Alex McKelvey longs to fit in. She doesn't realize that her earth-mother style--the connections she feels toward the earth and to a certain eerie pictograph panel--set her off from the crowd. Wanting only to enjoy the beauty of the Utah desert, she packs up her gear and her Siberian husky, Kit, and joins an archaeological dig. But when the site's owner vanishes, forces combine to sweep up Alex and Kit in a whirlwind of pot hunting, witchcraft, and murder. Who is that stranger who suddenly appears, styling himself on the folklore figure Coyote? His ability to draw the best--and the worst--from Alex leads her to the dismaying discovery that the villain she seeks is closer at hand than she had thought.
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Alexandra (Alex) McKelvey is a convert to the LDS Church. She is enrolled at BYU, studying English. But she finds herself on an archaeological dig in the Utah desert, accompanied by archaeology students from BYU. She feels a strong connection with the earth, with the myths and legends of the Native Americans who populated, and continue to populate, these stark, desert lands. She is accompanied by her nearly prescient Siberian husky named Kit. As the dig progresses, new members of the crew arrive. They are a mixed bunch -- archaeology students from BYU along with other non-affiliated adventurers. Some don't fully understand the challenges ahead -- the crude living conditions, the bitterly-hot desert, and really hard work ahead. The arrival of Tony Balbo, a Native American not assigned to the site, causes conflict and concern among some of the diggers. Tony's philosophy is wrapped in the stuff of ego and contempt, the necessity for manipulation and deceit. Alex has determined to live by the moral standards of her adopted church. But there is a deeper antipathy at work here, one that Alex does not completely understand. As a moth to the flame, she is drawn into Tony's circle of control, intent on breaking free but feeling a need to, in her words, "call him out." Alex is the central character in this story. She brings to the dig two unique aspects: her status as a relatively new convert to the Church, and her fascination with, and connection to, the earth legends. This is not the first time she's been drawn into the desert to admire the pictographs. In them she seems to find some peace, some connection with a higher reality. But interwoven with Alex's story is an ongoing narrative wrapped around the myths themselves -- a veritable parade of legends and interactions in the world of the spirits, seen through the interpretive eye of Coyote, also known as First Angry. Coyote sees himself as the personification of all that is clever, all this is superior to the animals around him. Coyote's sometimes disjointed but often magical cogitations circle in the air around this book much as a kaleidoscope sends images flying neatly before the human eye. As I read, I was equally fascinated by the grime and the smell of an archaeological dig as I was by the lofty, ethereal meanderings of Coyote. And as the humans at the dig interact in ways both accepting and suspicious, even so does the mythic populace of Coyote's dreamworld, a cornucopia of animals and reptiles forever in conflict. I debated as to how to describe how the storylines come together. I realized I couldn't do it without giving away much of the plot, and I'm unwilling to do that. But It is in the merging of storylines that the real meaning behind this book arises. To call the story "spooky" is not enough. There is another-worldliness about it that kept me riveted. Long after I should have been abed, I was plowing through the pages, wanting desperately to come to some point where I could say, "Now I understand; now I see what the author is trying to say." Instead, the reader waits until the last few pages to truly bring the underlying message to fruition. "The Pictograph Murders" is more than just a murder mystery. In fact, the murder itself is in many ways secondary to the story. Karamesines is doing more than laying out a desert puzzler. The field of play is more than the desert -- it is the totality of the human experience as reflected in the sometimes uncomfortable coexistence of history/science and myth. This is a remarkable book, and merits wide readership. --Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle
About the Author
P. G. Karamesines lives and writes in Payson, Utah. She has won several literary awards from Brigham Young University, the University of Arizona, the Utah Arts Council, and the Utah Wilderness Association. Her M.A. is from BYU (creative writing), and she has pursued post-graduate studies in folklore and linguistics at the University of Arizona. She has published in literary journals and popular magazines, locally and nationally. Three of her poems were published in the anthology, Harvest. This is her first novel. A sequel, Loon Woman, is in preparation.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Pictograph Murders,
By s. casal "one of a kind" (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pictograph Murders (Paperback)
I loved this book! I chose this book for my book club to read last month and we all enjoyed it very much and look forward to the sequel. There are many topics of interest and layers to this book so we had a great discussion. I liked how the character of Alex developed through the book. Tony was positively creepy! The author did a great job with him as protagonist. The Indian folklore throughout this book was enchanting, enriching and extremely interesting. You can tell the author really loves the desert, outdoors, and has experienced life which is all to the readers benefit since we are able to revel in her descriptive phraseology - beautiful use of language! All in all an impressive first book.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
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This review is from: The Pictograph Murders (Paperback)
This is a great murder mystery. It could be considered reminiscent of Hercule Poirot, but it definitely stands on its own. Pictograph Murders is set in the American southwest and the desert flavor is evident throughout. If you've never experienced the desert with its intense kind of sunlight, then you might wonder what all the serenading in Pictograph Murders is all about. It's right on the mark. Alex, the main character, thrives on sunlight and this serves as a clue that the book works on many levels of symbolism. Sure, there's a crime scene and suspenseful plot twists. The ending is satisfying and atypical of murder musteries, which is part of the reason why I liked the way it played out. The book is also a philosophical debate, sometimes carried out right amongst the characters. It's a distant mythos turned immediate reality. It could be a horror story masking as a murder mystery. Poirot should wear so many hats!
One thing's for sure: you can't make this book be what you want it to be. Let it keep changing right in front of your eyes. It's not a weakness due to inconsistencies or an author who couldn't make up their mind. It's the book. I enjoyed this book a great deal! It bears rereading, which is my standard for judging a book. I highly reccomend it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautifully crafted mystery thriller,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Pictograph Murders (Paperback)
The Pictograph Murders by P. G. Karamesines is the story of Alex McKelvey and her desperate struggle to seek happiness by moving to the desert country of Utah with Kit, her Siberian husky. Swiftly carrying readers through a purely captivating tale of mystery and suspense that continues to hold the readers full and unabated attention from first page to last, The Pictograph Murders compels Alex through an investigation involving the archeological study of pots, witchcraft, and murder as the archaeological excavation site-owner disappears, and Alex's only lead is the site itself, and the mysterious arrival of a Coyote-figured stranger. A beautifully crafted mystery thriller, The Pictograph Murders is very highly recommended for mystery buffs as an enthralling tale of murder, archeology, myth, and an eccentric young woman who is determined to discover the truth.
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