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Emmett Parker and Anna Turnipseed #3
Ancient Ones
From Kirk Mitchell comes a riveting suspense thriller in the tradition of Tony Hillerman and Joseph Wambaugh, featuring Bureau of Indian Affairs Criminal Investigator Emmett Quanah Parker and FBI Special Agent Anna Turnipseed, two Native American cops searching for justice between their heritage and the law.
Though there are signs of foul play, Emmett Quanah Parker and Anna Turnipseed aren’t looking for a killer — the remains dug out of a riverbank by an illegal fossil hunter are 14,000 years old. Parker and Turnipseed have been sent to central Oregon as official witnesses to the examination of the relics.
But the bones quickly provoke a controversy that threatens to erupt into the skeleton is not Native American but distinctly Caucasian, shattering long-held tenets of who first inhabited this continent.
Emmett, with his Comanche and white ancestry, and Anna, a reservation-born Modoc with Asian blood, share a sensitivity to both parties’ concerns — and a forbidden attraction that’s causing them professional and personal problems.
As people connected to the case begin to lose their lives, Emmett and Anna are paralyzed by their own demons. And if they stop watching each other’s back, even for a moment, the killer may target them too.
Though there are signs of foul play, Emmett Quanah Parker and Anna Turnipseed aren’t looking for a killer — the remains dug out of a riverbank by an illegal fossil hunter are 14,000 years old. Parker and Turnipseed have been sent to central Oregon as official witnesses to the examination of the relics.
But the bones quickly provoke a controversy that threatens to erupt into the skeleton is not Native American but distinctly Caucasian, shattering long-held tenets of who first inhabited this continent.
Emmett, with his Comanche and white ancestry, and Anna, a reservation-born Modoc with Asian blood, share a sensitivity to both parties’ concerns — and a forbidden attraction that’s causing them professional and personal problems.
As people connected to the case begin to lose their lives, Emmett and Anna are paralyzed by their own demons. And if they stop watching each other’s back, even for a moment, the killer may target them too.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
323 people want to read
About the author
Kirk Mitchell
39 books69 followersKirk Mitchell is an author who is known for his time travel, alternate history, historical fiction, and adventure fiction novels. Mitchell has also created several novelizations of movies.He writes under the pseudonym of Joel Norst
Kirk Mitchell served as a deputy sheriff on the Paiute- Shoshone Indian reservations of the desert country that includes Death Valley, and was a SWAT sergeant in southern California, before beginning his career as a full-time writer.
Kirk Mitchell served as a deputy sheriff on the Paiute- Shoshone Indian reservations of the desert country that includes Death Valley, and was a SWAT sergeant in southern California, before beginning his career as a full-time writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
January 23, 2024
DNF-The book started during a counselling session with the two protagonists, and I just couldn't make it through.
July 29, 2016
When a book starts out in a psychologist's office talking about the clients sex life, it's not on my "to read" list. I would throw it across the room except that I respect books too much.
A second attempt starting later in the book took me to scientists squabbling.
This isn't anything like Tony Hillerman to me.
A second attempt starting later in the book took me to scientists squabbling.
This isn't anything like Tony Hillerman to me.
April 5, 2018
The relationship of the characters Parker and Turnipseed continues to be interesting, but the plot was way too complex to be believable and it required a deus ex machina to resolve.
August 27, 2024
A bit much but I’ll keep on with the series
October 26, 2017
The original premise of the story was very good. If the author had stuck to the original premise, I would have rated this book much higher. It still would have been no comparison to Tony Hillerman, but it would have been a decent read. However, the author decided to spend way too much time discussing the main protagonists' sex/personal life. I really didn't care one bit about this and needed things to just end and be done. The author also decided to end the story with a climax that was out of left field. I wouldn't have minded so much (those can be fun sometimes), but the motive made no sense and seemed to just be added for shock value more than anything. I have read that this was not one of Mitchell's best books in the series so I'll probably give this series one more shot.
January 6, 2019
I enjoyed the book. I like serial police procedurals. Over time you get to know the characters and understand them a bit more. This series has some good points and some bad points. Making the key protagonists decedents of famous Indian chiefs is a bit lame. The action in this book is good and the twists and turns were good. I also like the heads-on confrontation with modern issues affecting Native American tribes. The views of NAGPRA and the archaeological community are both presented without one side being rammed down the throat of the reader.
I recommend the book to fans of the series. As other readers pointed out, Mitchell is no Tony Hillerman. This is true. He is Kirk Mitchell. The comparison is not justified. Enjoy the book.
I recommend the book to fans of the series. As other readers pointed out, Mitchell is no Tony Hillerman. This is true. He is Kirk Mitchell. The comparison is not justified. Enjoy the book.
March 2, 2015
I liked the plot of this book, but, just couldn't connect with the characters. Neither Parker or Turnipseed were characters that I cared about. Not sure just what it was, but, really didn't care much what happened to them. Within the plot, I liked that they "solved" it, but, not much more for me in those characters. And, since I prefer character driven books, I'm doubting that I'll ever return to Mitchell's books. In particular, not any using Parker and/or Turnipseed. Although, as I say, the plot was intriguing. Although, I was hoping to find out more about the tribes of Oregon, my adopted home state.
June 11, 2008
I've just discovered Kirk Mitchell and got hooked on his two law enforcement characters.
I like that the murders, which are creepy and macabre, take place on different reservations and that the main characters themselves are from different tribes.
This novel in particular was my favorite. Again, maybe the setting and blend of supernatural and spiritual beliefs. Also, leaves some incidents ambiguous enough that there could have been supernatural forces at work, but not conclusively.
I like that the murders, which are creepy and macabre, take place on different reservations and that the main characters themselves are from different tribes.
This novel in particular was my favorite. Again, maybe the setting and blend of supernatural and spiritual beliefs. Also, leaves some incidents ambiguous enough that there could have been supernatural forces at work, but not conclusively.
May 19, 2016
I really like this series, but I did not care for this book. In the first place, the story is too complicated and too mystical. Secondly, the subplot concerning Emmett & Anna's inability to establish intimacy was just annoying and read like something out of a Tami Hoag novel. If I wanted Tami Hoag I would buy Tami Hoag. I'm hoping this is just a blip.
August 5, 2021
Loved the story, but there was a really awkward and distracting sexual tension story line that seemed completely unnecessary. I came close to giving up on it during a few sections about the relationship issues, but really wanted to know the outcome of the actual mystery. I’m glad I finished it.
March 4, 2016
My least favorite in the series so far. Too much about the sexual tension between the two leads. The story line is too far-fetched. The climax is too climatic.
March 28, 2019
I was unsure about this book when I started. It picked up quickly. I enjoyed the mix of anthropology and mysticism.
June 21, 2021
From Kirk Mitchell comes a riveting suspense thriller in the tradition of Tony Hillerman and Joseph Wambaugh, featuring Bureau of Indian Affairs Criminal Investigator Emmett Quanah Parker and FBI Special Agent Anna Turnipseed, two Native American cops searching for justice between their heritage and the law.
Though there are signs of foul play, Emmett Quanah Parker and Anna Turnipseed aren’t looking for a killer — the remains dug out of a riverbank by an illegal fossil hunter are 14,000 years old. Parker and Turnipseed have been sent to central Oregon as official witnesses to the examination of the relics.
But the bones quickly provoke a controversy that threatens to erupt into violence: the skeleton is not Native American but distinctly Caucasian, shattering long-held tenets of who first inhabited this continent.
Emmett, with his Comanche and white ancestry, and Anna, a reservation-born Modoc with Asian blood, share a sensitivity to both parties’ concerns — and a forbidden attraction that’s causing them professional and personal problems.
As people connected to the case begin to lose their lives, Emmett and Anna are paralyzed by their own demons. And if they stop watching each other’s back, even for a moment, the killer may target them too.
Though there are signs of foul play, Emmett Quanah Parker and Anna Turnipseed aren’t looking for a killer — the remains dug out of a riverbank by an illegal fossil hunter are 14,000 years old. Parker and Turnipseed have been sent to central Oregon as official witnesses to the examination of the relics.
But the bones quickly provoke a controversy that threatens to erupt into violence: the skeleton is not Native American but distinctly Caucasian, shattering long-held tenets of who first inhabited this continent.
Emmett, with his Comanche and white ancestry, and Anna, a reservation-born Modoc with Asian blood, share a sensitivity to both parties’ concerns — and a forbidden attraction that’s causing them professional and personal problems.
As people connected to the case begin to lose their lives, Emmett and Anna are paralyzed by their own demons. And if they stop watching each other’s back, even for a moment, the killer may target them too.
November 27, 2017
Anna is a reservation born Modoc with Asian blood works for the FBI. Her partner in this case is Emmett who Comanch and white. They are assigned to a case in Oregon. Bones of a supposedly ancient man are found. He is found in an area that has a strong Native American background.
However, the skeleton has many features of a Caucasian. Someone has to figure out the history of these remains and decide about his reburial.
There are many incidents that happen that appear to be not natural. What is causing these things?
Interesting story that is interlaced with some romantic feelings between Anna and Emmett.
However, the skeleton has many features of a Caucasian. Someone has to figure out the history of these remains and decide about his reburial.
There are many incidents that happen that appear to be not natural. What is causing these things?
Interesting story that is interlaced with some romantic feelings between Anna and Emmett.
August 13, 2021
This book was even more interesting than the last one. Anna and Emmett are working with a different tribe solving another murder around ancient bones discovered on Navajo Nation. These stories are not like murders in the cities this is raw country with completely different cultures from the "white" world. In order to solve these crimes the culture and the people must be considered in order to discover how and why these events took place. As for their personal relationship the end of the story leaves the reader hopeful for their relationship working out. Very enjoyable read.
September 30, 2021
I like the story. Four stars for the plot. But I only gave it three stars because I have finally figured out what it is about their partnership that bothers me. It feels very artificial. From the first book Anna and Emmett immediately fell in love. There was no flirting or other dating. They were immediately in love and immediately having problems because of Anna's childhood. The relationship doesn't work for me as written. I have read Sky Woman Falling and it gets better, so I will continue to #5.
January 7, 2018
Great Indian-culture based mystery a la Hillerman. Interesting theories on Caucausoid peopling of the Americas and cannibalism. Dysfunctional love story adds interest.
October 19, 2018
A very good audio book.
January 25, 2019
Didn't finish it -- perhaps I was in the wrong mood but too much "magic," too complicated relationship between main protagonists, and too many extraneous clues.
May 27, 2021
another good story.
Read
July 16, 2022It seems like goodreads doesn't always hold my ratings and reviews.This is in my read area but doesnt show my review or rating
January 13, 2024
Another good one — although I'm a bit skeptical of the source of the author's "knowledge" of Native American culture...
October 5, 2024
Still innovative, just different. Megalomania, cannibalism, love? Twist of psychosis and spirits. What a mix!
March 23, 2025
Too much violence, blood, and gore. I am not planning to read any more in this series.
March 5, 2017
Bureau of Indian Affairs Criminal investigator Emmett Quanah Parker and FBI Speical Agent Anna Turnipseed are the key characters in this story. Their task is to protect an ancient skeleton found after a flood. A renouned scientist insists that it is a white man who existed 14,000 years ago. Furthermore, he is certain that the man was eaten by the native people who lived at that time. How did this man get into this region? No one knows and those who believe they have the answers argue about not only his origin but also what is to be done to discover more about him. Then, lo and behold, a skeleton of a female is found after another flood. Coincidence? Plant? Did the man and woman know each other? Was there a tribe?
As the tale develops, the reader is introduced to native beliefs and practices that those who live in the area believe are linked to the unearthing of the skeletons. Most dominant is that the ancients were disturbed and are angry enough to not only frighten but kill the living. I found this aspect of the novel mesmerizing. This is a good story and a tangled plot that keeps the reader interested. Except for the opening pages, I truly enjoyed the novel and the writing. Like others who have read this book I was taken aback by the opening discussion of intimate relations between the protagonists and a therapist. Seemed so out of place to me. Where were the editors who should have done something with those pages? Otherwise I really liked this read and I do plan to find other work by the author.
As the tale develops, the reader is introduced to native beliefs and practices that those who live in the area believe are linked to the unearthing of the skeletons. Most dominant is that the ancients were disturbed and are angry enough to not only frighten but kill the living. I found this aspect of the novel mesmerizing. This is a good story and a tangled plot that keeps the reader interested. Except for the opening pages, I truly enjoyed the novel and the writing. Like others who have read this book I was taken aback by the opening discussion of intimate relations between the protagonists and a therapist. Seemed so out of place to me. Where were the editors who should have done something with those pages? Otherwise I really liked this read and I do plan to find other work by the author.
February 5, 2020
I loved this book. It is the 3rd in this series. If you love murder mysteries and Native culture then read this.
February 9, 2023
Fun read! Set among the native american groups of the northwestern United States. An archeological thriller.
January 28, 2015
It's a 385 page book...and by 165 pages I was wondering why everything was dragging along. The plot as it is described on the back of the book sounds like just another unidentified skeleton/murder story, but it does get fairly complicated after the initial pile of bones. Readers get glimpses into the main characters lives, including the scars and faults, and does a good job of showing the cohesion of strength and vulnerability that can be inside a person. There are many different types of characters in the story and each have their own job specialization (usually with long titles), and sometimes this takes a moment to register where exactly they are coming from. Native American characters, law enforcement, and reservation life is stated point-blank, but does not smack readers over the head in any which way concerning opinions or complicated explanations. If readers are familiar with NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act), archaeology, and how real-life forensics works - then you're pretty much golden for understanding all the technical talk that follows and is part of the story. The forensics in this book take time, as do certain things about homicide cases, and the time-frame of this story taking around a month is more realistic than TV shows. That being said, I would recommend it for 18 and older readers who enjoy said forensic TV shows, murder mysteries, cop/FBI dramas, archaeology-related fiction, and anything to do with bones.
October 23, 2017
About 6 pages into Ancient Ones by Kirk Mitchell (Bantam, 2001), I thought "what a loser", but I decided to give the book a few more pages before abandoning it. The story quickly evolved and I settled down to enjoy the mystery. There are two plots, one a FBI-Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement investigation into the discovery of a skeleton thought to be a 14,000 year old ancestral American. The other plot line is the romantic involvement of the two investigating officers.
Emmett Parker is a FBI agent and his partner, Anna Turnipseed, is a BIA officer; both are Native Americans. Deborah Carter is a battle-scarred Viet Nam veteran who is commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers reservoir where the skeleton is found by an unemployed Basque sheepherder. Dr. Rankin is an anthropologist who assists the police with forensic identification of human remains and for whom the newly discovered skeleton offers proof for his theory that Caucasians and not Native Americans first peopled North America. This cast of characters, plus others, interacts to reveal a hidden agenda, a terminal disease whose cause is cannibalism, and the chaffing of Anglo and Native American traditions.
Do you get the impression the book has a little of everything? You're right, but what you don't get from my comments is the intriguing manner in which it lays out. For that, read the book!
Emmett Parker is a FBI agent and his partner, Anna Turnipseed, is a BIA officer; both are Native Americans. Deborah Carter is a battle-scarred Viet Nam veteran who is commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers reservoir where the skeleton is found by an unemployed Basque sheepherder. Dr. Rankin is an anthropologist who assists the police with forensic identification of human remains and for whom the newly discovered skeleton offers proof for his theory that Caucasians and not Native Americans first peopled North America. This cast of characters, plus others, interacts to reveal a hidden agenda, a terminal disease whose cause is cannibalism, and the chaffing of Anglo and Native American traditions.
Do you get the impression the book has a little of everything? You're right, but what you don't get from my comments is the intriguing manner in which it lays out. For that, read the book!
December 11, 2019
This third novel in the series about BIA criminal investigator Emmett Parker, a Comanche, and FBI agent Anna Turnipseed, a Modoc, doesn’t seem nearly as well organized as the first two. There are also unexplained overtones of supernatural involvement which grate, compared to the thoroughly realistic treatment of events in their earlier cases. This time, they’re off to Oregon to “keep the peace” during the brouhaha that follows the discovery of what is apparently a Caucasoid skeleton nearly 15,000 years old. This has major political implications for the rights of Native Americans as “original inhabitants,” and the scientific community isn’t happy about the pressure put on by the Warm Springs Reservation for immediate reburial of the remains. Thaddeus Rankin, renowned anthropologist, has his own cultural and political agenda. And underlying everything is the tension between Emmett and Anna as they try to get their personal relationship off the ground. Some of this is well handled, especially the true causes of Rankin’s medical condition, but Mitchell also seems perfectly happy with the antiscientific superstition and politically correct religious bigotry behind NAGPRA -- the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. (I’m sure my own biases are showing there. . . .)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews