New Mexico Reviews

The Food of Santa Fe: Authentic Recipes from the American Southwest

Published in Hardcover by Periplus Editions (1998-04-15)

Authors: Dave Dewitt and Nancy Gerlach

List price: $18.95

New price: $13.36
Used price: $5.24
Collectible price: $18.95

Average review score:

History, Culture and a Cookbook

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-08

I was really impressed with this cookbook because it is so much more than a cookbook. It has history, culture, food background, and much, much more. In face, it is only part cookbook. I have been fascinated with all that I learned about Santa Fe. I originally bought the book because of a research paper I was doing on Santa Fe, but then I fell in love with the book itself.

There are really some colorful pictures of the foods as well as the city itself.

As far as the recipes, they are easy to follow. It would be easy to cook with these recipes.

This slays the other NM cookbooks I've seen.

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-06

Having read and tried recipes from several NM/Santa Fe cookbooks, I feel this one is the one to get. This is the authentic stuff. Although a Californian, I'm a NM visitor and southwest food enthusiast. I grow chiles, mail order what I can't grow properly, make my own tortillas, take this stuff seriously.

The recipes for Carne Adovada, Green Chile Stew,Chicken Enchilada filling, Piquin Chile Salsa are totally great and, if you have the ingredients, very simple. The Carne Adovada recipe, while non-traditional, is off the dial. If you've visited Santa Fe and want to re-live the essence of this earthy, elemental cuisine, get this book.

Directions are simple and direct, pictures are beautiful, local ingredients info and historical background is great. First rate.

It's like being in Santa Fe -- at all the best places.

Helpful Votes: 22 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 1998-08-23

Food in Santa Fe is a major part of the style and ambiance of the city. New Mexican regional products, especially chilis and corn, and southwestern cooking styles, everything from barbeque to Tex-Mex to authentic regional Mexican and Indian cooking, are strong influences. But Santa Fe has everything from tiny cantinas with home style New Mexican cooking to 5 star restaurants where New Mexico is an influence, but suave professionalism, integration of tastes, and high presentation is the norm.

The Food of Santa Fe takes you there, telling you about the food, the style, and the best restaurants. We've been to Santa Fe many times and reading the book is like taking a brief (and teasing) visit. I have to head for the kitchen and check out the chili supply. It's also a good way to prepare for a trip -- briefing you on what to expect, what to look for, and where to find the very best examples.

There are many Santa Fe cookbooks -- those from Mark Miller and the Coyote Cafe being the best known -- but this is perhaps a better overview, and a very pretty book to read.

We expect to buy copies for our Santa Fe loving friends as Christmas gifts.

OHMYGAWD!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-02

Man! This is a GOOD cookbook. I have many many good cookbooks and this one is just to die for. The recipes are gorgeous to look at and even better to eat. One word of caution, if you are not an experienced home chef and a fairly adventerous eater, tread cautiously. These are restaurant-level creative funky recipes with lots of unusual ingredients. If this is just your speed (as it is mine) then go for it!

A homerun... but what's new!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-09

Dave and Nancy are gods in the hot and spicy food business. As usual you can expect concise information along with mouth-watering recipes. As host of the television series "The Sonoran Grill" and author of 4 cookbooks, I know good food writing when I see it and this is as good as southwest cooking gets. Just click on "All Books" by either Dave or Nancy and you'll see why they are so qualified to write this important cookbook and why I must add a copy of it to my collection

Josefina Saves the Day: A Summer Story

Published in Unknown Binding by Perfection Learning Prebound (1999-01)

Author: Valerie Tripp

List price: $12.15

New price: $12.15

Average review score:

Entertaining and Educational

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-20

This book is a little different from the others in the Josefina series. In this book, the Montoya family travels to Santa Fe and interact with an American trader. Through this adventure we learn about urban life in New Mexico and get to know Abuelito and Abuelita a little better. This book also addresses the changes that are coming to New Mexico in a more direct way that other books in this series. Though we enjoyed the book, I do want to point out a plot point that may raise concerns for some parents: Josefina and her sister do do a dangerous thing (go to town alone -- and this is a rough frontier town), though for a noble purpose.

Should I Really Have Trusted An American?

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-07

A great book about ten year old Josefina traveling to Santa Fe. As Josefina Plays her wooden bird flute on top of the mountain she hears a copy of her flute sound. It was American Scout Patrick O'Toole. As Josefina gets to know Patrick more she and her sisters make a trade with him to get something very important for their father. But Patrick left before they got their item and Josefina has to face a fear and sneak out of the house to find out if Patrick really has gone.

This is a really good book but if you haven't read Josefina's series before than you should start with her first book and then make your way to this one. Happy Reading!

It teaches a lesson ,is factual,and fun to read!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-29

Josefina Saves the Day is about a girl age 10. She meets a american named Peter O'Toole, a scout for the wagon trail. Papa and Josefina trust Peter with their trades. Will Josefina get her trade? Will she and Francisa, and Clara, and Papa get what they want? To find out more read this book.

Josefina has an adventure in Sante Fe.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-09-06

Ten year old Josefina Montoya, her father, and two of her sisters are staying with Josefina's grandfather and grandmother in Sante Fe while they await the arrival of an American wagon train. Josefina and her sisters trust a young American trader with a deal. But then, before he pays them, he leaves town. Has he cheated them? Josefina and her sisters must go on a daring late night adventure to find out.

We liked this book

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-17

This is another one of the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a ten-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824 (actually January of 1825). In this book, Josefina and her family travel to her grandfather's rancho to await the arrival of the wagon train from the United States. She meets her first American, Patrick O'Toole, a handsome scout for the wagon train. The family wants to trade blankets and mules with the Americans, but is this handsome young man trustworthy?

The final chapter is in an interesting and informative look at outdoor life in New Mexico in 1824. Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations, warm and filled with emotion, add a great deal to the story, and are a welcome addition.

My daughter and I both liked this book. The story has its scary parts, but it also has a nice lesson, and I enjoy the frank look at life then and there. This is another excellent book, a worthwhile addition to your library.

Josefina's surprise: A Christmas story (The American girls collection)

Published in Unknown Binding by Produced in braille for the Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, by Associated Services for the Blind (1998)

Author: Valerie Tripp

List price:

Average review score:

Good Christmas Tale

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-20

This Josefina story blends the joyous with the bittersweet. Like the other books in the series, the book explores the grief that a family has after the death of the mother. That being said, it is not a 'sad' story -- there are happy portions and the ending is full of Christmas cheer. I heartily recommend it.

A wonderful story, with some excellent lessons

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-25

This is another book in the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a ten-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824. In this book, Josefina and her sisters prepare for Christmas, a grand celebration in New Mexico, made all the more special by the towns use of the Christmas altar cloth made by Josefina's late mother. However, when the altar cloth is brought it, they find out that the flood (Josefina Learns a Lesson) damaged the cloth. The girls rally round to fix the cloth...and perhaps fix themselves at the same time.

The final chapter of this wonderful book is a highly informative look at Christmas in New Mexico in 1824. Jean-Paul Tibbles' excellent illustrations complement the story nicely, and add a great deal to the joy of reading this book.

This is a wonderful story, with some excellent lessons. I liked the way the family pulled together, and worked hard towards something beyond themselves. Also, I like how the family's religion is worked into the book in a warm and inspiring way. This is another excellent American Girls book, one that my daughter and I recommend to you.

This book was so good

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-10-19

In this book Josefina gets to be Maria in the Christmas play. She has a happy Christmas.

Another Great Josefina Story!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1997-10-11

Josefina and her sisters, Ana, Francisca and Clara are struggling to keep the Christmas alive after Mamå's death. Every year when a girl would turn eight they would recieve the Nina doll. But when Josefina turned 8 they forgot about the tradition since Mama had just died. But this Christmas Josefina is 9 and she wants the doll. But Clara doesn't want to give the doll up since she wants to remember her mother. Then when the doll is lost Josefina just gives up hope but Christmas Eve is always filled with love and surprises.

A story of a girl living in 1824 New Mexicao.

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1998-09-24

Josefina Montoya is a nine-year-old girl growing up on her family's rancho near Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1824. Mama died last year, and since then, life for Josefina, her father, and her older sisters, Ana, Clara, and Francisca. Even though things have been better since Mama's sister, Tia Dolores, came to help out, the Montoyas still grieve. Josefina feels that celebrating the Christmas traditions will make her miss Mama more - but they bring her peace and happiness. And one special night gives Josefina courage and hope for the future, and brings Josefina an unexpected gift. This book was very good and I learned a lot about the traditions of Mexican families living on the Southwest frontier in the 1820s.

Little Juan Learns a Lesson/El Pequeno Juan Aprende Una Leccion

Published in Paperback by Sunstone Press (1997-12)

Authors: Joseph J. Ruiz and A. Samuel Adelo

List price: $8.95

New price: $8.95
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Average review score:

Great story

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-14

My three kids want to have me read the story every night. They are also learning to read in Spanish. I recommend it highly.

My kids loved it.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-26

Having been raised in northern New Mexico, I could associate with the entire story and culture. We need more children's books like this.

Good children's stort

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-04

My kids loved it. Teaches valuable lessons and a good way for my kids to learn spanish.

Great children's story

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-09-15

The story as told gives the child a series of valuable lessons.

my kids loved the story

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-03-24

Interesting way the story was told in such a way to include the Hispanic culture of northern New Mexico.

Mod Mex: Cooking Vibrant Fiesta Flavors at Home

Published in Hardcover by Andrews McMeel Publishing (2007-10-01)

Authors: Scott Linquist and Joanna Pruess

List price: $24.95

New price: $15.65
Used price: $11.00

Average review score:

mod Mex

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-13

I bought this book for my husband. He likes it very much that he is trying several recipes. This book is pretty much well done. Congratulatios to everyone who colaborated in this awesome mexican culinary book. Thanks to the chef and author of this book Scott Linquist who traveled to my country to learn and taste the real mexican food.

User friendly cook book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-12

A very user friendly cookbook ideally suited for cooking good things at home. A perfect gift for your friends who love to cook. Scott's restaurant is a "must do" when you travel to New York City.

COOLEST Mexican Cookbook EVER!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-15

I bought this after seeing Scott on the "Today Show", where he cooked his Mexican twist on French Toast. The cookbook does NOT disappoint! The recipes are interesting variations on classics. There are detailed instructions will lots of photographs. I am in LOVE with this cookbook!

Best guacamole I have ever tasted

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-29

I had the pleasure of attending a Scott Linquist cooking demo and one of the things made was guacamole. Now guacamole is how I judge a Mexican restaurant. The quality of the guacamole, usually reflects the quality of the rest of the menu. Needless to say I have tasted a lot of guacamole and was prepared to be unimpressed but I have to tell you it was the best guacamole I have ever tasted. On the strength of this alone I bought a copy of his cookbook Mod Mex half expecting the recipes to be intricate and complicated. I was pleasantly surprised to find not only clear easy to follow recipes but also loads of step by step pictures showing the techniques key to making each dish such as how to wrap a tamale properly.

If you love Mexican food this is a great addition to your collection both for it's fresh modern take on classic recipes but also it's detailed pictures of the proper way to prepare them.

Mod Mex Delights!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-29

Mod Mex: Cooking Vibrant Fiesta Flavors at Home

This is a great cookbook for Mexican food lovers. It is simple to follow and has great illustrations. Of course, I am a little predjudiced! Be careful with the chiles, though. I'm a little wimpy so I had to cut down the amount on some recipes!

Neighbors

Published in Paperback by Third Woman Press (2006-01-23)

Author: Joan Leslie Woodruff

List price: $15.99

New price: $15.96
Used price: $3.79

Average review score:

A story true to the spirit of a simpler New Mexico

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-17

"Neighbors" is a book I read after living around, and learning the places and people of New Mexico. "Neighbors" does something neat. It transports you to the dirt roads, the yards, the homes of people living simple, straighforward yet spiritual lives in the Southwest. Not unlike "Shiloh", her latest work, Woodruff succeeds with her invitation for you to visit and learn from her story. And a great story "Neighbors" is... Intelligent, entertaining... I like Woodruff's work because it is extremely true to the Southwest - and the people who could possibly be your "Neighbors".

If you've ever wondered about your neighbors . . .

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-30

A hilarious and heartfelt detour through New Mexico's hinterlands. Its portrayal of the protagonist's pueblo neighbors leaves more stereotyped "colorful native characters" whimpering in the dust.

A very good read. Fun from the very beginning to the end.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-23

Joan Leslie Woodruff writes with a voice that warms the heart and makes the reader smile. I couldn't put this book down. The characters are quirky and entertaining and the story held me in its grip from page one.

"Neighbors" is a delightful read, thought provoking and fun.

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-10

Joan Leslie Woodruff is one of the most refreshing, original voices in current American fiction. Her books rank well in the company of such writers as Barbara Kingsolver and Amy Tan. "Neighbors" is a quirky story, humorous yet spiritually deep. The Native American sensibilities are authentic, derived from the writer's ancestry and her experiences in New Mexico. The heroine, Dana Whitehawk, moves from Los Angeles to New Mexico, where she discovers that some of her 'neighbors' are not ordinary folks. The beauty of Woodruff's tale is in the language. She explores the boundary between magic and reality, leaving readers to make up their own minds about some of the book's questions. Both comparatively short and generally upbeat, "Neighbors" is a good read for someone with a tight schedule who would like a "feel good" book. If you like this one, try "The Shiloh Renewal" -- it's topically different, but told with similar skill.

Enchanting. I couldn't put this book down until I finished.

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-03

Neighbors, an enchanting book about a woman from California who moves to New Mexico, captured my interest from the outset.. Her adventures take the reader into realms of the psyche and ancient times which sparkle with contemporary dialogue and surprises on nearly every page.The author's handling of the characters in the wonderful New Mexican landscape color the scenes with easily imaginable situations even when you are not sure if you are in present time.

Pursuit

Published in Hardcover by 1st Books Library (2003-03-13)

Author: Rudy Apodaca

List price: $32.45

New price: $5.99
Used price: $5.99

Average review score:

Intriguing and exciting!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-01

This book had me from the very first page. It is full of intriguing details yet a very easy read. Apodaca creatively uses his expert, first-hand knowledge of the subject matter while embellishing it with fictional cleverness. You won't want to put this book down!

Great Read!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-21

This is a suspense-filled novel with a well-developed plot, real characters, just enough flavor of the Southwest and the law to give it depth. I recommend it to anyone who wants to be absorbed in a good book.

I couldn't put it down.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-06

When I first read this book, I didn't realize how much it would consume me. It was not long at all before I was not able to put it down, anxious to read what would happen next. I have since given this book to many people as a gift and have heard them rave about the excitement built into this action packed book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone whether an avid reader or not.

Rudy Apodaca "Pursues" Career as Novelist

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-27

Rudy Apodaca 'pursues' career as novelist

Cheryl Thornburg ...

'Pursuit'

By Rudy Apodaca

The name Rudy Apodaca is well known to many New Mexicans, but his latest venture could expand that acclaim. The retired Appeals Court judge has embarked on a career as an author, and his novel, "Pursuit," is an action-packed thriller that covers a lot of territory, from Vietnam during the war to present-day Washington, D.C., Athens and Paris.

Apodaca's legal background shows as he methodically sets the stage in the first four chapters for what becomes a fast-paced thriller full of sex, lies, kidnappings and political intrigue.

It is the story of John Garcia, a successful attorney whose career defending large corporate clients is putting a strain on his marriage because of the long hours he puts in.

He is also restless career-wise, and is considering taking a judgeship position that has been offered to him.

Enter the Soliz family, whose son has been accused of attacking a young woman from a prominent family, and Garcia finds himself drawn back into his former role of defense attorney and liking it, much to the chagrin of his wife and business partners.

All the while in the background are lurking two men following Garcia for unknown reasons. It is when their identity and purpose is revealed that the novel really takes off.

The plots and subplots in this novel will keep the reader involved, and Apodaca's legal expertise shows in the courtroom scenes that ring true.

The Santa Fe and Albuquerque settings will feel comfortable to New Mexicans, and the far-flung other locations provide the exotic element called for in this genre. ...

Rudy Apodaca "Pursues" Career as Novelist

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-27

'Pursuit'

By Rudy Apodaca

The name Rudy Apodaca is well known to many New Mexicans, but his latest venture could expand that acclaim. The retired Appeals Court judge has embarked on a career as an author, and his novel, "Pursuit," is an action-packed thriller that covers a lot of territory, from Vietnam during the war to present-day Washington, D.C., Athens and Paris.

Apodaca's legal background shows as he methodically sets the stage in the first four chapters for what becomes a fast-paced thriller full of sex, lies, kidnappings and political intrigue.

It is the story of John Garcia, a successful attorney whose career defending large corporate clients is putting a strain on his marriage because of the long hours he puts in.

He is also restless career-wise, and is considering taking a judgeship position that has been offered to him.

Enter the Soliz family, whose son has been accused of attacking a young woman from a prominent family, and Garcia finds himself drawn back into his former role of defense attorney and liking it, much to the chagrin of his wife and business partners.

All the while in the background are lurking two men following Garcia for unknown reasons. It is when their identity and purpose is revealed that the novel really takes off.

The plots and subplots in this novel will keep the reader involved, and Apodaca's legal expertise shows in the courtroom scenes that ring true.

The Santa Fe and Albuquerque settings will feel comfortable to New Mexicans, and the far-flung other locations provide the exotic element called for in this genre...

Sand Creek

Published in Hardcover by Intrigue Press (2006-08)

Author: D. W. Linden

List price: $24.00

New price: $0.50
Used price: $0.50

Average review score:

5+ Stars: A great mystery and so much more

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-28

D.W. Linden's Sand Creek is a mystery set in southeastern Colorado with an unlikely sleuth, a broken down cowboy, hunting down Native American history to unearth a serial killer and save his friend from murder allegations. Sand Creek is a mystery with an intriguing romance subplot. Superb characterization and themes make this a 5+ mystery read. Ex-rodeo man and now laid back sheriff Johnny Hart's life is fairly much lost down the bottle. He hasn't been to a rodeo in a while, his wife has left him and his superiors are always warning him. He is even finding it difficult to track down the cattle rustlers. It could not get much worse, but of course, it does. His friend and rodeo buddy Char Sixkiller has been pegged by the FBI as the serial killer mutilating blond white women and dumping them on historic sites of Native American massacres. Can broken down cowboy Johnny save himself, his friend and Sandy?

This mystery focuses mostly on the friendship between two men and the hunt for a killer. Johnny and Char have a long history fro their rodeo past. Both are broken cowboys from past scars but loyal friends. In searching for the identity of the serial killer, Johnny and Char must face their past and rely on their friendship. Can the present hunt also heal their past and teach them how to forgive? Although the mystery focuses on the friendship between Char and Johnny, two important women in this mystery make Sand Creek a 5 star+ read and more than a mystery. Barbara, Johnny's ex-wife, is a divorcee with a career and independent. Sandy Cross is an independent unmarried woman, running her cattle ranch mostly alone since Mr. Cross is just too old. She is a Christian but she is spending a lot of time with a man with different spiritual beliefs and a Native American when Native Americans are seen with suspicion in this part of the country. Will she calmly break the law when push comes to shove? Sometimes a girl has to do what she has to do! Sandy is blond and smart and breaks all stereotypes. When the going gets tough, she doesn't reach for the hair dye or the comfort of the big city. Sandy in this book can be described with one word --- fortitude. She may seem preachy for one small moment or two but circumstances have to mellow out her fortitude and make it less rigid. The Christian element is balanced by the Native American massacre reality and the character of Char who also sees more than beyond his viewpoint. Actually, all the characters in this novel are written without rigid good and evil traits.

Linden's description of the locale draws the reader into the culture and landscape of Southeastern Colorado. A slightly melancholic tone in the beginning was a nice reading change from the typical mystery read. Readers will enjoy hearing about the history of the Native Americans and the massacres. Sand Creek has some nice twists and turns mystery-wise. The first third of this book is more about the rodeo life, the area, and the building of the friendship between Johnny and Char and the life of Sandy.

This was not a romance per se but readers may particularly enjoy its multi-faceted take on love: friendship, love and understanding that divorced people might still have, love emerging, the love of a father for a child, a Christian understanding of love, a Native American approach to spirituality and love/friendship. Sand Creek offers an intriguing insight into history and the massacres. A very nice read...a mystery but also a view more expansive and some insights readers may remember and ponder even after finishing the last page.

Exciting Story

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-14

I thoroughtly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were interesting and multi-dimensional. The plot was interesting and the writing style made it easy to read. Very well done.

Sand Creek -- Characters!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-04

This book was similar to Tony Hillerman books, but even better! It is more contemporary, and very nicely written. I liked the comfortable chapter development, so that I could set it down, and yet still finish it in a few days. Linden really turns out some interesting ideas and phrases, and he uses intriguing imagery of the Southwest. Also, it is very culturally revealing - I mean, haven't you just wondered what modern rodeo cowboys might be like? Or how the Native American peoples might live today -- their personalities, their unique traditions? If you live in the southwest, and you know some cowboys and indigenous people, then can you imagine how these people interact? With cleverness and humor, by Lindens account! I'm not really much of a reader, but this book I just loved! I plan to read the continuing series, as it comes out, because the quality appears certain to me. It has what I like in a book --no wasted words, no repetition -- it was just right.

5+ Stars: A great mystery and so much more

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-28

D.W. Linden's Sand Creek is a mystery set in southeastern Colorado with an unlikely sleuth, a broken down cowboy, hunting down Native American history to unearth a serial killer and save his friend from murder allegations. Sand Creek is a mystery with an intriguing romance subplot. Superb characterization and themes make this a 5+ mystery read. Ex-rodeo man and now laid back sheriff Johnny Hart's life is fairly much lost down the bottle. He hasn't been to a rodeo in a while, his wife has left him and his superiors are always warning him. He is even finding it difficult to track down the cattle rustlers. It could not get much worse, but of course, it does. His friend and rodeo buddy Char Sixkiller has been pegged by the FBI as the serial killer mutilating blond white women and dumping them on historic sites of Native American massacres. Can broken down cowboy Johnny save himself, his friend and Sandy?

This mystery focuses mostly on the friendship between two men and the hunt for a killer. Johnny and Char have a long history fro their rodeo past. Both are broken cowboys from past scars but loyal friends. In searching for the identity of the serial killer, Johnny and Char must face their past and rely on their friendship. Can the present hunt also heal their past and teach them how to forgive? Although the mystery focuses on the friendship between Char and Johnny, two important women in this mystery make Sand Creek a 5 star+ read and more than a mystery. Barbara, Johnny's ex-wife, is a divorcee with a career and independent. Sandy Cross is an independent unmarried woman, running her cattle ranch mostly alone since Mr. Cross is just too old. She is a Christian but she is spending a lot of time with a man with different spiritual beliefs and a Native American when Native Americans are seen with suspicion in this part of the country. Will she calmly break the law when push comes to shove? Sometimes a girl has to do what she has to do! Sandy is blond and smart and breaks all stereotypes. When the going gets tough, she doesn't reach for the hair dye or the comfort of the big city. Sandy in this book can be described with one word --- fortitude. She may seem preachy for one small moment or two but circumstances have to mellow out her fortitude and make it less rigid. The Christian element is balanced by the Native American massacre reality and the character of Char who also sees more than beyond his viewpoint. Actually, all the characters in this novel are written without rigid good and evil traits.

Linden's description of the locale draws the reader into the culture and landscape of Southeastern Colorado. A slightly melancholic tone in the beginning was a nice reading change from the typical mystery read. Readers will enjoy hearing about the history of the Native Americans and the massacres. Sand Creek has some nice twists and turns mystery-wise. The first third of this book is more about the rodeo life, the area, and the building of the friendship between Johnny and Char and the life of Sandy.

This was not a romance per se but readers may particularly enjoy its multi-faceted take on love: friendship, love and understanding that divorced people might still have, love emerging, the love of a father for a child, a Christian understanding of love, a Native American approach to spirituality and love/friendship. Sand Creek offers an intriguing insight into history and the massacres. A very nice read...a mystery but also a view more expansive and some insights readers may remember and ponder even after finishing the last page.

A Great Read

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-22

A serial killer is dumping the dismembered bodies of women at historical Native American massacre sites. The killer knows his history. With each body he leaves a token recalling the butchery of the past. The shame of America's nineteenth century western expansion has returned as a twenty-first century nightmare. Deputy Johnny Hart, a flawed and charming lawman, is stumbling through his life in middle-of-nowhere Kiowa County, Colorado. A "stove-in" rodeo rider, a man clinging to the last threads of connection to his wife and children, a beer-for-breakfast alcoholic, Johnny Hart is caving in under the debris of his misspent youth. An old buddy, Char Sixkiller, fits the description of the murderer and a lovely woman whose struggling ranch includes the site of the Sand Creek massacre is the likely next victim. It falls to Johnny Hart to save the people he loves, the few people who still love and care for him, and in this perhaps to save himself.

D.W. Linden's suspenseful new mystery of the contemporary west has everything we want in a good read. He gives us characters we can care about, suspense that never stops, and a climax that surprises and satisfies. Along the way, we meet the upright and the low-down, the crazy and the big hearted, the cowboys, the Native Americans, the FBI agents, and the ranchers. The "Sand Creek" story is rooted in the history of the Southwest and Native American culture, giving us a story of contemporary lives freighted with a very particular past. D.W. Linden's characters are gritty, real and memorable, struggling with the shadows of death and loss, looking for life.

"Sand Creek" is a great read and I look forward to the next installment in the Johnny Hart Mystery Series. This promises to be an exciting ride.

R.C. Knight

Scrapbook of a Taos Hippie: Tribal Tales from the Heart of a Cultural Revolution

Published in Paperback by Cinco Puntos Press (2000-06-01)

Author: Iris Keltz

List price: $20.95

New price: $12.45
Used price: $10.48

Average review score:

Near and Far from me now.

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-11

My heart soared when I saw the cover of this book. Yes, I was drawn to communal life in Taos back in the late sixties and early seventies. I lived with the Family. I still dream of going home to the Family. Yes, this book is true and accurate - as much as a memory can be. There is always more, like the night the Indians turned the hot springs cold. This book is wonderful archive of this time and place. Thanks Iris for helping me remember a time when belonging was more important than haveing.

Fabulous photos and oral histories

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-26

As a veteran of communal life in the 60's, I truly appreciate the authenticity--and pure fun--of Iris Keltz's book. The photos, articles, memoirs, and hippie artwork take you right to the spirit of the times. What a great trip!!

A Valuable Historical Chronicle

Helpful Votes: 22 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-15

About half way through this book, I got the bright idea of listing all the people mentioned in it that I knew personally, had met, or knew of. When the number reached 50, I stopped counting. It's easier to count the people in it that I DON'T know - on the fingers of one hand. Three of my oldest and dearest friends are featured here, one pictured on the cover. So I can't be unbiased and objective about these "tribal tales from the heart of a cultural revolution." I've lived them and loved them, so for me, it's a manifesto.

It enters you into a movie of life in those days around Taos. A rainbow of different voices speak. And the voiceover of the narrator is sure and true. Most delightful to me was remembering things I'd all but forgotten - like the Oriental Blue Streaks (a band), Da Nahazli (a hip school), Old Martinez Hall (a place, and the summer solstice at New Buffalo (a happening). Here in these pages, I've found people and places I haven't thought about for a long time - Feather, Preacher, Pabla, Teddy the Juggler, Hotsy Totsy, the Stragecoach Hot Springs, the General Store, peyote meetings on the mesa, Little Joe and Henry Gomez. It all comes back in color and glory and story and song, and it's food for the heart.

"I was always on the hunt for a mythological explanation of the world," says Keltz. "We were reverting to an old form - tribalism - but in a very new way. We would not be a tribe because of lineage, race, language, or tradition. We were a rainbow of people becoming a tribe because we had a collective belief in an alternative to materialism, greed, military power and an unpopular war fought using our brothers, schoolmates and boyfriends."

Not that there weren't some down times, hard times, foolish mistakes and even dangerous blunders. The author makes that clear. We were feeling our way, making it up as we went along. It was colored funny and fun and scary and serious. We knew that the only way to change the world was to change ourselves first. And we did that. None of us who lived through those times are the same people today.

I did catch some inaccuracies - but those are all in the memories of individual voices here. None of them are egregious errors or deliberate slights or misrepresentations as those often found in other chronicles of this time. Somebody said, "If you remember the '60s, you weren't there."

When you're living the life from day to day, it can seem ordinary. You chop wood and haul water, you cook oatmeal for the kids, you gather watercress and rose hips by the rio, but when you step into the world of this book, and the author does her magic for you, the patina of years transforms it into a whole round thing - like a soap bubble in the sun.

I learned a lot about what I'd missed - the hippie New Mexico oracle, "Fountain of Light" and the hippie-made Bicentennial silver and gold concha belt that was worth many thousands (but priceless really) and destined for the Bicentennial 1978 exhibit at the Smithsonian - but was stolen. I slept through all that but sure am glad to know about it now.

There's no index in this, so you can't look up any nouns, but after reading the whole thing, I think I understand why Iris didn't do an index. The story, the saga, is greater than its individual parts and greater than the sum of its parts.

Says Keltz, "We were the critical mass that could change the direction of our capitalistic society" and, "...we were unafraid of our inconsistencies, a people who embraced paradox as the slippery road to a glorious future."

Friends who have this scrapbook have told me that they skipped around, reading only about themselves and their friends, but I recommend doing as the White King advises. "Begin at the beginning; go right on until you come to the end; then stop." That way, you know what to go back to and look at again - photos, drawings, dialogue - whatever. Even if you don't know a single person, place or idea in this book, I believe the work stands on its own merits as a valuable historical chronicle. Sounds like marbles rolling, doesn't it? Rolling through this scrapbook, this album, this experience. Splendid stuff.

pamhan99@aol.com

My Mum would approve

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-30

I bought this book to understand where my mum is coming from when she speaks, acts and walks five dogs down the road. I picked it up in Taos New Mexico on a pilgramage there. It is a wonderful book with lots of different views throughout in the form of interviews/essays. The pictures are great and the author even includes old menus and health posters from the time. She tells it like it is and includes the flaws of the movement as well as the beauty that was there. Buy it for the coffee table.

Outstanding biographical narrative of 60s counter-culture.

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-08

Scrapbook Of A Taos Hippie is a biographical narrative of the some of the agrarian hippies of the 60's who attempted to live the Aquarian Age in Taos. The author's memoirs contain 3 years of colorful experiences. How did the dream play out? In the end, did practicality supersede idealism? What were the chief obstacles? Why was Taos important? You will be left with more questions after you arrive at the author's answers to these. Many black and white photos and topical news sources' stories decorate this album-like book. The author says she wrote it in response to her children's request to tell them about her hippie days. Scrapbook Of A Taos Hippie is more than a nostalgic look at a time and life now past. It captures the bitter poignancy of the day. It will appeal to specialized interests audiences.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

Soldier of Aquarius: 1969-1970

Published in Paperback by Inkwater Press (2007-10-30)

Author: John W. Cassell

List price: $36.95

New price: $27.58
Used price: $29.63

Average review score:

A Literary Fountain of Youth !

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-04

I have read this novel three times & will read it again.
All of John Cassell's novels are superbly written. The stories
are gripping & sure to please readers of all ages.
If it were possible to earn a ten star rating this Novel deserves it!
>
Soldiers of Aquarius 1969-1970 was a return to a wonderful, yet painful era in American history. Cassell takes you back to the days of "Make Love Not War","Peace" and "Hell No We Won't Go!" You get to travel with him from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Albuerque, New Mexico, then on to California and back. Many times with little or no money, through hot desert country and freezing cold. He lets you taste starvation,arrest, torture,loneliness and the confusion of youths living in those wonderful, stormy and often frightening days.

It's a Great Day to Live!

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-17

One day, when the cultural wars are done and the human soul is freed, I'll be able to say with full conviction, "This is a great Day to live."

SOLDIER OF AQUARIUS is a great place to step out into a new way of life, with a fascinating literary hero.

As is obvious from my discussion topic (in the Amazon Shorts forum) toasting John Cassell's HELL'S QUEST: 1971, I've been reading this author's collection of novels for the past few months, following a surge in literary exploration which has caused that forum to evolve into a commentary on each of those novels, as well as into a seminar on novelists talking about their work and writing techniques, including how ghosts, poltergeists, and possession of an author by a quickened character are related concepts.

For the past several years I've been reading mostly mystery novel series as I enjoy the literary depth and continuity there. I escape into novels so thoroughly that I go through a minor grieving process when I finish a good one. Being able to follow a character through several books is a boon to that type of psyche, and to an author like me who also writes books in series.

Prior to becoming addicted to the unique voice of Cassell, I had made a study of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, reviewing each novel in that series, then moving into his two other mystery series. Through Spenser I enjoyed comparing the 70's to present day, and following various details of the evolution of cultural change beginning in the 70's then pushing heatedly through the 80's, 90's, and 00's.

That craving led naturally, almost uncannily into Cassel's novels, which focus on the 1967-1973 seeding pivotal point of the huge number of philosophical, psychological, sociological changes which we're still sorting through today.

My problem with some of The Literary Classics has always been that reading them depressed me. I was usually left at the end of a read feeling that the best next course of action would be to leap off a cliff. I was always disgusted that such amazing literary skill, such exquisite syntax, such blood-rich character development, such balsamic plot complexity was used to elevate either the artistry of ennui or of horrifying tragedy... concluding with, "Is that all there is?" or "Life is NOT a bowl full of cherries; it is The Pits of Terror and Torture." The GREAT GATSBY was one such. The wordsmithing and storytelling ability in that novel are almost insurpassable. Yet, I feel nothing but an empty, horrible depression when I get into that book or movie. Even so, Gatsby is one of my favorite examples of a truly good novel.

Too many of the Classics, for me, are the perfect promotions for Prozac. Given a choice, I'd rather read Parker or Cassell and keep my natural chemistry intact.

What I like about that pair is that both authors provide engrossing entertainment, then leave me as a reader with a feeling of being well grounded into reality, including the dark sides, yet ready to work even harder to get what I want out of life and to spark others to do the same with their lives, through my writing.

When I read I seek a spirit lift. I get enough daily drains on my life force from reality. I can't see welcoming them into my mind when I'm wanting the regenerating factor of an escape into an enthralling world created in my mind by another healthy mind.

Somewhat in contrast to all the above, I've been thoroughly drawn into the benefits of the Amazon Shorts program as a way to develop my readership, and to find additional authors I might want to explore. Through reading the short stories and nonfiction essays in the Shorts program, I've discovered that I can sometimes enjoy a "short" break from my usual diet of novels and series. The authors in the Amazon Shorts program are indeed impressive. If not for Amazon Shorts, I might not have discovered the author who has become my favorite, rivaling Ayn Rand's ATLAS SHRUGGED.

Who is John W. Cassell?

I hope to find other authors whose books possess anywhere near that level of ability to enhance the soul. It'll be a while yet, before I've come to the conclusion of indulging this wallow into the works of a great author stepping out.

I'm honored to say that my blurb has been included in this novel's publication, in good company with other authors raving SOLDIER OF AQUARIUS.

Soon, I hope to be able to compose and post separate reviews on each of Cassell's novels available here on Amazon. Until then, I'll post this overview to stand in admiration of literature worth reading and rereading.

Linda Shelnutt

Morning Comes: the Pre Dawn Blues - Part 1
I'm rereading my own novel available in a 10 part series of Amazon Shorts, MORNING COMES, which holds uncanny thematic parallels to some of John's books, especially AN AQUARIAN TRAGEDY, which I'm now reading, having now read all of the current Cassell collection.

CLASSIC COUNTERCULTURE LITERATURE!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-10

One needn't read far along in this action-filled dramatisation of coming of age in America's counterculture of 1969-1970 before realising they are holding a soon-to-be classic in their hands.

Written a scant six years after the fact, this book places the reader at the very centre of the action in 1969-1970,when the protagonist faces the end of a highly successful four years at university and now must decide what next.

Whilst working through this decision, the young protagonist finds himself at the very knife edge of the war then afoot between old and young: the expectations of the older generation; the yearnings of the younger. What follows is a tempestuous two years of life in the counterculture. This is the counterculture of drugs, free love, war protests and anarchy that had this country as close to revolution as it would ever get.

Within those two years are packed all the triumph and defeat one could ever hope to find as the young man's saga touches three continents and just about every emotion one couldst label. These two years are re-experienced as a flashback on an airline trip to Albuquerque in April of 1977. A trip with a very special, emotion-laden purpose...a purpose from which there is no going back. Indeed, the young man has only purchased a one-way ticket.

Those days are long gone as a matter of history, but they come alive once more through the riveting writing ability of Mr. Cassell, a man whose talents as one of America's best storytellers are just beginning to achieve the recognition they have long deserved. Five Stars awarded by Perry Carver

Step Out Into a New Life

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-07

SOLDIER OF AQUARIUS is a great place to step out into a new way of life, with a fascinating literary hero.

As is obvious from my discussion topic (in the Amazon Shorts forum on the USA Amazon site) toasting John Cassell's HELL'S QUEST: 1971, I've been reading this author's collection of novels for several months, following a surge in literary exploration which has caused that forum to evolve into a commentary on each of those novels, as well as into a seminar on novelists talking about their work and writing techniques, including how ghosts, poltergeists, and possession of an author by a quickened character are related concepts.

For the past several years I've been reading mostly mystery novel series as I enjoy the literary depth and continuity there. I escape into novels so thoroughly that I go through a minor grieving process when I finish a good one. Being able to follow a character through several books is a boon to that type of psyche, and to an author like me who also writes books in series.

Prior to becoming addicted to the unique voice of Cassell, I had made a study of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, reviewing each novel in that series, then moving into his two other mystery series. Through Spenser I enjoyed comparing the 70's to present day, and following various details of the evolution of cultural change beginning in the 70's then pushing heatedly through the 80's, 90's, and 00's.

That craving led naturally, almost uncannily into Cassel's novels, which focus on the 1967-1973 seeding pivotal point of the huge number of philosophical, psychological, sociological changes which we're still sorting through today.

My problem with some of The Literary Classics has always been that reading them depressed me. I was usually left at the end of a read feeling that the best next course of action would be to leap off a cliff. I was always disgusted that such amazing literary skill, such exquisite syntax, such blood-rich character development, such balsamic plot complexity was used to elevate either the artistry of ennui or of horrifying tragedy... concluding with, "Is that all there is?" or "Life is NOT a bowl full of cherries; it is The Pits of Terror and Torture." The GREAT GATSBY was one such. The wordsmithing and storytelling ability in that novel are almost insurpassable. Yet, I feel nothing but an empty, horrible depression when I get into that book or movie. Even so, Gatsby is one of my favorite examples of a truly good novel.

Too many of the Classics, for me, are the perfect promotions for Prozac. Given a choice, I'd rather read Cassell, Parker, and Jack Engelhard (THE BATHSHEBA DEADLINE, see my review) and keep my natural chemistry intact.

What I like about those guys is that they provide engrossing entertainment, then leave me as a reader with a feeling of being well grounded into reality, including the dark sides, yet ready to work even harder to get what I want out of life and to spark others to do the same with their lives, through my writing.

When I read I seek a spirit lift. I get enough daily drains on my life force from reality. I can't see welcoming them into my mind when I'm wanting the regenerating factor of an escape into an enthralling world created in my mind by another healthy mind.

It'll be a while yet, before I've come to the conclusion of indulging this wallow into the works of a great author stepping out.

I'm honored to say that my blurb has been included in this novel's publication, in good company with other authors raving SOLDIER OF AQUARIUS.

Linda Shelnutt

Shelnutt is the author of several Amazon Kindle books and Amazon Shorts, including Myrtle's Ultimate Mystery, Full Moon Rising (The Books of Gem), and Molasses Moon. Her trade paperback, The Rose and the Pyramid has become a collector's item, and is now available on Kindle The Rose and the Pyramid (The Books of Gem).

COUNTERCULTURE CLASSIC

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-04

One needn't read far along in this action-filled dramatisation of coming of age in America's counterculture of 1969-1970 before realising they are holding a soon-to-be classic in their hands.

Written a scant six years after the fact, this book places the reader at the very centre of the action in 1969-1970,when the protagonist faces the end of a highly successful four years at university and now must decide what next.

Whilst working through this decision, the young protagonist finds himself at the very knife edge of the war then afoot between old and young: the expectations of the older generation; the yearnings of the younger. What follows is a tempestuous two years of life in the counterculture. This is the counterculture of drugs, free love, war protests and anarchy that had this country as close to revolution as it would ever get.

Within those two years are packed all the triumph and defeat one could ever hope to find as the young man's saga touches three continents and just about every emotion one couldst label. These two years are re-experienced as a flashback on an airline trip to Albuquerque in April of 1977. A trip with a very special, emotion-laden purpose...a purpose from which there is no going back. Indeed, the young man has only purchased a one-way ticket.

Those days are long gone as a matter of history, but they come alive once more through the riveting writing ability of Mr. Cassell, a man whose talents as one of America's best storytellers are just beginning to achieve the recognition they have long deserved. Five Stars awarded by Perry Carver

New Mexico Books