Shadow Play
By David Cole

     At the request of policeman Nathan Brittles, US Marshall Laura Winslow photographs the murder scene at a Green Valley, Arizona home. The victims are Leon Begay and a young woman, Jodhi Patroon. The police have ruled it murder/suicide. But Nathan, an old Navajo friend of Leon's believes it otherwise. Laura, part Hopi Indian, is a P.I. computer hacker and a certified forensic photographer. Nathan has been contacted by Bob GoodFellow, Navajo Tribal policeman, when a series of mysterious murders of the Bejay family have baffled him. Superstition attributes the deaths to the Indian demon, a skinwalker.

     With the aid of Laura's computer facilities and her principal computer hacker, Alex Emerine, they trace Leon's family. His brother, Vincent Basaraba, was once a cowboy star of the 60's and is now owner of a casino near Tucson. There are connections to the past of Vincent and Leon that lead to the present circumstances. In addition to her dangerous probing into Vincent's affairs, Laura must contend with Nathan's reverting to his Navajo traditions and with the problems with her pregnant daughter, Spider, who has returned to her after years of separation.

      The plot is a complex one, with colorful characters, many of who are suspects. The atmosphere is vividly portrayed. The description of the monsoon storms is realistic and frightening. The reader can feel the force of the wind and the rain. The sense of place of the land of Monument Valley and Arizona itself is true. Throughout the story are the traditions and legends of the Navajo nation, which contribute greatly to the understanding of the characters.