Pamela Clare, Naked Edge

Naked Edge

Pamela Clare

Berkley, Mar 2010, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425219768

Being a half-breed has made journalist Katherine James for the most part feel out of place in both of her cultural heritages. Her white father deserted her and her Native American mother so Katherine never met him and has no desire to do so. The Navaho have been kinder to her so she chose to stay with them. However, she has vowed to never fall in love as her mother was devastated by that emotion.

At Mesa Butte, Park Ranger Gabe Rossiter helps Kat after she is trapped by a landslide. Not long afterward, Gabe joins a raid on a sweat-lodge ceremony where he spots Kat. Like her though his reason differs, he vowed to never fall in love again having been hurt badly the first time. When her grandfather is murdered, Gabe and Kat team up to learn the truth, placing them in danger from a vile killer and each questioning their feelings.

This is an entertaining investigative romance starring two likable protagonists who have the sweat lodge ceremony intrusion between them even as they fall in love. The wilderness scenes are terrific, but the vivid description of the contemporary Navaho lifestyle never seems to gel as the background to the inquiry by Gabe and Katherine. Still fans will enjoy this exciting romantic suspense of two people trying to kick love to the curb while their joint investigation into strange deadly happenings at mesa Butte place both in danger.

Harriet Klausner