What do you think?
Rate this book
A Sasha Solomon Mystery #1
The Clovis Incident
Sasha Solomon is having a bad day. Fired from her job as PR director at an Albuquerque HMO, she is dealing with an ailing mother and trying to figure out the origins of hallucinations that include conversations with her cat.
Sasha heads for Clovis, a small town in southeastern New Mexico, to bid on a project for the Chamber of Commerce. While there, she checks in with her widowed friend Mae King. Mae, a local dairy farmer, is clearly out of sorts and shows Sasha the reason. There's a body in one of her stock tanks--a Singaporean aviator stationed at Cannon Air Force Base. Who killed him and why? What was he doing on Mae's land? Why won't she go to the police?
Sasha must clear her friend's name, find the murderer, and land the PR job with the Chamber of Commerce within a week. But there are other forces at work who will stop at nothing to keep her from the truth. Sasha soon discovers that there's a lot more to Clovis than a dot on a map.
Sasha heads for Clovis, a small town in southeastern New Mexico, to bid on a project for the Chamber of Commerce. While there, she checks in with her widowed friend Mae King. Mae, a local dairy farmer, is clearly out of sorts and shows Sasha the reason. There's a body in one of her stock tanks--a Singaporean aviator stationed at Cannon Air Force Base. Who killed him and why? What was he doing on Mae's land? Why won't she go to the police?
Sasha must clear her friend's name, find the murderer, and land the PR job with the Chamber of Commerce within a week. But there are other forces at work who will stop at nothing to keep her from the truth. Sasha soon discovers that there's a lot more to Clovis than a dot on a map.
231 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2004
5 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Pari Noskin Taichert
4 books6 followersPari Noskin Taichert hails from Albuquerque and has worked as a belly-dancing instructor, textbook sales consultant, and waitress--among her more respectable jobs. She earned her B.A with Distinction in Far Eastern Languages & Literature and masters of Social Work in Transcultural Therapy from the University of Michigan. Unable to sit still for very long, Pari has traveled to--and lived in--enough places to have the good sense to finally come home. Among her longer adventures were a year as a foreign exchange student to Tours, France while in high school and a little under a year of study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong while in college.
A national award-winning journalist, Pari has written freelance features for Crosswinds Weekly, Albuquerque, The Magazine, and Mystery Scene Magazine as well as a monthly literary column for the Albuquerque Tribune. She also maintains a small public relations consulting business.
In December 2005, Pari Noskin Taichert earned her blue belt in Tae Kwon Do with a mean side kick that cracked through three boards. This same strength and determination has seen her through years of rejection and struggle until her first book, THE CLOVIS INCIDENT, was published in 2004.
Pari married late, had children even later, and loves Guinness, Glenlivet and strong coffee. When she isn't punching or defending against her black belt husband and colored belt children, she's writing.
Pari also helped start the first Albuquerque chapter of Sisters in Crime--of which she is now president. In addition, she is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, the American Crime Writers League and the National Federation of Press Women.
A national award-winning journalist, Pari has written freelance features for Crosswinds Weekly, Albuquerque, The Magazine, and Mystery Scene Magazine as well as a monthly literary column for the Albuquerque Tribune. She also maintains a small public relations consulting business.
In December 2005, Pari Noskin Taichert earned her blue belt in Tae Kwon Do with a mean side kick that cracked through three boards. This same strength and determination has seen her through years of rejection and struggle until her first book, THE CLOVIS INCIDENT, was published in 2004.
Pari married late, had children even later, and loves Guinness, Glenlivet and strong coffee. When she isn't punching or defending against her black belt husband and colored belt children, she's writing.
Pari also helped start the first Albuquerque chapter of Sisters in Crime--of which she is now president. In addition, she is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, the American Crime Writers League and the National Federation of Press Women.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 30, 2025
2.5 stars
A PR rep and consultant from Albuquerque (Sasha Solomon) who recently lost her job goes to Clovis to make a proposal to the city chamber of commerce. She desperately needs this job but has a hard time focusing because she is drawn into an international murder with intergalactic suspects. Sasha has a penchant for alcohol, coffee, canned whipped cream, greasy food, and jumping to ridiculous conclusions. Oh yeah, she also happens to know Cantonese and sees spirits. While she is constantly offended by the racism she sees, she’s happy to pass judgment on any Christians she crosses, assuming them all to obviously be Baptist. In summary, she’s annoying from go and only gets more so through the story.
I am convinced this book is only read by people who have some kind of connection to Clovis, NM. That’s why I picked it up. It was published in 2004 and we moved to the area 20 years later. It’s almost comical how little small towns change over time. A glaringly obvious difference is the fact the Coffee Connection no longer exists. I was horrified by how many times the main chatter ate at Denny’s and Cotton Patch - not the finest establishments available. Pleasantly surprising was a reference to the Clovis 25 (affectionately known as the Shifty 50 to locals) and its founder as the mastermind behind the Pump ‘n Snack (Allsups) along major roads in eastern New Mexico and western Texas; these men still “protect” the welfare of Clovis, Cannon AFB, and the surrounding areas they deem important.
I will not be reading the other two books in this series.
A PR rep and consultant from Albuquerque (Sasha Solomon) who recently lost her job goes to Clovis to make a proposal to the city chamber of commerce. She desperately needs this job but has a hard time focusing because she is drawn into an international murder with intergalactic suspects. Sasha has a penchant for alcohol, coffee, canned whipped cream, greasy food, and jumping to ridiculous conclusions. Oh yeah, she also happens to know Cantonese and sees spirits. While she is constantly offended by the racism she sees, she’s happy to pass judgment on any Christians she crosses, assuming them all to obviously be Baptist. In summary, she’s annoying from go and only gets more so through the story.
I am convinced this book is only read by people who have some kind of connection to Clovis, NM. That’s why I picked it up. It was published in 2004 and we moved to the area 20 years later. It’s almost comical how little small towns change over time. A glaringly obvious difference is the fact the Coffee Connection no longer exists. I was horrified by how many times the main chatter ate at Denny’s and Cotton Patch - not the finest establishments available. Pleasantly surprising was a reference to the Clovis 25 (affectionately known as the Shifty 50 to locals) and its founder as the mastermind behind the Pump ‘n Snack (Allsups) along major roads in eastern New Mexico and western Texas; these men still “protect” the welfare of Clovis, Cannon AFB, and the surrounding areas they deem important.
I will not be reading the other two books in this series.
January 15, 2020
A wild ride through family politics and "alien visitations," this book represents the only one of at least half a dozen New Mexico-based murder mysteries, from various authors, that I actually like without reservation. Taichert has a true gift for turning a phrase, the unique talent for finding unexpected and very clever uses for common words. The central mystery of the story is strong, the character of Sasha Solomon rings true, and overall this a stellar work that I would recommend to any mystery-lover. My only criticisms: The book has such a horde of characters, some of them pretty unnecessary to the plot, that if I hadn't had a very good memory I might have had trouble keeping track of them. And odd as it seems, either the author or her protagonist--if not both--is clearly food-obsessed. After a while it becomes a little distracting hearing the seemingly endless descriptions of what Sasha is packing away at the moment--and this woman is lucky she doesn't tip the scale at 300 pounds plus. Regardless, I will read the other two Solomon outings I find available, and when I'm through with those I imagine I will wish there were more.
August 8, 2018
I read this book after the Belen book so I am out of order. I had some issues with the Belen story but decided to read this one despite my earlier concerns. SO glad I did - for me this was hands down a better plot line and I really enjoyed this mystery. I am drawn to these stories because of the New Mexico tie in - but here the story could have held its own anyway.
One element that I did notice in this story was the main characters alcohol consumption - both the Clovis book and the Belen book make some references to the character having a drinking problem. That didn't bother me - - but in this story she drinks and drives at least three times - maybe more. That element did give me cause for pause. It wasn't particularly seen by the character as a reckless element and none of the other characters in the story seemed to care at all - the concern was more over her breathe then her putting other people on the road at risk.
One element that I did notice in this story was the main characters alcohol consumption - both the Clovis book and the Belen book make some references to the character having a drinking problem. That didn't bother me - - but in this story she drinks and drives at least three times - maybe more. That element did give me cause for pause. It wasn't particularly seen by the character as a reckless element and none of the other characters in the story seemed to care at all - the concern was more over her breathe then her putting other people on the road at risk.
May 14, 2017
This book was very strange. I picked it because I needed a book published in 2004 and this one was nominated for an Agatha Award. Sasha Solomon is a PR agent who has just lost her job. She travels to Clovis, New Mexico to try to land a job doing PR for the city. Sasha's friend Mae finds a body on her dairy ranch and Sasha winds up in the middle of the investigation. For about the first 80 pages Sasha sees hallucinations and her cat talks to her, then for no reason this stops. There are tons of characters which are hard to keep track of. There are side forays into Roswell and explanations of dairy ranching. The mystery itself was pretty easy to solve.
February 1, 2021
The setting was evocative (as far as I can judge, having never actually been to New Mexico), the characters well drawn (I especially liked Col. and Mrs. Gustafsson, as I am an Army brat I appreciate when authors realize that not all military people are alike). There was a surprising twist to the plot at the end that supplied more motivation for a heretofore puzzling crime. The protagonist had some moments of personal growth as well, which was gratifying, and I can't wait to see what she does next! There was also a little "woo-woo" in the novel and I do like that. Highly recommended.
(Review written many years later from notes in my DorothyL post at the time.)
(Review written many years later from notes in my DorothyL post at the time.)
June 18, 2022
Fun and nostalgic
I love a mystery with an ending that takes me by surprise. It was great to get swept up by the story and be kept guessing until the end. Although I'm not a NM native, I have lived in Albuquerque and near Clovis, so it was really fun to have a mental image of the places the author described. And the alien theme is so perfect for the area and offers an interesting context for the story. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I love a mystery with an ending that takes me by surprise. It was great to get swept up by the story and be kept guessing until the end. Although I'm not a NM native, I have lived in Albuquerque and near Clovis, so it was really fun to have a mental image of the places the author described. And the alien theme is so perfect for the area and offers an interesting context for the story. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
July 8, 2018
Intriguing background: Sasha Solomon's attempt to write a pr plan to put Clovis on the map with UFO fans to gain employment from the city of Clovis lands her in the middle of a nasty murder mystery. Complicating matters are the prejudices (vs her Jewish background) and oddities of the people with whom she comes into contact. Entertaining, but not overwhelmingly engaging.
June 28, 2018
A very strange beginning with a very flawed hero, but she grew on me and I liked the book
January 19, 2023
background place settings
Enjoyed the trip, less food and drinks, more background and history of the area. NM has great mixed cultures and 12 thousand plus years habitation.
Enjoyed the trip, less food and drinks, more background and history of the area. NM has great mixed cultures and 12 thousand plus years habitation.
March 19, 2016
Until I read this book, all I knew about Clovis was that it was home to the Norm Petty recording studio, where Buddy Holly recorded his hits. It’s not one of New Mexico’s more famous places and seems unlikely ever to be one. This makes the premise of the book immediately appealing. Freelance PR pro Sasha Solomon is trying to get a gig promoting flat, unimposing Clovis as tourist destination.
She was doing PR for a health care company that included alternative therapies in it coverage, and in true Albuquerque/Santa Fe area style, she tried out so many shamans and other mind-body-spirit healers she had a kind of psychic meltdown, making her mental boundaries so porous she now hallucinates under stress. She’s been fired, and she needs the Clovis job.
The story gets more and more eccentrically New Mexican as Sasha looks into alien abductions as part of her PR plans to promote alien-seeking tourism in Clovis, (Her visit to alien-centric Roswell is a small but delightful part of the book.) Alien abductions also figure in a murder investigation, as do Sasha’s strange visions, when the body of a Singaporean military officer is found on a friend’s land.
The less colorful aspects of life in Clovis, from the military base to the farms and ranches, are portrayed with respect and realism in the framework of a humorous mystery. In a crucial scene set in the midst of a large-scale dairy farm, suspense and comedy run neck in neck.
Author Pari Noskin captures characters brilliantly, whether they are major players or walk-ons. Sasha is an original creation, likeable but far from sweet. Detective LaSalle grew on me. The longer Sasha had to deal with him, the more he was revealed in the slow, natural way strangers get to know each other.
Underlying themes include mother-daughter relationships, friendships, rural life, and romance in middle age, tied together through the mystery and laced with an inside look at the PR business. The mystery is multi-layered with so much entertainment that I sometimes forgot to try to solve it. I know a book is working when I respond to it as a story rather than a plot. It turns out that I did suspect the real culprit, but I never felt that the author had made it too easy to figure out.
Noskin turns some off-beat phrases, with a style unlike any other. Aside from Sasha’s appalling habit of taking shots of whipped cream straight from the can, I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
She was doing PR for a health care company that included alternative therapies in it coverage, and in true Albuquerque/Santa Fe area style, she tried out so many shamans and other mind-body-spirit healers she had a kind of psychic meltdown, making her mental boundaries so porous she now hallucinates under stress. She’s been fired, and she needs the Clovis job.
The story gets more and more eccentrically New Mexican as Sasha looks into alien abductions as part of her PR plans to promote alien-seeking tourism in Clovis, (Her visit to alien-centric Roswell is a small but delightful part of the book.) Alien abductions also figure in a murder investigation, as do Sasha’s strange visions, when the body of a Singaporean military officer is found on a friend’s land.
The less colorful aspects of life in Clovis, from the military base to the farms and ranches, are portrayed with respect and realism in the framework of a humorous mystery. In a crucial scene set in the midst of a large-scale dairy farm, suspense and comedy run neck in neck.
Author Pari Noskin captures characters brilliantly, whether they are major players or walk-ons. Sasha is an original creation, likeable but far from sweet. Detective LaSalle grew on me. The longer Sasha had to deal with him, the more he was revealed in the slow, natural way strangers get to know each other.
Underlying themes include mother-daughter relationships, friendships, rural life, and romance in middle age, tied together through the mystery and laced with an inside look at the PR business. The mystery is multi-layered with so much entertainment that I sometimes forgot to try to solve it. I know a book is working when I respond to it as a story rather than a plot. It turns out that I did suspect the real culprit, but I never felt that the author had made it too easy to figure out.
Noskin turns some off-beat phrases, with a style unlike any other. Aside from Sasha’s appalling habit of taking shots of whipped cream straight from the can, I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
March 23, 2016
Mysteries set in places I love are always high on the list and Tracy finally tracked down a copy of this series starter set in New Mexico. Maybe not essential, but enjoyable.
The Goodreads biography of the author reveals many things that also apply to our main character, Sasha. The first person narrative has its own style, which took more than a few pages for me to settle into. The quirks given to individuate Sasha are a little weird and we're introduced to her hallucinations right away. Uh oh, I thought, here comes the famous white New Mexican New Age mumbo-jumbo! Thankfully, that didn't happen, and we get more of a traditional mystery.
Not in the detective sense, but in the amateur way wherein our protagonist is nosy, asks a lot of questions, and keeps stirring the pot, as it were. I liked this aspect, that Sasha didn't suddenly develop detective skills, but blundered around speculating and getting folks riled.
The Goodreads biography of the author reveals many things that also apply to our main character, Sasha. The first person narrative has its own style, which took more than a few pages for me to settle into. The quirks given to individuate Sasha are a little weird and we're introduced to her hallucinations right away. Uh oh, I thought, here comes the famous white New Mexican New Age mumbo-jumbo! Thankfully, that didn't happen, and we get more of a traditional mystery.
Not in the detective sense, but in the amateur way wherein our protagonist is nosy, asks a lot of questions, and keeps stirring the pot, as it were. I liked this aspect, that Sasha didn't suddenly develop detective skills, but blundered around speculating and getting folks riled.
April 16, 2011
She grew on me, but it took me a couple of dozen pages to warm up to Sasha Solomon. I didn't have enough room in my heart for another off-beat amateur detective who stumbles upon bodies, conspiracies, and various other spurious goings-on. Add the UFO element and I get skeptical pretty fast.
Does everything tie up nicely with a rational explanation? No. But you'll have to find out how and why on your own. The ending is like a hard-shell taco: it satisfies, but it's sloppy with some jagged, sharp tortilla edges when you swallow it down.
Does everything tie up nicely with a rational explanation? No. But you'll have to find out how and why on your own. The ending is like a hard-shell taco: it satisfies, but it's sloppy with some jagged, sharp tortilla edges when you swallow it down.
September 2, 2016
This was a fun read with quirky characters and a good mystery to solve as well. I also enjoyed the New Mexico setting. I felt like I was on a road trip with the main character, public relations consultant Sasha Solomon, as she traveled from town to town gathering information, not only for her PR proposal for the town of Clovis NM, but also to try to solve a murder case involving an old friend of hers. I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series, which are also set in NM. Strange things seem to happen when Sasha Solomon is around!
March 19, 2014
PR consultant Sasha Solomon is putting together a campaign for the New Mexico city of Clovis, which means she gets to see her best friend Mae. Mae is acting weird, however, and with good reason. There's a dead body on her dairy farm. And, oh yeah, she's being kidnapped by aliens. After the first 20 pages, I was fully into this book. It's different but funny with great characters and some wonderful turns of phrase.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
April 20, 2008
It took me quite a while to get into this. UFO's, talking cats, bloody hallucinations, alien abductions combine to make me wonder if this was the book for me. However, several strong recommendations made me give it a second and third chance. Once I got to the point where the story was more about the people and less about aliens it picked up and in the end I enjoyed the story. It was slow going at first but I'm glad I kept at it because in the end it was worth it.
June 28, 2013
Out of work publicist Sasha Solomon is pitching for a job in Clovis, NM, and looking forward to seeing her old friend Mae, who owns a dairy farm in the area. But Sasha, who's been having hallucinations, sees a dead body that begs her for help. And Mae has just found such a body, making her a suspect. Mae also confides in Sasha that she's been abducted by aliens, a common problem just a short drive from Roswell...
November 18, 2008
A decent murder mystery. Having lived in Clovis, the creepy thing is that I can totally see this happening there. The characters in the book are very obviously based on real people, which made it more interesting to me than it might be to the average reader. The author is dead on in portraying how this little town works...not a good thing by the way!
May 2, 2011
Meh. Nothing special here. I never really liked the main character and found her penchant for canned whipped cream to be...bizarre. This one sort of wandered all over and never settled down. I confess that I mostly skimmed the final 100 pages. I'll leave the rest of this series for someone else to read. This one should really get 1.5 stars because I really can't say that I liked it.
May 26, 2012
Writer Pari Noskin Taichert has crafted a breezy, fast-paced, slightly odd tale of a publicist looking for a job with the Chamber of Commerce in Clovis, NM. Murder, ghosts, a talking cat, and alien abductions ensue. First in a planned series of mystery novels set in New Mexico locales.
Published in hardcover by University of New Mexico Press.
Published in hardcover by University of New Mexico Press.
February 25, 2008
Heard the author on a local NPR interview. She was hilarious. As a new resident of New Mexico, I got a kick out of the descriptions of small town NM culture and geography. Gives me some insight into flat terrain, tumbleweed, and profiting off the alien/UFO industry :)
August 31, 2011
Picked it up in a small bookstore while stationed in NM. Found it fun and interesting. A great mix of fact and fiction that has you almost believing it could happen in Clovis. Not the most intellectual of reads but I would recommend it to anyone looking for something pleasantly enjoyable and short.
Read
August 2, 2007Hear an interview with author Pari Noskin Taichert on The Book of Life podcast's July 2007 episode at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com!
April 3, 2009
Good mystery and characters. The story centers around racial and cultural prejudice, though, which has never been an enjoyable topic to me.
August 30, 2009
Fast moving and unpredictable!
February 26, 2010
3/4 done with this mystery & have no idea what's really going on...very amusing prose & entertaining characters
December 31, 2010
An interesting book, especially for a native New Mexican. It didn't make me want to visit Clovis, but I do want to visit Roswell now.
Read
August 7, 2011Enjoyable tale about alien abductions and a murder in Clovis, NM.
March 27, 2012
Fun and engaging mystery in a fascinating New Mexico setting. A wonderful read.
July 31, 2013
This definitely felt like the first book in a series - setting the main character, Sasha, up in a certain location with various characters. I am intrigued to see what comes next.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews