The Northwest Murders (Maggie Elliott)

Private eye Maggie Elliott, whom Publishers Weekly called "as tough and unsentimental as any male detective, but also vulnerable and tender, " seems to be a magnet for misfortune. First, her half-sister was killed in a cable car accident that Maggie eventually proved to be no accident. Then Maggie returned to Vassar, her alma mater, for a reunion and ended up investigating a murder instead of reminiscing with the old girls. This time, all she set out to do was get some rest and recover from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. What better place than the magnificent woods of the Northwest, where she is surrounded by great pine and fir trees, babbling brooks, and a bear or two? This idyll is soon disturbed by disaster, however, in the form of a violent attack on two teenage hikers, which leaves one dead and the other all but. When Maggie discovers her own surprising connection to one of the victims, she is back on the detection trail. In the course of her investigation, a fascinating Karuk Indian leads Maggie deep into the heart of Native American life and legend, and a mysterious Chinese man evokes her sympathy for his much-maligned people. With superbly crafted descriptions of place and a keen sense of history, Elizabeth Atwood Taylor brings alive the natural wonders and the wonderful inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest. The Northwest Murders is a much-welcome return for a skilled author and her smart, savvy sleuth.