Although I never read Redemption, the first “Lightning Dance” Duran mystery by Deborah J. Ledford, that didn’t prevent me from enjoying the second one, Havoc. Ledford easily slips readers into the landscape, rituals, and people of the Taos Pueblo reservation where Eva Duran is now with the tribal police.
A dramatic bank robbery in Taos sets the scene, and introduces a villain, the city police, and the tribal police, including Eva. She doesn’t shy away from confrontation, and she’s frustrated to be stuck checking traffic on the reservation when the action in town. However, the feds and town police are responsible for the investigation into the robbery and shooting of a police officer. But, the tribal police soon have a bigger responsibility, the shooting death of one of their own, a young boy who waved a gun on a school field trip.
Nathan Trujillo, Little Bear, will be brought home for all the funeral rituals of the Taos Pueblo. It’s agonizing for Eva and others to realize Little Bear had a gun, a 3D printed handgun, one of many that are now appearing at crime scenes. They’re determined to find the person responsible for making the guns, and distributing them.
While it’s difficult to keep all the characters straight, with the multiple points of view, Ledford excels at the descriptions of the Taos Pueblo, the people, and the rituals. Ledford’s earlier book, Snare, was nominated for the Hillerman Sky Award, best mystery capturing the landscape of the Southwest. In Havoc, she does that again with a beautiful, sometimes mystical book.
Deborah J. Ledford’s website is https://deborahjledford.com/
Havoc by Deborah J. Ledford. Thomas & Mercer, 2024. ISBN 9781662510458 (paperback), 347p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley to review for a journal.
