Judgment Fire

Marilyn Meredith has again treated us to a well-told and plotted tale featuring Tempe Crabtree. The characters live and breathe real lives with just enough eccentricity to keep them interesting. As always, Meredith delivers a good read.

This entry in the Tempe Crabtree series centers on domestic disputes, spousal abuse, diversion of water from Bear Creek to a private pond, and simmering hatreds going back to high school days. Tempe, of Yanduchi heritage, is resident deputy of Bear Creek in California's southern Sierra foothills. On patrol, Tempe rounds a curve just as a minivan ahead of her bursts into flame. The driver, a shaman named Doretha Nightwalker, appears to be in a trance and Tempe has to pry her bodily from the van. The shaman warns her of bad things to come. When a quarreling couple's house burns to cover up a crime, the shaman again predicts danger for Tempe and persuades her to take part in a starlight ritual of calling the sacred powers for protection. It all stirs up old memories that Tempe would like to forget, and puts her in harm's way. Tipping my hat to the author - well, of course I have a hat. Pat Browning, author of Full Circle

In Bear Creek, Yvette La Rue hears the screams from her neighbor's house and calls 911. Deputy Tempe Crabtree responds to the domestic dispute in which building contractor Tom Cannata had battered his wife Jackie. Tom is taken away while Jackie complains the cops should stay out of her family matters and that Yvette only called to embarrass her. Tempe has known Jackie since their school days together although they ran in different social circles as the Deputy was ostracized for being partially Native American. Meanwhile another neighbor computer geeky guru Spence Gullott claims Tom diverted water from Bear Creek to his property, which now threatens Spence's home and his family; at least that is what he claims. Not long afterward, someone kills Jackie who is found dead in her bed from a gunshot. The police suspect Tom and their son Ronnie, but Tempe has a gut feeling that the latter is innocent. As she wonders if her sensation is part of her Native American heritage, a police hunch, or both, she investigates the homicide while heeding the advice of her friend Native American shaman Dorethea Nightwalker that she faces danger. Married couple, Deputy Tempe and Minister Hutch, makes this Native American whodunit exciting as they both are beginning to accept her mystical heritage. Thus fans of the series see how much the Crabtrees (and their offspring) have grown in terms of religious tolerance and acceptance since the earlier well written police procedurals (see CALLING THE DEAD and KINDRED SPIRITS). The investigation is fun, but it is the increasing acceptance of the reality of Native American mysticism (as embodied by the female Shaman) by the cop and the pastor that make the visit to the Sierras fun for readers. Harriet Klausner

Have a great time reading about Tempe, the easy going deputy in the small town of Bear Creek who seems to have a knack for getting herself into interesting situations in each book. Tempe uses little bits of info, some intuition and works around some interesting characters to solve her new case. Those who know Tempe already will enjoy seeing how her marriage and son are developing; those who are meeting her for the first time will enjoy getting to know Tempe's family and some of the reoccuring and new characters who live in Bear Creek.

Author Marilyn Meredith's newest mystery in the Temple Crabtree series: "Judgment Fire" is her best in the series and shows some of her "spiritual side". This story has all the elements needed for a great tale. It begins right away by presenting the reader with a fire and a victim and a mystery. Meredith's writing style works very much like a fisherman's net in that she will gather all of the reader's attention so you cannot put the book down even for sleep or meals. The plot is not your ordinary crime story and it will take you on a journey where you will be both entertained by the characters and totally absorbed by the plot itself. This is a FIVE STAR BOOK and should be on your list for future books to read. It gets my personal recommendation and endorsement. A MUST READ Nominated for Mystery Book of the Year 2007 by the American Authors Association