Death Walker: An Ella Clah Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

by Aimee Thurlo (Author), David Thurlo (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The Thurlos introduced Ella Clah, former FBI agent who is now a special investigator for the Navajo tribal police at Shiprock in what is recognizably Tony Hillerman territory in Blackening Song. Like Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, Clah makes use of both her law enforcement training and her understanding of tribal traditions to investigate crime on the Navajo Reservation. When an elderly Navajo historian is murdered, Clah must separate fact from rumor and myth to find the culprit. Reservation gossip and artifacts at the crime scene point to the skinwalkers witch cult, villains of Blackening Song. Ella Clah is a tough, appealing heroine, who faces personal conflict between professional duty and pride in her heritage. But she's ill served by this loose plot, in which she and her assistant, Justine Goodluck, engage in repetitive interview scenes that slow the pace and blunt the suspense. Two more tribal Elders, specialists in ritual and the Navajo language, die before the investigators get on the right track-more than halfway through the book. Then everything quickly falls into place, and the tale ends with an anticlimactic final chase. Readers may wish that Chee or Leaphorn were around to step in when necessary and set this sidelined plot on a faster course.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
YA. Ella Clah, a special investigator with the tribal police on the Navajo Reservation, is determined to find the serial killer who is methodically murdering Dineh (Navajo) cultural leaders. Faced with staff shortages, threats to her own family, and the illogic of the psychopathic killer, Clah draws on her experience as an FBI agent and her intuition to solve the increasingly horrific crimes. A strong, intelligent woman, Clah devotes her life to protecting the Dineh, one of the central themes of the story. She provides an eyewitness account of the routines of police work, emphasizing the daily grind of law enforcement as well as finding clues to the murders. Constant attention is paid to the changes in terrain and weather. Characters develop into unique individuals with talents, strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies. Even minor characters take on individuality through in-depth and detailed descriptions, which add significantly to the continuity of the story. YAs, especially those looking for strong females in contemporary settings, will find Clah and her assistant and cousin, Justine Goodluck, appealing examples. A fast-paced, intriguing novel.?Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812567587
• ISBN-13: 978-0812567588
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #632,827 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 2 in The Ella Clah Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't start it, if you don't have time to finish it., November 9, 1997

By A Customer

As an avid Tony Hillerman fan, I loved this book. It may even surpass many of his efforts. The story grabs you from the start and makes one want to read it through without stopping. Hopefully, we will now have a more steady flow of Navajo-Rez mysteries and lore with both Hillerman and the Thurlo's churning them out.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY GOOD BOOK, April 29, 2001

By A Customer

I am a new reader to this genre. I chose this book because I was looking for a "thriller" with a female heroine. While I did NOT find this book a "thriller," in terms of not being able to put it down, the story did keep moving right along, and I did find it to be a very interesting mystery. While I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in Indian lore and the southwest, I would equally recommend it to readers who aren't particularly interested in this setting, as well. Overall, a very enjoyable book.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book, January 17, 2002

By	Imperial Topaz (Marrakesh, Morocco) - See all my reviews

I am a new reader to this genre. I chose this book because I was looking for a "thriller" with a female heroine. While I did NOT find this book a "thriller," in terms of not being able to put it down, the story did keep moving right along, and I did find it to be a very interesting mystery. While I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in Indian lore and the southwest, I would equally recommend it to readers who aren't particularly interested in this setting, as well. Overall, a very enjoyable book.