Vanishing Point

Description

When talented young writer Jonathan Vail vanishes without a trace on a camping trip, he leaves behind a wilderness journal, and an acclaimed first novel. But questions abound. Has the twenty-three-year-old prodigy been dispatched by thieves? Does his girlfriend, whose version of Vail's disappearance in Utah's Slickrock Canyon satisfies no one, know more about Vail's fate than she is telling? And what of Vail's eagerly anticipated work-in-progress - a new canyonlands journal - apparently lost along with his body?" "Flash forward more than thirty years, when a rock slide reveals a hidden cave near Slickrock Canyon. Vail's body isn't recovered, but the missing journal is. When it is presented for authentication to Claire Reynier, an archivist and rare-books expert at the University of New Mexico's Center for Southwest Research, danger and mayhem suddenly come to anyone who touches the faded spiral notebook or seeks to discover what happened to Jonathan.

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Customer Reviews

Stiff and dull
I enjoyed Van Giesen's Neil Hammel series very much, but Claire leaves me cold. She is sooooo cold herself. And critical. She finds fault with every person she meets. The plot is not bad, but the denouement is an explanation, not something that I felt was revealed by bits of information gathered along the way.

I got really tired of the landscape and weather descriptions.

Why did Van Giesen set up the bookseller, John, as a potential boyfriend for Clarie and then make him so unappealing?

Claire is a stiff. I've read three of these -- can't imagine why -- and won't read anymore.

2007-10-01 | reggieroy (Chicago, IL) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Vanishing Point
An enjoyable, light read. Van Gieson describes the New Mexico and Utah landscapes better than the central characters. But they're characters we're comfortable with, so maybe that works. I'd put it on my "Recommended" list, but not at the top.

2001-02-22 | SusanMcCW (San Pedro, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 5 | Rating: 4

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A superb storyteller
The archivist assigned to "preserve the papers, the legend, and the memories" of the 1960s rebel Jonathan Vail is Clair Reynier. The Southwest Research of the University of New Mexico employs the fiftyish woman. Recovering from a divorce, Clair enjoys cataloging Vail's works including his letters, a journal, and a book the cult classic "A Blue Eyed Boy."

A student working on a dissertation on Vail excites Clair when he produces another journal from the cult icon. The journal highlights Vail's days in Slickrock Canyon, where he was camping with his girlfriend before vanishing. Clair and a police officer go to meet the graduate student near the cave where Jonathan's duffel bag containing the journal was found. Instead, the duo finds the dead body of the student, who appears to have fallen from a steep cliff. The inquisitive Clair begins making inquiries not realizing that someone close by wants to insure she learns nothing even if it means another death to accomplish that.

Judith VanGieson proves once again that she is a superb storyteller through her ability to vividly depict the Southwest desert so that readers feel they are there. Clair may seem like an ordinary person, but her values insist she fight for what she believes in regardless of the personal cost. The well-plotted mystery combines with realistic characters to turn VANISHING POINT into a pleasant reading affair.

Harriet Klausner

2001-02-08 | Helpful Votes: 7 | Rating: 5

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The Wolf Path

Product Details

• Brainwash: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• <a title='Condition Guide' href='/content/Condition_and_S hipping_Guide.htm' target='_blank'>Click here to sentiment our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices</a>
• ISBN13: 9780977416110

Description

It's a 104 degree day in Albuquerque when attorney/sleuth Neil Hamel gets a call asking her to go to southern New Mexico to help a wolf advocate who calls himself Juan Sololobo. Juan, who attracts trouble wherever he goes, is visiting the town of Soledad to give an educational program featuring his timber wolf, Sirius. After someone lets Sirius out of his pen, a federal official is murdered and Juan becomes the prime suspect. As Neil defends him she finds herself immersed in a deadly conflict between ranchers and environmentalists over wolf reintroduction. The Wolf Path is Judith Van Gieson's fourth Neil Hamel mystery. Since it was first published to critical acclaim in 1992, Mexican gray wolves have been reintroduced to the Southwest, and there are now several packs free-ranging in Arizona and New Mexico. Wolf advocate Bobbie Holaday, the founder of Preserve Arizona's Wolves (PAWS), updates this edition with an introduction summarizing the progress that has been made. Van Gieson has published eight mysteries featuring Neil Hamel and five with University of New Mexico librarian Claire Reynier.

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Customer Reviews

Great Female Sleuth
This book contains one of my favorite quotes - a commentary on female sleuths.

"Jayne runs every morning," Juan said, shaking his head in a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
"Care to join me Neil?" she asked, bending over and looking up at
me through her hair while her palm lay flat on the floor.

"No thanks." I was already pondering my next cigarette.

"I thought women lawyers ran," Jayne said, standing up, flinging her hair over her shoulders and bending backwards.

"That's women detectives," I said.
"Women lawyers drink."

FYI Judith also has a series featuring Claire Reynier and has started her own publishing company ABQ Press.
For more of my comments see [...]

2009-12-12 | CluesSister (Half Moon Bay, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Neil Hamel is at her most heroic and intelligent, and the plot completely satisfies
Judith Van Gieson is a multi-faceted personality, having started her own publishing company; authored a children's book; a collection of poetry and short stories; and thirteen mysteries. Her first series of eight mysteries features Neil Hamel, an Albuquerque lawyer, and the second series centers around Claire Reynier, an archivist and librarian at the University of Mexico. Van Gieson's mysteries revolve around environmental issues and artifacts. Her books have garnered high praise and awards, including the Zia Award for Best Work of Fiction by a New Mexico woman.

THE WOLF PATH, published in 2006, is the fourth Neil Hamel mystery. As the name implies, it centers on the plight of the Mexican gray wolf. As usual, man is its worst predator, and ranchers in particular want this beautiful creature banished from their lands because it feeds on cattle. Neil is entrusted with a legal case by a friend. An ex-con with bad judgment and a gullible heart is taking his gray wolf around to communities in an effort to educate a skeptical public. He isn't welcome, and every attempt is made to stymie his efforts, including falsely accusing him of a murder. Neil sees no alternative but to swing into action to save her client from an unforgiving New Mexican culture:

"There are some pervasive fantasies in this country. One, that wars win something. Two, that guns don't kill people. Three, that everyone deserves his or her day in court and when that day comes the case will be presented by a brilliant, committed lawyer, that a lifetime of wrongs will be vindicated by a wise judge and a sympathetic jury. The truth is litigation is largely a boring, time-consuming, expensive crapshoot. Juan had been through the process and had already lost once. What made him think he would win this time? The quality of his legal representation? His belief in his innocence? Ego? Romance?"

Van Gieson scores another hit with this psychological and poetic mystery. Not only does she manage to educate the masses regarding the possible extinction of the Mexican gray wolf, but she creates the beautiful New Mexican landscape in every page. Neil Hamel is at her most heroic and intelligent, and the plot completely satisfies.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

2009-10-19 (Oregon, WI USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The wolves return
This is a fascinating book written in Van Gieson's unique and poetic style. Like a number of books in the Neil Hamel series it deals with an environmental issue - in this case the attempt to reintroduce the Mexican gray wolf to the Southwest. Since the book was first published wolves have been reintroduced with mixed results. This edition has an update on the reintroduction effort by wolf activist Bobbie Holaday who founded PAWS (Preserve Arizona's Wolves) and was instrumental in bringing wolves back. The striking cover illustration is by the Navajo activist Ernie Franklin. Highly recommended.

2007-01-16 (New Mexico, USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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The best of the Neil Hamel mysteries
It is a shame this book is out of print. This is by far Van Gieson's best novel featuring her magnetic lawyer-sleuth, Neil Hamel. Whereas the earlier books had not yet developed Hamel's character into full bloom, and the most recent one is a bit contrived, this volume is like a comfortable old sweater. If you can get your hands on a copy, relish it!

1999-09-05 | Helpful Votes: 7 | Rating: 4

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The Shadow of Venus (Claire Reynier Mysteries)

Description

From the acclaimed author of Land of Burning Heat -the murder of a young woman takes rare book expert Claire Reynier into Albuquerque's dark streets, where she must shed light on the shadows of the past.

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Customer Reviews

OK, not Great
This is a rather amateur sounding book. I read it through because I had started it, but I will not read other books by this author. In many cases the narrative was redundant. It was slow paced and predictable.

2009-09-25 (NJ) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Compelling, Compassionate Claire is on Another Case
Librarian and rare book expert Claire Reynier is back again. In this one a young homeless woman named Maia body is found dead in the library with a page taken out from a valuable book. Maia apparently died of a heroin overdose, but Claire believes there is more to it.

She researches the illustration from that rare book that had been found with Maia's body. This leads her to artist edward girard who may or may not have been Claire's father, and then on to Taos where she finds that Maia had indeed been sexually abused and this reminds her of when she was almost abused as a child. She'd always felt bad about not turning in her potential abuser, but he was a friend of the family, as is so often the case. Now Claire is on the trail of another abuser and this time she's not going to give up.

Judith Van Gieson has an excellent character in Claire Reynier. She is compelling, compassionate, smart and believable. I really enjoyed this book and I'll be looking for more about Claire.

2006-12-07 (Horseshoe, North Carolina) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Stars shine thru the mystery of Shadows
This unusual mystery touched me because Judith Van Gieson addresses powerful issues that are close to my heart from the power of art, architecture, mythology, books, "library as sanctuary" (the library is where I discovered this book although I have gone on a "Van Gieson shopping spree"), to my daily encounters with people that are homeless and witnessing their struggles here in NYC. The back drop of the stunning visions of New Mexico, Colorado and starry nights that hold clues was a fascinating vacation from my New York landscape and Van Gieson isn't going to leave you down hearted. There is a lot of sadness in this story but I enjoyed the leading character being an intelligent empowered woman who delves deeply into what appears to be a superficial open and shut case that reveals reflections on the universe, human nature, deep dark secrets, guilt or the lack of. The librarian turned sleuth takes the reader on mysteries both internal and outward. As an artist I was deeply moved at how much the author thought out and expressed about artists. When Van Gieson briefly contrasts artists to debate whether there is an on going attachment to one's art, I had a chuckle and a passionate internal response; for me, always. The mystery is about the death of a homeless woman by drug overdose so this is just a hint at disturbing topics addressed. This book surprised me with it's depth yet it did not depress me. I was diverted and interested more than anything on television as I sat and read this book from cover to cover. In fact this would make a good tv movie but I don't imagine any male director for this film. How Van Gieson uses art as a key to the mystery and her finely tuned sensitivity to the passion of "the artist" really was touching. I even had to laugh because I am dealing with a moth infestation here in NYC as does her heroic librarian, Claire, although she takes it all in stride. Bravo for the art homage and the touching tribute to the beautiful humanity of lost souls, sometimes found. Despite the sadness of the story -- this is an entertaining mystery and a quick read.

2006-06-01 | artist/writer/youtube Mayor Bloomberg King of New York (New York City, USA) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 5

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Great amateur sleuth tale
Claire, a middle aged librarian works at the Center for Southwest Research at the University of New Mexico. At a poetry reading she arranged, a young woman she met once before offers her a seat and admires her looks. When a belligerent homeless woman bursts into the room, the campus police escort her out and Claire closes the door. The young lady who saved her a seat bolts from the room because she is claustrophobic.

Claire is disturbed when the young woman, who saved her a seat, a street person named Maia, is found dead in the basement, the victim of a heroin overdose. Claire feels connected to Maia and starts researching who she is, a journey that takes her to an Anasazi structure known as Special Rocks and to a commune in Taos. She learns that Maia was running from the man who abused her and Claire is determined that Maia's death will be avenged even though it means putting her own life on the line.

The heroine is a warm caring individual who hates to see a crime go unpunished. She starts a bit on her voyage of discovery because Maia could never willing stay in a room that locks from the outside. She also wonders why the victim was on heroin because she was supposedly clean. Judith Van Gieson weaves very ugly social problems into the main storyline yet still manages to entertain her audience with an absolutely enthralling and believable amateur sleuth novel.

Harriet Klausner

2004-02-04 | Helpful Votes: 12 | Rating: 5

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Confidence Woman: A Claire Reynier Mystery

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780786242177
• Notes:
• Stipulation: NEW

Description

New Mexico rare book expert Claire Reynier is the victim of identity fraud-and the chief suspect in the con woman's murder-in this new mystery from a writer whose work has been praised as "crisp, taut, and utterly compelling" (Entertainment Weekly).

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Customer Reviews

Good Show, Judith
I loved the book. An entertaining book should take you away from your troubles during the course of the reading.....This one does....and does it well. Being from Santa Fe, I especially enjoyed the insights on Santa Fe women and the insights on women in general. The characters were very true to life and I know each one of them exists in my own world......By the way, Judith, we are passing the book around Santa Fe, pretty soon everyone in yoga class will have read it....!!!! Cheers to you !!

2002-10-14 (The Land of Enchantment) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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I LIKED IT!
I GRABBED THIS BOOK ON IMPULSE AND WASN'T SURE AT FIRST IF I WAS GOING TO READ PAST THE FIRST COUPLE OF CHAPTERS OR NOT, BUT I STUCK WITH IT AND REALLY GOT INTO IT. I ENJOYED CLAIRE, BUT WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE SOME CLOSER FAMILY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION.

2002-08-22 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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That's the way I like it
I feel I owe Judith Van Gieson a special thank you for giving her readers consistently excellent novels. Ever since the Neil Hamel, and now with the Claire Reynier series, I've enjoyed her well defined, genuine characters, no nonsense plotlines as well as her remarkable ambience-rendering of the Southwest. The author sense of time and places proves once again right here. As a woman in her fifties, Claire Reynier has already had a share of ups and downs. She has settled for the best as a rare book expert at the Univesity of New Mexico and a life of her own spent between books, Tai-chi, a potential lover and a cat. When she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a former classmate, she has to dig into a long-forgotten past and go through some sobering discoveries. With her sharp reflexion about what people really are about behind the scene, precise but thoughtful writing, Judith Van Gieson brings a definite plus to the mystery genre.

2002-08-21 (france) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Good Sense of Place, Not So Good Sense of Plot
Claire Reynier is a fifty-something rare book expert who is thinking about aging. She compares and competes with her old college friends--who looks better, has a better husband, better job, better divorce etc. A former sorority sister cons Claire and others from the old college group, then turns up murdered. Claire is a suspect. She then investigates all the old friends to clear herself. Author, Judith Van Gieson, does a great job with atmosphere and her writing is very readable. She has some big plot and plausibility problems though.

2002-07-15 (Seattle, Wa United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 3

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Land of Burning Heat (Claire Reynier Mysteries)

Product Details

• Notes:
• ISBN13: 9780451208002
• Fettle: USED - VERY GOOD

Description

From the acclaimed author of Confidence Woman...a secret of the Spanish Inquisition is uncovered-and its murderous wrath unleashed-in the modern American Southwest.

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Customer Reviews

Great book!
"L of BH" is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Great topic, good sense of suspense, interesting characters, insight into an unusual(and, may I add, still contoversial)period of Southwestern history. All of Claire's novels are very very good, this was the best. I just returned from a trip to New Mexico, went thru Bernallilo, stayed at Tamaya, so I could totally get into the atmosphere, evoked quite well. Van Giesen has such a good way of writing intelligent and provocative aspects of Albuquerque/New Mexico tales and keeping the mystery, energy and intrigue up, especially thru the view of a "book-loving" main character. More!!

2003-04-30 | Helpful Votes: 19 | Rating: 5

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strong mystery
Archivist Claire Reynier works at the Center for Southwest Research at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. One day Isabel Santos informs Claire that she tripped over a loose brick on the floor but when she investigated it she found a wooden cross with a note hidden in it. Isabel made a copy of the document and shows it to Claire who believes it was the last note written by a Jewish mystic before he was killed in the Mexican Inquisition.

The document should be placed somewhere safe but when Claire tries to convince Isabel to give it to the university, she tells the archivist she has to think about it. The very next day Isabel is murdered in her home and the document is missing but the cross is found On a hunch, Claire asks the police to dig around the area where the cross was buried and they unearth a skeleton over four centuries old. The police think Isabel was murdered in a robbery gone bad, but Claire thinks the modern day homicide, the document, and the skeleton are all linked together and she intends to prove it or die trying.

The protagonist is an independent thinker who does not allow herself to be sidetracked when she thinks she is right. She is a woman of the new millennium one to be admired and emulated. Judith Van Gieson tells a creative and fascinating story intermingling the past with the present and educating the reader in a period not widely studied. The who-done-it is fascinating but it is the mystery of the past that holds the reader's attention.

Harriet Klausner

2003-02-04 | Helpful Votes: 13 | Rating: 5

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Mercury Retrograde

Description

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