Mysterious Valley (Mass Market Paperback)

by Christopher O'Brien (Author) "Before moving here, I had heard of the many unexplained phenomena alleged to have occurred in the area in the past..." (more)
Key Phrases: cattle surgeons, mystery helicopters, mysterious valley, New Mexico, Costilla County, San Luis Valley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Like other residents of the strage communities of Crestone and the Baca, Christopher O'Brien was drawn to the sacred valley of Native American myth. He was soon compelled to document, in disturbing detail, the inexplicable events unfolding around him and the questions they raised:

What is the truth behind the nightly light show of UFOs pulsing and glowing across the sky?
What are the strange rumbling noises coming from underground?
What is the origin of a mysterious crystal skull found in the Baca?
And most frightening of all, who is responsible for the scores of cattle left bloodless and mutilated in inhuman fashion?

Including fascinating and sometimes frightening first-hand accounts by residents of the area, The Mysterious Valley reveals the story of one of the most bizarre regions on the face of the earth and its chilling implications for the rest of humanity.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (September 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312958838
• ISBN-13: 978-0312958831
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #768,233 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Semi-Fictional Garbage, November 14, 1999

By A Customer

One of the reasons research in unexplained phenomena has almost zero credibility, and has been banished to the tabloid media is the fact that no qualifications are necessary to participate in this area, and anyone can anoint themselves as an "investigator".

In regard to this book, the review from New Mexico hits the nail squarely on the head. The author's questionable reputation is well known in the local area and among other researchers. Those questioning the validity of the book are invited to interview the witnesses mentioned in the work, to see how accurately their experiences were "documented" by the author. And as far as his technical and scientific qualifications to be an investigator, shouldn't one know what the acronym "FAA" stands for (Federal Aviation Administration)?

This book may be embraced by those who wish to be titillated by the intrigue of unexplained phenomena, and are not concerned about letting the facts stand in the way of a good story. However, those who approach the subject using critical faculties will reject this book outright.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Bogus!, March 26, 2004

By	David Gilbert "octabeck" (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews

I'm afraid I have some bad news for reviewer Fred Bauder: I recently talked to the author of this book (he no longer lives in Crestone), and he told me that the reports of mysterious phenomena stopped cold in November of 1998. Unless that reviewer lived in Crestone before then, he would not have seen any UFOs. As far as the book, it may seem a little lacking in definite conclusions, but what conclusions can be made for experiences like this?

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste Your Time or Money, July 28, 1999

By A Customer

O'Brien, the self-proclaimed "renowned ufologist" whom no one had ever heard of before he managed finagle a book contract, has authored a poorly written, sleazy tabloid paperback that does nothing to enhance the stellar reputation of UFO research.

The book, which is actually semi-fictional (just ask any of the major figures in the book if their accounts were portrayed accurately), also contains ludicrous examples of the total lack of scientific and technical knowledge of the author. In one instance, he refers to a Geiger counter measuring ultraviolet radiation!

At the end of the book, he completely misrepresents a case where someone found an ordinary blown-glass skull as being one of the rare crystal skulls found in various places in the world, even though everyone who had seen it realized it was ordinary glass. He later had to issue an embarrassing retraction.

This book would be zero stars if that was an option.