Lisa Carter's Beneath a Navajo Moon

Beneath A Navajo Moon
by Lisa Carter
Abingdon Press 2014
Reviewed by Teresa S. Mathews

5 Stars*****

What a beautiful story this is, you can't ask for a more picturesque setting than the red rock walls of Cedar Canyon, Arizona on the Navajo Reservation. Here the story opens with Olivia Thornton sneaking out of the Cedar Canyon Mission School at dawn to think and pray. Olivia is highly disturbed at the ill treatment of the Navajo children by the hands of the ones that should be showing them the love of Christ. So deep in thought was Olivia, she never heard the man that came up behind her and clamped his hand over her mouth; the man that would forever change the course of her life.

Erin Dawson, cultural anthropologist, and daughter of Missionary parents, has been intrigued by the story of a distant relative that went missing in 1906 while a teacher at the Cedar Canyon Mission School. Erin is basing her dissertation on finding out more on Olivia so when she secures a job at the Information Center in town she takes that as a sign this is where she is supposed to be.

Adam Silverhorn a Cedar Canyon Police Officer is a man on a mission to rid the Reservation of the drugs that are destroying his people. Adam will stop at nothing to do what has to be done. So when Erin shows up he checks her out in more than one way. There is something about this sweet wholesome woman that draws him to her.

When Erin's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and her cell phone has no signal Erin walks to the only place nearby to seek help. The local honky-tonk wasn't the best place for Erin to walk into but she didn't have much choice so she bravely goes in. Almost as soon as she enters Erin is accosted by several men, she is thankful when the dangerously handsome Adam Silverhorn comes to her rescue whispering in her ear to go along with the story she is one of his many girlfriends. Holding her close Erin notices he reeks of alcohol but when he pulls her in for a kiss to carry out the charade there is nothing there but the taste of peppermint. What is this larger than life man up to? Could he be just another cop on the take or is he a man who will do anything to catch the ones responsible for the drugs that are showing up here on his sacred homeland?

The more time Erin spends with Adam the more intrigued she is with him, there is so much more to this man than he lets on. He seems to be torn between two worlds; the sin filled one his vindictive grandfather wants to lure him into and the one his godly mother and uncle have raised him to believe in. Will Erin be able to help him choose between right and wrong? Both have decisions to make that may take them down very different paths.

Having been introduced to Lisa Carter's writing after reading her debut novel Carolina Reckoning I knew I was in for a treat with this one. Let me tell you I was not disappointed!! Once again Lisa has woven a tale with beautiful words and descriptive scenery that will draw you in and make you feel as if you are there seeing everything first hand. I also loved how Lisa tied in Olivia's story with modern day life on the Reservation. You can tell a lot of research went into this book. Thanks Lisa for all the hard work! I can't wait for your next story!

***Thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for providing me 

a copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion.***

You may purchase this book and others by Lisa at Amazon, CBD, and Barnes and Noble and other bookstores.