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Eva "Lightning Dance" Duran #1
Redemption
From award-winning author Deborah J Ledford comes a thrilling new series featuring a Native American sheriff’s deputy who risks it all to find a friend who’s gone missing.
After four women disappear from the Taos Pueblo reservation, Deputy Eva “Lightning Dance� Duran dives into the case. For her, it’s personal. Among the missing is her best friend, Paloma, a heroin addict who left behind an eighteen-year-old son. Eva senses a lack of interest from the department as she embarks on the investigation. But their reluctance only fuels her fire.
Eva teams up with tribal police officer and longtime friend Cruz “Wolf Song� Romero to tackle a mystery that could both ruin her reputation and threaten her standing in the tribe. And when the missing women start turning up dead, Eva uncovers clues that take her deeper into the reservation’s protected secrets. As Eva races to find Paloma before it’s too late, she will face several tests of loyalty—to her friend, her culture, and her tribe.
After four women disappear from the Taos Pueblo reservation, Deputy Eva “Lightning Dance� Duran dives into the case. For her, it’s personal. Among the missing is her best friend, Paloma, a heroin addict who left behind an eighteen-year-old son. Eva senses a lack of interest from the department as she embarks on the investigation. But their reluctance only fuels her fire.
Eva teams up with tribal police officer and longtime friend Cruz “Wolf Song� Romero to tackle a mystery that could both ruin her reputation and threaten her standing in the tribe. And when the missing women start turning up dead, Eva uncovers clues that take her deeper into the reservation’s protected secrets. As Eva races to find Paloma before it’s too late, she will face several tests of loyalty—to her friend, her culture, and her tribe.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2023
2,152 people are currently reading
3,716 people want to read
About the author
Deborah J. Ledford
29books220followersDEBORAH J LEDFORD is an Agatha Award winner and two-time nominee for the Anthony Award. REDEMPTION and HAVOC are from the Eva "Lightning Dance" Duran Native American suspense series.
Her first series, the Smoky Mountain Intrigue Native American police procedural series, includes the titles CAUSING CHAOS, CRESCENDO, STACCATO, and the Hillerman Sky Award Finalist and New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards Finalist, SNARE.
Three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, her award-winning stories appear in numerous print publications as well as literary and mystery anthologies.
She is also a former Arizona State University adjunct professor for The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. Ledford is President/Producer for the independent media company, IOF Productions Ltd. She produced the CAUSING CHAOS and CRESCENDO audiobooks as well as The Blind Eye.
Part Eastern Band Cherokee, Ledford spent her summers growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, where her Smoky Mountain Inquest book series is set. She lives in the Phoenix, Arizona area with her extremely patient husband and their awesome Ausky.
She is a member of: International Thriller Writers Association (ITW), Sisters in Crime National (SinC), Crime Writers of Color (CWoC), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Past-President of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths (AZ) Chapter.
Her first series, the Smoky Mountain Intrigue Native American police procedural series, includes the titles CAUSING CHAOS, CRESCENDO, STACCATO, and the Hillerman Sky Award Finalist and New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards Finalist, SNARE.
Three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, her award-winning stories appear in numerous print publications as well as literary and mystery anthologies.
She is also a former Arizona State University adjunct professor for The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. Ledford is President/Producer for the independent media company, IOF Productions Ltd. She produced the CAUSING CHAOS and CRESCENDO audiobooks as well as The Blind Eye.
Part Eastern Band Cherokee, Ledford spent her summers growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, where her Smoky Mountain Inquest book series is set. She lives in the Phoenix, Arizona area with her extremely patient husband and their awesome Ausky.
She is a member of: International Thriller Writers Association (ITW), Sisters in Crime National (SinC), Crime Writers of Color (CWoC), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Past-President of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths (AZ) Chapter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
August 12, 2023
3.5 stars rounded to 4
is the first entry in a new series that I will gladly continue on with! I found myself completely immersed within the Indigenous culture, the Taos Pueblo setting, and the character arcs. My only quibble is that this really isn’t a mystery, and I typically expect some sort of suspenseful unknown to further the plot of a police procedural. The suspense is there, no doubt, but we know from almost the very beginning who the culprit is and basically why they are doing what they are doing. However, this could be tailored to the need to create a sense of place and deeper characterization of the cast that will come back in future books, so I’d like to see what the author does with a true mystery in the future. This book is structured with a multi-pov told in short, snappy chapters, which I loved. If you haven’t snagged your Amazon First Reads choice for August 2023 yet, this is a great choice!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
is the first entry in a new series that I will gladly continue on with! I found myself completely immersed within the Indigenous culture, the Taos Pueblo setting, and the character arcs. My only quibble is that this really isn’t a mystery, and I typically expect some sort of suspenseful unknown to further the plot of a police procedural. The suspense is there, no doubt, but we know from almost the very beginning who the culprit is and basically why they are doing what they are doing. However, this could be tailored to the need to create a sense of place and deeper characterization of the cast that will come back in future books, so I’d like to see what the author does with a true mystery in the future. This book is structured with a multi-pov told in short, snappy chapters, which I loved. If you haven’t snagged your Amazon First Reads choice for August 2023 yet, this is a great choice!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
June 21, 2023
A new series featuring a Native American female sheriff, Deputy Eva “Lightning Dance� Duran. This lady certainly faced some challenges both from the Sheriff's department - finding acceptance as a female - and from her tribe on the reservation who are distrustful because she left the reservation. She has a lot to deal with to earn respect from both groups so she works really hard.
In this first book, three women are missing from the reservation, and one of them is Paloma 'White Dove', who is Eva's best friend. Eva is determined to find them, not just for herself, but for White Dove's eighteen-year-old son. Then one of the women turns up dead. Eva teams up with her good friend Cruz Romero to solve this mystery.
There is quite a bit of tension as this plays out. At first there is almost nothing to go on - no leads to be found. Eva has to balance her duty with her loyalty to her friend and to her heritage. Certainly a well-done start for the series and I look forward to the next one! I really liked Eva as a character and loved the insight into reservation life and traditions.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 1, 2023.
In this first book, three women are missing from the reservation, and one of them is Paloma 'White Dove', who is Eva's best friend. Eva is determined to find them, not just for herself, but for White Dove's eighteen-year-old son. Then one of the women turns up dead. Eva teams up with her good friend Cruz Romero to solve this mystery.
There is quite a bit of tension as this plays out. At first there is almost nothing to go on - no leads to be found. Eva has to balance her duty with her loyalty to her friend and to her heritage. Certainly a well-done start for the series and I look forward to the next one! I really liked Eva as a character and loved the insight into reservation life and traditions.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 1, 2023.
August 18, 2023
Somewhat Redeems Itself
Review of the Amazon First Reads ARC eBook (August 1, 2023) of the Thomas & Mercer paperback / ebook/ audiobook (to be released September 1, 2023).
I've had hit-and/or-miss luck with Amazon's First Reads, but a free ARC is still tempting. I chose Redemption from this month’s offers where it was promoted as a ‘police procedural.� I saw that it had a New Mexico setting (the ominous cover art featuring the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge was also intriguing) and was written by a veteran author with one previous 4-book series known as the Inola Walela and Steven Hawk aka the Smoky Mountain Intrigue Native American police procedurals. Redemption had a lot of pros to it, but the cons knock it down a few points. In the end it flirted with an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert�.
With a first book of a series you don't necessarily expect a lot of character building, but the introduction to Taos County Sheriff's Deputy Eva Duran and associated characters was well done. The atmosphere and settings of the Taos Pueblo reservation and area felt very real. I was particularly happy that Duran is portrayed without a lot of angst (aside from regretting one brief romantic involvement). The other strong positive was actual cooperation between the various law enforcement agencies involved instead of the cliché turf guarding and backbiting.
The downside was that the main villain of the piece remains a cypher right to the end. There is also no mystery as to the identity of the culprit as it is revealed in the first few pages of the book. A subplot of manufactured 3D "ghost guns" is introduced but then ignored for most of the book, until it is again hinted at towards the end, likely as a setup for the sequel. A gang of drug dealers is dealt with, but it feels unsatisfactory. Revealing exact details would be a spoiler, but let's say that it feels off when the protagonist isn't involved in the takedown. They're supposed to be the lead!
A 3 rating is my best compromise. Others may find it more thrilling. I would read further in the Eva Duran series though as the world building and character setups were well done.
A view of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos, New Mexico. Image sourced from Wikipedia by - Own work, ,
Trivia and Links
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
The 2nd book of the Eva Duran series by Deborah J. Ledford is with an expected publication date of August 20, 2024.
Review of the Amazon First Reads ARC eBook (August 1, 2023) of the Thomas & Mercer paperback / ebook/ audiobook (to be released September 1, 2023).
I've had hit-and/or-miss luck with Amazon's First Reads, but a free ARC is still tempting. I chose Redemption from this month’s offers where it was promoted as a ‘police procedural.� I saw that it had a New Mexico setting (the ominous cover art featuring the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge was also intriguing) and was written by a veteran author with one previous 4-book series known as the Inola Walela and Steven Hawk aka the Smoky Mountain Intrigue Native American police procedurals. Redemption had a lot of pros to it, but the cons knock it down a few points. In the end it flirted with an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert�.
With a first book of a series you don't necessarily expect a lot of character building, but the introduction to Taos County Sheriff's Deputy Eva Duran and associated characters was well done. The atmosphere and settings of the Taos Pueblo reservation and area felt very real. I was particularly happy that Duran is portrayed without a lot of angst (aside from regretting one brief romantic involvement). The other strong positive was actual cooperation between the various law enforcement agencies involved instead of the cliché turf guarding and backbiting.
The downside was that the main villain of the piece remains a cypher right to the end. There is also no mystery as to the identity of the culprit as it is revealed in the first few pages of the book. A subplot of manufactured 3D "ghost guns" is introduced but then ignored for most of the book, until it is again hinted at towards the end, likely as a setup for the sequel. A gang of drug dealers is dealt with, but it feels unsatisfactory. Revealing exact details would be a spoiler, but let's say that it feels off when the protagonist isn't involved in the takedown. They're supposed to be the lead!
A 3 rating is my best compromise. Others may find it more thrilling. I would read further in the Eva Duran series though as the world building and character setups were well done.
A view of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos, New Mexico. Image sourced from Wikipedia by - Own work, ,
Trivia and Links
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
The 2nd book of the Eva Duran series by Deborah J. Ledford is with an expected publication date of August 20, 2024.
August 14, 2023
2.75 stars rounded up to 3
I chose this title as my Amazon reads selection for the month of August. I loved that the main character was a woman police officer of Native American heritage and that most of the characters were also indigenous. Second, the book sheds light on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Third, the book also tackles substance abuse issues and the difficulty in obtaining proper treatment for the community. All in important issues, I just wish they'd remained the focus throughout the story.
The book is told from the perspective of multiple characters and sometimes this made the story feel crowded. We know who the perpetrator is early on in the story and this lack of suspense failed to justify why their were over 80 chapters.
Readers already know from the early chapters who the perpetrator is and I couldn't quite understand why it took so long for those investigating to connect the dots. So the lack of suspense and multiple few points made me impatient to reach the climax.
Will I read the next book in the series? Absolutely as I liked the topics and the main protagonist(Eva Duran). Also, I am always committed to seeing a series through.
ŷ review published 13/08/23
I chose this title as my Amazon reads selection for the month of August. I loved that the main character was a woman police officer of Native American heritage and that most of the characters were also indigenous. Second, the book sheds light on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Third, the book also tackles substance abuse issues and the difficulty in obtaining proper treatment for the community. All in important issues, I just wish they'd remained the focus throughout the story.
The book is told from the perspective of multiple characters and sometimes this made the story feel crowded. We know who the perpetrator is early on in the story and this lack of suspense failed to justify why their were over 80 chapters.
Readers already know from the early chapters who the perpetrator is and I couldn't quite understand why it took so long for those investigating to connect the dots. So the lack of suspense and multiple few points made me impatient to reach the climax.
Will I read the next book in the series? Absolutely as I liked the topics and the main protagonist(Eva Duran). Also, I am always committed to seeing a series through.
ŷ review published 13/08/23
February 28, 2023
Big thanks to both Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Redemption.
Expected Publication August 8, 2023
After four women disappear from the Taos Pueblo reservation, Deputy Eva “Lightning Dance� Duran dives into the case. Eva teams up with tribal police officer Cruz “Wolf Song� Romero to tackle a mystery that could both ruin her reputation and threaten her standing in the tribe.
Some parts of this book I loved reading, and others made me sad. Eva was such a strong character! I also loved Paloma's son, Kai. What a wonderful and sensitive young man. When the bodies of Native American women are found dressed in traditional costumes, the suspense ratchets up!
I'm happy to have had the chance to read an early copy of this book. I recommend Redemption!
Expected Publication August 8, 2023
After four women disappear from the Taos Pueblo reservation, Deputy Eva “Lightning Dance� Duran dives into the case. Eva teams up with tribal police officer Cruz “Wolf Song� Romero to tackle a mystery that could both ruin her reputation and threaten her standing in the tribe.
Some parts of this book I loved reading, and others made me sad. Eva was such a strong character! I also loved Paloma's son, Kai. What a wonderful and sensitive young man. When the bodies of Native American women are found dressed in traditional costumes, the suspense ratchets up!
I'm happy to have had the chance to read an early copy of this book. I recommend Redemption!
July 23, 2023
First Nations intrigue!
Eva “Lightning Dance� Duran, is a policewoman with the Taos County Sheriff’s Department. Eva is a member of the Taos Pueblo nation. She liaises between the Reservation Police and the County Department.
Her best friend Paloma “White Dove� Arrio has disappeared, along with three other First Nations women. All are Hoop dancers. It’s been some weeks, and it’s only now that the outside world becomes aware of what’s been happening. Eva finds a body in a hunting area on a borderline area between the County and the Rez. It’s one of the missing women, not White Dove, arranged in traditional ceremonial dress, that’s interestingly not genuine. The elders don’t want the FBI called in on Sovereign Land, even though it might give access to valuable data.
White Dove had been an amazing Hoop dancer until on the way home from competitions she’d been in a collision. She was left injured and her husband dead. Her pain, emotional and physical was unbearable. That was the beginning of Paloma’s drug addiction.
Eva, a Reservation cop, Cruz “”Wolf Song� Romero, and White Dove’s son Kai “Single Star� Arrio, continue their frantic search, but as another of White Dove’s friends turns up dead they are faced with the possibility that they might never find her.
A taut and rewarding police procedural working within the boundaries that restrain the County Department and the Reservation police. I was fascinated by the demarcation lines between the two.
A swiftly developing intrigue, told from various points of view. I was totally involved.
A Thomas & Mercer ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
Eva “Lightning Dance� Duran, is a policewoman with the Taos County Sheriff’s Department. Eva is a member of the Taos Pueblo nation. She liaises between the Reservation Police and the County Department.
Her best friend Paloma “White Dove� Arrio has disappeared, along with three other First Nations women. All are Hoop dancers. It’s been some weeks, and it’s only now that the outside world becomes aware of what’s been happening. Eva finds a body in a hunting area on a borderline area between the County and the Rez. It’s one of the missing women, not White Dove, arranged in traditional ceremonial dress, that’s interestingly not genuine. The elders don’t want the FBI called in on Sovereign Land, even though it might give access to valuable data.
White Dove had been an amazing Hoop dancer until on the way home from competitions she’d been in a collision. She was left injured and her husband dead. Her pain, emotional and physical was unbearable. That was the beginning of Paloma’s drug addiction.
Eva, a Reservation cop, Cruz “”Wolf Song� Romero, and White Dove’s son Kai “Single Star� Arrio, continue their frantic search, but as another of White Dove’s friends turns up dead they are faced with the possibility that they might never find her.
A taut and rewarding police procedural working within the boundaries that restrain the County Department and the Reservation police. I was fascinated by the demarcation lines between the two.
A swiftly developing intrigue, told from various points of view. I was totally involved.
A Thomas & Mercer ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
August 8, 2023
2.5. despite multiple POV shifts where we get internal monologues from almost the entire cast, the characters feel shallow and underdeveloped. the more technical aspects are a bit of a slog to get through; the core mystery isn't even really compelling, not because you know almost immediately who's committing the crimes, but because it just doesn't really come across as believable. it's almost like the narration can't even take it seriously. i really wanted to like this, because i've really wanted to read more indigenous literature, but it just didn't hit the spot for me. i'll consider giving the sequel a try to see if the series can take off now that things have been established, but i don't have high hopes for it.
August 3, 2023
Excellent
I devoured this book in one read. Being part Native American I greatly appreciate the knowledge, research & dedication given to the characters & the awesome book.
I devoured this book in one read. Being part Native American I greatly appreciate the knowledge, research & dedication given to the characters & the awesome book.
August 3, 2023
A generous 2⭐️
This was my Amazon first read for August.
This was classed as a police procedural, nope, not even in the loosest sense. I wouldn't even call it a mystery as we know who's doing it right from the start.
I was really surprised to see that this author has been nominated for awards, on more than one occasion I nearly DNF'D this. You could skip half of it and not miss anything. Suffice to say I won't read anything else by this author.
This was my Amazon first read for August.
This was classed as a police procedural, nope, not even in the loosest sense. I wouldn't even call it a mystery as we know who's doing it right from the start.
I was really surprised to see that this author has been nominated for awards, on more than one occasion I nearly DNF'D this. You could skip half of it and not miss anything. Suffice to say I won't read anything else by this author.
August 7, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I received this Kindle e-book as part of the Amazon Prime program. This is evidently a new series by Ledford featuring Eva "Lightning Dance" Duran, a Native American woman who is a deputy on the Taos Police Department in New Mexico. Eva is looking for four Native women who have seemed to have disappeared. One of them, Paloma "White Dove" is a famous hoop dancer who is also Eva's best friend. Paloma was in a tragic accident, losing her husband and injuring her leg. This leads to getting hooked on opioids and later on heroin. The three other missing women are also drug dependent. So where are the women. A nurse practitioner who is supposedly trying to help the people on the reservation idolizes Paloma and vows to try to cure her. But is the cure worse than the addiction? Eva struggles to try to find the women but then bodies start turning up. What is happening?
This was a pretty good first in the series reminiscent of the Leaphorn series by Tony Hillerman. The story takes place in and near Taos and the Taos Pueblo and the book gives some very good descriptions of the area. Someplace I would really like to visit. The book was told from multiple characters' perspectives and was a little overlong. Also, there was really no mystery to the story since the reader knows from the start exactly what is going on with the missing women. Overall, just a mild recommendation for this one.
I received this Kindle e-book as part of the Amazon Prime program. This is evidently a new series by Ledford featuring Eva "Lightning Dance" Duran, a Native American woman who is a deputy on the Taos Police Department in New Mexico. Eva is looking for four Native women who have seemed to have disappeared. One of them, Paloma "White Dove" is a famous hoop dancer who is also Eva's best friend. Paloma was in a tragic accident, losing her husband and injuring her leg. This leads to getting hooked on opioids and later on heroin. The three other missing women are also drug dependent. So where are the women. A nurse practitioner who is supposedly trying to help the people on the reservation idolizes Paloma and vows to try to cure her. But is the cure worse than the addiction? Eva struggles to try to find the women but then bodies start turning up. What is happening?
This was a pretty good first in the series reminiscent of the Leaphorn series by Tony Hillerman. The story takes place in and near Taos and the Taos Pueblo and the book gives some very good descriptions of the area. Someplace I would really like to visit. The book was told from multiple characters' perspectives and was a little overlong. Also, there was really no mystery to the story since the reader knows from the start exactly what is going on with the missing women. Overall, just a mild recommendation for this one.
August 10, 2023
2.5 rounded down because I probably won’t read more by this author. The southwest setting and cultural references to Pueblo Native American culture were the best features of the book. The characters didn’t seem that well developed, there isn’t really a mystery since we know the villain from close to the beginning and there isn’t even much detecting as the villain is caught almost accidentally. I also didn’t like that there are 4 potential victims but we seem to only care about one (who’s actually the least deserving of rescue since she is to blame for them being in the situation to begin with).
August 4, 2023
It’s too bad because this could’ve been really good. I love the location and I liked the world she was building. But she used so many different points of view that it was distracting and relied upon a really old trope of the cop not calling for back up when she ought to.
August 5, 2023
Debut of new series.
I chose this because it's a debut mystery featuring a Native American police officer. Good story, nice debut. I look forward to the next installment.
Critical comment: there is too much exposition and the inner dialogue of each character as it shifts in the story slows the momentum. There's a lot of character internal chatter.
I chose this because it's a debut mystery featuring a Native American police officer. Good story, nice debut. I look forward to the next installment.
Critical comment: there is too much exposition and the inner dialogue of each character as it shifts in the story slows the momentum. There's a lot of character internal chatter.
Read
September 22, 2023Kindle First Read for August 2023. The book’s saving grace was the information on culture, crafts, spiritual life, home life, food, etc., among the Taos Pueblo people. That’s why I chose it. However, as a thriller, it fell short. The pacing was pretty slow,especially in the first two-thirds. I found it pretty repetitive, too. I mean, when a character does the same thing time and again to different people, the reader is bound to say, “Read that, done that.� I don’t expect a thriller to develop characters in depth, but I had quite a few questions about Alice, Kai, Cruz, and Eva. Now, that would be a story.
February 7, 2025
A police procedural with the added layer of missing women, addiction, and tension within the tribe.
This was such a good mystery. Even though we have lots of POV and we know some of the awful things happening as they happen, how it would all work out was still compelling enough to keep you reading. I really liked that we not only had the officer, Eva's perspective but also Kai's, who added layer to the addiction storyline and those that it hurts or leaves behind. Plus the perspective of the mom and the nurse were surprising and frightening and really added a layer of humanity in the plot. I did this as an audio and it was wonderful, I really liked the narrator.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
This was such a good mystery. Even though we have lots of POV and we know some of the awful things happening as they happen, how it would all work out was still compelling enough to keep you reading. I really liked that we not only had the officer, Eva's perspective but also Kai's, who added layer to the addiction storyline and those that it hurts or leaves behind. Plus the perspective of the mom and the nurse were surprising and frightening and really added a layer of humanity in the plot. I did this as an audio and it was wonderful, I really liked the narrator.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
June 26, 2023
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
I read hundreds of mysteries a year, and this novel rivals the best, it is a captivating read with except character and plot development.
Although this book stands entirely on it's own, it is reminiscent of some of my favorite of Thomas Perry's novels, the Jane Whitefield series...
I will definitely watch for more by this talented police procedural / mystery author.
.Until next time, dear readers, I hope you give this writer a chance to impress you by reading Redemption, - you won't be disappointed.!
I read hundreds of mysteries a year, and this novel rivals the best, it is a captivating read with except character and plot development.
Although this book stands entirely on it's own, it is reminiscent of some of my favorite of Thomas Perry's novels, the Jane Whitefield series...
I will definitely watch for more by this talented police procedural / mystery author.
.Until next time, dear readers, I hope you give this writer a chance to impress you by reading Redemption, - you won't be disappointed.!
August 6, 2023
I was excited to read a book set in the Southwest by a Native American author. I appreciated the details about the Pueblo people and their community, culture, and history. But there were details that kept me from enjoying it more.
SPOILERS:
I didn’t understand why, when someone received a death threat against themself and others they wouldn’t warn the others immediately.
Why would a police officer dress in civilian clothes, to be more approachable, or work on the DL and then drive their police vehicle? Or did the character have two vehicles?
But the big one was, I didn’t understand the villain’s motivation. I think that there are known treatment regimens for heroin addiction, so did she think she could do better? And if so, it would’ve been good to be more explicit about that. Also, why did she keep giving them the same or higher doses rather than taper them off? There was one reference to her possibly having a terminal illness, but we never heard more about it. Where did she get the money for all the meds etc? I thought there might be a reveal at the end that explained, without over-explaining, why she did what she did, but there wasn’t.
SPOILERS:
I didn’t understand why, when someone received a death threat against themself and others they wouldn’t warn the others immediately.
Why would a police officer dress in civilian clothes, to be more approachable, or work on the DL and then drive their police vehicle? Or did the character have two vehicles?
But the big one was, I didn’t understand the villain’s motivation. I think that there are known treatment regimens for heroin addiction, so did she think she could do better? And if so, it would’ve been good to be more explicit about that. Also, why did she keep giving them the same or higher doses rather than taper them off? There was one reference to her possibly having a terminal illness, but we never heard more about it. Where did she get the money for all the meds etc? I thought there might be a reveal at the end that explained, without over-explaining, why she did what she did, but there wasn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2024
Melodramatic and dumb at times. Dumb like when the autopsy is being conducted the two cops are badgering the pathologist with premature questions. Why not just STFU and let him do his job? Dumb like when they plan a waterborne body evacuation in a remote inaccessible site and a storm is coming. Took too long. Time of the essence.
There’s nothing worse than an enthusiastic idiot who it appears after a while might also have a screw loose. Meet Alice Jones, nurse practitioner, who writes the Taos Pueblo about providing medical aide in a mobile clinic, her Winnebago. She ends up kidnapping four addicted women and experimenting on them convinced she’s going to cure them. Against this plot line is all the Native American angst with the battle of the sexes and familial disagreements. Not sure I’ll return for the next one.
There’s nothing worse than an enthusiastic idiot who it appears after a while might also have a screw loose. Meet Alice Jones, nurse practitioner, who writes the Taos Pueblo about providing medical aide in a mobile clinic, her Winnebago. She ends up kidnapping four addicted women and experimenting on them convinced she’s going to cure them. Against this plot line is all the Native American angst with the battle of the sexes and familial disagreements. Not sure I’ll return for the next one.
February 20, 2024
Discovered this author while wandering into a bookstore where they were hosting an author event. Love learning about an author's writing process first hand.
Enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next in the series.
Enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next in the series.
September 24, 2023
This was my first book by this author. I t will not be my last. Riveting crime thriller with great character development.
March 8, 2025
I really enjoyed this novel. The setting of Taos, New Mexico, and one of the continuously inhabited communities provides depth to the story and deep roots to the narrative. A must read for fans of Tony Hillerman.
August 25, 2023
I surprisingly really enjoyed this book about 4 friends of the local (female) sheriff going missing. It captures the thoughts, fears & shame the missing women have brought on their tribe & how the sheriff tries to track them down.
January 15, 2025
Friendship and obligation feature prominently in this first of a series by author Deborah j. Ledford.
In the prologue, four drug addicted women are in a house with a drug dealer and his men. A lone woman driving an RV approaches the place, and offers the a safe refuge away from the men who are taking advantage of the women’s vulnerability. With some convincing, the women leave with driver.
Later, Eva "lightning Dance" Duran is looking hard for her missing friend Paloma (we can deduce that one of the drug addicted women we met in the prologue is Eva's friend). Eva has been keeping any eye out for Paloma's son and is getting increasingly worried about Paloma's safety. Paloma used to be a celebrated dancer, but a car accident changed her life, and got her hooked on drugs to manage her constant pain.
When it turns out that the four women are missing from the Taos Pueblo reservation, Eva wants to look for them formally. Eva is a deputy with the Sheriff's department, which is reluctant to open an investigation into missing drug addicts.
Frustrated, Eva teams up with tribal police officer Cruz "Wolf Song" Romero; she has to tread carefully as she's not supposed to be devoting her time to the situation, and not everyone one the reserve is happy that Eva is part of the Sheriff's department.
Then, a couple of the missing women turn up dead, and Eva is scared that someone is intending to kill all four, including Paloma. The more Eva digs, the more she learns how the tribal council may be hiding something, while we see the women in their captivity.
Ledford shows us who the perpetrator is from the outset, so that part of the mystery is no mystery. What is compelling about this story is Eva herself; she's driven, and compassionate.
Ledford builds the story's tension in the search for the women, and the building of a relationship between Eva and Cruz. We also get each person's perspectives through the novel, so we get a good understanding of their backgrounds, and in some cases, difficult home lives.
I enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading the next story.
In the prologue, four drug addicted women are in a house with a drug dealer and his men. A lone woman driving an RV approaches the place, and offers the a safe refuge away from the men who are taking advantage of the women’s vulnerability. With some convincing, the women leave with driver.
Later, Eva "lightning Dance" Duran is looking hard for her missing friend Paloma (we can deduce that one of the drug addicted women we met in the prologue is Eva's friend). Eva has been keeping any eye out for Paloma's son and is getting increasingly worried about Paloma's safety. Paloma used to be a celebrated dancer, but a car accident changed her life, and got her hooked on drugs to manage her constant pain.
When it turns out that the four women are missing from the Taos Pueblo reservation, Eva wants to look for them formally. Eva is a deputy with the Sheriff's department, which is reluctant to open an investigation into missing drug addicts.
Frustrated, Eva teams up with tribal police officer Cruz "Wolf Song" Romero; she has to tread carefully as she's not supposed to be devoting her time to the situation, and not everyone one the reserve is happy that Eva is part of the Sheriff's department.
Then, a couple of the missing women turn up dead, and Eva is scared that someone is intending to kill all four, including Paloma. The more Eva digs, the more she learns how the tribal council may be hiding something, while we see the women in their captivity.
Ledford shows us who the perpetrator is from the outset, so that part of the mystery is no mystery. What is compelling about this story is Eva herself; she's driven, and compassionate.
Ledford builds the story's tension in the search for the women, and the building of a relationship between Eva and Cruz. We also get each person's perspectives through the novel, so we get a good understanding of their backgrounds, and in some cases, difficult home lives.
I enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading the next story.
October 9, 2023
If anything ever happens to me that needs to be investigated, please do not put Eva Duran on the case. After days, she finally did some investigation. Reading the book, I could not figure out what she was supposedly doing to investigate the case(s). Very disappointing book. I will not be reading this series.
February 18, 2024
This book has great characterization. The conversation is realistic.
The story is set on the Taos Pueblo reservation in New Mexico. The chief investigator is Eva, a woman whose ancestry is partly from Taos Pueblo. Eva works for the Taos County Sheriff’s Office. Most of her colleagues are white. Eva is the sheriff’s lission with the Taos Pueblo police force.
Alice was a deranged white nurse who imprisoned four Taos Pueblo women. Eva and other officers tried to rescue the women. All the women except for Paloma were killed by Alice.
The reader learned about Eva’s roots in the community. Eva grew up with Paloma “White Dove� as her best friend. Eva had an occasional boyfriend Cruz Navarro. Eva felt close to her deceased grandfather who raised her. Eva felt close to the Taos Pueblo people, but she was not completely accepted because she had mixed blood. Eva believed in Taos Pueblo traditional spirituality.
Paloma became a highly successful hoop dancer who performed across the region. Paloma married and had a child Kai. Paloma and her husband were in a car accident that killed the husband and severely injured Paloma. Paloma had to quit performing. Paloma became addicted to pain killers and then to heroin. Paloma would leave home on occasional drug binges but would return home to be with her teenaged son Kai. Actually Kai tended to his mother more than Paloma tended for him. He was an excellent student soon to be going to college on a scholarship. Unfortunately the disappearance of his mother made Kai despondent and suicidal. Paloma had a brother Santiago who was estranged from Paloma and Kai due to Paloma’s drug addiction. Santiago was a wealthy rancher.
Early in the book Paloma went missing. Kai suspected foul play because Paloma was never away for long. Kai begged for Eva to help find his mother. The primary responsibility for finding Paloma lay with the Taos Police Department where Cruz worked. Eva searched for Paloma in her spare time.
Because Kai was still a teenager and could not live alone, Kai moved in with family friend Eva. Cruz helped. Eventually Kai moved in with his uncle Santiago. That relationship was tense but warming.
Fairly early in the book Kai spotted the body of an adult female underneath a bridge high above the Rio Grande River. Initially Kai and Eva feared the woman was Paloma,but she was not. The woman was dressed in ceremonial Indian costume. The issue was whether the woman had been murdered or had jumped to her death.
At this point in the book the reader already knew the identity of the killer, although the police did not. The reader had learned about Alice.
Alice was a deranged Caucasion traveling nurse who lived in her Winnebago and had worked on the Taos Pueblo reservation. Alice was obsessed with Paloma and Paloma’s skills as a hoop dancer. Alice had traveled to see Paloma perform. Alice learned that Paloma had become addicted to heroin.
Alice managed to find out that Paloma and three Taos Pueblo girlfriends were holed up in a rural drughouse run by some white men. The women may have been engaging in prostitution in exchange for drugs. In the past the drug house had been occupied by a Native American couple. The couple were nowhere to be seen, but their grade-school-age son Nathan was working as a helper to the drug dealers.
Alice went to the drug house and purchased the release of Paloma and her friends: a jeweler, a basket maker and a drum maker. Alice wanted to cure the women of their heroin addiction. Without permission from anyone Alice took the women to an unoccupied residence in a remote part of the Taos Pueblo reservation. The house had once been the residence of Eva’s grandfather.
Alice brewed various concoctions of heroin, other illegal drugs, and legitimate detox drugs, trying to wean the women off heroin. The women were imprisoned in the small house, two locked in one bedroom and two locked in the other. They remained in continuous drugged stupors. Alice stayed next to the house in her Winnebago. She went to a nearby gas station or campground for supplies as needed.
Alice was not successful in curing the woman. When a woman appeared to be overdosing Alice would become angry and beat the woman, thereby assuring death.
The first woman Alice killed was the jewelry maker. Alice chose the spot under the bridge to drop the body because the jewelry maker may have found rocks there.
Later Alice left the dead costumed body of the drum maker in a good hunting area where the woman may have hunted deer.
Later Alice deposited the costumed body of the basket maker near some willow trees where the woman may have harvested branches. By this time Eva was in pursuit and found the body soon afterwards. The police had checked surveillance photos at the gas station and knew they were looking for a Winnebago. The police knew that the costumes were store bought and not Native made.
Only one woman remained alive: Paloma.
The police talked with Kai and learned of white motorcyclists who worked at Santiago’s ranch as ranch hands. (They were probably also delivering drugs).
Alice decided to take Paloma in her Winnebago and start a new life in Texas.
For some reason Alice decided to stop by the drug house. Perhaps she wanted to buy more heroin for Paloma.
When Alice got to the drug house she shot and killed the white drug dealers. She took one of their guns. Nathan, a young Taos Pueblo boy, called 911. Police arrived and so did Kai. Kai found his mother in the Winnebago and let her out.
Eva went into the drug house. Alice attacked Eva with a gun and a drug- filled syringe. Paloma lunged forward, intervened and saved Eva. Police helped free from their locked bedroom the owners of the house the drug dealers had commandeered. Their son Nathan was glad they were safe.
The book had a happily-ever-after ending. Paloma went to drug rehab funded by her rich brother Santiago. Santiago reconciled with Paloma and Kai and the family became closer. Kai went to college on a scholarship. Eva switched to working with the Taos Pueblo P.D, the same place her boyfriend Cruz worked. Eva and Cruz continued their romantic relationship. Eva and Paloma continued their friendship.
I liked how Eva had to balance her desire to help care for Kai with the demands of her job. I liked the independence and resourcefulness of Eva, and how she still cared about her childhood friend Paloma even though Paloma was at a low spot in her life. I liked the description of Kai as a troubled but basically good teenager. I liked the occasional references to Native American traditional religion and spirituality. I liked the scenery and sense of place of the remote reservation near the cliffs of the Rio Grande. It was a very good book and I may read another.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2023
Loved the setting, just didn't enjoy the characters or the story.
***SPOILERS***
The story just plods along and I'm not really sure if anything the main character does actually results in the antagonist's downfall other than just blind luck.
The antagonist isn't well fleshed out and we never really find out why she went from someone capable of convincing the elders to grant her permission to work on the rez to being unhinged. The most annoying character is Kai who alternates between being irritatingly angry, making "funny" teen comments and somehow being brighter than everyone else in the book. The lead character isn't exactly a strong woman either as she doesn't really work anything out and appears to have a sexual history with most of the male characters, including the ones she doesn't like.
And then the whole thing just ended out of nowhere. I won't be reading the next in the series.
***SPOILERS***
The story just plods along and I'm not really sure if anything the main character does actually results in the antagonist's downfall other than just blind luck.
The antagonist isn't well fleshed out and we never really find out why she went from someone capable of convincing the elders to grant her permission to work on the rez to being unhinged. The most annoying character is Kai who alternates between being irritatingly angry, making "funny" teen comments and somehow being brighter than everyone else in the book. The lead character isn't exactly a strong woman either as she doesn't really work anything out and appears to have a sexual history with most of the male characters, including the ones she doesn't like.
And then the whole thing just ended out of nowhere. I won't be reading the next in the series.
August 13, 2023
didn’t make it to the end
I was excited when I read all of the good reviews about this book, and about the author. I was very interested in a novel with a Native American perspective as well. But the writing was just not up to par, and worse, it was simply boring. I only made it through 1/3 of the book, and there was no real movement toward figuring out how our heroine was going to solve the crime. Not worth your time
I was excited when I read all of the good reviews about this book, and about the author. I was very interested in a novel with a Native American perspective as well. But the writing was just not up to par, and worse, it was simply boring. I only made it through 1/3 of the book, and there was no real movement toward figuring out how our heroine was going to solve the crime. Not worth your time
August 22, 2023
I liked the setting & the reference to the Tao Pueblo ancient traditions and culture but I thought this novel lacked intrigue altogether and felt a drag to read. Even reaching the end, I’ve questions for Santiago, hiring 4 people outside the Rez, I’ve questions for the nurse too. Somewhat a disappointing read for me.
September 3, 2023
Bloated
I too often read these Free With Prime novels and think, "What is needed here is a good editor to trim excess verbiage that does not further the action or contribute to the story" This book is a prime example. But then the author would not get paid for delivering a novel length manuscript.
I too often read these Free With Prime novels and think, "What is needed here is a good editor to trim excess verbiage that does not further the action or contribute to the story" This book is a prime example. But then the author would not get paid for delivering a novel length manuscript.
December 11, 2023
The gift of a second chance
This book came to me at an unexpected time to heal my own dread of what might have been the end of my life. I appreciate the two strong main characters being women. Even though one was also a victim, her strong belief in her right to live and recover will hopefully give strength to readers who are looking for such an answer.
This book came to me at an unexpected time to heal my own dread of what might have been the end of my life. I appreciate the two strong main characters being women. Even though one was also a victim, her strong belief in her right to live and recover will hopefully give strength to readers who are looking for such an answer.
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