Dead Lizard's Dance: A Tale of Love, Murder and Witchery in Old Santa Fe

by Pamela Christie

Three deaths near the village of Santa Fe are seemingly unrelated, except they are so gruesome they just could be the work of witches. Governor Anza begs Nando to return to dampen the witch fear building in town; all very well except one of the women he is supposed to hunt down may be his own girl friend. And who killed the pretty prostitute, and then the caravan master, who seems to own half the town?
Desperation mounts as fleeing women capture Nando and leave him to die in a remote mountain cave.
Join New Mexico’s Governor Anza, the two-fisted old lady who is Nando’s stepmother, and a host of unlikely villains: priests, medicine women, and wealthy landowners, in a roiling saga of unforgettable vigor from the time when the American deserts belonged to the King of Spain.

387 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Pamela Christie has lived and written in New Mexico since 1970. Her two historical mysteries derive in part from a decade of living in a remote Hispanic village in Northern New Mexico.Pamela Christie has lived and written in New Mexico since 1970. Her two historical mysteries derive in part from a decade of living in a remote Hispanic village in Northern New Mexico.She received her education at Bryn Mawr College, Pitzer College and the University of California at Berkeley.

Reviews

[Loretta Miles Tollefson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Dead Lizard’s Dance, author Pamela Christie’s Spanish/Ute hero Nando once again saves the day, sorting out a plot that not only threatens New Mexico’s Governor, but also his own family’s security. This particular novel also highlights the status of women in the colony, and it isn’t a particularly pretty picture and there are no easy answers. Christie doesn’t try to sugarcoat the problem or give us 21st century solutions. What she does give us is a valuable picture of life in New Mexico in the 1780s, long before it became part of “the West.” For a full review of this and the other King’s Lizard books, see my review at LorettaMilesTollefson.com.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful mystery and adventure in 18th century New Mexico. Nice that the author includes both factual timeline and glossary. One can only hope that there are more books in the series later.

[T J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pamela Christie was a new author for me. I love books that take place in New Mexico and this on took place in 1782 Santa Fe. It contains multiple mysteries starting with Nando, the governor's sleuth finding a dead and mutilated body in the woods. There is love, scandal and mysteries that will keep you guessing to the very end. Looking forward to reading more from this author.