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The Shirt On His Back (2011)

by Barbara Hambly(Favorite Author)

4.01 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0727880101 (ISBN13: 9780727880109)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Severn House Publishers

series

Benjamin January

review 1: In this Benjamin January mystery, Ben joins Abishag Shaw, local law enforcement, on a trip out west in the Rocky Mountains region. Shaw is looking for his brother's killer and Ben is hoping to make some much needed money. As with many January novels,characters are introduced at a fast pace and Hambly sometimes doesn't give them enough time or traits to distinguish themselves. However, if you relax and just let the story go where it's headed you will be rewarded with some good action scenes, a compelling mystery or two, and an interesting setting. A nice change of scenery but please hurry back to New Orleans.
review 2: I like Hambly's books for their exploration of social mores in a very different USA, but her plotting is mediocre, and this one, probably earns j... moreust bad. Could see most of the twists coming a mile off. And some of it was just silly.Having said that, as an exploration of native american and settler relations, it's fascinating. Hambly builds a detailed and nuanced view of a camp where warring factions make alliances and friendships while navigating different power dynamics, prejudices and cultural differences. Chuck a good dose of gender power dynamics in there as well for good measure. Her settlers and Indians are neither cartoon villians, noble savages, or heroes. She shows a world where Native Americans negotiate with considerable power with trappers, while understanding how transitory that power is in the face of white governments. Where women trade the skills and attributes they have for power and safety - in both white and native american societies, with varying degrees of success. And where they do all this while just living lives of work, and fun, love and pettiness. The book is at its best when it is in the camp, and its worst on a ridiculous scavenger hunt-by-random-confessions for a dead mans clothes. less

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