Reviews:
‘A
COMPELLING, QUICK READ. HIGHLY
RECOMMEND’
I found this book
whilst searching for climbing
books on Tahquitz Mountain where
I was planning to go and do
some rock climbing and exploring.
Although I originally put the
book aside, one rainy night
I picked it up and found I couldn't
put it down until I'd finished
it. For a relatively short book,
there's a lot of story, a lot
of different plot threads and
wonderfully written prose. I
particularly liked the way the
author weaves in the Native
American legends into his whodunnit
of murder and greed, and the
descriptions of the characters
who frequent the Indian casinos,
from the suits arriving in Mercedes,
to the diamond-covered Chinese
women felt very real, very seedy.
As a climber, I found some of
the passages describing the
scenery, the mountains and scrub
vegetation absolutely spot-on.
Plus, I liked his plucky heroine,
Monica Cielo, even if the name
is a bit too obvious in its
imagery. All in all, a really
pleasant surprise: a compelling,
quick read. Highly recommend.
--Tay
Shepperton from Worthing,
West Sussex, UK
‘BOTH SEDUCTIVE
AND REPUGNANT’
Every now and
then a mystery story comes along
that, like a desert retreat,
brings a sense of balance to
an overworked genre. Such is
the case with "The Ghost
of Taquitz." The book follows
seasoned detective Geo McCracken
and rookie police officer Monica
Cielo as they investigate a
string of ritualistic murders
on an Indian reservation. That
the murders are related to shady
business at the local Indian
gaming casino seems a safe bet.
Both McCracken and Cielo soon
discover, however, that there
are no safe bets in a fixed
game between life and death.
Of course, the
hardboiled motif is nothing
new, and "The Ghost of
Taquitz" seems at first
glance a faithful reflection
of the type, with a bitterly
conflicted detective, beautiful
yet remote women, and themes
of right in the face of rejection.
But Hays, thankfully,
doesn't stop there. He isn't
afraid to show his characters
the bigger picture in ways large
and small, from their sometimes
inadvertent explorations of
spirituality to their names,
which carry symbolic meaning
never discussed, but which simply
exist, like the earth and sky.
Hays' use of language,
too, contains far more than
meets the eye. The commonplace
motives for violence-greed,
revenge-take on new clarity
in Hays' harsh yet pristine
desert setting, while the Indian
casino shines in its midst with
an artificiality both seductive
and repugnant.
There's potential
for preachiness here, but the
book never falls into that trap.
It's a quick read, never bogging
down. Yet, like a hike through
the desert, it moves at a leisurely
enough pace through the heat
of the action to provide a satisfying
sense of refreshment at the
novel's conclusion.
"The Ghost
of Taquitz" is a many-tiered
story that explores, not only
a "whodunit" mystery
of death, but also life's more
basic mysteries: the quest for
love, the meaning of life, and
a connection with the spiritual
world.
Even readers who
don't usually relish mysteries
are sure to be captivated by
Hays' sensual descriptions and
tender characterizations. Like
our lives, both contain worlds
of meaning if only we open our
eyes to the possibilities beneath
the scarred surface.
-
Kelly Dunn
from Los Angeles, CA
