During World War II, the Army Air Corp used the harsh desert of the Badlands as a bombing range. Sixty-five years later, many unexploded ordnances litter the desert that is now Badlands National Park. In their effort to defuse any remaining explosives, three bodies are discovered in a rusted out car. Two apparently died during a bombing run in the Forties, the other not until the late Sixties. All three certainly fit the requirement for a cold case. Now FBI agent Manny Tanno must find the link between these murders that span more than decades; if there is one.

Like a geologist on the hunt for rare minerals, C. M. Wendelboe carefully removes each layer of the crime, exposing only glimpses of the motivation beneath. Each layer offers clues as they sift through the debris of time, drawing connections between events years apart that still affect those today. It's this careful exposure, the sifting and sorting through the dirt to find the real treasures, which pulls the reader deeper into the story and the lives of the characters.

Manny Tanno is not your typical hero. He's a horrible driver, doesn't like to rush into a gunfight, suffers from diabetes, isn't the stud in the barn he used to be, and doesn't have all the answers. I can't tell you how refreshing this is. He's an imperfectly perfect hero. Manny is compassionate, intuitive, knowledgeable, humorous, and above all a seeker. He doesn't just see the details of the world around him. He seeks out the cause and then he wants to restore the balance; in his cases, his faith, his relationships, and with his people.

The characters are surprisingly funny. I laughed out loud at a few turns of phrases that completely took me by surprise. It's the familiar kind of joking that comes with people who know and are comfortable with each other. Those connections build the characters, but also reflect the plot in the best way. This is a story very much about the relationships we build and how they can trickle down in unknown ways to create events that far surpass our plans.

DEATH WHERE THE BAD ROCK LIVES isn't simply about murder but about reconnecting with the past, with ourselves, and protecting what is ours. Perfectly paced, intricately woven, and fascinating are just three phases that come to mind for the second book in the Spirit Road Mystery series. Truly worth reading.

Book Summary