Midnight at the Camposanto: A Taos Festival Mystery

by Mari Privette Ulmer

Book Overview

The first novel in a series planned to follow the sacred and secular calendar through its annual cycle opens on Good Friday as The Brotherhood of Our Lord Jesus, the centuries-old lay society known as the penitentes, march singing their ancient, primitive hymns towards their vigil at the morada, the prayer hall in Talpa. One hermano, one brother, has been singled out to die, the assassin striking him down in the graveyard, the camposanto, and tumbling...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1890208582
• ISBN13: 9781890208585
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Unique Voice

Those mystery readers searching for the truly fresh directions our genre will be taking in the future need to search out material being published by the numerous small presses scattered across America today. Mari Ulmer's MIDNIGHT AT THE CAMPOSANTO is a perfect example of the unique voices now appearing in the mystery field. Ms. Ulmer has written a terrific book. It spins a tale as good as any being published by the big houses today, yet it also features elements that would never appear in the books of America's major publishing houses. Her protagonist, Christina Garcia y Grant is an admirable creation, as are Christy's supporting characters. Ms. Ulmer's story reveals a deep and thorough understanding of the mixture of cultures that has occurred in northern New Mexico. Her plot moves swiftly, twisting and turning as her story progresses. Her dialog snaps to life from the printed page. Her characters are fully realized, yet it is her setting and that setting's cultural depth that made MIDNIGHT AT THE CAMPOSANTO such a fulfilling read for me. Ms. Ulmer knows what she is writing about, and she writes as well as anyone working today.

A Medianoche en el Camposanto

Este libro tiene muchas intrigas y se desarrola en un communidad de hable hispana cerca de Taos, Neuvo Mexico - Un Taos bien diferente al que ven los turista. Un miembro de una sociedad religiosa ha sido asesinado el viernes santo... Diferentes temas envuelven misteriosos secreto en las facilidades de investigaciones nucleares en Los Alasmo, incendios de una violenta secto satanica... El libro es rico en detalles sobre costumbres ...el libro se lee como un poema de prosa...una cancion de amo de una culture antigua e invisible.

Mari comments on Midnight at the Camposanto

Midnight at the Camposanto is first in a series that feature a Taos the tourist never sees and that revolves around the church and secular year. The exciting mystery features Christina Garcia y Grant, who, like the author is a burned out attorney, running a B & B to support her writing. She and a tough elderly mentor, a young attorney and a retired doctor try to free a Hermano charged with a murder that may have been committed by Satanists or Los Alamos scientists. Great reviews in Publisher's Weekly, Harriet Klausner, Today's Librarian, The Snooper, About.com Boston Globe and every other reviewer who's read it. About.com said that "The rest of this tale unfolds not only in the beautifully depicted local of Taos, but during the rich celebrations of ancient Spanish culture...." Klausner ended with, "...if the subsequent tales are half as colorful, mystical and alive as this debut is, fans will have a treat for years to come."

Midnight At The Camposanto

If you have any interest at all in the Land of Enchantment, NewMexico, and especially the Taos area, here is a mystery with a giantsized shot of ethnic insight that will knock your socks off! Not since Anaya have we had such a look into the Spanish culture. However, this comes from an Anglo's experience of interaction with that culture, an interaction available as a real part of life in that area.Ulmer not only instructs and clarifies the mysteries of the Catholic Church's relationship with the Brotherhood of Los Hermanos, but writes a superbly well constructed mystery including death, danger, and totally developed characters.The book begins with a murder at midnight in the graveyard (camposanto) during the celebration of the Easter season...[there is] a woman who has left the legal profession to return to her home, open a bed and breakfast, and take up writing full time. (Yes, this really can happen.) The heroine and her band of locals undergo not only physical risks, but psychological and social risks as well...the Santa Fe and Los Alamos areas also get in on the act.This is the first of a series of books the author intends to write, all constructed around religious holidays. Already, I can't wait for the next one! END

A haunting beautiful mystery

The Catholic Church sanctions Los Hermanos, the Brotherhood of Our Lord Jesus, as a lay religious society in many New Mexico communities. Their practices have roots in the Mexican community and are typically misunderstood by Anglos, who see the rituals as being too mystical to accept. However, many locals such as semi-retired lawyer Christina Garcia y Grant (owner of a bed and breakfast) revere the group.On Good Friday, the police arrest a Hermano for killing another Hermano, his cousin. Christy knows the cousin could never commit such an evil act especially on a holy day. Christy, her former mentor, a public defender, and a retired physician try to prove that Pat Salazaar is innocent of the murder of Eusebio. Their investigation follows many threads with someone trying to kill Christy before she and her cohorts uncover the pattern.Though the Land of Enchantment has had many tourists, few if any have seen this side of New Mexico that is eloquently and reverently described by Mari Ulmer. The well-crafted mystery includes many viable suspects from all walks of life and leaves readers wondering who did it. The lead character and her partners are fully developed, gaining audience support from the beginning of the story line. MIDNIGHT AT THE CAMPOSANTO is the first novel in the "Taos Festival Mysteries" and if the subsequent tales are half as colorful, mystical, and alive as this debut is, fans will have a treat for years to come.Harriet Klausner