# 16 A Time of Change by Aimee and David Thurlo Book 1 of The Trading Post series More Navajo culture and information. This time the action's centered around the Navajos and whites who operate a trading post that features Native art and is staffed by a diverse group of people. Oh, it's also a fairly gripping murder mystery with a doomed romance woven through the story. Nice, non-demanding read with lots of bonus Native American information.
#17 Looking Through Darkness by Aimee and David Thurlo Book 2 of The Trading Post series Continues the story begun by the first book, this time focusing on the hesitant romance between a blind Navajo sculptor and a skittish divorced white woman. Again, there's a murder driving the drama.
Author Aimee Thurlo died not long before this book hit the stores. She and her husband wrote together for more than 40 years. He's still writing, but it appears that Aimee was the main creator in this series, and more volumes are probably not coming. Shame, too.
#18 Rob Thy Neighbor by David Thurlo Book 3 in the Charlie Henry series Charlie and his compatriots are at it again, buying and selling goods in the pawn shop and solving murders and associated mysteries seemingly without effort. It's a fun read.
#19 What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell Another collection of columns from The New Yorker. There's a profile of Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, a deep dive into the reasons Enron went kablooey, an exploration of the reasons why banning pit bulls doesn't reduce the problem of random canine-on-human violence, and a challenging suggestion for treating homelessness. Gladwell is always a terrific writer, and his positions are supported by research and experts in the field. Two thumbs up.
#20 The Blight Way by Patrick F. McManus Bo Tully Book 1 The fictional town of Blight, Idaho is the scene of some strange murders. Sheriff Bo Tully, most recent of a long line of Tully men who've been sheriff, manages to solve the murders and dodge the bad guys who are trying to kill him. He also gets the girl, or at least one of them. Detective and spy stories must have at least two beautiful women involved with the protagonist in some way - it's a union rule - and Bo is no exception.
#21 The One by John Marrs I know it's been reviewed before, but this is my take. This is the story of science gone crazy. We each apparently have a genetic "soul mate" match somewhere in the world, and Ellie builds a company to help everyone find that match. But there's a fly in the ointment - her soul mate has a hidden agenda, and it reverberates around the world. The science is shaky at best, the characters aren't very engaging, and there's very little dramatic tension in any of the tales. It's not a bad book, but don't believe the superlatives in the blurbs on the cover. If you read it, get it from your local library. Save your money for something really good.
