This exciting crime story is set in the dramatic canyon landscape of Utah. Nora Abbott, originally with a business background, is trying to fit in among the Hopi people while enjoying her relationship with Cole, a man from Wyoming. But bad news spoils their happiness. Nora now works for an environmental trust, and a friend called Lisa has been found dead in a fall out among the red rocks. Nora regards the death as suspicious.

TATTERED LEGACY is the third book in the Nora Abbott series. I had previously read TAINTED MOUNTAIN in which a proposal to make a ski resort on a sacred mountain generated ill-feeling and danger. Now, a national park has proposed to expand, and Lisa had been making a film documentary on the topic. She'd told Nora about finding petroglyphs, ancient rock paintings, and while she'd been eager about the expansion, not everyone might approve.

The small town of Moab, originally founded by Mormons, has become a centre for recreation of late. Nora attends a ceremony for her friend and falls foul of a ranching family. She comes to suspect them of having a hand in her friend's death. And given that Lisa's lifestyle was not compatible with conservative town mores, there's more than one motive to consider. But is Nora wise to keep investigating?

I love the descriptions of the red rock environment as the story follows the Colorado River and each group concerned with this land makes its case. Overgrazing has caused land degradation but local people are understandably irate at being told what to do by newcomers. Cultural resources are in need of protection before curious or market-minded people remove them. Nora also gets to spend time with her much-married mother and they share experiences that bring them closer together. Sage, Mormon tea, junipers and milkweed fill the background of the adventure while tourist facilities and shopping malls are upfront. But the steep cliffside roads are no place for your brakes to fail, as Nora discovers.

Author Shannon Baker lives in Flagstaff and loves the desert landscapes. TATTERED LEGACY is a fine standalone murder mystery and a marvellous addition to her series. If you enjoy the Nevada Barr crime stories this one will be right up your hiking trail.

Book Summary

Nora Abbott risks her career at Loving Earth Trust on a film project to convince Congress to expand the Canyonlands National Park. But someone is desperate to keep the secrets of the land hidden. When her best friend and director of the film is found dead, Nora is convinced it wasn’t an accident. Nora’s Hopi kachina messenger has vanished and now it looks as though Cole Huntsman, the man she’s finally allowed herself to love, has left her, too.

As Nora uncovers an unlikely intersection of ancient Hopi legends, a secret polygamist sect, and one of the world’s richest men, she is drawn deeper into danger. Her mother’s surprising past holds the key to the clash of cultures, but will Nora put all the pieces together in time to prevent disaster? Set in the iconic red rocks of Moab, Utah, Nora races to discover what really lies beyond the stars.