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Ben Pecos Mystery
A Way To The Manger: A Ben Pecos Christmas Mystery Novella
A week before Christmas Charlene Toya, local teen basketball star, goes missing on the way to her Tewa pueblo home. Native American psychologist Ben Pecos offers to help the family and begins to piece together some disturbing facts—Charlene’s dark and painful secret has likely put her on a collision course with some very nasty bad guys. As the people of the pueblo prepare for the holidays, a cloud of sadness hangs over all. Tension mounts as Ben and the police try to find Charlene before the unthinkable happens. Surprisingly, 96-year-old Lorenzo Loretto provides the most important clues in this heartwarming Christmas novella, rich with New Mexico ambiance and tradition.
“Susan Slater captures our New Mexico pueblo Indian traditions perfectly—you’ll love this beautiful Christmas story!” –Connie Shelton, USA Today bestselling author
“Susan Slater captures our New Mexico pueblo Indian traditions perfectly—you’ll love this beautiful Christmas story!” –Connie Shelton, USA Today bestselling author
116 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2017
44 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Susan Slater
25 books36 followersSusan has lived in the Southwest for 32 years. The enchantment of New Mexico comes alive in her Ben Pecos series - The Pumpkin Seed Massacre, Yellow Lies, Thunderbird, and A Way to the Manger.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 29, 2018
Tewa Pueblo is fictitious. Though Pueblo people welcome outsiders to feast days, they value their privacy. Out of respect for that privacy, the author has created an imaginary place influenced by Pueblo culture in general but not portraying any specific Pueblo. Tewa’s religious and spiritual beliefs are compiled from what little of Pueblo spirituality is shared with outsiders and should be regarded as fiction.
Note: Tewa is actually a language spoken on several of the Pueblos north of Santa Fe, and the Pueblo invented for this series is located somewhat closer to Albuquerque. Its people would probably speak Tiwa or Keres.
Tony Hillerman introduced his book Sacred Clowns and its fictitious Tano Pueblo with a preface explaining the fiction and how he constructed it. Doing so was respectful to both the readers and the Pueblo people. This book needed a preface along those lines for readers who don’t know New Mexico and its nineteen Pueblos. https://www.indianpueblo.org/
I mention this because I read reviews of books in Slater's series in which readers seemed to think they had read about a real place. (Maybe she mentions its fictitious nature in end-notes, but I didn't keep reading past the end of the story.)
I debated whether or not I should review this novella. Usually, I hold back when I can’t give a three star or better. But I did finish it, which I seldom do with books that feel like a two-star, so I decided that potential readers might want to see a critical review that could help them decide if they want to buy and read the book or not.
Overall, I could see how some people may have enjoyed it for the plot, but this book and I were not a good match. Living in New Mexico, formerly on one of the eight northern Pueblos, and having a background in exercise science, I was just too picky to enjoy it.
Perhaps the author was trying too hard to disguise the Pueblo. It came across as generic, not unique. This could be an artifact of the novella length. So could the lack of depth and complexity in characterization. The old man Lorenzo is the only character whose inner life felt real, and the one scene I truly loved in the whole book was the one where he is selecting a walking stick.
The following paragraph isn’t a spoiler unless you don’t want to know what’s in the first chapter. Mini-spoiler:
Charlene stretched my credulity. If an author is going to offer one hard-to-accept item from the narrow end of the bell curve, I prefer the other circumstances around it to believable. A six-foot-tall teenaged girl would be extremely remarkable on any of the Pueblos. (The average height among Pueblo people is below the average for Americans in general.) I could accept this anomaly if it weren’t mixed with other harder to believe things. The physiology of pregnancy—altered center of gravity, joint laxity, increased heart rate and core temperature—would affect an athlete, especially in a sport like basketball where fast changes of direction are important, and in which the female knee joint is already injury prone even without pregnancy hormones. I didn’t believe she could compete at a high level all the way into her eighth month with no injuries, no setbacks, no prenatal care, and no one knowing she was pregnant. That’s the third hard-to-believe thing. Athletes share locker rooms, and the showers are often open as well. There are no private changing areas except the toilet stalls, and if one girl suddenly stopped showering and changing with the others, it would be noticed. Toward the end of the story, she performs physical feats that also seem impossible under the circumstances, but maybe she’s not meant to be realistic.
The plot was predictable. I saw the end coming as soon as I read about the baby doll.
End of mini-spoiler.
The writing is polished (with the exception of the character-looking-in-mirror bit to get a description in). No clunky sentences, no awkward transitions. And the pace is tight, a good balance between thriller-level tension and more inward scenes. The terrifying trouble Charlene gets into is effectively creepy. Her escape, however, is too much of a stretch.
Note: Tewa is actually a language spoken on several of the Pueblos north of Santa Fe, and the Pueblo invented for this series is located somewhat closer to Albuquerque. Its people would probably speak Tiwa or Keres.
Tony Hillerman introduced his book Sacred Clowns and its fictitious Tano Pueblo with a preface explaining the fiction and how he constructed it. Doing so was respectful to both the readers and the Pueblo people. This book needed a preface along those lines for readers who don’t know New Mexico and its nineteen Pueblos. https://www.indianpueblo.org/
I mention this because I read reviews of books in Slater's series in which readers seemed to think they had read about a real place. (Maybe she mentions its fictitious nature in end-notes, but I didn't keep reading past the end of the story.)
I debated whether or not I should review this novella. Usually, I hold back when I can’t give a three star or better. But I did finish it, which I seldom do with books that feel like a two-star, so I decided that potential readers might want to see a critical review that could help them decide if they want to buy and read the book or not.
Overall, I could see how some people may have enjoyed it for the plot, but this book and I were not a good match. Living in New Mexico, formerly on one of the eight northern Pueblos, and having a background in exercise science, I was just too picky to enjoy it.
Perhaps the author was trying too hard to disguise the Pueblo. It came across as generic, not unique. This could be an artifact of the novella length. So could the lack of depth and complexity in characterization. The old man Lorenzo is the only character whose inner life felt real, and the one scene I truly loved in the whole book was the one where he is selecting a walking stick.
The following paragraph isn’t a spoiler unless you don’t want to know what’s in the first chapter. Mini-spoiler:
Charlene stretched my credulity. If an author is going to offer one hard-to-accept item from the narrow end of the bell curve, I prefer the other circumstances around it to believable. A six-foot-tall teenaged girl would be extremely remarkable on any of the Pueblos. (The average height among Pueblo people is below the average for Americans in general.) I could accept this anomaly if it weren’t mixed with other harder to believe things. The physiology of pregnancy—altered center of gravity, joint laxity, increased heart rate and core temperature—would affect an athlete, especially in a sport like basketball where fast changes of direction are important, and in which the female knee joint is already injury prone even without pregnancy hormones. I didn’t believe she could compete at a high level all the way into her eighth month with no injuries, no setbacks, no prenatal care, and no one knowing she was pregnant. That’s the third hard-to-believe thing. Athletes share locker rooms, and the showers are often open as well. There are no private changing areas except the toilet stalls, and if one girl suddenly stopped showering and changing with the others, it would be noticed. Toward the end of the story, she performs physical feats that also seem impossible under the circumstances, but maybe she’s not meant to be realistic.
The plot was predictable. I saw the end coming as soon as I read about the baby doll.
End of mini-spoiler.
The writing is polished (with the exception of the character-looking-in-mirror bit to get a description in). No clunky sentences, no awkward transitions. And the pace is tight, a good balance between thriller-level tension and more inward scenes. The terrifying trouble Charlene gets into is effectively creepy. Her escape, however, is too much of a stretch.
October 7, 2021
As with everything Ms Slater touches, this is gold!! It’s a great storyline and and some really good analogies. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
November 18, 2018
An unusually touching Christmas mystery, A Way to the Manger is a great little book to curl up with on a winter night.
Charlene lives on the reservation but she has big plans. A sports scholarship will get her to college. She has worked hard and it’s paying off. Already recruiters have shown interest.
Her problem is that one bad decision, a few months ago could destroy her dream. Now she hides her secret, sure no one would understand. If she doesn’t do something soon, no college will be interested in her.
Charlene has a plan though. There is a place in the city that can help. When she gets the courage and opportunity to go there, help isn’t what she finds. Kidnapped as she is leaving, taken to a place with other girls like herself, now Charlene’s biggest problem is how to escape and save her life.
Will anyone be able to find her? The police aren’t very interested in a girl that could be just another runaway. Can Charlene find help anywhere?
I was gifted a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charlene lives on the reservation but she has big plans. A sports scholarship will get her to college. She has worked hard and it’s paying off. Already recruiters have shown interest.
Her problem is that one bad decision, a few months ago could destroy her dream. Now she hides her secret, sure no one would understand. If she doesn’t do something soon, no college will be interested in her.
Charlene has a plan though. There is a place in the city that can help. When she gets the courage and opportunity to go there, help isn’t what she finds. Kidnapped as she is leaving, taken to a place with other girls like herself, now Charlene’s biggest problem is how to escape and save her life.
Will anyone be able to find her? The police aren’t very interested in a girl that could be just another runaway. Can Charlene find help anywhere?
I was gifted a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 28, 2019
Susan Slater’s “A Way To The Manger” is a seasonal novella in the Ben Pecos series of mysteries. The fast-paced tale features a very pregnant young woman dealing on her own with daunting issues as Christmas approaches. Slater's characters are nicely drawn and the setting in New Mexico is culturally appealing. But the conclusion of the book felt hurried to me—almost too neat. A few more pages would have been welcome.
August 17, 2019
Beautiful Story
I just spent 3 hours reading this, couldn’t put it down. Loved it,recently discovered Ms Slater stories so good that I buy the books(usually stick to freebies) The writing is crisp & fast. Well edited. The cast are well drawn love Lorenz! I really recommend to any one even if it’s not Christmas.
I just spent 3 hours reading this, couldn’t put it down. Loved it,recently discovered Ms Slater stories so good that I buy the books(usually stick to freebies) The writing is crisp & fast. Well edited. The cast are well drawn love Lorenz! I really recommend to any one even if it’s not Christmas.
December 10, 2017
A Sweet Cozy
Looking for a happy feeling this season? Then you will really enjoy this quick read that has everything from suspense to laughter.
Looking for a happy feeling this season? Then you will really enjoy this quick read that has everything from suspense to laughter.
January 22, 2018
A sweet story showing the closeness of family and community in a time of crisis
June 21, 2020
Exceptional book. Nice Christmas mystery/miracle type book that makes you feel good.
August 15, 2020
Good
a book that's part of a series that's about the things that happen to young people who live in the reservation.
a book that's part of a series that's about the things that happen to young people who live in the reservation.
December 23, 2020
Second book in this series this one focuses on a teenaged Native American basketball player who is about to give birth. She has been hiding her pregnancy from her mom, coach and just everyone else. When she is kidnapped shortly before she is due to give birth things get serious quickly. I enjoyed this short story and look forward to more in the series.
I received an ARC at some point not sure when or where but I found it, read it and am now reviewing it. Better late than never.
I received an ARC at some point not sure when or where but I found it, read it and am now reviewing it. Better late than never.
December 23, 2020
This is a very different rendition of the Christmas story. It starts out a little graffic. There are also a few swear words. It's hard for me to believe Charlene could keep her secret for so many months. The story is not what I expected. I am glad it has a satisfying ending. I received a free copy from the author. I have chosen to leave a review.
November 21, 2023
Merry Christmas
This was a great read. So perfect a time of year for it. I really enjoy her style of writing Ben is great and is fitting in. You won't go wrong with this one
This was a great read. So perfect a time of year for it. I really enjoy her style of writing Ben is great and is fitting in. You won't go wrong with this one
August 29, 2023
Books from the Pen Pecos Mysteries series are always good. I find them a little slow, with lots of detail so that I end up losing track of what's going on. This one is particularly good because of the strong women.
December 19, 2021
I loved the characters and wry twists to this story. I found the plot original, and inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews