Death at Rainy Mountain (Tay-Bodal Mystery Series , No 2)

Kiowa author Scott Momaday has suggested that the humorless Indian is a ridiculous stereotype, and Cherokee author Mardi Medawar's Tay-bodal mysteries certainly confirm that view. Both Medawar and her hero have a great sense of fun, and this first novel in a series of four is notable for its refusal to take seriously the cliches of white attitudes toward Indians.It is also an interesting and challenging mystery set in an important moment of American history, when the tribes of the southern plains were being subjugated by Civil War veterans with nothing better to do. Tay-bodal moves among the great heroes of that era--Satanta, Lone Wolf, Satank--who are for him not only great but uncles and cousins, and men with, if not feet of clay, dirty moccasins.Read it for the mystery, read it for the history, read it for the fresh look at American Indians. But read it. Good book.

Others before me have already conveyed the storyline, so I won't repeat it, but tell you only that if you enjoy reading about American Indian life, written from the viewpoint of an insider, who speaks of his people without self-conscious posturing, attempts to make his people better or worse than they are; if you enjoy a storyteller who finds humor in himself, his situation and in humanity; if you enjoy being immersed in another culture and open to understanding another people's ways, while slowly unraveling a mystery, then you will enjoy Mardi Oakley Medawar's "Death at Rainy Mountain."This is not a Tony Hillerman style book, which is not to belittle Hillerman, for I love his books immenseley. It is merely to acknowledge that the treatment is very different...but if you enjoy Hillerman because he opens new vistas of understanding to you, then you will enjoy Medawar also.This book is as much a story of a people,as it is a mystery, as it is a warm, wonderful romance in which Tay-bodal realizes "Being bound to someone you intensely love, somone you trust to love you back, is a man's only true freedom. And it's the one thing any of us ever really owns. Everything else, most especially power, is fleeting."Tay-bodal is a most engaging and unlikely hero, and joins the ranks of other wonderful characters who have become more real to me with each re-reading than many people living and breathing today. My only sorrow is that I do not live in his world so that I might one day have the pleasure of sitting across the fire from him; perhaps assist him in his doctoring; perhaps spy on him as he takes his toddler adopted son by the hand and walks him to an appropriate place with lots of scrub trees and as they stand there side by side peeing,instructs him saying "Women don't appreciate men peeing in the doorway." or laugh when he returns with the toddler to where his almost wife, and mother of his soon to be adopted son stands wringing her hands, worried about her son's whereabouts, and listen in on his response to her when she queations where he took the child and why, and how dared he without her permission to which he responds: "Woman, I don't need your permission to go off for a pee with my son."This author has captured the wit and humor of a man who never lived, who was of a tribe that did, and through him, teaches us that for all our differences, we are all human.Ms. Medawar is a writer whose talent is to bring laughter, joy and understanding through the medium of fiction, and make this life a more enjoyable experience.

hey, if you aren't reading mardi oakley medawar's books, then what are you reading??? you can't find another author out there who's writing touches your soul in a way you wish your best friend/ partener/ family were able to. mardi oakley medawar understands people- all people; black, white, european, asian, and most notably the native american. but her true gift lies in the fact that she loves people so much you feel as if, not only her characters are talking directly to you as though you were their dearest friend, but that she is LISTENING to your own heart as only one who truly knows, understands, accepts and loves you, whoever you are. be prepared to laugh out loud, cry from your marrow, and ultimately feel freed by the knowledge that there is no color or creed, only the human soul, and but for our accidental birthrights, any of us could be a hero or an outcast, heathan or missionary, and we would still be blessed and cursed with all that comes with being human. if you aren't reading mardi oakley medawar, you are missing out on one of life's greatest treasures- understanding the timeless nature of the human spirit

The Kiowa Nation has gathered to mourn the passing of principal chief Little Bluff, but the chief's funeral is soon overshadowed by the murder of Coyote Walking, the unpleasant nephew of sub-chief, Kicking Bird. As Kicking Bird and his fellow chieftains jockey for power, Tay-bodal, a non-traditional healer, is called upon to investigate the crime. Tay-bodal searches for the truth through a confused maze of tribal politics as an innocent man's life hangs in the balance and the Kiowa nation trembles on the brink of civil war. Medawar has done an excellent job of re-creating the world of the 19th century Kiowa without allowing the narrative to get bogged down in historical detail. Her characters are well-drawn individuals--I could see them clearly in my mind's eye. The solution to the mystery remains mysterious until the end of the story, the pacing is excellent, and there is much humor throughout. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes good history and good mysteries. Death at Rainy Mountain is the first book in the Tay-bodal mystery series.

In 1866, all the various clans of the Kiowa nation gather together at sacred Rainy Mountain to honor the chief of chiefs, the recently deceased Little Bluff, and to elect his replacement. However, the transition does not go smoothly when Cheyenne Robber, the nephew of one of the leading candidates, is accused of strangling to death Coyote Walking, the nephew of another aspirant. It appears that civil war is imminent. However, the ruling council allows Cheyenne Robber's relatives five days to prove he did not commit the crime during a jealous rage over a woman both showed interest. Skywalker drafts Tay-bodal, a healer who belongs to no band, to prove that Cheyenne Robber is innocent. As Tay-bodal begins to investigate the crime, he knows that circumstantial evidence proves Cheyenne Robber had the motive, means, and opportunity to kill Coyote Walking. Still, he believes the man to be innocent because Cheyenne Robber planned to kidnap White Otter not kill his rival. As he digs deeper into uncovering the facts, Tay-bodal falls in love with a widow and has had several attempts made on his life. Tay-bodal continues to investigate because he knows only he can prevent the holocaust facing his people. Death at Rainy Mountain is a who-done-it with a twist: the entire story revolves around a nineteenth century Native American tribe. The mystery is interesting and Tay-bodal is a great detective, but it is the glimpse at the Kiowa culture that makes this a top-notch reading experience. HARRIET KLAUSNER