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Alafair Tucker #5
Crying Blood
In the autumn of 1915, Shaw Tucker, his brother James, and their sons go hunting. Instead of a quail, Shaw's dog, Buttercup, flushes an old boot...containing the bones of a foot. Buttercup then leads the men to a shallow grave and a skeleton with a bullet hole in the skull. That night, Shaw awakens to see a pair of moccasin-clad legs brushing by his tent flap. He chases the intruder, but he has disappeared. His concern is justified when he realizes that someone - or something - has followed him home.
Dread turns to relief when he captures a young Creek Indian boy called Crying Blood. Shaw ties the boy up in the barn, but during the few minutes he is left alone, someone thrusts a spear through Crying Blood's heart. The local law is on the killer's trail, but Shaw Tucker has a hunch...
Only Shaw's wife Alafair might be able to forestall his dangerous plan. So Shaw sends her on a wild goose chase so he can confront the killer...
Dread turns to relief when he captures a young Creek Indian boy called Crying Blood. Shaw ties the boy up in the barn, but during the few minutes he is left alone, someone thrusts a spear through Crying Blood's heart. The local law is on the killer's trail, but Shaw Tucker has a hunch...
Only Shaw's wife Alafair might be able to forestall his dangerous plan. So Shaw sends her on a wild goose chase so he can confront the killer...
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Donis Casey
13 books91 followersDONIS CASEY was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A third generation Oklahoman, she and her siblings grew up among their aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents on farms and in small towns, where they learned the love of family and independent spirit that characterizes the population of that pioneering state. Donis graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in English, and earned a Master’s degree in Library Science from Oklahoma University. After teaching school for a short time, she enjoyed a career as an academic librarian, working for many years at the University of Oklahoma and at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.
Donis left academia in 1988 to start a Scottish import gift shop in downtown Tempe. After more than a decade as an entrepreneur, she decided to devote herself full-time to writing. The Old Buzzard Had It Coming is her first book. For the past twenty years, Donis has lived in Tempe, AZ, with her husband.
Donis left academia in 1988 to start a Scottish import gift shop in downtown Tempe. After more than a decade as an entrepreneur, she decided to devote herself full-time to writing. The Old Buzzard Had It Coming is her first book. For the past twenty years, Donis has lived in Tempe, AZ, with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 13, 2011
Haint is an old-fashioned word for ghost or lost soul. Since Shaw Tucker went quail hunting on Peter McBride’s property, he feels that a haint is hounding him. Shaw is the father of ten children and husband to Alafair and not one to take flights of fancy. The hunting trip is brought abruptly to an end when Shaw’s dog Buttercup discovered a body buried on McBride’s property. Shaw took a trinket from the corpse’s medicine bag. It turns out Shaw won’t be rid of his uneasy feelings until he rids himself of the ghost that is following him.
The discovery of the body is reported to the Sheriff and the group of hunters’ returns home. Shaw goes about the everyday duties required of a landowner in Oklahoma in 1915 but he is unable to hide his concerns from Alafair. Although Alafair does her best to set Shaw’s mind to rest he is still uneasy and fearful for his family.
Shaw’s fear escalates when he discovers that someone has stolen meat from the newly butchered pig that is hanging in the slaughtering area. It doesn’t take Shaw long to capture the thief but his relief is short-lived. Shaw is determined to unravel the mystery.
When Sheriff Scott Tucker invites Shaw to visit another town in search of information that will lead to the identity of the thief Shaw declines the invitation. Alafair steps up and offers to accompany Sheriff Tucker so the two set off in an automobile to a nearby town to see what they can find out. This fits right into Shaw’s plans. Alafair has arranged for all of the children to be cared for in her absence. As soon as Sheriff Tucker and Alafair are on the road, Shaw leaves home to return to the old McBride property where he plans to trick the haint into showing itself.
Crying Blood is a great addition to Donis Casey’s Alafair Tucker series. Readers will become much better acquainted with Shaw in Crying Blood. Donis Casey’s books always have some extras at the end so if you are thinking of butchering a hog or rendering lard or even making headcheese you will find clear instructions at the end of the book.
The discovery of the body is reported to the Sheriff and the group of hunters’ returns home. Shaw goes about the everyday duties required of a landowner in Oklahoma in 1915 but he is unable to hide his concerns from Alafair. Although Alafair does her best to set Shaw’s mind to rest he is still uneasy and fearful for his family.
Shaw’s fear escalates when he discovers that someone has stolen meat from the newly butchered pig that is hanging in the slaughtering area. It doesn’t take Shaw long to capture the thief but his relief is short-lived. Shaw is determined to unravel the mystery.
When Sheriff Scott Tucker invites Shaw to visit another town in search of information that will lead to the identity of the thief Shaw declines the invitation. Alafair steps up and offers to accompany Sheriff Tucker so the two set off in an automobile to a nearby town to see what they can find out. This fits right into Shaw’s plans. Alafair has arranged for all of the children to be cared for in her absence. As soon as Sheriff Tucker and Alafair are on the road, Shaw leaves home to return to the old McBride property where he plans to trick the haint into showing itself.
Crying Blood is a great addition to Donis Casey’s Alafair Tucker series. Readers will become much better acquainted with Shaw in Crying Blood. Donis Casey’s books always have some extras at the end so if you are thinking of butchering a hog or rendering lard or even making headcheese you will find clear instructions at the end of the book.
March 12, 2011
Delightful historical tale set in Oklahoma in 1915. As a history devotee I was impressed with the detail into which Donis Casey describes life in Oklahoma in 1915. I don't imagine that people today have any idea how much work it was to run a household one hundred years ago. In addition to the incredible detail and emphasis on how important hog butchering was to a Prairie family during the story, she also provides amazing detail at the end of the book. People did not waste anything. Every single part of a hog was utilized to keep that family alive during the winter months. What a fabulous reminder of what life was like. This book really got me thinking about how we live today and how much we waste. And about how much better for everyone the simple things in life were. Such an eye opener!
But of course this book starring our sleuth and family matriarch Alafair Tucker is an excellent mystery as well. Crying Blood was the name of a young Creek boy who follows Alafair's husband Shaw back to the family homestead after a shortlived hunting trip. Shaw, his brother and several of their sons go on a short hunting trip to a deserted haunted homestead owned by their stepfather. They encounter a skeleton that has been uncovered due to recent flooding. The discovery of the skeleton sets off a chain of events that provide closure to events that happened ten years earlier.
The story has an abundance of characters however it is easy to follow as everyone has role to play. It also helps that Donis Casey has provided a list of the characters at the beginning of the book for reference. Families were very large in agricultural areas one hundred years so it is very realistic that Alafair's extended family is quite vast! Twists and turns are easy to follow and lead to a very satisfying ending.
I would highly recommend this book and if you can, get your children to read it, it will open their eyes to how "easy" they really have it these days! It is also an excellent way to learn or relearn American history.
But of course this book starring our sleuth and family matriarch Alafair Tucker is an excellent mystery as well. Crying Blood was the name of a young Creek boy who follows Alafair's husband Shaw back to the family homestead after a shortlived hunting trip. Shaw, his brother and several of their sons go on a short hunting trip to a deserted haunted homestead owned by their stepfather. They encounter a skeleton that has been uncovered due to recent flooding. The discovery of the skeleton sets off a chain of events that provide closure to events that happened ten years earlier.
The story has an abundance of characters however it is easy to follow as everyone has role to play. It also helps that Donis Casey has provided a list of the characters at the beginning of the book for reference. Families were very large in agricultural areas one hundred years so it is very realistic that Alafair's extended family is quite vast! Twists and turns are easy to follow and lead to a very satisfying ending.
I would highly recommend this book and if you can, get your children to read it, it will open their eyes to how "easy" they really have it these days! It is also an excellent way to learn or relearn American history.
October 21, 2021
This is the fifth book in the Alafair Tucker series which is set in the early 20th century in Arkansas. This one begins in the fall of 1915. Shaw, his brother and two of their sons are hunting at an old abandoned homestead owned by Shaw's stepfather. They stumble across some strange things in the old derelict house, and Shaw is certain he is visited by a white-haired "haint".on one of their nights there when they were camping out. This experience leaves Shaw troubled and unsettled. Then when he is back home with Alafair and his family, some freshly butchered pork goes missing off the carcass. Shaw is on a mission to find out what happened at the old farm and who seems to be following him around. I love this series for its authenticity and for the down-home feeling I get when I read it. I love Shaw and Alafair and their solid marriage and their close family of 10 children. I just love everything about it, but this book fell a bit short for me as the mystery that occurs wan't much of a mystery. There wasn't that same sense of urgency that I have always gotten while reading one of Donis Casey's books. The story seemed to get lost a bit in the folklore and in the supernatural atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful series and these characters are some of my very favourites. I will continue to read this series, as it gets closer in time to the beginning of WWI. Ms. Casey portrays her historical time so realistically that I feel that I have actually stepped back in time as I read.
February 25, 2024
Crying Blood by Donis Casey is book 5 of the Alafair Tucker mystery series set in 1915 Oklahoma. Alafair Tucker and her husband Shaw have ten children, ranging in age from mid-twenties to three. Alafair's and Shaw's parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and in-laws make a huge extended family. Thankfully, the author provides a list of characters explaining relationships! Be sure to read this series in order, as the family expands, the children grow older and the relationships evolve in each story.
When Shaw goes hunting with his brother James and their sons, Shaw's dog Buttercup finds a buried body. After they return home, Shaw catches an night-time intruder on their land. The young Creek Indian boy identifies himself only as "Crying Blood" (later, Shaw and Alafair learn that "Crying Blood" is not a Creek name; to the Creeks it signifies the boy is on a quest to avenge a death).
The story frequently uses the word "haint", an old word for a ghost or lost soul. Alafair digs for clues to solve the mystery, and Shaw confronts the "haint". Meanwhile, it's hog-butchering time of year. The Tuckers butcher 2 hogs each year, to feed their family. "When you raise and slaughter an animal in order to feed your family, the order of the day is 'waste not, want not'." Every part of the hog is used. Following the mystery solution is a very detailed description of the Tucker's hog butchering process and all food products the family made from it.
Entertaining mystery with interesting side plots, including enjoyable history & culture lessons.
When Shaw goes hunting with his brother James and their sons, Shaw's dog Buttercup finds a buried body. After they return home, Shaw catches an night-time intruder on their land. The young Creek Indian boy identifies himself only as "Crying Blood" (later, Shaw and Alafair learn that "Crying Blood" is not a Creek name; to the Creeks it signifies the boy is on a quest to avenge a death).
The story frequently uses the word "haint", an old word for a ghost or lost soul. Alafair digs for clues to solve the mystery, and Shaw confronts the "haint". Meanwhile, it's hog-butchering time of year. The Tuckers butcher 2 hogs each year, to feed their family. "When you raise and slaughter an animal in order to feed your family, the order of the day is 'waste not, want not'." Every part of the hog is used. Following the mystery solution is a very detailed description of the Tucker's hog butchering process and all food products the family made from it.
Entertaining mystery with interesting side plots, including enjoyable history & culture lessons.
May 16, 2017
Alafair Tucker, mother of ten, and wife of a farmer is strong, independent and wise. As bodies mount up and seem to point to an old mystery, Alafair quietly helps her husband figure it all out. I liked the family and the way families helped each other out at the turn of the century. I look forward to seeing how her family grows up and seeks new opportunities off the farm.
January 24, 2019
5th in the series and it's my favorite. I learned about fatback, pig slaughtering, bear soup, rendering lard, quail pie, and quilting. And there was a great mystery too.
August 8, 2019
One of her best, with insight into Native culture, human passions and intrigue, husband Shaw's psyche and experience, as well as the daily life on the farm with lots of relatives.
October 1, 2024
Love this book
Well written book. Sometimes to much filler.but looking back this would have made a good time travel book. Will read more of these books
Well written book. Sometimes to much filler.but looking back this would have made a good time travel book. Will read more of these books
May 11, 2011
First Line: There was no place left to hide.
It's the autumn of 1915 in rural Oklahoma. Taking advantage of a lull before it's hog butchering time, Shaw Tucker, his brother James, and their sons go on a hunting trip. Deciding that a derelict farm their stepfather bought years ago should be a prime location to find game, they're shocked when one of the dogs retrieves an old boot-- with the human foot bones still inside. The dog then leads the men to a shallow grave that contains a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull.
Knowing they've got to go get the sheriff in the morning, men and boys go back to camp and bed down for the night. Sometime later, Shaw wakes up to see a pair of moccasin-clad feet walking past his tent. Giving chase, Shaw loses track of the visitor so completely he wonders if he dreamed the whole thing... including the part where he could swear a ghostly voice called him by name. Dream or no dream, once Shaw's home, he just can't shake the experience.
They're back on the Tucker farm hardly any time at all when Shaw realizes someone followed him home. It's a young Creek Indian boy who says his name is Crying Blood. Crying Blood insists that he followed the Tuckers home so he could find the white-haired man who killed his brother. Shaw ties the boy up in the barn and leaves for a couple of minutes. When he returns, he discovers that someone has thrust a lance through Crying Blood's heart. The law is on the killer's trail, but Shaw has a hunch that he knows the identity of the white-haired man. The only thing he has to do is avoid the eagle eye of his wife Alafair in order to confront the killer on his own terms.
I was in a quandary with this book. It's part of one of my favorite series, a series that I tend to savor-- reading one only when the next in the series has been published. (I always keep a few books that I know I'm going to love in reserve.) However, when I managed to obtain a galley of the next book being published in November, I knew I had to read Crying Blood. There is no way I'm going to read this series out of order!
Why, you ask? Because Donis Casey has created one of the deepest, richest cast of characters in fiction. Alafair Tucker and her husband Shaw have ten children, ranging in age from mid-twenties to three. The children all have their own personalities, and as they grow, they change... just like real people. The twelve Tuckers aren't the only cast members either. There are Alafair's and Shaw's parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, in-laws and almost in-laws. With a cast this large, you'd think you would need a score card, but you don't.
This large cast is a very real part of the world they live in: Oklahoma farm country at the turn of the twentieth century. It allows the author to shift the focus of her stories from one part of the family to another, as she has done here in Crying Blood. In earlier books in the series, Alafair has been at the heart of the story. Here she takes a backseat to her husband, Shaw, but she still makes her presence felt-- especially when she accompanies the sheriff on a journey in Ford Model T.
By shifting the focus of the story from Alafair to Shaw, we get to see the very real-- and very strong-- bond between the two, and the night that a sleepless Alafair wanders the farmhouse in the wee hours of the morning, knowing that her husband is in harm's way, will bring a lump to any loving partner's throat.
Donis Casey writes an excellent historical mystery series. She immediately whisks the reader into the world of turn-of-the-century Oklahoma farmers, and she creates strong, believable mysteries for her characters to solve. She's also adept at adding a bit of humor in the right places. All that, and she supplies period recipes at the back of the book. In each of her books, Casey provides food for the body, food for the mind, and food for the soul. If that sounds like a winning recipe to you, pull a chair up to the Tuckers' table. There's always room for more.
It's the autumn of 1915 in rural Oklahoma. Taking advantage of a lull before it's hog butchering time, Shaw Tucker, his brother James, and their sons go on a hunting trip. Deciding that a derelict farm their stepfather bought years ago should be a prime location to find game, they're shocked when one of the dogs retrieves an old boot-- with the human foot bones still inside. The dog then leads the men to a shallow grave that contains a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull.
Knowing they've got to go get the sheriff in the morning, men and boys go back to camp and bed down for the night. Sometime later, Shaw wakes up to see a pair of moccasin-clad feet walking past his tent. Giving chase, Shaw loses track of the visitor so completely he wonders if he dreamed the whole thing... including the part where he could swear a ghostly voice called him by name. Dream or no dream, once Shaw's home, he just can't shake the experience.
They're back on the Tucker farm hardly any time at all when Shaw realizes someone followed him home. It's a young Creek Indian boy who says his name is Crying Blood. Crying Blood insists that he followed the Tuckers home so he could find the white-haired man who killed his brother. Shaw ties the boy up in the barn and leaves for a couple of minutes. When he returns, he discovers that someone has thrust a lance through Crying Blood's heart. The law is on the killer's trail, but Shaw has a hunch that he knows the identity of the white-haired man. The only thing he has to do is avoid the eagle eye of his wife Alafair in order to confront the killer on his own terms.
I was in a quandary with this book. It's part of one of my favorite series, a series that I tend to savor-- reading one only when the next in the series has been published. (I always keep a few books that I know I'm going to love in reserve.) However, when I managed to obtain a galley of the next book being published in November, I knew I had to read Crying Blood. There is no way I'm going to read this series out of order!
Why, you ask? Because Donis Casey has created one of the deepest, richest cast of characters in fiction. Alafair Tucker and her husband Shaw have ten children, ranging in age from mid-twenties to three. The children all have their own personalities, and as they grow, they change... just like real people. The twelve Tuckers aren't the only cast members either. There are Alafair's and Shaw's parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, in-laws and almost in-laws. With a cast this large, you'd think you would need a score card, but you don't.
This large cast is a very real part of the world they live in: Oklahoma farm country at the turn of the twentieth century. It allows the author to shift the focus of her stories from one part of the family to another, as she has done here in Crying Blood. In earlier books in the series, Alafair has been at the heart of the story. Here she takes a backseat to her husband, Shaw, but she still makes her presence felt-- especially when she accompanies the sheriff on a journey in Ford Model T.
By shifting the focus of the story from Alafair to Shaw, we get to see the very real-- and very strong-- bond between the two, and the night that a sleepless Alafair wanders the farmhouse in the wee hours of the morning, knowing that her husband is in harm's way, will bring a lump to any loving partner's throat.
Donis Casey writes an excellent historical mystery series. She immediately whisks the reader into the world of turn-of-the-century Oklahoma farmers, and she creates strong, believable mysteries for her characters to solve. She's also adept at adding a bit of humor in the right places. All that, and she supplies period recipes at the back of the book. In each of her books, Casey provides food for the body, food for the mind, and food for the soul. If that sounds like a winning recipe to you, pull a chair up to the Tuckers' table. There's always room for more.
March 9, 2017
The Alafair Tucker series revolves around family. This one in particular displays two very different families, one loving and strong, the other highly disfunctional. You also get more introduction to Cherokee mythology and customs. For the first time the primary investigator is uber father Shaw Tucker. He does a good job.
June 7, 2011
CRYING BLOOD by Donis Casey is an interesting,exciting historical mystery set in 1815 Oklahoma territory. It is the fifth in the "An Alafair Tucker Mystery" series,but can be read as a stand alone. Others in An Alafair Tucker Mystery series:The Old Buzzard Had It Coming,Hornswoggled,The Drop Edge of Yonder,and The Sky Took Him.All published by Poisoned Pen Press.This is a fast paced,action packed mystery with a little supernatural. Shaw Tucker and some of his family members are out quail hunting when one of their dogs come across buried bones and a snake necklace. They take the bones back to Shaw's place,while waiting for the sheriff.Shaw keeps the snake necklace and is plagued by seeing snakes and a strong feeling. The bones and the murder of a young Creek boy leads Shaw on a mission that finds one woman's deception. A woman whose first husband dies,her second husband abandons her and her sons.Two of her son's are scattered in foster care,to save them,she sells her homestead to Shaw's step father,who was friends with her second husband,and she remarry's. Shaw's quest for justice and to find answers leads him to a "haunt",a young boy's murder,and his and one of his son's confrontation with the "haunt". The true story will finally come out of the abandoned husband and the death of two boys and a husband.This story will appear to not only historical mystery readers for also to history buffs and suspense readers. You will find in the back of this intriguing story a section of information on hog butchering in the early days, favorite old time recipes, the history of Indian territory and land allotment as well as a guide to Creek pronunications. This is a fast paced,well written story with attention to details and history. A must read. This book was received for the purpose of review from Net Galley and the publisher and details can be found at Poisoned Pen Press and My Book Addiction Reviews.
June 11, 2012
Alafair and family get involved in another murder, this one at least 10 years old. Most of the books have been about Alafair and her husband Shaw and their children.
This one is a little different. It is mostly about Shaw, his early life, his mother, father and step-father and how the relationships created the honorable man that is Shaw Tucker. Alafair and the kids are there but the narrative revolves around Shaw.
When a hunting trip turns up a dead body, one that is at least 10 years old. That leads to a young Creek Indian stalking Shaw because he thinks Shaw will lead him to "the white haired man" who killed his older brother. The time lines aren't right for the body to be the brother so more than one murder is involved here.
I do love this series. There are not many books written in the earl 1900's and this series set in the Oklahoma Territory and then the state of Oklahoma are even more rare. I also like the cooking and lifestyle tidbits added to the end of the books.
Looking forward to more in this series.
This one is a little different. It is mostly about Shaw, his early life, his mother, father and step-father and how the relationships created the honorable man that is Shaw Tucker. Alafair and the kids are there but the narrative revolves around Shaw.
When a hunting trip turns up a dead body, one that is at least 10 years old. That leads to a young Creek Indian stalking Shaw because he thinks Shaw will lead him to "the white haired man" who killed his older brother. The time lines aren't right for the body to be the brother so more than one murder is involved here.
I do love this series. There are not many books written in the earl 1900's and this series set in the Oklahoma Territory and then the state of Oklahoma are even more rare. I also like the cooking and lifestyle tidbits added to the end of the books.
Looking forward to more in this series.
October 31, 2010
Crying Blood begins with a simple hunting trip by a father, his brother and their sons. It then evolves into a great mystery. A skeleton, a ghost, a murder, and a manhunt! How does this everyday family in the early years of the 1900's in Oklahoma help solve the mystery? You are drawn into the lives of Shaw and Alafair Tucker and their large and extended family. The interaction between the family members is very well written. You feel as though this is a real family struggling to live and survive. Their reactions to the events they are drawn into are the same reactions I think you or I would have. I liked that the author gave us (and not the characters) the whole story of the mystery after the end of the book. It tied everything up in a neat little bow.
February 9, 2011
The first book I've picked up from Donis Casey, but not the last. Rich, redolent, and lyrical, Crying Blood is a fine addition to Casey's Alafair Tucker mystery series. Even though I'm late to the party (as this was the first book I'd read in that series) I had no trouble falling right into Alafair's early twentieth-century Oklahoma. The focus of this book is on her husband, Shaw, but I can see the mind of Alafair at work throughout. I can't wait to dive into what I've been missing. A highly recommended work in a series that I'm excited to discover.
May 3, 2011
Usually Oklahoma farm wife Alafair Tucker is the focus of these fascinating mysteries, but this time her husband Shaw becomes the center of mysterious events. Shaw, his brother, and their older sons go hunting on an old farm owned by Shaw's stepfather Peter. They discover a long-buried skeleton. Shaw finds that the remnants of this crime follow him home, and may threaten his family. It's hard not to give away some of the complex back story and plot, but the characterizations and the historic settings are what really make this series shine.
November 20, 2014
Shaw Tucker, his brother, and their sons go bird hunting on an old parcel of land belonging to their father. But instead of a bird, one of the dogs retrieves an old boot, which contains a human foot. It's just bones now, but the sheriff returns to uncover the rest of the body.Shaw doesn't have "the sight," as some of his family members do, but something about the body disturbs him. He conceals a necklace made of snake vertebrae from his cousin Scott, the sheriff. A wonderful series for readers of historical mysteries.
August 25, 2011
As I read this series I was amazed at how far we have come in technology. Life was hard then, but the people had their routines and daily chores that made up their days. The nights were family oriented. So our heroine Alafar Tucker didn't have much to do with solving the murder of a body found by her husband, Shaw, when he was out hunting. Lots of family secrets and old indian superstitions of ghosts and wandering spirits.
Read
March 11, 2011I just love these books! From page 1, the author captures your interest and you just can't put the books down. I love how the chapters are really short and you get to the end of one and have to keep going to find out what's going to happen next! I really hope this author continues to write more books, I love reading about this family!
March 25, 2011
This is really Shaw's story, rather than Alafair's, and it involves a long ago murder and family feuds.
The mystery is interesting, of course. But the continuing charm of this series is the look at the day to day life in a time and place that may not be familiar to the readers. Or, in my case, it gives me a look at how my grandparents and great-grandparents lived.
Wonderful stuff.
The mystery is interesting, of course. But the continuing charm of this series is the look at the day to day life in a time and place that may not be familiar to the readers. Or, in my case, it gives me a look at how my grandparents and great-grandparents lived.
Wonderful stuff.
June 9, 2011
CRYING BLOOD Consequences of well-meaning laws that disrupted Cherokee family life are a heart-rending part of the story. This helps me miss Tony Hillerman a little less. The Alafair Tucker series continues to be enriched by deep affection for family, as the investigation is halted by seasonal hog butchering and the discovery of herbs “still lusty in Novenber.” Highly recommended!
June 14, 2013
Another great book in this series. I am glad the author is continuing to write them. This one was focused on Shaw instead of one of the children. I enjoyed knowing Shaw and his background a little more. The mystery wasn't the best but I don't really read these for the mystery. Oh, and I may never eat pork again! LOL
December 4, 2016
Crying Blood is by far the most complex of the series to date. Donis Casey is a remarkable story teller and an important contributor to an Oklahoma history collection. This content in this book covers the period around statehood and land ownership in the Indian territory. Recipes at the end will be familiar to those who raise hogs or hunt and clean their own game.
Want to Read
May 28, 2011Decided not to read right now as it's a book in the middle of the series and I'm in the middle of several other books right now. It'll go back on my to-read and maybe I'll get to some of the other ones in the series first. Maybe. :)
March 19, 2013
Alafair and her family are very interesting, but this book mainly involves her husband Shaw. (I picture him to be a twin to Sam Elliott:) Donis Casey does a very good job of rolling history, like able characters and mystery into her books. I finish the series wishing for more.
July 12, 2014
I will definitely look into more of this series. This mystery dealt with the past and also with the current (1900's) time period in Oklahoma. Changing times and clash of cultures(white vs.Creek Indian/ how people view the land. I learned alot about daily life on a farmstead too.
March 12, 2022
In this story, Shaw Tucker takes more of the lead. We learn more about his background, and his step-father's background. Alafair still has an important role to play, we get to see how she and Shaw carry each other through stressful times. The books in this series get better and better.
April 4, 2011
I really enjoy this authors writing. She entwines a mystery while bringing to life what it was like to be a farmer's wife back in the early 1900's.
March 9, 2013
This cozy mystery series continues to intrigue and exand our knowledge of the characters. An interesting look at early 19th century life in Oklahoma.
August 23, 2015
did not like the reader at all!
January 18, 2020
Another phenomenal installment. One of my favorites of this series!!
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