Reservation Ravaged by Joanna Senger

Released: July 1^st 2014

Hermione Daggert is a newly certified California private investigator and the junior partner in Denning & Daggert. Proud possessor of her own business card, she relies on her special analytical skills and ability to fade into the background so completely that people forget they met her. The senior partner, Emma Denning, turns over an assignment for a local Indian tribe, the Kanache, to Hermione. Over a year before, a man camped illegally on the reservation. The chief forced him to leave immediately. Ever since, the land on which he camped has seen unparalleled devastation. The chief’s grandson is injured in a freak accident on that section of the reservation and loses a leg.

Hermione is hired to find that man. And she does.

But that is only the beginning. The Kanache sell that section of the reservation to an academic entrepreneur, Dr. Frederic Unlickner, who uses the site to build the Institute of Holistic Health, his lifelong dream. Emma Denning despises Unlickner on sight and nicknames him “Dr. Unlikeable.”

No longer content to simply maim a teenage boy, the land seems to seek new victims beginning with a fiery crash, burning a young socialite alive. Hermione finds herself working at the Institute, trying to unravel the geologic mystery with several murders tucked inside. No longer sure that she understands human nature, or anything else, she narrowly escapes being swallowed alive by the land underneath her feet.

I LOVE mysteries. They are the most compelling genre of books, always keeping you on your toes. The synopsis of Reservation Ravaged sounded very original and intriguing. I was excited to crack open this book and get started! I was a bit concerned that because it is such a short read, how could all the loose ends possibly be tied up? Senger is stunning. Her prose is so tight and polished that she delivered a 5 star stunner in less than 200 pages.

5 stars? What does that mean, you ask? Well, to me, a 5 star mystery/suspense book is one that delivers equal amounts of ethos, pathos and logos. Senger went above and beyond.

I loved the backstory detailing the Native American Tribe. The idea of cursework resulting in deaths is so intriguing. I’ve always been drawn to stories with elements of supernatural and magic, this addition to the story made me swoon. Senger crafts such a unique world it is difficult to remember at times that this book is in fact fiction.

Great characters, a dark/magical world and an abundance of twists that will make your jaw drop—this book is a gem!

Now, to stalk Senger and read every single work she produces!