The Replacement Child

This novel is very strong in evoking the landscape and culture of northern New Mexico, and the two central characters are well drawn and engaging. But the plot is overloaded. There's too much going on in too many directions, which makes it hard to keep up momentum and interest. Also, I guessed the identity of one of the main villains early on, with two others looking pretty obvious well before the book wound up. Nonetheless, I like the way she writes about Santa Fe, so much so that I will read her two later books.

The second Tony HIllerman Prize for a mystery set in the Southwest that I've read. This book focuses on the Northern New Mexican and Hispanic (the favored term there) culture. Lucy is a transplant newspaper editor who trips into a murder investigation after getting a tip from a lady who listens to police scanners. She inserts herself in the investigation through the sheer force of her personality, and ends up helping to solve it. The mystery wasn't much of a mystery, as the bad guys are evident almost from the beginning. The author's keen eye for New Mexico and the diverse culture is interesting, though she hits the same notes a few too many times.

2 1/2 bones!!!

plotted fairly well-liked setting- wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the lead character. Psychologically interesting motives.

Scanner Lady tells Lucy she overheard two cops discussing a dead body.