Ancient Enemy

Howard Moon Deer #4

by Robert Westbrook

In San Geronimo, New Mexico, Private Eye Howard Moon Deer and blind ex-police chief Jack Wilder investigate a bizarre, cannibalistic murder with ties to the ancient secrets of the Anasazi...

Genres: Mystery

308 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[Patricia]

I like these Howard Moon Deer stories. They're very graphic about the blood and guts, though. I could live with a bit less detail.

[Laura Poppenwimer]

This is an interesting series, mainly because the characters are unique, a blind ex police officer teamed up with a doctorate candidate who happens to be a Native American. The plots are interesting and hold your interest. I wouldn't call it a page turner, but a comfortable and enjoyable book to read. This series is best read in order for it to make sense. I am looking forward the reading the rest of the books in this series.

[Vickie]

This is the first book by this author I've read but it won't be the last. I liked that the series is the Howard Moon Deer mystery series but the story is told via several voices and points of view. And it's grim and funny, bloody and fast. Might not be for the faint of heart but perfect for the back patio in daylight for me.
It's mystery and archeology, politics, relationships, dwelling on the past, and lots of suspense.
I can definitely recommend this book and author.

[Bruce]

Another excellent book with great characters, mystery, twists and turns. May be the best story in the four-book series, I think. Just very sad that this is the end of the series, Mr. Westbrook moved on to other stories after this one.

[Carol Croskery]

I am actually enjoying the Howard Moon Deer series, even though I only gave it 3 stars. In the main, it is well written, and the plot is engaging. I didn't give it a higher rating because it has serious editing errors and towards the end, it becomes unnecessarily graphic.

[Linda Harlan]

Crass & Crude-

Hillerman would never dilute a mystery with crass “humor”. I’m disappointed. I’m done with Westbrook. I put up with the sexual references in the first books, but the mystery simply isn’t good enough to warrant further readings from this author.

[Elizabeth Whelan]

Too cute by half. Stereotypical characters. Doesn’t belong in the same category as Tony Hillerman.

[John L Shasteen]

Engaging

Long story quick ending. I would recommend this for readers of southwest lore who have plenty of time on their hands.

[Virginia Adi]

great series.

[Laurie DelSignore]

I loved this final book in the series. I could not put it down. I only wish there were more books in the Howard Moon Deer series.

[andyleyba]

Great mystery to

It was the best book by far. I was so involved from the beginning to the end. Looking forward for more mystery

[Deborah Mansfield]

Interesting

Kept me interested. Love Moon Deer. He is always in a predicament. Trouble seems to find him. Good series! Anxious for the next one.

[Jenny Hardesty]

Really enjoyed this mystery that tied in some controversial theories about Chaco Canyon.

[Kathy]

Book #4. Best one so far!!

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: in New Mexico, PI Moon Deer and blind ex-police chief Wilder investigate a bizarre murder with ties to the ancient secrets of the Anasazi.

[Dale]

Full of gimmicks, but it still works!

Synopsis:

Ancient Enemy is part of a series of novels about Howard Moon Deer, a highly-educated Sioux Indian who is living in Northern Arizona and helping Jack Wilbur, a blind ex-police chief from San Francisco run a detective agency near the Pueblo Indians. By the way, Howard Moon Deer knows absolutely nothing about being a detective. They run across a couple of murders involving the Pueblos and an ancient Anasazi town and human remains that may have the key to their disappearance centuries ago. The title refers to the Navajo name for the Anasazi.


My review:

Sound gimmicky? Sound like a bad detective show like Jake and the Fat Man or Remington Steele ? Sure it does, but it still works. Mostly it works because Howard Moon Deer is as much of a fish out of water as the reader is. Although he is a Native American, the Sioux are not like the Arizona Indians at all. Plus, he has pretty much abandoned his Indian ancestry in search of a doctorate in literature. So, the characters are interesting, the books stand alone very well since this is my first one but it is the third in the series. The anthropology of the Anasazi and the Pueblos made the book very interesting for me.

See all of my reviews (more than 1,000!) at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/

[Terri]

This book got off to a great start and I really like Howie Moon Deer. His stakeout turned into a horror and he got caught up in a historical mystery that led to murder.

Set in a small northern New Mexico tow, Howard, a displaced Lakota Souix, is caught up in Pueblo problems. An important part of the mystery, are the mysterious Anasazi.

I liked all teh Anasazi stuff and some aprts of the mystery. But I really disliked DT and therefore the action didnt suck me in the way I would ahve liked.

I do want to read something else in this series though.

[Carla Latham]

I really like the way Mr. Westbrook writes. He's one of those authors that, after I read the first book, I found out what other books he wrote and got those also. This is a good series (Howard Moon Deer) and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries, especially mysteries that take place in the southwest (such as Tony Hillerman's).

[DC]

Glad to be finished with this finally.
I think I am just not a fan of this genre, as I don't normally go in for murder mysteries. I found this to be just too easy to put down and not care about.

I thought the premise was interesting, and the characters.

[Little Fish]

Howard Moondeer, Detective.

[Dani Moore]

Simular to Hillerman, but with a slightly tweeked sense of humor. Instering premise- that the Anazstazi(sp?) were cannibals!

[Jackie]

I still thought this was well-written and interesting, but I liked Warrior Circle much more.

[Sandra]

I love this series about a Lakota indian with a Masters degree who takes a job as a private detective in New Mexico. The characters are great and the dialogue is witty.

[L Kate]

Totally enjoyed it.