Follow the Crow (Vanished, #1)

Surprisingly amazing. I was hesitant about reading this. Then I couldn't put it down! The author simply pulls you right in!

Interesting plot. Could never have imagined this plot. The characters were so interesting too. Described them and revealed their personalities so well!

Sometimes I think I should only give five stars to books if they are true classics, and other times, I think give them too freely, because the book made me laugh and it was fun.This book - this _series_ of books - is deserving of a five star rating. It’s fascinating and complex. It’s taken me to a world I understand better than I did before. The characters are written as full and complete people; they make mistakes when they are trying so hard to do the right thing, and do the right thing when they’re sure they’re making mistakes. Above all is their love for their people, their history, and their land. And they’re willing to sacrifice to do what they must.I give this series a high recommendation. If you’re at all interested in the subject matter, you won’t regret the read.

It was hard to rate this book. I enjoyed the dialogue, and the characters, and the otherworldly ending, but I felt extremely disrespectful reading it because it has Nothing to do with the Navajo. A few chants dug out of an old ethnography and a thorough knowledge of Tony Hillerman's books can not replace personal knowledge. Really, the problems began on p.3 when a Navajo cop walks into a bar on the rez -- but wait! There ARE NO bars on the rez. Alcohol has been banned from most (if not all) reservation lands for over 100 years. Given how much of a role casual alcohol consumption plays in this book, you can see the author knows little indeed of the Navajo reservation. And that's just where the problems Start.Worse, the book didn't need to be placed on a reservation or in a Native American context. Griffith deals with an otherworldly paradigm of his own creation. He didn't need sings, or totems (as he calls fetishes); heck he didn't even need turquoise -- you get the sense that he wanted characters who are more comfortable than most with spirits, and so he hit on stereotyped Native American culture as a setting. He could easily have set the story into a small mountain town above Denver filled with new-age types, or aging hippies, or any other group that acknowledges a more-than-physical world -- they are as likely as any others to have problems with drugs and alcohol, and are far more likely to have bars and beer in the kitchen fridge.So, despite what I enjoyed of the book, I cannot recommend it. I can only hope that Mr. Griffith pulls the series out of Navajoland and puts it in a setting he can write honestly about.

A little bit of the supernatural and a lot of very real people. I love that it's set in Navajo country, where the people seem stolical and yet are wildly imaginative with long involved beautiful ceremonies with chanting, painting and poetry.A white Doctor and a white nurse complete the cast. Her beloved Ben Dejooli, a navajo, is dying of cancer even as he and the nurse Caroline become aware of their love. Doctor Owen also loves Caroline but he is totally committed to treating Ben's cancer successfully.OKay then there is Ben's feisty Gam, an ancient woman who has a crow totem and a silver bell and the other main character is Ben's dead sister Ana.The night sometimes is black with crows and there is one crow, larger than all the others, whose black coat is tinged with red and he lives between two realms.

Death visits a Navajo reservation in this tale of paranormal suspense. Ben is a reservation police officer. The troubling disappearance of his dying sister years before shattered his family and estranged him from his best friend. When an elderly man is found dead in a seedy bar, Ben suspects it is less straight forward than his partner suggests. An injury takes Ben to the hospital where he connects with a nurse, Carolyn. Carolyn is concerned about Ben's symptoms and urges him to undergo further testing. Owen, a kind yet gifted doctor, loves Carolyn from afar and is also drawn into Ben's intrigue. As his health declines, Ben realizes that he is part of a cosmic web where the crows that follow him are harbingers of strange happenings.This book begins like the standard romantic suspense. The characters are engaging and interesting. As the book progresses, the mystical elements take center stage. I can't speak to the authenticity of the Native American spiritual elements, they seemed stereotypical. Still it is a fun, fast paced read that held my interest throughout.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Sometimes it drew me in. Sometimes it left me yawning a bit. It wasn’t a story that kept drawing me back from life’s activities, like others have kept me feverishly reading until I finish, neglecting to eat or sleep. Instead, this book gently led me along a little bit each day not interrupting my daily routine or weekly events but dropping little curious pearls of spiritual mystery in between… and giving me inspiration into Navajo mysticism, hogans and totems, and the world of cancer victims and caretakers, chemo and death. I like how crows showed up throughout the book as if they were hinting something that was just out of reach. I look forward to more from the characters I’ve learned to love, including the dead ones.

I liked it, easy to read, and kept my interest. A new storyline for me about american indian folklore. I will read More!

À aimer

I’ve just read this for the second time. It is an enthralling story, told by three individuals - Navajo tribal policeman Ben, nurse Caroline, and doctor Owen - whose lives become inextricably linked. The background of life on “the rez” is beautifully drawn, helping the reader understand something of the culture and mindset of the Navajo.The roots of the story go back years - to the loss of Ben’s younger sister and the betrayal of a close friend - and include a startling instance of tribal law. These events fractured Ben’s family and still cause him to be despised and distrusted by many on the rez and even by some of his colleagues. On this foundation is built a richly complex and moving novel combining Navajo mythology with modern supernatural fantasy.Very highly recommended.

Loved that book! What a great storyline..what a great concept..it's scary, edgy, fast, dark, deep, enigmatic..a hold-your-breath kind of read.

A enjoyable, cleanly written read. Taken along for a smooth, fun ride. Engaging characters and a satisfying ending leaving room for more books to come.I had hoped that this lovely novel had been written by a First Nations author, but very much appreciate the acknowledgements at the end that allowed this story to so gracefully be placed in a First Nations community.

I bought this book a few years ago and just read it. It’s very very good. I should have read it before. I found the story and the characters original. I look forward to reading more of this author