Customer Reviews

The Shaman's Bones (Shaman Mysteries)

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

 

 

Mr. Doss writes in a style that gives the reader vivid mental pictures of what is happening with each of his characters. I have not enjoyed any murder mystery this much before. The Shaman's Bones integrates humor, murder, and mystery with emotion and Ute mysticism and lore.

Anyone who likes Tony Hillerman's books will LOVE the Shaman series by James D. Doss. I recommend that anyone who wants to step into Mr. Doss' world, begin with the first book in the series (The Shaman Sings) and work their way through the series. Warning: If you read one, you'll have to read them all!

James D. Doss does not write a sleeper! This is entertaining and keeps one in suspense as we wait for Charlie Moon to solve the brutal murder of a friend's wife. Of course, the friend is the first suspect as he is her husband. A little child moves in with "the shamen" and brings joy to her simple existence. A really good book.

While yearning for more Tony Hillerman after reading his last book, I accidently came across The Shaman's Bones. I absolutely loved it. I could easily imagine neighbors from my childhood that could easily play some of the characters in this book. The only problem I had with this novel were the few dream sequences, which I thought tended to be unnecessarily long and disruptive to the flow of the the plot. Regardless, I intend to read the other 'Shaman' novels.

Always enjoyable reading and a good yarn. Great characters.

This is the second novel in the series and introduces Sarah Frank giving her story. Unlike the first novel, Charlie Moon begins to develop as a character along with the development of his friendship with Parris who with Aunt Daisy is still more central to the plot than Charlie. Indian mysticism is much more in play here than in the later novels. So, I'm enjoying it even more than the others which I dearly loved. Charlie's, and James Doss's, sense of humor begins to emerge and is one of the things I greatly enjoy about all of Doss's books.

Half way through the book, two hideous murders have been committed in Wyoming and the scene is shifting under ominous black clouds to the Southern Ute Reservation in south central Colorado. I haven't a clue as yet to who the murderer might be, I'm pretty sure it isn't the missing Provo Frank who Aunt Daisy seems to be hiding from another Ute shaman and his idiot apprentice. Mr. Zigzag is still a tiny kitten.

I like Tony Hillerman's Navajo mysteries, and I love the red-rock country of Southern Utah, so James Doss was a logical next author to read, and The Shaman's Bones was a good place to start.

The Denver Post says Hillerman's fans will find a new home here. It's probably right. Doss's characters seem more actively mystical than Hillerman's, with dreams revealing hidden locations and spirit guides speaking in riddles. But there's a beautifully solid grounding in humor and everyday reality. Some delightfully convoluted conversations reward the reader with laugh-out-loud insights, even as chapters end with dark foreboding and foreshadowing. The characters bring and reveal their own different strengths and weaknesses, learning more about each other as the tale weaves on.

A small child is left in the care of Charlie Moon's aunt; her mother and father seem to have disappeared. Meanwhile dark visions promise death and dismay, and a woman is murdered in very strange circumstances. Police Chief Scott Parris has his own reasons for listening carefully when the aunt warns of danger to come, and the scene is set.

The novel is relatively long at 350 pages, and the list of characters likewise, but the story kept me eagerly reading, and the characters stayed clear and well-defined. The scenery plays its own part too, with beautiful descriptions and atmosphere. I was glad to find that there are many more Shaman mysteries by Doss, and I plan to look out for them.

As a long time Hillerman fan it is so good to find someone who follows his style so well. But has his own distinct style.
I was saddened to hear of Hillerman's passing. James D. Doss can fill the niche real well.

James D. Doss's THE SHAMAN'S BONES takes the reader deep into the mystic of Native American culture, stressing that living is a circle. Sins committed must be relived and redeemed.
A sacred object is stolen in youth, not for its value, but for the power its history symbolizes to a group. The thief's quest for the power travels down the decades, but eludes the sinner.
Doss uses symbolism from many cultures, for example, "a little child shall lead them," with the fresh significance of an small window into the past.
Daisy, Charlie and Scott search for a murder who has no respect for the dead or their spirits in this haunting third installment of the Charlie Moon series. It is an excellent addition for a reader who wants more from a book than the standard whodoneit.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

This is a pretty good book, but it could be better. The author uses foreshadowing far too often. There is an ominous hint of things to come on every other page, it seems. The effect is not heightened drama. It's just tedious teasing, like some obnoxious kid who chants "I've know a secret and you don't." Also there are a lot of cliches, like the pretty woman who runs a bar, good-looking but packs a punch like a prize fighter. The dialogue is very wooden, descriptions trite.

That said, it is still an interesting book to read, and I'm going to order some of the author's other books. I hope he will learn to write more simply and directly, which is always more effective than the tricks the author uses in this book to impress the reader.