Play Book Tag discussion

Zia Summer – Rudolfo Anaya
3***

Sonny Baca is a private investigator in Alburquerque, specializing in divorce, insurance cases and missing persons. But when Gloria Dominic, wife of a prominent developer and mayoral candidate, is found murdered, her mother hires Sonny to find out who killed Gloria. The police chief seems intent on blaming it on a “bungled burglary,” but Sonny recognizes the sign of the sun at the murder scene and knows that the zia symbol frequently marks the work of brujas (evil witches).

This is a very atmospheric murder mystery, full of the magical realism that goes with ghost stories and folk tales. But the plot has a fair amount of very real and gritty violence, perpetrated by flesh-and-blood humans, not paranormal entities.

Anaya is best known for his poetic coming-of-age story, Bless Me, Ultima, and this is his first turn at gritty mystery writing. The poetry still comes through, however, especially in the ways he describes the landscape, and various characters’ relationship with the land. I particularly loved Don Eliseo and his cronies, and the ways they helped (or hindered) Sonny’s investigation.

I did think that Anaya went a little overboard with the brujas and mysticism, however. I felt that some of the scenes focusing on this aspect of the mystery actually detracted from the pace of the novel and the story arc.

Still, it’s a satisfying murder mystery, and I’d read more of the series.