Today we’re happy to be reading Marilyn Meredith’s mystery novel, Invisible Path, the latest book in her Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. Marilyn will be with us for the next three days and will be giving away a copy of her book at the end of her stay on Wednesday. Announcement of winner will be posted on Thursday.
To become eligible to win, all you have to do is ask a question or leave a comment on all three days. One lucky reader who comments with their email address is put in a pot to win the book. However, you must sign up for our email updates.
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Day Three: Literarily Speaking Book Club Selection: Invisible Path by Marilyn Meredith
While Tempe’s son, Blair is home from Christmas break, he and his roommate from college do a bit of snooping to find out about the para-military group who’ve been seen driving through town. When a young popular Indian is found dead near the recovery center on the reservation, Tempe is called in to help with the investigation. Another Native American but a newcomer to the rez, Jesus Running Bear, is the only suspect. A hidden pregnancy, a quest to find the Hairy Man, and a visit to the pseudo soldiers’ compound put Jesus and Tempe in jeopardy.
Read the excerpt:
Despite it being Wednesday, Tempe knew as soon as her radio blared to life, and her cell phone rang at the same time, she wouldn’t make it home for dinner.
The dispatcher informed her a body had been discovered on the Bear Creek Indian Reservation and she was directed to go there as quickly as possible to help Cruz Murphy, the reservation’s Public Safety Chief, preserve the scene. The location was reported to be near the Bear Creek Recovery Center, which was located about a quarter mile past the Painted Rock site that sheltered ancient pictographs. The recovery center was at the end of the main road that passed through the reservation.
The cell phone call was from Detective Morrison with the same message, except delivered in his usual curt manner. Once she told him she was already on her way to the crime scene, he added, “Find out what you can from the Indians and let me know. I’ll be out there as soon as I can.”
Though the relationship between Tempe and the detective had improved somewhat over the last year, he still had the mistaken notion that because she had Native American blood in her veins, any Indian would respond to her immediately and tell her everything she wanted to know.
Because it was December, it was already dark as Tempe sped along the narrow curving road to her destination. She’d taken the road often enough in the daytime to know that ranches and homes were tucked in here and there—though at this time of night, she caught only glimpses of lighted windows as she raced by. She had her emergency lights turned on, along with her siren, just to warn of her approach.
Finally she reached the carved and painted wooden sign that announced she was entering the Bear Creek Indian Reservation. Tempe knew that a reservation was first created at the eastern end of Dennison in 1857 in order to gather together scattered bands of Indians, but as the town grew, it became inconvenient for many of the local citizens to have so many Indians as neighbors. In 1873, by presidential order, a new location for the reservation was established on 54,000 acres, much of it mountainous.
Narrow and winding, the road continued with dwellings on either side, scattered in the valleys and across the hillsides. She passed the turn-off to Bear Mountain Casino but slowed down as she drove through the part of the rez that contained the public safety building and the medical center. Two churches perched on a hillside off to the left. Across the way were the child-development center and pre-school and the building that housed the tribal council. Other community services and the new fire station were located on other side streets. Once past the hub of the rez, Tempe drove by more homes spread farther and farther apart and deeper into reservation land.
When she passed the place where the old lumber mill once operated and was now used for rodeos and Pow Wows, she knew she was getting close. The asphalt ended and she continued driving. On her right were the huge boulders that created the cave that protected pictographs of the legendary Hairy Man and his family, as well as other colorful Indian symbols.
The Hairy Man was a Yokut legend considered sacred to the tribe. She knew he was also believed to be powerful medicine. When Tempe was a little girl, her grandmother told her stories about the legend. Over the years, many Indians reported sightings of the Hairy Man.
Tempe had experienced her own encounter with the Hairy Man. The startling event wasn’t something she’d shared with anyone except Hutch and Chief Murphy. During the investigation of the murder of a county supervisor a few months earlier, she’d learned more about the Hairy Man. When she’d been trapped by the supervisor’s killer, the legend had saved her life.
As time passed, the memory of the event became less and less real—sometimes she wondered if she’d imagined the whole thing.
Ahead, red, blue and white lights flashed from emergency vehicles: the Bear Creek Public Safety truck that Chief Murphy drove, an ambulance, and a fire truck. Numerous people milled about in the shadows.
She parked behind the other vehicles. She didn’t see the vans belonging to either the coroner or the crime scene investigator. Before Tempe even had her door open, Chief Murphy appeared out of the shadows, striding toward her. Cruz Murphy’s mother was Yanduchi like Tempe, but his father was Irish—hence the unusual surname. His skin, hair and eyes were dark, but his features displayed more of his Irish heritage. Muscular, he filled out his tan uniform.
She slid out of the truck, and hurried toward him. “Chief Murphy, good to see you. What’s going on?”
“Cruz, please. I think we know each other well enough by now to be on a first name basis.”
“Cruz it is.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Tempe. The victim is from the reservation. The crime scene has been seriously contaminated. One of the residents of the recovery center discovered the body. Once he set off the alarm, the staff and other clients were all over the place. Soon as I got here, I shooed everyone away and cordoned off the area with tape. Too late, I’m afraid.”
“Has the crime scene investigator been called?”
Murphy nodded. “And the coroner. They should arrive fairly soon.”
Since they had to come all the way from Visalia, it would be awhile. “Have you identified the victim?” Tempe followed Murphy toward the crowd of spectators.
“A young Indian named Danny Tofoya.”
His name sounded vaguely familiar. “You say he lived here on the rez?”
“Yes, he and his extended family are long time residents.”
“Any suspects?”
“There are plenty of rumors. People are saying a young man named Jesus Running Bear probably did it.”
“Who is he?”
Book Club Questions:
1. Though Bear Creek Indian Reservation is a fictional place, it is based loosely on the Tule River Indian Reservation which is real. As a reader, do you like to read about Native Americans and perhaps learn a bit about how they live in modern times?
2. Because the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series is a mystery series, there is always a murder. In this one, the murder victim is a young man who lived on the reservation and was quite popular. Of course things are not always as they seem at first. As a reader, do you like to follow along as the main character tries to solve the mystery?
3. Jesus Running Bear is named as the first suspect. Tempe is known for not accepting the first and most easily pointed out suspect in a murder case. If you were the main person investigating a case like this, would you look for others who might have had a motive to kill the murder victim?
Answer either of the questions below in the comment box to become eligible to win a free copy of Invisible Path on Thursday!
Stay tuned tomorrow for the announcement of the winner of a copy of Invisible Path by Marilyn Meredith!
While Tempe’s son, Blair is home from Christmas break, he and his roommate from college do a bit of snooping to find out about the para-military group who’ve been seen driving through town. When a young popular Indian is found dead near the recovery center on the reservation, Tempe is called in to help with the investigation. Another Native American but a newcomer to the rez, Jesus Running Bear, is the only suspect. A hidden pregnancy, a quest to find the Hairy Man, and a visit to the pseudo soldiers’ compound put Jesus and Tempe in jeopardy.
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