Shadow Man

By James D. Doss

Book Overview

When a local prosecuting attorney is killed by long-range rifle while dining at an exclusive Granite Creek, Colorado, restaurant, it seems obvious that a vengeful criminal is to blame. But orthodontist Manfred Blinkoe was sitting ten feet away and he insists that he was the intended victim. In fact, he claims that just before the shot was fired, he saw his doppelganger - an eerie lookalike - as he has in the past just before a near-death experience. Terrified, Blinkoe hires Charlie Moon to find the lookalike, but before Charlie can get anywhere, Blinkoe is murdered for real.As usual in Doss's clever, intricately drawn mysteries, the cagey Charlie Moon and his Ute shaman Aunt Daisy share the spotlight.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312340532
• ISBN13: 9780312340537
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Shadow Man (A Charlie Moon Mystery)

The chief characters in the book are Charlie Moon, a Southern Ute Tribal Investigator, his Aunt Daisy who happens to be a Ute Shaman and Charlie's best friend, Police Chief Scott Parris. The tale begins when a woman is murdered in a restaurant in a small town in Colorado. There were only two diners at the restaurant and the survivor, an orthodontist by the name of Dr. Blinkoe is convinced the bullet was meant for him. Dr. Blinkoe ends up hiring Charlie Moon to investigate and things start to heat up. Charlie's Aunt Daisy manages to get in on the action and provides us with some very funny moments. Doss mixes mystery, humor and the supernatural to come up with a story that is entertaining and fun to read. If you haven't read any of his books before, I'd recommend reading his earlier ones, such as: The Shaman Sings, The Shaman Laughs, The Shaman's Bones and the Shaman's Game. The Night Visitor, Grandmother Spider, White Shell Woman, Dead Soul and The Witch's Tongue are later works and I enjoyed reading all of them.

/shadow Man-James Doss

Ihave the complete collection of James Doss (I think). This is the funniest one yet

get better all the time

This is the funniest of this series that I have read. The central character is really Daisy Perika, not Charlie Moon, or at least I find her more interesting than Charlie Moon. I don't usually like books with an emphasis on the supernatural, but in this series it is integral to the plots and well-done. Aunt Daisy has more contact with spirits than with living people, and she is comfortable and natural in that atmosphere. As for Moon's romances, they are banal and not especially interesting, but I appreciate the author's discretion. Very few people really write sex scenes well - the only one I have read recently that was authentic and well-written was in an Anthony Bourdain novel - so I like it when the author spares the readers and doesn't include sex just because he/she feels it is obligatory. I also like the twists and turns of the plots in Doss's books, this story has them as well, and they are great surprises. His characters are more enjoyable than Tony Hillerman's, less earnest and stressed, more fun to spend time with.

Great read

This Charlie Moon mystery is by far the best of all. The blending of Ute culture, supernatural, and reality keeps the reader guessing to the very end. As usual Charlie Moon's aunt Daisy, adds a lot of fun and Native American spirituality to the story. I was sorry the novel ended and I am eagerly waiting for the next one. They just keep getting better and better.

Shadow Man is a great read

This is well written, funny, and pulls you right into the story from the first page. The American Indian lore adds to the fullness of this book as do the 2 elderly lady characters. You have to love those 2!