Bone Walker: Book III of the Anasazi Mysteries » (REV)

Kathleen O'Neal Gear is a former state historian and archaeologist for Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska for the U.S. Department of the Interior. She has twice received the federal government's Special Achievement Award for "outstanding management" of our nation's cultural heritage.

W. Michael Gear, who holds a master's degree in archaeology, has worked as a professional archaeologist since 1978. He is currently principal investigator for Wind River Archaeological Consultants.

The Gears, whose First North American Series hit the USA Today and international bestseller lists, live in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear, award-winning archaeologists and international bestselling authors, break extraordinary new ground in the riveting sequel to their bestselling novel, The Summoning God. Bone Walker is more than a murder mystery, it is a psychological thriller filled with the action that has made this the dynamic duo of the historical.

Eight hundred years have passed since the Mogollon holy man was murdered in Flowing Waters Town. The threads of evil spun by Two Hearts are drawn across time to ensnare modern archaeologists Dusty Stewart and Maureen Cole. The "Wolf Witch" has killed archaeologist Dale Emerson Robertson, and Dusty and Maureen must unmask the murderer before he strikes again. But in so doing, Dusty will root out disturbing secrets about his own past that will cast his father's suicide in an unsettling light. With so many skeletons in the closet, even a bone expert like Maureen can be baffled...and the Wolf Witch is two steps ahead of them, drawing them relentlessly into his trap...

From the national award-winning archaeologists and international bestselling authors of The Visitant and The Summoning God comes a novel of unforgettable terror about a murder in America eight hundred years ago...and a power that transcends time.

Publishers Weekly

In their third cleverly constructed Anasazi mystery (following The Visitant and The Summoning God), the Gears continue the saga of Browser, Catkin, Stone Ghost and the rest of their small group as they seek to ensure their survival by ending the bloody strife that's tearing apart the various villages within the Anasazi territory. Paralleling the past story is a present-day murder mystery involving archaeologist Dusty Stewart, his family, friends and colleagues. The two narratives intertwine and interconnect in ways sometimes effective and sometimes irksome. The Gears' qualifications as archaeologists have given this series a strong foundation, and although this volume adds no new insights, the background is again superbly drawn. Browser's desperate attempts to form alliances and to hunt down and slay the evil Two Hearts give the war chief a chance to display his great cunning and bravery. And Dusty is forced to confront a great many personal demons as he struggles to solve a witchcraft-related murder that could lead to more deaths. Browser's resourcefulness makes him a truly engaging character, while the identity of the witch/murderer Dusty seeks remains well hidden to the end. The Gears' extensive bibliography provides documentation for their use of witchcraft, cannibalism and the rise of conflicting religious beliefs, as well as the more mundane aspects of 12th-century Native-American life in New Mexico. (Jan. 3) FYI: Maps, not seen by PW, should prove helpful as the ancient and modern stories occupy the same geography but employ different names. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.