11 Native American Mystery Series

Native American mysteries are some of the most atmospheric novels (in my opinion).  I have enjoyed many of these and some I discovered while researching for this post.  Let me know in the comments if you would like me to review more of those series that I don't have any reviews or only a few. 

Charlie Moon series by James D Doss features a Ute tribal policeman (later becomes private detective) in southern Colorado.

13th Snake Dreams   

The first four are my favorites: Shaman Sings, Shaman's Laugh, Shaman's Bones, and  Shaman's Game

Of course Tony Hillerman put Native American mystery novels on the map like never before.  His series starts with The Blessing Way.  Anne Hillerman continued the series when her father passed away.  My favorites are A Thief in Time, Skinwalker, and Sacred Clowns.  **If you would be interested in my reviewing some of these, please leave a comment saying so.

Wind River series by Margaret Coel, Eagle Catcher is the1st in the series.

15th Spider's Web  

16th Buffalo Bill's Dead Now 

Manny Tanno Investigations by C.M. Wendelboe take place mostly on the Pine Ridge Lakota reservation in South Dakota.

1st Death Along the Spirit Road 

2nd Death Where the Bad Rocks 

3rd Death on Greasy Grass 

Kate Shugak Mysteries by Dana Stabenow (no review) take place in Alaska.

Vanishing Act is the 1st in Jane Whitefield series by Thomas Perry (no reviews). Jane is a Native American (Seneca) who has made a career out of helping worthy people disappear (like an abuse victim disappear from powerful husband sort of thing).

Shandra Higheagle Mystery series by Patty Jagger features a woman who is half Nez Perce for an amateur sleuth. Double Duplicity is the first in the series.

#10 Artful Murder 

Sadie Walela Mystery series by Sara Sue Hoklotubbe features a Cherokee amateur sleuth in Oklahoma.

#2 The American Cafe 

Naomi ManyMules mystery series by J & D Burges (no reviews) features a divorced, thirty-something mom of two as the amateur sleuth on the edge of Navajo country and claims it is humorous. 

Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson has many Native American themes and characters

6th Junkyard Dogs 

7th Hell is Empty 

8th As the Crow Flies 

9 A Serpent's Tooth 

This series has some Native American themes: Cork O'Connor Investigation series by William Kent Krueger

7th Thunder Bay 

There you have 11 series either featuring a Native American sleuth/detective or that often have Native American characters or themes featured in the stories.  I may have missed some, so please share if you know of one that isn't spotlighted here.  If you have read some of these, tell me what you thought of them too.

Review: Snake Dreams by James D. Doss

In honor of Native American day coming up on Oct 12, I am reviewing the latest in the series of mysteries all taking place in or around the Ute Indian reservation in Southern Colorado written by James D. Doss. During the month of October we will be reviewing paranormal mysteries to get us “in the mood” for Halloween. So this review is appearing now.


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Snake Dreams by James D Doss

This is the thirteenth book in the Charlie Moon Mysteries (first in the series was The Shaman Sings.) Charlie Moon started out as a Ute Tribal “Policeman” in Southern Colorado, but he has become a rancher with his own spread and cattle while being a tribal investigator on the side.

In this installment, we see the seven-foot tall Ute Indian planning on asking his ladylove to marry him. But things go south quickly, as they tend to do for Charlie. One of the continuing storylines is Charlie’s aunt Daisy, who is an elderly and cranky shaman (or medicine woman) and her schemes. The ghost of a Ute woman, Chiquita Yazzi who had lived on the Reservation but took off (gossip said with another man) has visited Daisy. She has been viciously murdered and is worried about her daughter, Nancy Yazzi, that she had left behind. And that is the extent of that murder. It isn’t investigated. It was just the entry point to get the focus on the daughter.

The murder of Chiquita’s husband (Mr. Wetzel) who is the stepfather to the teenage Nancy, is the crux of the story. The vast majority of the book is various activities of Aunt Daisy, her charge Sarah Frank, and a new conspirator in Aunt Daisy’s schemes - Millicent Muntz. The book is full of Doss’ characteristic humor but short of an actual mystery. This installment is more a delightful tale than a coursing mystery screaming to be solved. It seems the series has changed and I am longing for the older books when Charlie Moon and his best friend Scott Parris actually investigated crimes more.

The strong point in this book is the humor and the characters. Used to be Charlie Moon and his sense of humor was the source of laughter, but now the omniscient narrator leads the reader with wry humor.

Here is a sample of the humor and writing style. We pick up the story with Charlie finishing a phone call with his love interest.

 Time to say, “Goodbye Charlie.” To this, she added a kissing sound!

Did this make an impression on Mr. Moon?

Here he comes, out of the kitchen, deep voice booming “I Walk the Line” with so much heart and soul that the most diehard fans of the Man in Black would sit up and expect to see Mr. Cash appear around some dark corner. But can out man sing and dance at the same time? You know he can. Hot-footing it along that well known Line, Moon is doing the best takeoff of your classic buck-and-wing that could be expected of a big, lanky fellow wearing heavy cowboy boots who has never had any formal training in classic ballet. Look at him go! He bops all the way across the dining room – and the performance does not end there. Charlie Moon’s hard heals and sharp toes echo across the hollowness of the parlor, where juniper flames snap and crackle in the stone fireplace. Has our hoofer shot his wad? Not a chance. Up the stairs he boogies, to the second floor, down the long hallway and through his bedroom door…

It is a fun read, no doubt about it. I just miss the old style I got in The Shaman Sings or The Shaman Laughs that were a blend of tribal police procedural and Ute mysticism. That was a potent combination and built the series. While Snake Dreams is a good tale it wasn’t the heady mix I was looking forward to.

Doss is expert at character development and you really come to know the characters. Doss’ ability to integrate humor throughout the entire story is practically an art form in itself. There was a twist at the end that was surprising since the reader believes all along that they know who murdered Mr. Wetzel, but did they really? 

For your convenience you may purchase this book here

Until Monday when meet again for another "My Musings" I wish you many mysterious moments.

Mystery Family Tree - Debut

First, I wish you a great labor day.  Are you enjoying the last of the warm weather with a picnic or grilling?  Smelling the air for any hints of autumn arriving and feeling the change of the season creeping up on us?

Secondly, welcome to the debut of Mysteries and My Musings Blog!  I had put off doing a blog - the idea of a blog made me feel so exposed.  But I am taking the plunge now and am a bit giddy over my premier issue.  I truly hope you like it.

I am using this blog to also keep myself accountable in the writing of my suspense novel.  The working title is The Society and I am  6783 words into it.  I wrote approximately 870 words last week.  I will report in next Monday with how many words I write this coming week.

Now on to the main topic.  After tossing and turning over what my very first blog should be about, I finally settled on my family tree - my mystery family tree that is.

My Mystery Family Tree


It is important to know your roots, your heritage, the stock you are descended from, even as an author. The Mystery Family Tree in my case. There is a sense of completeness in knowing where you come from. As the saying goes “If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” So as a mystery author what legacy have I inherited, where did I come from?

Every family has the kooky member, the loud drunk, the embarrassing black sheep and even the uptight buttoned-up stuffed shirt. But when we start talking about a mystery family tree anything can surface! Have you ever noticed that families can disagree among themselves, but don't anybody else attack or disparage somebody in the family? With that in mind, I am giving you a peek inside my family with some trepidation.

Many mystery aficionados already know that Edgar Allan Poe is considered the father of mystery fiction. It is no different in my case. Thanks Dad, you have left a tough reputation for all your children to live in the shadow of. The “locked room” puzzle moved mystery into an exploration of the criminal mind. Father Poe (this is perhaps the only public figure that it feels odd to not use the full name when referencing) challenged his progeny to make the mystery not only a good tale but a brainy ride.

If Poe is the father of my mystery family then Dame Agatha Christie is my mother. Ms. Christie gave to me the cozy style mystery with the beloved Miss Marple. Hercules Poirot is equally as important and everlasting with his exotic ways and “consultant” status. I still stumble over how to pronounce his name after all these years of practice!  The gene pool got quite an infusion from Mother. I am forever thankful and somewhat in awe of her talent. 

Anna Katherine Green “The Leavenworth Case” (1878) was the first woman to write a detective novel. I honor and bow to Ms Green, my predecessor. Before Dame Agatha ever set pen to paper Anna Green charted new territory for women. She was a pioneer, a bestseller, and wrote forty books in her time. She left a tremendous legacy for a woman in the late 1800s in a male dominated industry. I see her as my older sister who blazed some rough trails before me. The younger sibling always benefits from the efforts of the older brothers and sisters! Thank you so much Anna, big kiss.

Most everyone has heard of Father Poe and Mother Christie, a few may have heard of Anna Green.  But they were not the authors who took hold of me when I was young and made me a true mystery child. You know how it goes, kids don’t appreciate Mom and Dad until they mature and older sisters are hard to live up to. Phyllis A Whitney is the favorite aunt of my Mystery heritage. I devoured her books. She received the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master award in 1988 and wrote for both teens and adults. I could read two or three Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys/Three Investigators a day, but I savored Ms Whitney’s books like premium chocolate milk or a hard earned Little Debbie.

The Secret of Haunted Mesa, The Secret of the Spotted Shell and Step to the Music are still in my memory. Visit Phyllis A Whitney’s official website for a listing of her books (http://www.phyllisawhitney.com) if you wish to be nostalgic. Looking over the young adult book covers is somewhat like rummaging through a box of old family photos – look at those clothes! Did they really style their hair that way – on purpose? Like a favorite aunt, she heavily influenced my view of the mystery world. She spoiled me with a taste for the gothic touch and heart-pounding suspense.

I have a favorite uncle as well, Ellery Queen. I confess that I first was introduced to Ellery through the old television shows starring Jim Hutton then read the books. This amiable and likable sleuth won me over. As uncles go he was fun, fascinating and quirky.

Some family members I am closer to than others and some I need at certain times. When I have had a hard day who do I turn to? A cozy sister or two just takes the edge off. They are comforting with a cup of tea. I can throw myself into their world with their wacky neighbors and friends and tension just disappears - like some of their acquaintances!

But when I want to spice up my life, need to feel my blood pumping a bit there is nothing better than a visit with a suspense black sheep member. They are always walking with danger and flirting with bad influences. Family reunions are never dull with these guys around. James Patterson and Dan Brown are the successful black sheep cousins that the family is talking about. Whispers of “I heard they got a huge advance and are already talking a movie deal!” can be heard. But Jeffery Deaver is the quiet one that I sit in the corner with talking.  He tells me stories I can't get out of my head.  How much have these black sheep shaped this little mystery child's psyche other than just with a smidge of envy? I have learned from them and taken away what lessons applied to me. Shhhh, don’t let on I have taken any lessons from such rapscallions.

There are a few family members that I only talk about in hushed whispers. They are the brothers and sisters who...you know...see and hears things the rest of us don't. The paranormal members of the family are fascinating and I can't get enough of them. I have heard it said they were left on the doorstep late one night or that they are changelings the faeries have swapped babies with. But no matter – they are part of my big family now and I love them and spend plenty of time getting to know them.

Growing up their have been many friends that have shaped my mystery life and view. Mary Higgins Clark was a positive influence, the kind that parents approve of to drive to the movies. James D Doss and Tony Hillerman expanded my universe like college classmates do. Hillerman/Doss were more like brothers to me. I mourned when I and every other mystery child lost Tony.

Now I have multitudes of associates, friends and co-workers in the mystery world and they continue to challenge me and expand my mystery world, enriching my life.

I am sure I am not the only one with a rich mystery family tree. Please take a moment to share. Who was your favorite aunt or uncle or maybe the black sheep who influenced you as a young person?  Who were the “friends” that started expanding your mystery universe?

Thank you for visiting this blog – I am grateful for your stopping by and spending some time with me. See you Thursday for a book review.   I wish you many mysterious moments until them.