Anasazi Intrigue (The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, #1)

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Anasazi Intrigue (The Adventures of John and Julia Evans #1)

by Linda Weaver Clarke (Goodreads Author)

4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 · rating details · 11 ratings · 8 reviews

When a devastating flood wipes out homes in a small town, residents are shocked by the news of a possible poison spill that also kills many of the fish and neighbors' pets. The people don't know what to think or do, until Julia, the town's newest reporter, jumps into action and begins her investigation. Quickly Julia realizes the story is much bigger and more dangerous tha...more

Paperback, 280 pages

Published March 5th 2010 by American Book Publishing

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Sep 30, 2011 Barbara Shelton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Some time ago I had the pleasure of reading” Mayan Intrigue” by Linda Weaver Clarke. It was the second book in a series called “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.” That story did intrigue me and I wrote a review. Ms. Clarke liked it and asked me to read her first novel in the series, “Anasazi Intrigue.” Pleased by her invitation, I complied with Ms Weaver’s wishes and downloaded a copy to my trusted Kindle. To my personal delight I enjoyed “AnasazI Intrigue” as well if not more than “Mayan...more Some time ago I had the pleasure of reading” Mayan Intrigue” by Linda Weaver Clarke. It was the second book in a series called “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.” That story did intrigue me and I wrote a review. Ms. Clarke liked it and asked me to read her first novel in the series, “Anasazi Intrigue.” Pleased by her invitation, I complied with Ms Weaver’s wishes and downloaded a copy to my trusted Kindle. To my personal delight I enjoyed “AnasazI Intrigue” as well if not more than “Mayan Intrigue.” Each book is played around an archeological theme, which caught my interest, as I am an archeological buff of sorts. I hold a deep respect of Linda Weaver Clarke’s knowledge of extinct Indian tribes and her research is one of the key factors that make her stories so different and highly entertaining.
Hopefully, Ms. Linda will not mind my sharing some of her background I read In the front pages of “Anasazi Intrigue.” Ms. Clarke refers to her favorite TV show in years past called “Hart to Hart” which featured a married couple madly in love investigating and solving crimes. This reviewer remembers this TV show to be humorous, romantic, and physically conditioned actors playing a glamorous couple chasing criminals and each other to and fro; and of course were both so worn out by the end of the show , they fell into bed. (I could never figure out why as I was still too young to understand.) To quote Ms. Linda, “I wanted to create something similar with good old fashioned values along with a little suspense and adventure.”
Hence, Linda Weaver Clarke created and introduced Julia and John Roberts and their three daughters who all reside in Santa Clara, Utah. Julia is an investigative reporter for a local newspaper. John is a talented knife maker and helpmate to Julia’s investigations; and always interested in catching romantic moments with Julia….. interested….trying. At times, reading through Julia’s impetuous nature, I considered her a bit dingy…but I love the humor and fun she brings to the story. By the end of the book, she manages to use her entire family, including one of the daughter’s boyfriend and John’s friend Paul who is an archeologist with a local university to solve the mystery. Julia is a definite enigma in confusing even the thieves. She causes me to laugh out loud.
Ms. Linda includes true experiences that happened to her and her husband. There is no way of distinguishing which is whom, the Clarke’s or the Evans’. Anasazi Intrigue’s Utah setting and the flood are accurate details. The devastating flood was an actuality in 2005 on the Santa Clara/Virgin River in St George, Utah. It is in and about this region that the story unfolds with mystery and suspense. Devious destruction done to historical lands and artifacts by the bad guys Julia wants to expose. Julia suspected something fishy going on when she discovered the dead fish in the flood waters and dead cats in her neighborhood and carried them in a sack to a friend’s lab to be tested for poison
Linda Weaver Clarke cleverly writes with gusto energy. Her writings are lively, romantic, suspenseful, tender, compassionate, humorous, mysterious, factual, keenly knowledgeable, fun, interesting, good old fashioned values and intriguing – and that’s the point.
Barbara J. Shelton
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Jan 17, 2012 Jennifer Walker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Linda Weaver Clarke has been writing historical fiction for years, and she also travels the country giving workshops on preserving family history through telling stories. Her new Intrigue mystery series departs slightly from her traditional historic fiction, blending her knowledge of ages past with her ability to spin a fun adventure with interesting characters. The depiction of the ancient cities is very interesting.

I must say the writing could have been stronger--there is a lot of passive word...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, christian-suspense

Anasazi Intrigue
Linda Weaver Clarke

This is first in a series of 4 about the adventures of John and Julia Evans. Julia is a newspaper reporter for the town’s local paper, always on the look for that big break and the ‘assignment of a lifetime’. Typically getting the stereotypical ‘fluff’ stories, Julia’s interest is peaked when she finds a number of dead fish and cats killed by cyanide. She is determined to find out what is poisoning the water and who is sneaking up the mountainside to the abando...more Anasazi Intrigue
Linda Weaver Clarke

This is first in a series of 4 about the adventures of John and Julia Evans. Julia is a newspaper reporter for the town’s local paper, always on the look for that big break and the ‘assignment of a lifetime’. Typically getting the stereotypical ‘fluff’ stories, Julia’s interest is peaked when she finds a number of dead fish and cats killed by cyanide. She is determined to find out what is poisoning the water and who is sneaking up the mountainside to the abandoned mine.

John shares a fondness for archeology with his friend Paul and they have been involved in digging in some local Anasazi archeological sites. Though the site was currently on hold, there were fresh diggings. It is illegal to collect artifacts and keep them, and John and Paul need to find who is up to this recent raid.

Both Julia and John have an investigation to see too, yet each hold out on the other bits of information. John leaving out info so that Julia doesn’t pursue it as a story lead, and Julia not telling John of the dangers she is encountering when those travelling up the mountain find her nosing around.

Mystery and suspense intertwined with fascinating facts about the Anasazi culture! The thing I absolutely loved most about this book was the relationship dynamics between John and Julia. Their relationship with each other symbolized to me a model of what faithful Christian marriages can look like, even 20 years after the ‘newness’ wears off. I loved how Linda Clarke Weaver used descriptions in each chapter of the ebb and flow of John and Julia’s relationship, the physical love for each other, the respect, and the learning to bear one another’s burdens. I also loved how conflict was resolved between the two, showing that even in strong relationships there are problems, yet with God as the center of the relationship, good can come from the resolution.

I am excited to read the rest in this series as I so enjoyed the historical insight behind the Anasazi and the mystery that went along with it. Historical suspenseful fiction, the best of the best!! Add in a strong Christian family and you have a super fantastic story!
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Jan 24, 2012 Ruth Hill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, e-books, mystery

I am so pleased to find yet another clean romance, and this book adds history and mystery to this genre. It is a well-written story with lots of heart. The characters are believable, and the story will keep you one's attention.

I love the fact that there is no foul language, sex, and any graphic violence. I get so tired of reading books are spoiled with these elements. This book is still engaging without being offensive.

I loved the chemistry between Julia and John. So often romances are limited t...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Heavensent1 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Anasazi Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans is a romantic suspense mystery.

Julia Evans is a reporter who comes across some dead fish after a terrible flood has ripped through her county. Bagging them up she takes them to family friend, Matthew, who concludes that the fish had died from arsenic poisoning.

Julia must convince her boss that she is the right person to cover this story and not her smug co-worker, Ted. As Julia works to uncover more leads in order to continue following the...more Anasazi Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans is a romantic suspense mystery.

Julia Evans is a reporter who comes across some dead fish after a terrible flood has ripped through her county. Bagging them up she takes them to family friend, Matthew, who concludes that the fish had died from arsenic poisoning.

Julia must convince her boss that she is the right person to cover this story and not her smug co-worker, Ted. As Julia works to uncover more leads in order to continue following the story, Julia's husband, John, has uncovered a mystery of his own.

It seems someone is stealing priceless artifacts from ancient Anasazi burial kivas and selling them on the black market to the highest bidder. John is afraid that if Julia hears about this, he'll have more to worry about then a couple of dead fish.

As the two of the work to uncover the mysteries set before them, they run into dangerous men who wish them to drop the story or suffer the consequences. Julia is a stubborn women and will stop at nothing to uncover the truth, even at the cost of her own life.

This was an easy read that have a decent flow and narrative. The plot is a great one and I enjoyed hearing about the history of the Anasazi and the artifacts that were mentioned. I enjoyed the bad guys and thought they were well written, Devollyn, the main antagonist, was very enjoyable to read and brought depth to the book.

I wish there had been more history pertaining to the Anasazi, I am an ancient history buff and was truly looking forward to learning more as well, I believe, it would have given the plot more clarity. I believe that if I didn't know what I do about that particular race of people, I might not have known what the author was explaining. I would've liked to have seen more of the dream that Julia was racked with, it wasn't mentioned often enough to grasp the meaning behind the revelation at the end of the story and the event is left with a flat feeling for me.

I would give this a three out of five stars. I thought John was a great character and was written in an enjoyable way but for some reason, Julia wasn't endearing to me. She came across as whiny and spoiled more often than the courageous, go-for-all woman that she was sometimes portrayed as. Also, there was a couple of places in the beginning chapters that had Julia listed as Julia Roberts and it confused me, I think it was mentioned two or three times and at first, I thought it may have her byline name at the newspaper but it was never mentioned again and I'm still not sure.

All in all, if you like a good mystery with a little bit of history thrown in the mix, then you will be sure to enjoy Anasazi Intrigue. (less)

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Jul 05, 2011 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Julia is a reporter in a small town. Hoping to earn her way to bigger stories, she starts investigating the poisoned deaths of some fish and cats. It may be related to the recent flooding, but Julia is hoping for something more interesting than an accident. Her investigation leads her and her husband John into an adventure that they might not survive.

I liked the plot and storyline. It was interesting and fast paced. In the beginning the title seemed to fit more with John's interests than Julia's...more Julia is a reporter in a small town. Hoping to earn her way to bigger stories, she starts investigating the poisoned deaths of some fish and cats. It may be related to the recent flooding, but Julia is hoping for something more interesting than an accident. Her investigation leads her and her husband John into an adventure that they might not survive.

I liked the plot and storyline. It was interesting and fast paced. In the beginning the title seemed to fit more with John's interests than Julia's investigation, but there are some good developments and tie-ins. By the end, the title does make more sense.

There was some interesting history of the Anasazi Indians woven into the story. Some of the information wasn't really pertinent to the story, but it didn't hinder the flow at all. It was like a little bonus lesson.

I had a bit of a problem with both John and Julia's characters. Julia was very frustrating and infuriating. For someone who proclaims to love her husband more than anything, she sure seems eager to keep potentially dangerous secrets to herself. I thought this was a little unrealistic given the level of their relationship. Maybe in a newer relationship her actions might seem more likely, but in this setting it just seemed not so much. Unless Julia is really as selfish and inconsiderate as it made her seem.

John's character seemed like an over-the-top fantasy husband. All his thoughts seemed to be about how much he loves Julia, how lucky he is to have her, and how even her faults make him love her more. Even when he had reason to be mad or upset, he didn't react that way. He just reasoned that she had reasons for doing those things, and he loved her for them. It made me want to gag a little, it was so unrealistic. I can't see any man calmly sitting back, thinking this way and saying nothing when his wife creates a situation that potentially endangers his life. No way.

I did find the comments about how men and women think like waffles and spaghetti to be hilarious, and very interesting. I have never heard it described like this, and I loved it. It seemed to make a lot of sense.

This is a very clean read. There is mention that John has a potty mouth, but the worst he ever says is "damned". Not very potty mouthed at all. Overall, this was a sweet read with a bit of a mystery. (less)

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Apr 11, 2011 Yvonne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book in “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans” series. There are two books already released with one on the way this May.

Reporter, Julia Evans, is shocked as an horrific flood destroys many homes in Santa Clara, Utah. As she prepares to write about this tragedy, she stumbles upon fish and cats that have been poisoned. She investigates to learn whether this was deliberate or a terrible accident. Being the low person on the totem pole at her newspaper, Julia has to fight for th...more

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Oct 16, 2012 George A rated it 5 of 5 stars

A true adventure book! You learn about the Anasazi Indians, artifact theft, and the flood of 2005 in southern Utah. Being from southern Utah, I was impressed with the author's detailed account about the flooding. It has plenty of adventure and mystery. Great Read!

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About Linda Weaver Clarke

Linda Weaver Clarke travels throughout the United States, teaching a “Family Legacy Workshop,” encouraging people to write their family history and autobiography. She is the author of the historical romance series, “A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho,” which includes: Melinda and the Wild West - a semi-finalist for the “Reviewers Choice Award 2007,” and a new mystery series, “The Adventures of John...more

More about Linda Weaver Clarke...

Books by Linda Weaver Clarke

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Mayan Intrigue (The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, #2)

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“If daughters couldn't soften a man, then nothing would.” — 11 people liked it

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