The Lethal Partner

Mo Bowdre #4

by Jake Page

In his novels featuring the blind sculptor Mo Bowdre, Jake Page has staked out contemporary Santa Fe as his exclusive territory, vividly capturing the swirl of art, high style, new money, and ancient mystery that makes this desert oasis so endlessly fascinating. Now, in The Lethal Partner, Bowdre's got his hands full in a city about to explode with ethnic tensions, theft, betrayal, forgery . . . and murder. 

The discovery of seven previously unknown Georgia O'Keefe paintings sets not only Sante Fe, but the entire international art world, buzzing with excitement. Elijah Potts, successful author, skilled seducer, and shrewd owner of the Southwest Creations gallery, knows that this cache of canvases will be the crowning glory of his career--and the key to the fortune that he has always craved. But before the new O'Keefes can be authenticated, the suave, elegant world of Elijah Potts starts to unravel. First Anita Montague, the manager of Elijah's gallery and his sometime lover, is murdered. Next the paintings disappear. And then Potts finds himself in jail, charged with Anita's murder. 

Is it a frame-up or is Elijah Potts a player in an elaborate game of forgery, greed, and deception? Mo Bowdre, with problems of his own, wants nothing to do with the police and media circus that descends on Santa Fe. But somehow he just can't keep out of it. And Mo's beautiful Hopi girlfriend Connie has a funny feeling that Potts isn't the man he appears to be. . . . 

With three unsolved murders hanging over the city--all of them young and attractive Anglo women--Santa Fe has become a tinderbox of multicultural suspicion, hidden dangers, and mounting paranoia. Mo, gifted with an artist's sensitivity and a blind man's sixth sense, thinks he knows who has committed the crimes and why. The question is: Can he act on his knowledge before it's too late?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Native American

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Jake Page was a celebrated editor, science writer, and novelist who made complex topics accessible through wit and clarity. Though he never studied science formally, his role editing Natural History Books at Doubleday sparked a lifelong passion for explaining science to general readers. As science editor and columnist at Smithsonian magazine, he wrote with elegance and humor on a wide range of subjects, from aspirin to Zane Grey. Page authored dozens of books, including works on birds, earthquakes, and Native American history. His fascination with the American Southwest led to a mystery series featuring a blind sculptor-detective. Collaborating with his wife, photographer Susanne Anderson, he produced detailed cultural studies like Hopi and Navajo. His major nonfiction achievement, In the Hands of the Great Spirit, traces 20,000 years of American Indian history. Whether exploring anthropology or writing fiction, Page championed curiosity, clarity, and the belief that science was too important to remain only in expert hands.

Reviews

[Ronn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more because I am familiar with the setting and because I like Page's continuing characters than because of the story in this case. I found the plot to be somewhat contrived and generally weaker than The Stolen Gods. Regardless, there was more to like than dislike, and I will be seeking out more of Page's work.

[Alexa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty poor.

[Garwen Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting mystery.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A welcome return to form! Well-plotted and set in the fascinating cross-cultural milieu of Santa Fe in the 1990s. Page even includes interesting thoughts about Georgia O'Keeffe.