Synopsis
Jennifer Talltree, a private investigator and Osage shaman-in-training, must call on both her magical powers and her detective skills when the theft of native American artifacts and the desecration of burial grounds rouse vengeful spirits
Reviews
YA-Native American Jennifer Talldeer is a private investigator who usually deals with mundane cases of divorce, insurance fraud, and missing persons. Her cantankerous grandfather is teaching her the skills of a shaman and the magic possessed by warriors. When she is hired by an insurance company to look into the bombing of a shopping mall where fragments of Indian artifacts are discovered, both of these interests come into play. The burial ground of her ancestors has been destroyed as well as the mall site, freeing evil spirits who hinder the investigation and threaten to destroy her and the entire world. Jennifer must also deal with the return of her former lover, David Spotted Horse, who is an Indian activist and a prime suspect in the bombing. Skillfully weaving a tale of fantasy, mystery, and Native American folklore, Lackey has written a unique novel sure to appeal to YAs.
Katherine Fitch, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Contemporary mystery/fantasy wherein Lackey (The Black Gryphon, etc.) combines an insurance-fraud investigation with Native American magic. Jennie Talldeer, an Oklahoman Osage Indian and the granddaughter of a powerful medicine man, is a respected shaman-in- training in her own right--as well as a successful private investigator; in her spare time she locates stolen Indian artifacts and returns them to their rightful owners. Her current client is an insurance company that has hired her to investigate suspicious goings-on at a nearby mall development: Indian artifacts have turned up (but the flood plain site is unlikely to be a genuine burial ground), and an exploding bulldozer has killed several workers (for which developer Rod Calligan blames Indian activists). Jennie learns that Calligan has obtained, and been possessed by, the medicine bundle of a supremely dangerous spirit, the Evil One. Another problem is posed by old flame and Indian activist David Spotted Horse's hostility--at least until David is persuaded that Jennie's magic abilities are real. Soon the Osage spirits, awakened and enraged by Calligan's meddling, begin to threaten innocent bystanders. Eventually, there will be a showdown battle on the spirit plane. Hard-working and impressively researched, though with one- dimensional characters and an unexceptionable but ploddingly right- on good vs. evil clash. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Meet Jennifer Talldeer, shaman and private investigator. Say what? Yes, the star of Lackey's new fantasy boasts that unlikely combination of appositives. Jennifer's tough and mystical, strong and sexy, hard-boiled and sharp-tongued--an all-around terrific heroine. She gets embroiled in a complex case involving a potential insurance scam: a developer may have planted Osage sacred objects in the path of his bulldozers in order to halt construction on the potentially disastrous project. But then, why did the bulldozer blow up, killing several Indian workers? Are the Little People offended? Or is the power that Jennifer's shaman ancestor trapped loose again on Earth? This is page-turning, spine-tingling stuff, with loads of great magical scenes alternating with thriller-style action and leading right down to a shamanistic car chase. Great pacing, great characters, and a ripping good plot. Pat Monaghan
Jennifer Talldeer, a private investigator and Osage shaman-in-training, follows a trail of sabotage and murder as a routine insurance investigation unearths a conspiracy between an unscrupulous businessman and a powerful spirit of vengeance. Set in contemporary Oklahoma, Lackey's fantasy/mystery crossover draws on the region's rich Native American heritage for atmosphere. Although the villain's identity is apparent early in the tale, a strong female protagonist and colorful supporting characters maintain interest in an otherwise predictable story. The author's popularity should ensure a readership for this title.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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