This exciting crime story is set in the dramatic canyon
landscape of Utah. Nora Abbott, originally with a business
background, is trying to fit in among the Hopi people while
enjoying her relationship with Cole, a man from Wyoming.
But bad news spoils their happiness. Nora now works for an
environmental trust, and a friend called Lisa has been
found dead in a fall out among the red rocks. Nora regards
the death as suspicious.
TATTERED LEGACY is the third book in the Nora Abbott series.
I had previously read TAINTED MOUNTAIN in which a
proposal to make a ski resort on a sacred mountain
generated ill-feeling and danger. Now, a national park has
proposed to expand, and Lisa had been making a film
documentary on the topic. She'd told Nora about finding
petroglyphs, ancient rock paintings, and while she'd been
eager about the expansion, not everyone might approve.
The small town of Moab, originally founded by Mormons, has
become a centre for recreation of late. Nora attends a
ceremony for her friend and falls foul of a ranching
family. She comes to suspect them of having a hand in her
friend's death. And given that Lisa's lifestyle was not
compatible with conservative town mores, there's more than
one motive to consider. But is Nora wise to keep
investigating?
I love the descriptions of the red rock environment as the
story follows the Colorado River and each group concerned
with this land makes its case. Overgrazing has caused land
degradation but local people are understandably irate at
being told what to do by newcomers. Cultural resources are
in need of protection before curious or market-minded
people remove them. Nora also gets to spend time with her
much-married mother and they share experiences that bring them
closer together. Sage, Mormon tea, junipers and milkweed
fill the background of the adventure while tourist
facilities and shopping malls are upfront. But the steep
cliffside roads are no place for your brakes to fail, as
Nora discovers.
Author Shannon Baker lives in Flagstaff and loves the desert
landscapes. TATTERED LEGACY is a fine standalone murder
mystery and a marvellous addition to her series. If you
enjoy the Nevada Barr crime stories this one will be right
up your hiking trail.
Nora Abbott risks her career at Loving Earth Trust on a film project to convince
Congress to expand the Canyonlands National Park. But someone is desperate to
keep the secrets of the land hidden. When her best friend and director of the film
is found dead, Nora is convinced it wasn’t an accident. Nora’s Hopi kachina
messenger has vanished and now it looks as though Cole Huntsman, the man
she’s finally allowed herself to love, has left her, too.
As Nora uncovers an unlikely intersection of ancient Hopi legends, a secret
polygamist sect, and one of the world’s richest men, she is drawn deeper into
danger. Her mother’s surprising past holds the key to the clash of cultures, but
will Nora put all the pieces together in time to prevent disaster? Set in the iconic
red rocks of Moab, Utah, Nora races to discover what really lies beyond the stars.
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