The Visitant - Book One of the Anasazi Mysteries

It was a nice change to read a mystery with over 300 pages. It was a delightful mix of history, archaeology, and mystery. Many of the Gear books are very long and chocked full of interesting history. Being a history teacher it's nice to read authors who provide so many historical facts that I can share with my students. I enjoyed seeing the contemporary archaeologists piecing together the pieces of the puzzle surrounding a serial killer from the past.

This book has a great attitude towards mysterious life. I mean, the imagery is very real and intense. When the author describes Fire, you can FEEL the fire. When it goes into the darks of the desert, you can almost feel a cool breeze blowing through your room, giving you chills. And it depicts ancient life so marvelously, making it true and yet tantalizing to everyone. Through this, one can really get a good interest going in ancient life and culture.

A woman screams in the night as her attacker uses what could only be called inhuman force. Where are we?...Central Park in modern New York? No, we're in prehistoric New Mexico with members of the Anasazi in the Gear's latest contribution to Native American fiction, "The Visitant".This book accomplishes two things. One, it presents an excitong detailed murder mystery that leaves you guessing untill the last page. Second, it paints a picture of Native Americans that is less idyllic than most. Essentially, we see a group of prehistoric peoples who suffer from grief and tragedy, just like us. The Gear's accomplish this with copius research and an understanding of the timeless complexity of the human soul...whether it be in 1256 A.D. or present day.The amount of names can become confusing so just make sure you pay attention because you will be rewarded with the final ghostly laughter that made me look over my shoulder.Overall: I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out.

I became interested in southwest culture and history by reading Tony Hillerman's mysteries, and then Thunderhead, but after reading The Visitant, I can't read enough (even non-fiction) on the subject of the Ancient Ones! I thought an author partnership would make for awkward reading, but just the opposite was achieved. I am so very much looking forward to the second in the series. If BookTV asked me on the street for my favorite book, this would be it.

Under certain conditions, the barrier between the past and the present can be pierced. The resulting phenomena plays havoc on individuals caught on either side of the chasm. Murder resulted in the first death of a human. In 1150 in the Chaco Canyon, the Anasazi become intimate with murder as an apparent maniac kills many individuals. In the twentieth century at a millennium old pueblo site in Chaco Canyon, archeologist Dusty Stewart and his crew dig up eight interred bodies whose skulls were smashed. Famous Canadian physical anthropologist Dr. Maureen Cole investigates the remains, but the mysticism overwhelms her. She begins to see and hear manifestations that make her feel she has entered a point where the past and present converge in an appeal for her to destroy a great evil. Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear provide readers with stunning characterizations and complex descriptions. The technique of alternating chapters between the past and present makes THE VISITANT an even more powerful novel than if the book was divided in half. In turn, these leads to a combo story line that is one part historical mystery and one part contemporary suspense. With tales like this one, fans will gear up for this awesome writing team to provide more Anasazi mysteries.Harriet Klausner