Golden Eagle (Paperback), ISBN: 1891940082

Deputy Tempe Crabtree, wife, mother and relentless sleuth, faces a new challenge, one that threatens to cast a dark stain over all she holds dear. Her Native American heritage, her trust in her Christian minister husband and her duty as a deputy bring new conflicts into her life. The silent wing beat of an owl foretells danger, but not Tempe's discovery of a well hidden pot farm, her involvement in the murder of a woman hastily buried in the dirt dug out of grave destined for another or the growing child abuse accusations leveled at her husband. Can she discover the sources of the threats, or will this danger become her undoing?

Will I answer my own question?

Of course not. I wouldn't want to take away one iota of the excitement in this mystery from the reader. I wouldn't hesitate to call it a police procedural, because Tempe marches to her own drummer most of the time. I enjoyed every page of Wingbeat, the fourth book featuring Deputy Crabtree and her assorted family, Native American mentors, and friends. Marilyn Meredith, peerless storyteller, presents fully realized characters, wonderful glimpses into a Native American culture, and the follies and fancies of the human estate (including the flaws and fumbles and fears) with precise plotting and a deft hand.

I've read all four books and each time I think it can't be as good as the last one. But Meredith invariably proves me wrong. Each book builds on the previous volume, but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. However, Meredith's writing is addictive and should come with a warning saying, "Bet you can't read just one." That would include her other novels -- some mysteries, some not -- as well.

Patricia Lucas White

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