imagine that!!! Sheriff Lansing is also one interesting character that you cannot help but like.

As a native New Mexican, I find the invention of the fictional county of "San Phillippe" to be a major, unnecessary distraction. As a result, I couldn't get past the first 50 pages of the novel. As a result I threw the book away rather than passing it along to one of my friends who might have been interested in it.

The most recent book in the Hackler/Lansing series is the best yet although the main character needs a little personality upgrade; anticipating the next already, no matter where MH pulls it from; good Indian history background ... the road to Chaco Canyon is highly reccommended!!

Fun, light read. This is the second Lansing mystery I have read. Both are enjoyable. I grew a little weary of the archaeologist politically correct BS (i.e. B.C.E and B.E.). This is the first time I've heard these terms and I immediately thought, here we go off the deep end. The book however was still a good read.