Masked Dancers

Description

The vicious murder of a wildlife officer shakes up an Oklahoma town in the fifth novel in this captivating Cherokee Nation mystery series, featuring Police Chief Mitch Bushyhead.

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If Tony Hillerman first opened the door for Native American mysteries, Jean Hager is now holding it wide in grand style. Her Molly Bearpaw books(The Spirit Caller came out in 1997) are full of energy and controlled anger, and her series about Mitch Bushyhead, police chief of Buckskin, Oklahoma, presents deliberately cool-headed looks at volatile issues. In Masked Dancers, Chief Bushyhead, a recent widower and concerned parent of a teenaged daughter, continues learning about his own Cherokee heritage as he looks into the possibly linked deaths of a game warden and a high school principal. The warden was investigating the illegal slaughter of bald eagles, whose protected feathers are featured in the tribal dances staged by the educator. The most likely candidate for the killings is a racist fanatic, but the principal's wife also has some odd moves to explain. Other Bushyhead books in paperback include Fire Carrier and The Grandfather Medicine. --Dick Adler

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Customer Reviews

I loved it!!!!!!!!
I do believe this book was very wonderful. I liked this book. It was an absolutely fabulous mystery. Plus you just have to love Bushyhead. I liked all the many twists in the plot. The whole lesbian affair was very surprising. I loved it! Go Bushyhead! Go Jean Hager!

1999-06-28 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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A gret stort in a series that is totally mesmerizing
Arnett Walsh, an Oklahoma Wildlife Officer, is found dead in a nearby cave. The corpse was found by the daughter of the chief of the police and her friends. The police chief Mitch Bushyhead begins to investigate the murder.

Mitch quickly learns that the deceased was investigating the recent slaughter of bald eagles, animals under the protection of the Feds as an endangered species. Mitch soon has a prime suspect, the high school principal Vian Brasfield. The educator has been a major sponsor of Native American eagle dances, a type of performance that requires eagle feathers. However, Vian has vanished; his only enemy is Dane Kennedy, a political extremist and racist. It is up to Mitch to keep digging until he uncovers the truth behind the Walsh murder and the Brasfield disappearance.

MASKED DANCERS is the fifth Bushyhead mystery and, like its precursors, this is an appealing novel that is propelled forward by glimpses into the modern day Cherokee culture. Mitch is a phenomenal lead character and the support cast, especially his child Emily, addd much humanism to the tale. However, it is the brilliantly described clash between Federal statute and native custom that turns Jean Hager's latest book into a blockbuster of book.

Harriet Klausner

1998-03-23 | Helpful Votes: 5 | Rating: 5

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Dead and Buried (Iris House B & B Mystery)

Description

Iris House is filled with Tess Darcy's old classmates for a high school reunion when the novelist writing a tell-all book is murdered and Tess must figure out which of the author's ""friends"" would kill to prevent publication.

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Customer Reviews

Light Cozy Read
In the 2nd book in the Iris House Mystery series, a group of high school reunion members are staying at Iris House. Tess Darcy, owner of the inn, believes that the reunion will be fun for her guests, until she witnesses the strain in the conversation at the tea party she holds the first day. In the group is the infamous "Four Musketeers" who were inseparable in high school, and the nerd they always teased, Albert "Butterface" Butterfield. They have all changed since that time, most notably Albert who has turned into a multi-millionaire. Another group member, Francine, had been a best selling author, and is now plotting out her next book. But it sounds suspiciously like tales from their collective high school years, and everyone is upset about its possible publication. When Francine is poisoned, the list of suspects is almost too large for the police to comb through. Tess steps in to help with the case, and quickly learns that there are some old secrets between the reunion members, and that someone is willing to kill again to keep them hidden.

I have enjoyed the other books that I have read in this series, and was mildly disappointed that I was able to figure out the killer so early on in the book. I will say, however, that there doesn't seem to be a lack of suspects, and the author plots out the book well. I love reading about Iris House, and find that Gertie and Nedra are two of my favorite characters. I look forward to seeing much more of them in future installments! Overall, this is a light, fun cozy read, and I recommend giving this series a try if you enjoy the genre.

The first book in the series is called "Blooming Murder". Enjoy!

2006-08-26 | acozylover (Macomb, MI) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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Light Cozy Read
In the 2nd book in the Iris House Mystery series, a group of high school reunion members are staying at Iris House. Tess Darcy, owner of the inn, believes that the reunion will be fun for her guests, until she witnesses the strain in the conversation at the tea party she holds the first day. In the group is the infamous "Four Musketeers" who were inseparable in high school, and the nerd they always teased, Albert "Butterface" Butterfield. They have all changed since that time, most notably Albert who has turned into a multi-millionaire. Another group member, Francine, had been a best selling author, and is now plotting out her next book. But it sounds suspiciously like tales from their collective high school years, and everyone is upset about its possible publication. When Francine is poisoned, the list of suspects is almost too large for the police to comb through. Tess steps in to help with the case, and quickly learns that there are some old secrets between the reunion members, and that someone is willing to kill again to keep them hidden.

I have enjoyed the other books that I have read in this series, and was mildly disappointed that I was able to figure out the killer so early on in the book. I will say, however, that there doesn't seem to be a lack of suspects, and the author plots out the book well. I love reading about Iris House, and find that Gertie and Nedra are two of my favorite characters. I look forward to seeing much more of them in future installments! Overall, this is a light, fun cozy read, and I recommend giving this series a try if you enjoy the genre.

The first book in the series is called "Blooming Murder". Enjoy!

2006-08-26 | acozylover (Macomb, MI) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Ravenmocker (Molly Bearpaw Mystery)

Description

The award-winning author of The Grandfather Medicine introduces Molly Bearpaw, an investigator for the Cherokee Tribe, who looks into a mysterious case of botulism in a local nursing home. She is also asked to verify that the victim's heart was not stolen by a ravenmocker--a Cherokee witch. In sorting through the means and motives for the murder, Molly enters a deadly race for time.

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Customer Reviews

A great mystery...
I love a good mystery, in which I can't guess the ending. I love Indian lore and I love female detectives. Now, in the dusty backwaters of the Cherokee Nation, Molly Bearpaw who is an investigator for the Native American Advocacy League and the sheriff's deputy D.J. Kennedy must find out why people in a nursing home seem to be in danger from botulism that strikes people dead without reason and without any hint of where it came from.
Is there a killer? How are the murders linked? Greed, money and lies are mixed up into one great plot.

2009-02-08 (Alexandria, VA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Ghostland

Description

On the eve of the Cherokee Heritage Festival, Police Chief Mitch Bushyhead must shuffle through a list of shady suspects and solve the murder of a third-grade girl and the disappearance of two other girls. Reprint. K.

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Bride and Doom

Description

Matrimony or Murder

Wedding bells will soon be tolling for Tess Darcy, who is finally to tie the knot with longtime love Luke Fredrik.To celebrate the much anticipated occasion, Tess's Aunt Dahlia and Cousin Cinny are hosting a bridal shower at the Victoria Springs Country Club, the sacred domain of Julian Walker, superchef extraordinaire, who is as thoroughly despised as his culinary masterpieces are adored. So it is not a complete surprise when the dictatorial kitchen artiste is real shock is when Iris House cook Gertie Bogart is fingered as the prime suspect.

This lethal brouhaha could easily ruin Tess's upcoming wedding -- and land Gertie in the slammer for a crime Tess is certain her friend did not commit. To rescue both, Tess will have to temporarily exchange her wedding veil for a sleuthing hat. But by doing so, she risks raising the ire of a killer -- which, in turn, raises the likelihood of Tess winding up dead before wed.

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Customer Reviews

"Killer" Suspense From Beginning to End
Part of the Irish House series, this mind-boggling mystery begins with the preparations of Tess Darby's wedding to her beloved Luke Fredrik. A bridal shower is held at the Victoria Springs Country Club. From the start, tempers flare as the club chef, Julian Walker, despises anyone stepping foot in his kitchen domain-most of all the Irish House cook, Gertie Bogart. Then Julian is found murdered and the finger is pointed to Gertie. In two weeks Tess rushes to clear the name of her dear friend and cook by diving into an investigation of her own to determine who the real killer is. As the suspect list begins to grow, postponing her wedding seems inevitable.

Jean Hager has created a wonderful amateur sleuth mystery full of likely suspects that will keep you guessing until the final page. Each character is developed to the max explaining their hopes, their fears, and touching emotions. While the victim is obvious from the start, solving the murder proves to be a difficult task for even the best mystery minds. A thrilling, captivating read!

2001-12-31 (Chattanooga, TN) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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a great place to visit
The Iris House B&B would be a great place to spend a few days. It might not be terribly relaxing, but if the stories set there are any indication, one would be treated to a beautifully decorated, very comfortable room; prize-winning cuisine; a cozy library up in the remodeled attic--and possibly a real-life mystery or two.

The previous books in this series have introduced us to Tess Darcy, the owner of Iris House, which was a surprise bequest. Not knowing what to do with it, she converted it into the B&B, and has managed to fill it with various groups of intriguing and sometimes murderous clients. Along the way, she has become engaged to the handsome Luke Fredrik, added an apartment for them to the original house, and acquainted us with her staff and family--those who still live in Victoria Springs and her father's second family, now residing in France.

Of course, there is a somewhat bumbling chief of police who really doesn't like Tess very much, and who can blame him, when she's so much more intelligent and logical than he is? Even so, Tess never comes across as a know-it-all; rather, more like a woman any other woman would be pleased to call 'friend'. Certainly, any woman in trouble would like such a friend.

As one might guess from the title, this book centers around the wedding of Tess and Luke. A bridal shower is being given at the country club, and when the officious master chef is found with his own butcher knife in his chest, everyone present takes a turn at being the main suspect. It's a near thing, though, for Gertie Bogart, the cook at Iris House. Finally, however, all the clues fall into place, and the wedding takes place as scheduled.

This reader hopes that marriage and a family do not spell retirement for Tess. At least, not until I can go spend some time there. I highly recommend Iris House for any reader of cozy mystery novels, especially, but I'm sure anyone would be made welcome!

2001-02-09 | kellytwo (cleveland hts, ohio) | Helpful Votes: 11 | Rating: 4

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Entertaining Iris House Mystery
Tess and Luke are finally getting married. Unfortunately, the chef is killed during the bridal shower. Since he spent most of the evening hasseling Gertie for having the temerity to expect to use his kitchen to prepare the shower buffet, she is the prime suspect. It is very entertaining to see how Tess solves the mystery, not great literature, but alot of fun.

2001-01-31 (New York USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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A well-crafted cozy
As Tess Darcy prepares for her upcoming wedding, she finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery as she tries to clear her cook, Gertie from being the prime suspect. This is a very enjoyable book with an interesting plot and likable characters. The story moves along at a good pace without unnecessary, diverting details, and the subplot of Tess'wedding adds a cozy feel. I highly recommend this book for those mystery fans who like light, cozy stories.

2000-11-12 | Helpful Votes: 23 | Rating: 5

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The Whispering House

Description

When they go to live with their eccentric great-uncle, three orphans realize that their complete acceptance into the community depends on proving that their great-great-grandfather was not a traitor to the Union during the Civil War.

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