The Night Visitor

Charlie Moon #5

by James D. Doss

The world of Daisy Perika ia a realm of shadows, omens, and restless spirits. In tribal policeman Charlie Moon's world, good and evil manifest themselves in more explainable, human ways. Yet the irascible old Ute shaman and her huge, good-natured nephew inhabit the same hard and lonely Colorado country. And now the parched earth has yielded up the remains of a gargantuan prehistoric beast on the site of a failed dude ranch--a find of enormous scientific importance that is attracting the attention of a wide variety of inividuals, some eminent and seemingly scrupulous...other obviously neither. Moon is also curious about the strange old bones. For things this ancient and rare have been known to inspire malevolent deeds in the past, including avarice, lies...and murder. And all it takes is one mysterious disappearance and one very suspicious death to convince Charlie Moon that his greatest fears have just been realized.

Genres: Mystery, Native American, Westerns, Fiction, Indigenous, Crime, Mystery Thriller

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

James D. Doss (1939, Kentucky, -17 May 2012) was a noted American mystery novel author. He was the creator of the popular fictional Ute detective/rancher Charlie Moon, of whom he wrote 17 mystery novels. James "Danny" Doss was born and raised in Kentucky and died in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He was also an electrical engineer who worked on particle accelerators and biomedical technology for the University of California's Los Alamos National Laboratory, while writing his novels. After retirement from Los Alamos National Laboratory, he continued to write his popular novels while living in Taos, New Mexico and Los Alamos, New Mexico.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Doss

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.6

the mystery: overdone, too much going on, several implausible events

More about the supernatural/mysticism than I care to read.

Women characters: for the most part, shallow but beautiful (of course), over-the-top flirtatious and conniving. At least Aunt Daisy is realistic.

Too many descriptors meant to increase suspense. Far more verbiage than necessary.

So, I ask myself, why am I reading these books? Well, I like stories that are set in the outdoors with minimal reference to cities and all the stresses that go with city life. And I like following the characters. Daisy P. is consistent and realistic. As for Moon ... we know he's 'big' (almost 7 ft tall in this book) and likes to eat -- based on the number of times that's stated, these must be what's most important about the man.

[Laura Knaapen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this story. The resolution was not satisfying and it wasn't delivered as part of the action. Because the author chose not to tell us what the characters were doing at that time, the details came as an almost afterward narrative to the resolution. The paleontology part of the story was boring and stupid. I thought Charlie's character had shown some growth in the last book, but it's all jokes again. And what about Jimson Beuggman (Jimmie! not Vannie!)

[Sara Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine but not as good as the previous ones. I may try one more to make sure I'm done with this series.

[Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was the fifth book in a series and I wasn't prepared for it to be comedy as much as mystery. Maybe with different expectations, I would have enjoyed this book more. It just wasn't really my cup of tea - a lot of deliberately irritating characters, lots of phonetic accents, all of the women refer to their fathers as "daddy," and the mystery really only unfolds in the last few chapters, which are kind of a weird summary of all of the things that are hinted at earlier in the book but happen offstage, so to speak. Because the narrative bounced around between characters, I never really connected with Charlie Moon, I wasn't terribly invested in the different characters' relationships, etc. I liked the elements of mysticism -- there was an awesome twist that I was totally unprepared for -- but I found the ending incredibly odd and unsatisfying. Again, maybe if I were more familiar with the series, it wouldn't seem so bizarre to me that the main character, who is a police officer, becomes an accomplice in concealing a murder and the book ends with a little joke about how he's more upset that to date the murderer, he's going to have to eat vegetables, than about the fact that she killed someone. Which she totally gets away with because he arbitrarily decides that if she goes to court, she will definitely not be prosecuted. Even though she committed the crime on land where he has no jurisdiction... But hey, his buddy, the cop who does have jurisdiction, also doesn't care. I think someone who likes a kind of cheerful and whimsical mystery would enjoy this a lot more than someone who is looking for something dark and serious.

[Judith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed in the book. After a couple of chapters I felt someone else authored this book (maybe Joan Hess?). Characters didn’t feel right. Not the same personalities as first four books. The momentum of interest usually generated by the story telling was lacking. Did not like ending at all. Totally out of character for Charlie Moon.

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second book in this series for me and will be the last….one whole chapter I skipped because I didn’t understand what they were talking about ….. too drag-y also…

[Terzah Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a lot of fun, with Daisy as the shaman and her nephew as Ute policeman. There are a ton of secondary characters that are also good, including Horacy Fly and is 6-year old daughter Butter Fly. The story has a lot of funny interactions between Utes and the Caucasians that live around them.

My advice for this series is not to read the stories in the series too close together. Although the plots are different, the interactions are the same and it gets a bit predictable if you binge read from the beginning. Give a few months to let yourself forget the jokes and the interactions between the main characaters. Then it will be great.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book a lot. This series comprised of books that are full of twists and turns. I like the characters and their interactions. This one was a bit different as it had Charlie Moon and Scott Parris engaged in activities that were illegal though actually resulted in justice being served. The justifications and thoughts behind the actions were somewhat murky. They could have discussed ahead of time or perhaps more concisely after the fact. All in all it was a very good book.

[Ginny Goldberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the previous 4 books I found the writing to be entertaining and it kept my interest to the point I would read "one more chapter" multiple times before turning out the light for the night. This bogged down a bit in the middle; however, it picked up.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light, fun, fast reading; several small plots working behind the main theme keep interest up. Charlie Moon character shapes funny situations and holds high moral ground while the author includes beliefs of ancient people and reveals a bit about archeologists' world.

[Chick Marks · Rating 4 out of 5]

More convoluted than most

[Dark Star · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was definitely entertaining but so disjointed.

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! Perfect blend of modern life and ancient mysticism. Thoughtful mysteries, with lots of clues throughout, yet the endings often surprise me. Love it! Wish there were dozens more!

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

[Gloria Mccracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is often the case with James D. Doss' Shaman mysteries, it doesn't do to get too hung up on trying to figure out what's going on until well into the book. If then. Doss is a great one for shifting points of view: The Shaman (also known as an old woman named Dorothy), so-called because she often has visions and visitations; Charlie Moon, a Ute police officer, her nephew; Scott Parish, a white policeman, who much to his dismay and skepticism, also has visions and visitations. And that's only the characters who are in every book. In this one, there are also (at least): two small girls, one part Ute and one white, both of whom seem also to be in touch with the spirit world in some fashion; a rascally rancher; an even more rascally con man...well, it goes on. This list also leaves out the night visitor himself, who might be real person in the sense we usually mean. Or not. And Daisy's familiar, the Dwarf, and Scott's girlfriend the reporter.

Well, you get the picture. Anyway, if you want to make yourself crazy, you can try to solve the murder, if there is a murder, ahead of the detective, if you can figure out who the detective is, or you can just go with the flow and enjoy the ride. And enjoyable it is, too, with the occasional hairpin plot turn thrown in to keep things interesting. Usually I say to read books in a series in order. And I suppose it might be minimally helpful with this one. But probably not.

[Michelle]

The Night Visitor
James D. Doss
Mystery
358 pages
copyright: 1999
isbn: 0-380-80393-3

The World of Daisy Perika is a realm of shadows, omens, and restless spirits. In tribal policeman Charlie Moon's world, good and evil manifest themselves in more explainable, human ways. Yet the irascible old Ute shaman and her huge, good-natured nephew inhabit the same hard and lonely Colorado country. And now the parched earth has yielded up the remains of a gargantuan prehistoric beast on the site of a failed dude ranch--a find of enormous sciengtific importance that is attracting the attention of a wide variety of indviduals, some eminent and seemingly scruplous...others obviously neither. Moon is also curious about the strange old bones. For things this ancient and rare have been known to inspire malevolent deeds in the past, including avarice, lies...and murder. And all it takes is one mysterious disappearance and one very suspious death to convince Chalie Moon that his greatest fears have just been realized.

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is in the Charlie Moon series but Charlie is only a side player in this mystery. Daisy is also only a side player. A mammoth skeleton is found on a farm next to the Indian reservation and it appears to been killed by a people who were not yet supposed to be on the continent. A man goes missing and is presumed dead. An artifact which was supposedly used to kill the mammoth ends up missing. The whodunnit gets even more convoluted and frankly, I guessed wrong. This is a great mystery with enough of the supernatural thrown in to make it even more interesting. Great book.

[T J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mystery involves a mammoth, a nude man and lots of twist and turns in-between. Charlie Moon finds himself helping out and of course, his Aunt Perika has her hands full with to little girls who need her. Great fast read.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters, and their world and hope I get the chance to read the story again and/or to read more within the series.

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the ones I've read so far, I liked this one quite a bit. Doss is really great about working in lots of humor to balance out the creepy stuff. I love it when Aunt Daisy calls Sarah Frank's cat Mr. Zig Zag "Mr. Rag Bag" and "Mr. Dirt Bag." Hilarious !

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

[Jayne Yenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

as many twists and turns as an old dirt road, perhaps too many but fun without the dust. Really liked the shaman experience.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of his best! I particularly enjoyed the 'otherworld' quality of this mystery.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I particularly enjoy the author's descriptive landscape settings, and continue to enjoy this series.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another good tale in the "Charlie Moon" series!

[Toesnorth's mom]

not great

[David Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent addition to an excellent series...

[Jill Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

tricky - fun

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read in a good series. This one gets the gentle mix of humour with a little bit of mystery and tension just right.