The Charmstone

by C.C. Harrison

Mystery, history and love set against the spectacular landscape of Monument Valley on the Navajo Indian Reservation. This riveting suspense will keep readers turning pages as lapsed socialite Amanda Bell travels to a remote desert to fulfill her deceased father's last wish—deliver and archive his Southwest literary collection, a gift to the fledgling Navajo Cultural Center. To Durango Yazzie, the Center's Navajo director, her arrival is an intrusive reminder to an already superstitious community of her father's dead body somewhere in the desert never properly put to rest. Their courage and ideals are tested as they unearth unsavory truths from the past involving murder, missing antiquities, rumors of scandal, secretive teenagers who spend too much time in the desert, a scheming small town newspaper editor who knows everything but tells nothing, and a menacing presence watching their every move.

318 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2007

About the author

I knew I was going to be a writer when my mother took me to the library for the first time as a child. Since then I've written five award winning novels. My newest book, a cozy, mystery "Death by G-String, introduces the Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club whose first place win in a folk music competition is jeopardized when their star player is strangled to death with a ukulele G-string.

I like writing books in small towns, the kind of small town people run away to or hide out in. The secrets and misbehaviors are so much more interesting. I know. I've lived in them.

My newest book "Death by G-String" is a 2019 Colorado Humanities Book Award winner, an American Fiction Award finalist, a Colorado/New Mexico finalist, and was short listed for a Mystery and Mayhem Book Award.

With no previous musical training, I came to the ukulele later in life and fell in love with it instantly. I now own five ukuleles, two guitars, and two dulcimers. I made my coffeehouse debut and I play at all my book signings. So now I can honestly say I WAS BORN TO BE A ROCK STAR, BUT I WRITE BOOKS INSTEAD.

Currently I'm at work on a new mystery, "Death of a Two-Timing Man" and book two of the Coyote Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club series, "Don't Fret the Small Stuff."

I'm also a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books. When I'm not writing, I can be found in the desert, the mountains or some far-flung corner of the Southwest.

I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at ccharrisonbooks@gmail.com. Check out my website, too. I'll be updating it soon. www.CCHarrison-Author.com

Reviews

[Leah]

The best thing I can say about this book is that it is a quick read. I was expecting more from this book unfortunately it didn't deliver for me.

[Lynn]

This story is a nice suspense mystery mixed in with some Native-American heritage.