Reviewing The Anasazi Mysteries Series

Historical Fiction Series

Anasazi Settlement Ruin
Photo courtesy of  Charles M. Sauer

As a huge fan of historical fiction, I want to share a series of books that I recently discovered. The Anasazi Mystery Series consists of three very well written books that I highly recommend to anyone who loves this genre of literature. 

The series was written by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and her husband W. Michael Gear who are not only gifted with telling a great story but are also both archaeologists. Their knowledge of the science involved in  a "dig" adds remarkable depth to the story they unfold in each of the three books. 

In each of the three books, we go back and forth between a modern day team of archaeologists who have uncovered bodies of women that have been buried in a most nontraditional manner and the story of the Anasazi peoples who inhabited the area where the bodies were found. The "dig" is taking place in the late 1990's and early 2000's. When we are learning the events that led up to these women being buried we are in the time frame of around 1150 to 1200 AD. The time frame from the past is significant because it is the era that most historians and scientist place the sudden disappearance of the Anasazi peoples. 

You will want to start with the first book because the story builds and continues with books two and three. 

The Visitant: Book I of the Anasazi Mysteries

Who Were The Anasazi?

They are often referred to by many names. The word Anasazi is loosely based on a Navajo word which means ancient ones or ancient enemies. You might also know them as the cliff dwellers or the peoples who created the cliff dwellings found in the Four Corners area of the US. Modern historians refer to this group of peoples as the Ancestral Puebloans. 

There is much debate among the scholars as to when the culture first emerged but the general consensus is that it was around 1200 BC and they seem to have ceased to exist around 1200 AD. That is 2400 years, folks! What happened to them? Where did they go? 

I have been fascinated with this ancient group of American Indians for as long as I can remember so when I saw the series, I knew I just had to read it. 

The Series Is A Mixture of A Mystery, history and so much more!

What I love about this short series of books that could almost be called a trilogy is that there is a great mystery to solve. Why were these women buried in such a nontraditional manner? Were they tortured and if so; why? Who did this? 

The series goes beyond the mystery, though. The authors give us a background in how this culture lived and what the climate was like at the time. We learn about their religious beliefs, the warfare among the peoples in the area at the time and of a sickness that could be a huge part of their demise as a culture. It is a story about good versus evil, about love and loss and how people have not changed a whole lot over the centuries. 

There are questions raised in my own mind as I have read through these three books. As the story unfolds we see that there is often a struggle with the scientists. There are the scientific facts that come to light during any excavation of artifacts and skeletal remains but there is also the beliefs of the people involved from an emotional and spiritual level. How does one separate the two or better yet should they even try to keep them separate? Is it possible for the spirits of the past to reach out to us and help us understand what happened? A discussion for another day, but interesting in and of itself. 

I highly recommend this set of books: The Anasazi Mystery Series to the fan of historical fiction and those who love a great mystery. The books include: 

• The Visitant (link above)
• The Summoning God: Book II of the Anasazi Mysteries
• Bone Walker

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Review of The Color of Law by Mark Gimenez

Why Do Corporate Lawyers Have Such a Bad Reputation?

The Color of Law gives readers a fictional peek inside the world of large law corporations and will show you why corporate lawyers have such a bad reputation.

We meet protagonist Scott Feeney as he speaks to a group of lawyers he hopes will elect him President of the State Bar in Texas. He asks his fellow lawyers: 'Are we really doing good, or are we just doing really well? Are we noble guardians of the rule of law fighting for justice in America or are we just greedy parasites using the law to suck every last dollar from society like leeches on a dying man? Are we making the world a better place or are we just making ourselves filthy rich?' These words and the ones that followed in the same tone, declaring that yes, they were fighting for justice and that he was proud to be a lawyer, got him a standing ovation. He said he wanted to make his mother, who had told him to become another Atticus Finch, proud.

When the lawyer Feeney wants to replace as president of the bar calls his bluff with a whisper in his ear about his impressive line of BS, Scott replies, 'Henry, you don't get laid or elected by telling the truth.' Unbeknownst to Scott, there was one lawyer, sitting in the back of the dining room by himself, who was not applauding, United States District Court Judge Samuel Buford. He was, however, smiling to himself.

Scott Feeny has it all. He had been a partner at the prominent Ford Stevens law firm in Dallas for four years and was making $750,000 a year. He has a beautiful wife, a nine-year-old daughter, “Boo,” whom he dearly loves, and a mini-mansion in a very exclusive community known as Highland Park. He belongs to an exclusive country club. He has everything money can buy, and he really doesn't want to let his family know what he has to do to earn it. The reader, however, sees it all, and recognizes that what Scott does may be “legal,” but definitely not moral.

Why Scott's World Is Turned Upside Down

Two things happen to change Scott's world. A black prostitute is accused of murdering a Texas senator's playboy son, Clark McCall. Senator Mack McCall is planning to run for President. After throwing the words of Scott's speech back at him, Judge Buford calls on Scott to defend the prostitute, Shawanda Jones, for free, as a court-appointed lawyer. The judge says Scott would make his mother proud by taking the case. Scott cannot find a way to wiggle out of it. The judge rubs it in that it was Scott's speech that makes him decide to appoint Scott instead of a regular criminal defense attorney. 

Defending Shawanda, however, threatens everything Scott has worked for in life. At first, he plans to have Shawanda plea bargain, as his boss wants him to, to keep the case from going to trial. Shawanda, however, insists she is innocent, and Scott begins to believe her. As he attempts to put all he has into Shawanda's defense, the other partners at Ford Stevens fire him because they don't want their firm's name dragged through the mud. Scott's best clients drop him due to pressure from McCall. In fact, it seems McCall indirectly controls almost all Scott has and is taking it from him.

In contrast to the dirty politics and social pressure in what had been Scott's corporate law career, we see Scott's healthy relationship with his daughter, “Boo.” He reads the Constitution to her at night like a bedtime story, and they discuss it and how it applies to life and law. She not only supports her dad's decision to defend Shawanda but also encourages her dad to let Shawanda's daughter live with them to keep her safe while her mother is in jail. Shawanda lives in the projects that Scott is scared to even drive to. Meanwhile, Scott's wife, Rebecca, finally leaves him to run off with the assistant golf pro at the country club where Scott (and she as his wife) have had their membership taken away due to McCall pulling some strings. Her relationship with Scott was not strong enough to survive losing their wealth and social status.

Meanwhile, an old friend of Scott's from his youth, Bobby Herrin, reenters his life. Scott has always been Bobby's hero, but Bobby wasn't good enough at football to get a scholarship at SMU as Scott did. He had to get a student loan. Although he followed Scott to law school, his grades weren't as good as Scott's. Scott and Bobby had once planned to practice law together, but Scott could not resist the call of the opportunity Ford Stevens offered him. The large law firms didn't want someone like Bobby, so he became a street lawyer. As Scott starts losing everything, Bobby begins to play an important part in Scott's life again. Now it is Bobby who can teach Scott a few things.

Power Versus Justice

Image  Courtesy of Pixabay, text added on Fotojet

When I began to read this book, I almost stopped because it mostly focused on Scott's perfect life and dirty corporate law. I always, however, give a book at least fifty pages, and by the time I had read those fifty pages I was hooked. The book has a lot to say about power versus justice. Scott finally learns for himself what it means to do good, as opposed to just really well. I was very satisfied with the ending of the book, but I won't spoil it for you. Once past those first few pages, there is plenty of suspense and human interest to keep you reading until the end.  I'm  looking forward to the next novel in this series, Accused, where Scott will have to defend the wife who left him. She is accused of killing the golf pro she ran off with. 

Gimenez writes on some of the same themes as John Grisham and handles them with the same skill. Some critics believe he is overtaking Grisham. Whether that is true is something you will need to decide for yourself. I will have to read a few more by Gimenez to decide, but I'd say he is definitely giving Grisham some competition.

 The Color of Law: A Novel >/a> El color de la ley (Principal de los Libros) (Spanish Edition)

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Which Quote Best Describes You?

Quotes for the Wall Here

In the New World of 140 Characters, Quotes are Fast Becoming a Way of Making a Quick Statement About Ourselves; Which Quote Best Describes You?

It's going to be difficult to select just one quote that best describes yourself! Most of us have numerous quotations in our repertoire that resonate with us.

Certainly, as we grow older, a saying that meant something to us once at 20 years old may not hold the same meaning for us at 40. However, having noted all of these obstacles, take a gander at the quotations I've put together below to see if there's one particular quote that means more than an other, at this time in your life.

Of course, I've only focused on a handful of quotations to feature, but don't let that stop you

from adding the saying that you personally like best in the comments section.

Does A Quote about Success and What it Means to

Succeed Hit Home With You?

Are you the sort of person who connects with phrases and quotations about success versus failure? There are a number of them to choose from including this extremely popular quote by Michael Jordan.

"I have missed over 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. - Michael Jordan"

This particular saying says a lot about perseverance...taking 9000 shots, losing 300 games...and this is why he succeeded. Are you the sort of person who's just stubborn enough to keep going until you make it? Do you look at the failures in your life as merely temporary obstacles? Maybe you're motivated by failure?

A few of my own personal favorite quotes are:

1.  This too shall pass
2.  Sometimes God calms the storm, but sometimes God lets the storm rage, and calms his child

Some people find it difficult to cope with obstacles and failures; how about you? Do you believe that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it? There are a lot of questions here aren't there? Go ahead, offer up your thoughts.

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"The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock Movie Review

Let me "propose" this solution for an otherwise boring evening!

The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds is a delightfully entertaining movie.  Even though the movie is pretty predictable, it is refreshingly funny and romantic.

Sandra & Ryan really are a good match!  Not only are they a cute couple, but they appear to interact naturally with each other.

Betty White, Mary Steenburgen and Craig T. Nelson each added their own special touch of fun and awesomeness in their supporting roles.  The total cast really made this movie one of the best romantic comedies I have ever seen.

Review of The Proposal

 The Proposal (Single-Disc Edition)A hilarious romantic comedy that will keep everyone laughing!

This is one of the best movies I have seen in decades.  My son took me and my husband to see this movie the week it opened.  The guys really went just to accompany me, but they ended up being thoroughly entertained too.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I get really tired of going to the theater, paying astronomical admission prices, then going home more depressed than I was before I went.  Oh wait, I wasn't depressed before I left home!

Regardless, that was not the case with this movie.  I actually felt lighter and happier when I left the theater and wonders of all wonders, I was laughing.  When this happens, it is an occasion to rejoice; and write a review!

Be warned though, there is a nude, well mostly nude, scene.  However, it was so funny that I forgot to be embarrassed.

The Proposer 

Margaret Tate 

Sandra Bullock has always been one of my favorite actresses.  Not only do I think she is beautiful and witty, she appears to be the type of person I would want for a best friend.

If I had read the screenplay first, I never would have pictured Sandra Bullock playing the part of Margaret Tate.  Gratefully, I was not on the casting committee because she certainly is the perfect choice.

She is extremely entertaining without being crude, rude or socially unacceptable.  Well, maybe she was a bit rude in this movie, but she is still somehow very lovable.

The Proposee 

Andrew Paxton 

Surprise, surprise, surprise!  Ryan Reynolds is truly remarkable!

While he has never especially impressed me in the past, I couldn't even tell you what I have seen him in before, he was phenomenal as Andrew Paxton. You absolutely must see this movie!  His expressions alone should make this a box office hit.

Nothing less than an Oscar deserving performance! 

While he may not have received an Oscar, he did win MTV's Best Comedic Performance Award for this movie.

The Plot of "The Proposal" 

Only a teaser. I won't give the whole movie away 

When Margaret Tate learns that she faces being deported due to an expired visa, the manipulative and despised executive declares that she is actually engaged to her unsuspecting assistant, Andrew.

Shortly thereafter, Margaret and Andrew find themselves in the Immigration office insisting that they really are in love.  In order to prove to the suspicious immigration officer that they are the "real thing", Margaret once again lies and states that they actually have plans to spend the weekend with Andrew's family in Alaska, where they intend to announce their engagement to his family.  After being totally caught off guard by this declaration, Andrew decides to make a few demands of his own, starting with a proposal.

Alaska becomes the setting for one comedic episode after another.

At the risk of being redundant, You Simply Must See This Movie!

The Proposal Trailer

Join me for a brief look at the movie!

Others Opinions of "The Proposal" 

Reviews 

Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
"The chemical energy between Bullock and Reynolds is fresh and irresistible"

The Hollywood Reporter by Kevin Lally 
 "The situations might be formulaic, but the teamwork of the two leads brings them to sparkling life"

Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert 
"Recycles a plot that was already old when Tracy and Hepburn were trying it out. You see it coming from a great distance away. As it draws closer, you don't duck out of the way, because it is so cheerfully done, you don't mind being hit by it"

Los Angeles Time by Betsy Sharkey 
"Just a good old-fashioned romance, one in which people actually bring out the best in one another rather than the worst. How novel is that?"

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True Grit 1969 Movie Review

Starring John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn

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Hard to believe that True Grit, the movie, is over 45-years old. It's one of my favorite movies so just in case you haven't seen this classic film, I decided to review it here for you.

True Grit takes place in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and in Indian Territory, across the Arkansas River from Fort Smith in what is now Oklahoma. Mattie Ross, the young star of the story, has traveled from Dardanelle, in Yell County, Arkansas, to meet Rooster Cogburn, a U.S. Marshall assigned to Judge Parker's territory in western Arkansas. Mattie has been told by her family's attorney that Rooster Cogburn has "grit," so she is sure that he is exactly the one she's looking for, the man who can track down Tom Cheney, the outlaw who shot and killed her father.

I happen to know a little bit about the Fort Smith, Arkansas, area; that's my neck of the woods. Judge Parker was real and is a very important part of our local history. I know something about the area across the river, too, and I know it doesn't look at all as it's portrayed in the movie, but I decided not to hold that against the makers of this film, which is more than worthy of a spot on my top favorite movies of all time list.

I love the characters in this story. I love Mattie Ross, partly because she reminds me a lot of myself (I think she even looks a little bit like me), and who doesn't love John Wayne no matter what character he portrays, and Rooster J. Cogburn is a character, indeed.

When the True Grit movie remake was released in 2010 I was very anxious to see it, and I liked it, but the John Wayne version is still my favorite. If you haven't seen True Grit starring John Wayne, you must.

The Fort Smith Connection

If you're a fan of either or both True Grit movies, or the novel on which they are based, then you may already know about the real Fort Smith, Arkansas. That's the setting of the story and the city the fictional Marshal Rooster Cogburn called home. Today, Fort Smith is also the home of the soon-to-be-built U.S. Marshals Museum.

--Susan Deppner

About the author

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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