Invisible Path by Marilyn Meredith

Invisible Path by Marilyn Meredith Over the years, when the most easily identified suspect had been arrested with no further investigation for any others, Tempe had investigated murders on her own time, sometimes at the peril of her job or even her life, until she ferreted out the truth and the guilty party.

Tempe Crabtree returns in Invisible Path, the eighth in author Marilyn Meredith’s series featuring the Native American deputy stationed in the small town of Bear Creek, California in the San Joaquin Valley.

In this outing, set against the backdrop of the approaching Christmas season, Tempe finds her plans to relax with her family interrupted by two seemingly unrelated events: the murder of a young Indian man near the Bear Creek Recovery Center, and the appearance of a group of para-military activists in the woods surrounding the Bear Creek Reservation.

Though most on the reservation seem ready to blame newcomer Jesus Running Bear for the murder, Tempe has serious doubts as to his guilt. Those doubts are amplified when she learns the victim was a known bully with a hair trigger temper and more than a few enemies.

Meanwhile, Tempe also has to determine if the para-military group is just a bunch of solider wannabes playing weekend warrior, or if they represent a more serious threat to the citizens of Bear Creek. Add to that the involvement of the Native American legend of the Hairy Man and Tempe has her hands full.

Author Marilyn Meredith’s infusion of Native American legends and traditions into the story elevates Invisible Path to something more than just a police procedural. The reader truly gets a feel for the balancing act Tempe engages in every day between her job as a law enforcement officer and her Native American heritage. If you like murder mysteries / police procedurals but are looking for a change of pace from yet another one set in a big city, Invisible Path is a nice alternative with believable, well developed, sympathetic characters and a fascinating setting.

Invisible Path is available from Mundania Press (ISBN: 978-1606592397).

Marilyn Meredith is the author of nearly thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest of which is Invisible Path from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series. An Axe to Grind from Oak Tree Press is the latest in the series. To learn more about Marilyn, visit her website.

14 Comments

Marilyn Meredith
November 18, 2010 - 9:56 AM

The problem with the numbering of the books is that there is a prequel. Mundania Press has it now, but they don’t have it listed with the other books in the series. It’s called Deadly Trail.

There is one book that can only be purchased as an e-book and that Unequally Yoked. Reasons all have to do with publishers quitting the business or dying.

Marilyn
- Elizabeth A. White
  November 18, 2010 - 10:03 AM
  
  Thank you so much for clarifying that. I’m sure people will appreciate knowing all the titles they need to complete the Tempe reading experience… I know I do! 🙂
Linda Card
November 17, 2010 - 11:56 PM

Besides wanting to finish Invisible Path, now I want a Kindle. Both of which are happily YOUR Fault!
Marilyn Meredith
November 17, 2010 - 7:35 PM

Okay, finally back to my home computer. Again thank you. Though my Tempe Crabtree mysteries don’t quite fit the cozy category, there is no bad language and I shut the bedroom door. so in some ways they do qualify. No pets though, and Tempe is a law enforcement officer though solving murders probably isn’t part of her job description. Thank you, everyone for commenting.
Marilyn Meredith
November 16, 2010 - 12:26 PM

Here I am but not able to do what I need to do. Thanks for the wonderful review.
- Elizabeth A. White
  November 16, 2010 - 12:42 PM
  
  Thank you for the enjoyable read, and for stopping by. 🙂
sabrina ogden
November 16, 2010 - 11:36 AM

Another great review! It doesn’t sound like a cozy mystery from what you’ve described, as I’m a reader of both. The problem with me being twelve years behind in my reading is I now have over 500 books to read and this review just added another 8. Thanks for the great work. You truly ROCK!
- Elizabeth A. White
  November 16, 2010 - 11:52 AM
  
  The book is closer to Louise Penny / Dana Stabenow than Michael Connelly / Ian Rankin, but I don’t consider Penny and Stabenow to be “cozy” writers by any stretch. Then again, everyone has their own definition of a cozy. To me – fair or unfair – that term always implies some level of wackiness or flightiness on the part of the main character. That or a grandmotherly / Miss Marple type lead.
  
  I don’t think just because a story has a healthy dose of character focus that makes it a “cozy” in and of itself. After all, Connelly’s Harry Bosch series has a tremendous exploration of his motivations, relationships (and lack thereof), and conflicts… and I’d hardly call the Bosch series cozies! 😛
  - Cheryl Malandrinos
    November 16, 2010 - 12:44 PM
    
    I’ve never thought of Marilyn’s work as cozy either, but like you and C.N. mentioned, her writing heavily invests in its characters. That’s one of the things that attracted me to both her series. She also writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. series under the name of F.M. Meredith. This is a more procedural type mystery in my mind, but again, the daily lives of her characters are focused upon.
    
    Thanks for all the comments.
    
    Cheryl
Michelle Davidson Argyle
November 16, 2010 - 11:01 AM

This sounds really great! I’m excited to read some of Marilyn’s work and plan to download some of it to my Kindle soon. Thanks for this fantastic review!
C. N. Nevets
November 16, 2010 - 10:58 AM

While the resolution of the mystery does involve a police force, the feel of the book is far more that of a cozy than of a police procedural. The text is far more interested in the characters, their relationships, their motivations, and conflict than it is in traditional clue gathering or in the step-by-step of police work. It even involves some assistance from non-police officers in solving the crime, and the lead character in solving the mystery (Tempe) is not technically the lead on the police investigation. I would call this book a police cozy, I think.
- Elizabeth A. White
  November 16, 2010 - 11:08 AM
  
  I don’t disagree with your assessment per se, but the word “cozy” carries some fairly negative connotations with many readers. Though the book does focus heavily on interpersonal relationships, there are none of the “wacky” personalities, off-the-wall comedy, or pets solving the mystery that many people associate with (and find to be a turn off about) traditional cozies.
  
  I’d hate for someone to pass up giving this book a shot just because of that term, which is why I didn’t use it, though “police cozy” is not an inappropriate description. 😉
Cheryl Malandrinos
November 16, 2010 - 10:22 AM

Thanks for the fabulous review of Marilyn’s latest book. I really thought this was the ninth book, though. It’s hard to keep track when you own them all. 🙂

I wanted to let your readers know that Marilyn is running a contest during this tour. Anyone who leaves a comment here will be entered into a drawing to have a character named after him/her in Marilyn’s next Deputy Tempe Crabtree book.

Also, for anyone interested in trying to win a copy of Invisible Path, Marilyn is spending the first three days of this week at Literarily Speaking with book discussion questions. A winner will be selected on Thursday.

Thanks again for the wonderful review.

Cheryl
- Elizabeth A. White
  November 16, 2010 - 10:34 AM
  
  Great news about the character name and book giveaway contests! Thanks for letting everyone know. As for whether it’s the eighth or ninth in the series, I’m just going by what her website says. I was late to the Tempe party and have to catch up with the back catalog though, so if it is ninth that just means there’s one more to read! 🙂