Dead Lizard's Dance

by Pamela Christie

Dead Lizard's Dance is a historical mystery set in colonial New Mexico in 1782. This novel is the eagerly awaited sequel to the award winning mystery, The King's Lizard . A man is dead, hung cruelly by his elbows, spinning Santa Fe into chaos at the very moment the King's inquisitors arrive. Despite Governor Anza's every effort, the deaths continue, so horrible they are deemed to be the work of witches. Pamela Christie's inadvertent sleuth, Nando, is ordered to find the killers, this time in Santa Fe's underworld of displaced the misfits, the stolen, the abandoned. But nothing is as it seems, and Nando, cannot be sure if the ladies he loves are in fact the very women he seeks for murder. Constructed on sound historical bones, Dead Lizard's Dance transports the reader into a compelling time--early Santa Fe at its fiercest and best.

387 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Pamela Christie has lived and written in New Mexico since 1970. Her two historical mysteries derive in part from a decade of living in a remote Hispanic village in Northern New Mexico.Pamela Christie has lived and written in New Mexico since 1970. Her two historical mysteries derive in part from a decade of living in a remote Hispanic village in Northern New Mexico.She received her education at Bryn Mawr College, Pitzer College and the University of California at Berkeley.

Reviews

[Loretta Miles Tollefson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Dead Lizard’s Dance, author Pamela Christie’s Spanish/Ute hero Nando once again saves the day, sorting out a plot that not only threatens New Mexico’s Governor, but also his own family’s security. This particular novel also highlights the status of women in the colony, and it isn’t a particularly pretty picture and there are no easy answers. Christie doesn’t try to sugarcoat the problem or give us 21st century solutions. What she does give us is a valuable picture of life in New Mexico in the 1780s, long before it became part of “the West.” For a full review of this and the other King’s Lizard books, see my review at LorettaMilesTollefson.com.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful mystery and adventure in 18th century New Mexico. Nice that the author includes both factual timeline and glossary. One can only hope that there are more books in the series later.

[T J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pamela Christie was a new author for me. I love books that take place in New Mexico and this on took place in 1782 Santa Fe. It contains multiple mysteries starting with Nando, the governor's sleuth finding a dead and mutilated body in the woods. There is love, scandal and mysteries that will keep you guessing to the very end. Looking forward to reading more from this author.