Invisible Path

Deputy Tempe Crabtree #10

by Marilyn Meredith

A popular young Indian man is found near the recovery center at the far end of the Bear Creek Reservation. While investigating, Deputy Tempe Crabtree learns the victim wasn't quite what he seemed, and crosses paths with a militant para-military group who pique her curiosity and end up being a threat.

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

aka F.M. Meredith.

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series and the under the name F. M. Meredith, the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. She borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area, including the nearby Tule River Indian Reservation.

For the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, she uses a lot she remembers from her time living on the coast, in a place much like Rocky Bluff.

She does like to remind everyone that she is writing fiction. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America
Series:
* Deputy Tempe Crabtree

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ninth in Marilyn Meredith's Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, Invisible Path includes the blend of domestic life and Christian/Native spirituality that I've come to enjoy and expect. Here, Tempe deal with the murder of a former football hero on the Sierra res. Everyone is sure that Jesus Running Bear is the killer... except Tempe. Meanwhile, what is that group of armed men doing in their secret camp off the dirt road? Never a dull moment.

I always enjoy returning to the Sierra foothills for another visit with Tempe. Although the books deal with murder, they are gentle. Don't let my mention of religion put you off -- they do not proselytize. I have read and enjoyed all of her Tempe books - they are worth tracking down.

[Steve Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful story

Some of the ideas in this fine tale were ripped from headlines. Tempe again has to confront her Indian spiritual heritage as she strives to discover a murderer.

[Elizabeth A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tempe Crabtree returns in Invisible Path, the eighth in author Marilyn Meredith’s series featuring the Native American deputy stationed in the small town of Bear Creek, California in the San Joaquin Valley.

In this outing, set against the backdrop of the approaching Christmas season, Tempe finds her plans to relax with her family interrupted by two seemingly unrelated events: the murder of a young Indian man near the Bear Creek Recovery Center, and the appearance of a group of para-military activists in the woods surrounding the Bear Creek Reservation.

Though most on the reservation seem ready to blame newcomer Jesus Running Bear for the murder, Tempe has serious doubts as to his guilt. Those doubts are amplified when she learns the victim was a known bully with a hair trigger temper and more than a few enemies.

Meanwhile, Tempe also has to determine if the para-military group is just a bunch of solider wannabes playing weekend warrior, or if they represent a more serious threat to the citizens of Bear Creek. Add to that the involvement of the Native American legend of the Hairy Man and Tempe has her hands full.

Author Marilyn Meredith’s infusion of Native American legends and traditions into the story elevates Invisible Path to something more than just a police procedural. The reader truly gets a feel for the balancing act Tempe engages in every day between her job as a law enforcement officer and her Native American heritage. If you like murder mysteries / police procedurals but are looking for a change of pace from yet another one set in a big city, Invisible Path is a nice alternative with believable, well developed, sympathetic characters and a fascinating setting.

[Carl Brookins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming story from a veteran author is the ninth in her series of Tempe Crabtree crime novels. Tempe is a deputy sheriff in the small town of Bear Creek near an Indian reservation in the mountains of central California.

A young man named Daniel Tofoya is sadly murdered and it develops that while he was a talented and often charming athlete, he could be a nasty bully if the mood took him. There are several possible perpetrators, but as often happens, most attention focuses on a stranger who has come to live on the reservation. The story is complicated by the appearance in town of a small separatist movement, stockpiling supplies in anticipation of a coming explosion of what could be racial and class warfare.

All of this gets sorted out by the patient and wise Deputy Crabtree. With help from her long-suffering pastor husband and exuberant son, Tempe is able to avert several disasters and calm some difficult situations.

The novel is in the classic traditional mystery mode with a lot of emphasis on character development and setting. Relations between members of different races and religious beliefs are very well handled with insight and care. This is another enjoyable and satisfying adventure with Deputy Tempe Crabtree.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

See review at www.nocturnereads.com