Friday, August 10, 2012

Death Where the Bad Rocks Live-C.M. Wendelboe

Death Where the Bad Rocks Live


C.M. Wendelboe

Berkley Prime Crime, Sep 4 2012, $15.00

ISBN 9780425256114



The FBI assigned academy instructor Manny Tanno to investigate a murder on the Pine Ridge Reservation near Wounded Knee, South Dakota though he preferred not to do field work anymore. Not welcomed by the elders, the former Oglala Sioux tribal cop worked the case anyway (see Death Along the Spirit Road). Now the Feds have assigned him permanently to the Pine Ridge Reservation.



In Badlands National Park, a contractor removes live ammo from the isolated Stronghold sector once used as WWII bombing training site only to find human remains. An unknown killer murdered years ago to probably hide something in this barren wasteland and has recently begun killing again including a failed attempt to murder Manny. As the Fed investigates he gets no cooperation from the locals who distrust the FBI and hindrance from the Oglala Sioux Tribal Police.



This entertaining Native American police procedural stars a confused hero who struggles with his sense of self identity as an Oglala Sioux FBI Special Agent. The investigation is engaging and the locale symbolically fascinating. Although the storyline does not always flow smoothly, fans will enjoy Tanno’s struggles to do the undefined in his mind right thing.



Harriet Klausner



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