Customer Reviews

Red Mesa (Ella Clah Novels)

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

 

 

Navaho Police Special Investigator Ella Clah and her cousin, police officer Justine Goodluck loudly argue in public over a recent incident. When a few days later, Justine's burnt bones are found partially buried on the top of RED MESA, everyone, including some members of her own family, conclude that Ella killed Justine. Even Ella's beloved mother believes her daughter has turned evil and wants to protect her infant grandchild from her.

While Ella flees to buy time and the truth behind Justine's murder, the law chases after her even more convinced she is an escaping killer. As the law gets closer to capturing her, Ella begins to unravel a plot to eliminate her. Will she be able to expose the dastardly scheme before her time runs out?

The fifth Clah entry is a great tale because the talented duo, Aimee & David Thurlo never lose sight of the scheme or the personalities of the cast. Even on the lam, Ella remains Ella, as fans know her. The plot works because the "plot" against Ella still retains plausibility even with the villains known early in the tale. The Thurlos talent resides in deep and thorough characterizations that lift their Native American police procedurals to a plane shared by the likes of Hillerman.

Harriet Klausner

I have read every Tony Hillerman novel and was looking for something similar. This is not it, even though its set in the same area. This is not the first book in the series, but it is the only one I have read. Almost all the dialog is unbelievable. The people in here say things MUCH too openly (when is the last time your lower status coworker who doesn't like you came right out and told you so?). The plot was not believable and was overly complex. I used to live in New Mexico and have been in the four corners area where these novels take place. You really don't get a very good feel for what the area is like from this book. For ex, I remember being in a McDonalds in Gallup, NM with very traditionally dressed Navajo women and Navajo men in jeans and cowboy boots. I think many people would find the area almost as different as a foreign country.

Won't be reading more of these - I will go back and reread some Tony Hillerman.

They don't come much better than the Ella Clah series. The authors keep this book on a personal level so that you feel you know and understand the character. You feel her pain and her joy. One isn't enough. Buy them all.

I really enjoyed each of the Ella Clah series and forwarded them to my daughter in North Carolina. When she finished with them she passed them on to her daughter. 3 generations have had good clean reading enjoyment.
I grew up near the area so that makes the reading even more enjoyable as I picture the different areas.

I felt that I knew the people being written about. I didn't want to put Red Mesa down. I am buying more of Aimee & David Thurlo's books.