White Shell Woman

by James D. Doss

Book Overview

The two sandstone monoliths towering over the southern Colorado landscape are wrapped in ancient mystery. To the local tribes, they are the Twin War Gods, sons of the moon goddess, White Shell Woman. Legends tell of strange happenings in their shadows, of lost treasure and Anasazi blood sacrifice. But it is a much more recent history that troubles former Ute policeman-turned-rancher Charlie Moon, specifically the fresh corpse of a young Native American...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061031143
• ISBN13: 9780061031144
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

white shell woman

this is a great read and I am so glad I found it on your list of James Doss books and his Charlie Moon Mystery series. Keep em coming

Moon Between

Vindictive tribal politics puts Charlie on the sideline as a policeman, but the tribal chairman hires him as a special investigator or as his friends sneer a PI. The change in status is just in time to investigate the brutal murder of a young student who may have discovered the location of a legendary Anasazi artifact. Sweetwater directions are clear and broad, investigate anything that concerns the tribe. Charlie gets too close to a killer and endures a two-week stay in the hospital with injuries that produce hallucinations or change his perspective. Daisy Perika, acting on instructions visits Charlie in his new home to take care of him. Culture and purpose clash between aunt and nephew in this well constructed detective story. WHITE SHELL WOMAN, from start to finish is a great read. Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS

A Poor Man's Tony Hillerman

The dust jacket quotes the Denver Post: "Doss does for the Utes what Tony Hillerman has done for the Navajo [sic]." Well, not quite. I enjoyed reading "White Shell Woman," and look forward to reading other Charlie Moon Mysteries, but not quite as eagerly as I look forward to the next Tony Hillerman book. But who knows? Maybe some day Doss will equal or even surpass Hillerman. I hope he does. After all, there are never too many excellent writers, and James Doss shows promise of better things to come. watziznaym@gmail.com

Enjoyable mix of Indian shamanism and police procedure

Charlie Moon is retired from the Reservation Police but when murder strikes a beautiful Ute woman, he can't help being interested--especially when the tribal leaders ask him to return to work part time as a private investigator. Without the politics of the local police, he has an ideal situation--at least as far as work goes. As far as his ranch, his psychic aunt, and his love life go, things are not so great. Legends of an ancient Anasazi treasure have haunted the Utes for years. Now someone is digging, disturbing the remains of buried Indians and the work of the archeologists trying to uncover the history of this region. Simply disturbing archeological sites is bad enough, but when one of the students is murdered, rumors start to spread about the ghosts of the Anasasi protecting their treasures and of a shape-shifter walking the ruins. Moon doesn't believe in shape-shifters--although his aunt certainly does. But when the uncle of the victim disappears leaving nothing but his clothes, his dentures, and a pile of ashes and bone chips, Moon is certain that the mystic forces his aunt can't leave alone are somehow involved. Author James D. Doss (click here to see booksforabuck.com reviews of other novels by this author) combines a fine touch for characters (especially Moon's aunt), respect for the Native American heritage that makes up so critical an element in his stories, and pure adventure to deliver a fine light read. Charlie Moon is a sympathetic character now blessed with a ranch that can't make a nickle, a dog that steals anything he tries to eat, an aunt who can't help being cranky, and a girlfriend who seems to show up only at the worst possible moment. Fans of the Charlie Moon series will definitely want to read this one. Tony Hillerman fans who haven't discovered Doss will be overjoyed by this addition to the short list of excellent authors writing Native American mystery.