The Stolen Gods

Mo Bowdre #1

by Jake Page

"A moody, hard-edged study of the modern Southwest...Full of finely etched moments and telling details that highlight its intriguing characters and complicated relationships."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
A powerfully built wildlife-sculptor, Mo Bowdre (here in his series debut) is also blind. But that doesn't stop him from pursuing the truth when a major dealer in Native American art is murdered. In the wreckage of the dead man's elegant gallery, several curious drawings and a record of regular phone calls to someone in Singapore support the FBI's belief that this crime is related to another just as devastating: the theft of Hopi deities, potent and dangerous--sacred objects on which the integrity of tribal life greatly depends.
Mo Bowdre and Connie Barnes, his Anglo-Hopi girlfriend, at first merely curious about the case, soon have some very personal reasons for finding the culprit....

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Native American, Westerns

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Jake Page was a celebrated editor, science writer, and novelist who made complex topics accessible through wit and clarity. Though he never studied science formally, his role editing Natural History Books at Doubleday sparked a lifelong passion for explaining science to general readers. As science editor and columnist at Smithsonian magazine, he wrote with elegance and humor on a wide range of subjects, from aspirin to Zane Grey. Page authored dozens of books, including works on birds, earthquakes, and Native American history. His fascination with the American Southwest led to a mystery series featuring a blind sculptor-detective. Collaborating with his wife, photographer Susanne Anderson, he produced detailed cultural studies like Hopi and Navajo. His major nonfiction achievement, In the Hands of the Great Spirit, traces 20,000 years of American Indian history. Whether exploring anthropology or writing fiction, Page championed curiosity, clarity, and the belief that science was too important to remain only in expert hands.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read as it includes some of my favorite subjects....mystery involving native americans and set in the southwest. Plot was too cluttered and some of the speech between characters didn't seem realistic, but I still wanted to know "who did it".

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stolen Gods by Jake Page was a perfect book to buy on my recent trip to Santa Fe: a mystery about a blind sculptor in which the owner of a Santa Fe art gallery, who has possibly bought stolen Hopi artifacts which are, in fact, tribal gods, is murdered.

I don't know how I would have liked the mystery if I had not just been in Santa Fe: it was a delicious way to keep my vacation alive with vivid descriptions of both Santa Fe and the surrounding environment. The book was well-written, with an adequately-interesting plot and characters who were pleasant to be with. I might read another in the series but I don't feel driven to do so in a hurry.

So definitely a 4-star read for me: enjoyable and well-crafted. If you love New Mexico and Santa Fe, then I'd definitely recommend it.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

May not be Tony Hillerman, but still a good read. Interesting how a blind persons senses come into play in this book.

[Marcia Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. Fun characters and good plot line.

[LJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Stolen Gods - DNF
Page, Jack

When an unknown assailant murders the owner of a plush Santa Fe gallery specializing in Native American artifacts, no one mourns his death. Police and FBI agents, however, suspect the man of dealing in stolen items, most recently a group of carved sticks revered by the Hopi Indians. The thief now in possession of these "deities" scrambles to unload them, but his buyer is playing games. A blind sculptor, his half-Hopi girlfriend, and an elegant gallery employee remain alert for clues. Restless, intriguing action plays itself out against a timeless, provocative landscape.

I couldn't get into this at all.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though a couple of decades old, this mystery has not really dated much. Extremely valuable Hopi cultural artifacts have been stolen. An art dealer who has a bad reputation for dealing in stolen antiquities is found murdered. A whodunnit with a twist: solved by the combined forces of FBI, local law enforcement and a blind Santa Fe sculptor (yes it kept niggling at me how a blind person could continue to sculpt and account for the 3 not 4 stars) with superdeveloped other senses and a Hopi Since I *really* don't like his main character Mo Bowdre, the blonde, blind sculptor, am I going to read my way through them all? Everything about the man raises my hackles.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow moving crime drama with a blind sculptor and his 1/2 Hopi girl friend as the main two characters. The problem is they are not in the forefront of the book and the "super" senses of the sculptor are way over emphasized. My wife is blind and she has great hearing, but it's not perfect; she simply must attend to it more than sighted people have to. Different sort of crime drama and it might develop in to a good series.

[Jim]

Written by my friend Aida's ex-husband. He recently passed and I wanted to see how this series was. Mo Bowdre is an overweight blind sculptor living with a Hopi woman in New Mexico. Sleuthing is a hobby of his.

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

The coolest thing about this book is that the protagonist is blind. Otherwise, it was just another mystery.

[Devi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun lite mystery with an interesting protagonist - a blind sculptor. First novel in a series.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly entertaining. Similar to the Hillerman novels but from the Hopi side of the fence.

[Judith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everyone needs an editor. Subjungative is not a synonym for speculative.

[Cyndie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tony Hillerman style story, with great words. enjoyable read!