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Inola Walela & Steven Hawk #4
Causing Chaos
ANTHONY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST AUDIOBOOK 2016
Four missing women.
Three suspects living parallel lies.
Two forces battling for a resolution.
One cop determined to clear a friend. Zero opportunity for failure.
CAUSING CHAOS - Vengeance for Truth.
Inola Walela’s final days as a Bryson City police officer take a perilous turn when her Cherokee childhood friend becomes lead suspect in the disappearance of four women. The investigation entangles Inola and her fiancé, Sheriff Steven Hawk, in a web of deceit as they vie for vengeance, meeting danger head-on in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina.
By the Anthony Award Finalist, Agatha Award Finalist, Hillerman Sky Finalist author of the Inola Walela/Steven Hawk psychological suspense thriller series.
Four missing women.
Three suspects living parallel lies.
Two forces battling for a resolution.
One cop determined to clear a friend. Zero opportunity for failure.
CAUSING CHAOS - Vengeance for Truth.
Inola Walela’s final days as a Bryson City police officer take a perilous turn when her Cherokee childhood friend becomes lead suspect in the disappearance of four women. The investigation entangles Inola and her fiancé, Sheriff Steven Hawk, in a web of deceit as they vie for vengeance, meeting danger head-on in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina.
By the Anthony Award Finalist, Agatha Award Finalist, Hillerman Sky Finalist author of the Inola Walela/Steven Hawk psychological suspense thriller series.
306 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2015
6 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Deborah J. Ledford
30 books223 followersDEBORAH J LEDFORD is an Agatha Award winner and two-time nominee for the Anthony Award. REDEMPTION and HAVOC are from the Eva "Lightning Dance" Duran Native American suspense series.
Her first series, the Smoky Mountain Intrigue Native American police procedural series, includes the titles CAUSING CHAOS, CRESCENDO, STACCATO, and the Hillerman Sky Award Finalist and New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards Finalist, SNARE.
Three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, her award-winning stories appear in numerous print publications as well as literary and mystery anthologies.
She is also a former Arizona State University adjunct professor for The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. Ledford is President/Producer for the independent media company, IOF Productions Ltd. She produced the CAUSING CHAOS and CRESCENDO audiobooks as well as The Blind Eye.
Part Eastern Band Cherokee, Ledford spent her summers growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, where her Smoky Mountain Inquest book series is set. She lives in the Phoenix, Arizona area with her extremely patient husband and their awesome Ausky.
She is a member of: International Thriller Writers Association (ITW), Sisters in Crime National (SinC), Crime Writers of Color (CWoC), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Past-President of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths (AZ) Chapter.
Her first series, the Smoky Mountain Intrigue Native American police procedural series, includes the titles CAUSING CHAOS, CRESCENDO, STACCATO, and the Hillerman Sky Award Finalist and New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards Finalist, SNARE.
Three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, her award-winning stories appear in numerous print publications as well as literary and mystery anthologies.
She is also a former Arizona State University adjunct professor for The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. Ledford is President/Producer for the independent media company, IOF Productions Ltd. She produced the CAUSING CHAOS and CRESCENDO audiobooks as well as The Blind Eye.
Part Eastern Band Cherokee, Ledford spent her summers growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, where her Smoky Mountain Inquest book series is set. She lives in the Phoenix, Arizona area with her extremely patient husband and their awesome Ausky.
She is a member of: International Thriller Writers Association (ITW), Sisters in Crime National (SinC), Crime Writers of Color (CWoC), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Past-President of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths (AZ) Chapter.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 26, 2015
I read “Causing Chaos” with wild abandon and can’t get the plot out of my head. If
Ledford’s fourth book is the first for you, it stands alone like every great novel in a series should.
But if you’ve read the first three, then you’ll find that as good as the others are, they were all a
giant foreshadowing for what takes place in “Causing Chaos,” when they all coming crashing
together.
Once again, we are drawn into Inola ‘Hummingbird’ Walela’s world, the lone Cherokee
female on the Bryson City Police Department. As she recovers from the death of her partner and
physical and psychological damage, Inola prepares for her final week on the force. She will soon
join her boyfriend, Sheriff Stephen Hawk, as one of his deputies in the Swain County Sheriff’s
department.
Inola’s last week on the job implodes when her childhood friend, Paven Nahar, breaks
out of jail where he was charged with the disappearance and probable murder of his wife Shellie.
Previously a suspect in the disappearance of three local women, known as the Qualla Ghosts,
Nahar is ‘in the wind’ again. The tribe on the rez will protect him and so it is left to the one
person that knows him the best to head up the manhunt.
Convinced of Paven’s innocence in the disappearance of the Qualla Ghosts, Inola is sure
of his innocence in the current case. When it is revealed that a local art dealer, Vandra Gudren,
and her companion, Konrad, had been at Paven’s home the evening his wife vanished, Inola’s
investigation leads her along that path. Dragged further into the case by a revelation that a past,
personal attack may have been the precursor to the all the missing women, Inola closes out her
week determined to bring all the cases to a head, no matter the consequences.
A standing round of applause for this dynamite blast of a thriller. Bravo!
Ledford’s fourth book is the first for you, it stands alone like every great novel in a series should.
But if you’ve read the first three, then you’ll find that as good as the others are, they were all a
giant foreshadowing for what takes place in “Causing Chaos,” when they all coming crashing
together.
Once again, we are drawn into Inola ‘Hummingbird’ Walela’s world, the lone Cherokee
female on the Bryson City Police Department. As she recovers from the death of her partner and
physical and psychological damage, Inola prepares for her final week on the force. She will soon
join her boyfriend, Sheriff Stephen Hawk, as one of his deputies in the Swain County Sheriff’s
department.
Inola’s last week on the job implodes when her childhood friend, Paven Nahar, breaks
out of jail where he was charged with the disappearance and probable murder of his wife Shellie.
Previously a suspect in the disappearance of three local women, known as the Qualla Ghosts,
Nahar is ‘in the wind’ again. The tribe on the rez will protect him and so it is left to the one
person that knows him the best to head up the manhunt.
Convinced of Paven’s innocence in the disappearance of the Qualla Ghosts, Inola is sure
of his innocence in the current case. When it is revealed that a local art dealer, Vandra Gudren,
and her companion, Konrad, had been at Paven’s home the evening his wife vanished, Inola’s
investigation leads her along that path. Dragged further into the case by a revelation that a past,
personal attack may have been the precursor to the all the missing women, Inola closes out her
week determined to bring all the cases to a head, no matter the consequences.
A standing round of applause for this dynamite blast of a thriller. Bravo!
April 29, 2015
Deborah J. Ledford follows "Staccato" (2009), "Snare" (2010) and "Crescendo" (2014) with another powerful mystery/thriller set in the western North Carolina world of the Smoky Mountains and the Eastern Band Cherokee trust lands of the Qualla Boundary.
The story begins in blood, "Red streaks on the lower cabinets, an overturned chair, the oven door. An arc of crimson, the entire height of one wall."
While Cherokee artist Paven Nahar works in his studio, his wife Shellie argues with two art dealers in the couple's house who insist on acquiring the sculpture in progress. When Paven returns to the house later, he finds a bloody kitchen, a shattered pottery urn and no sign of his wife.
Paven, who is soon on the run, quickly becomes the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance and presumed murder. Inola "Hummingbird" Walela, the only Cherokee in the Bryson City police department is tasked with the capture of the man who was her closest childhood friend.
The story is also defined by blood, blood as represented by the often conflicting love and drama within a family, and blood as a force of heritage and loyalty for members of the Cherokee Nation. Walela's case is potentially related to an unsolved series "Qualla Ghosts" cases of missing women on tribal lands. This increases the pressure on Walela while ramping up the suspense for readers.
While each novel in this very cohesive series has developed the characters of Walela and her boyfriend Steven Hawk, "Causing Chaos" belongs to Hummingbird in every possible way. While the novel is aptly categorized as a police procedural and thriller, it is also a deeply personal story for Walela as multiple layers of her past and her family/tribal relationships come to light. Among these is a childhood incident, a source of nightmares and latent fears, that may somehow be related to the fate of Paven and Shellie and to the puzzling Qualla Ghost cases.
"Causing Chaos" is a cop story with great depth and a heartbreaking psychological undertow.
The story begins in blood, "Red streaks on the lower cabinets, an overturned chair, the oven door. An arc of crimson, the entire height of one wall."
While Cherokee artist Paven Nahar works in his studio, his wife Shellie argues with two art dealers in the couple's house who insist on acquiring the sculpture in progress. When Paven returns to the house later, he finds a bloody kitchen, a shattered pottery urn and no sign of his wife.
Paven, who is soon on the run, quickly becomes the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance and presumed murder. Inola "Hummingbird" Walela, the only Cherokee in the Bryson City police department is tasked with the capture of the man who was her closest childhood friend.
The story is also defined by blood, blood as represented by the often conflicting love and drama within a family, and blood as a force of heritage and loyalty for members of the Cherokee Nation. Walela's case is potentially related to an unsolved series "Qualla Ghosts" cases of missing women on tribal lands. This increases the pressure on Walela while ramping up the suspense for readers.
While each novel in this very cohesive series has developed the characters of Walela and her boyfriend Steven Hawk, "Causing Chaos" belongs to Hummingbird in every possible way. While the novel is aptly categorized as a police procedural and thriller, it is also a deeply personal story for Walela as multiple layers of her past and her family/tribal relationships come to light. Among these is a childhood incident, a source of nightmares and latent fears, that may somehow be related to the fate of Paven and Shellie and to the puzzling Qualla Ghost cases.
"Causing Chaos" is a cop story with great depth and a heartbreaking psychological undertow.
April 28, 2015
Another great adventure for Inola. This book is a fast ride and will keep you turning pages.
December 18, 2024
In this fourth book of the Smoky Mountain series featuring Cherokee police woman – now sheriff’s deputy - Inola Walela and Sheriff Steven Hawk together, the narrative now goes deeply into the Cherokee reservation, specifically what is known as the “Qualla Boundary” between Indian lands and the rest of the community. The gist of the story involves the disappearance of three women, “cold cases” which trouble Sheriff Hawk and his deputy and sweetheart Inola. When a fourth woman, Shellie, the wife of Cherokee sculptor Paven Nahar, has disappeared from her own blood-spattered kitchen, Paven, prone to drunkenness with resulting blackouts, is blamed – not only for Shellie’s disappearance, but perhaps for the other three as well. However, Paven was Inola’s childhood friend, so she is determined to discover the truth and exonerate him if possible. Although still nominally a member of the Bryson City police force, she is now actively serving as Hawk’s deputy as well, and the two of them combine their efforts to solve this case.
More than for any of the other stories in this series, in this one author Ledford invokes Native American mysticism. The missing women are referred to as the “Qualla ghosts”, and the eventually identified perpetrators of the disappearances are depicted as ubiquitous shape-shifting personifications of evil. This is indeed a powerful story.
More than for any of the other stories in this series, in this one author Ledford invokes Native American mysticism. The missing women are referred to as the “Qualla ghosts”, and the eventually identified perpetrators of the disappearances are depicted as ubiquitous shape-shifting personifications of evil. This is indeed a powerful story.
June 25, 2024
This was the best story of the four for me. I liked the emphasis on strong women, Native American spirituality, second chances and respect for elders. The ending was somewhat surprising but hit the mark. As a native North Carolinian, I hope readers don't think that our mountain counties are crime ridden 24/7. There is a lot of crime everywhere. There still is quite a bit of discrimination in North Carolina. Some blatant some not so much. I hope readers will take note of discrimination in their own communities and figure out ways to combat it. I especially liked that Hawk stood by his woman and that Inola grew in a positive way. This was a very satisfying series for me.
May 2, 2018
I highly recommend Deborah J. Ledford’s novels. They reveal Great Smokey Mountain adventures introducing you to well-developed characters that cross the United States. There are elements of violence, love, music and of course mystic Native American Culture. I enjoyed the first series of three, Staccato, Snare, and Crescendo, and I was pleased at the release of Causing Chaos. I was so taken I located the statue that Ms. Ledford’s character had sculpted and photographed it.
December 30, 2019
Despite not having read the previous 3 Inola Walela books, I was drawn in the characters' world and my attention held to the very end.
February 8, 2016
I love books that linger in my mind and soul for days. That's the sign of a great story, right?
Causing Chaos, by Deborah J. Ledford, is one of those books. I've listened to/read three of Ms. Ledford's novels before and always loved them. But this one really grabbed hold of my mind and heart. I do believe this author has written her most powerful novel to date.
Inola Walela is the half-Cherokee cop whose head we are in for the whole book. She's angry. Confused. Torn between two worlds. Worried about her heritage and Native American family and roots, yet devoted to her career as a policewoman. She's a dark, heroic character, full of negative thoughts, suppressing horrific memories, always angry...Yet her devotion to her childhood friend -- native name Falcon -- is deep and authentic when he is accused of his wife's disappearance and possible murder. Sure, she has doubts. She's human. She's a well-trained cop. But she does love Falcon and fights to find and help him.
I loved all the characters: Inola's solid, strong, life partner, Hawk; her feisty, mysterious grandmother with all the bad history they share; the adorable little Wren, so innocent and sweet as she flitted around Inola's grandmother's side; Traegger, Inola's adorable female partner who's about to become an FBI profiler (perfect complement to Inola's personality), but I especially loved Falcon (Paven Navar). Falcon really got to me, and I think part of it was through the brilliant narration that drew out his sense of confusion, innocence, and aching love for his missing wife.
My first impression of the narration by Christina Cox was that it was too low and dark, but in minutes I realized this is the perfect voice for Inola, It matched her thoughts perfectly, and when the new voices arrived--always consistent and always unique--I became a renewed fan of this actor. She did an outstanding job of infusing the appropriate emotion into each character, and she really seemed to link with Inola's spirit.
I'd like to thank Ms. Ledford for an outstanding listen. I received this book for free to review, but would have bought it instantly had I known about it first. Highly recommended listen/read!
Aaron Paul Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com
Causing Chaos, by Deborah J. Ledford, is one of those books. I've listened to/read three of Ms. Ledford's novels before and always loved them. But this one really grabbed hold of my mind and heart. I do believe this author has written her most powerful novel to date.
Inola Walela is the half-Cherokee cop whose head we are in for the whole book. She's angry. Confused. Torn between two worlds. Worried about her heritage and Native American family and roots, yet devoted to her career as a policewoman. She's a dark, heroic character, full of negative thoughts, suppressing horrific memories, always angry...Yet her devotion to her childhood friend -- native name Falcon -- is deep and authentic when he is accused of his wife's disappearance and possible murder. Sure, she has doubts. She's human. She's a well-trained cop. But she does love Falcon and fights to find and help him.
I loved all the characters: Inola's solid, strong, life partner, Hawk; her feisty, mysterious grandmother with all the bad history they share; the adorable little Wren, so innocent and sweet as she flitted around Inola's grandmother's side; Traegger, Inola's adorable female partner who's about to become an FBI profiler (perfect complement to Inola's personality), but I especially loved Falcon (Paven Navar). Falcon really got to me, and I think part of it was through the brilliant narration that drew out his sense of confusion, innocence, and aching love for his missing wife.
My first impression of the narration by Christina Cox was that it was too low and dark, but in minutes I realized this is the perfect voice for Inola, It matched her thoughts perfectly, and when the new voices arrived--always consistent and always unique--I became a renewed fan of this actor. She did an outstanding job of infusing the appropriate emotion into each character, and she really seemed to link with Inola's spirit.
I'd like to thank Ms. Ledford for an outstanding listen. I received this book for free to review, but would have bought it instantly had I known about it first. Highly recommended listen/read!
Aaron Paul Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews