Hour of the Hunter
By J A Jance  

     Young widow Diana Ladd and her son, Davy, are being stalked by a university professor/ serial killer who framed Diana's husband for murder six years ago. The professor has just been released from prison after serving a sentence for killing a Native American girl.

     In Arizona, the victim's grandmother, a Papago basket weaver wise woman, brings in Native American dreams to try to trace the killer. Recognizing the trademarks of the previous murder when another one is committed, the sheriff begins his pursuit. This is a real page turner with the suspense at a constant level. It is a frightening story of terror, mysticism and sadism, a far cry from the author's J P Beaumont and Joanna Brady stories. The final confrontation between the killer and Diana is particularly brutal.

     The landscape and atmosphere of the Arizona country is vividly portrayed. This contains a wealth of information about the Native Americans of southern Arizona. There are stories about the creation of the tribes; about the animals of the area; about the customs of the tribes. These in themselves are a reason to read the book.