Review of The Replacement Child
by Christine Barber
The Replacement Child
by Christine Barber
Thomas Dunne, September 2008, $23.95
When the body of local schoolteacher Melissa Baca is found at the bottom of the Taos River gorge, the rumors start flying. Was straight-arrow Melissa really meeting a drug dealer? Why are some cops denying they were in the vicinity of the murder that evening? And, finally, who on earth would want to
kill her?
In her debut mystery, Barber has created a neat, twisty plot with some spiritual elements drawn from Northern Mexican folklore. The pacing is a bit overcrowded with descriptions at the start of the story, but the last half moves briskly as all the loose ends are knotted together. Winner of the 2008 Tony Hillerman award, offers a fascinating look at Santa Fe’s Hispanic heritage. Its mixture of Catholicism and witchcraft is integral to the plot and affects the psychology/sociology of the book’s characters. Several, with names like Old Maxine Baca and the Scanner Lady, are quite vivid, but the major character, newspaper editor Lucy Newroe, could use further development. Her attempts at crime solving would benefit from more punch, as could her efforts to be a volunteer EMT, which are sympathetic but underwhelming. Overall though, the strong plot, unusual background, and intriguing glimpses of Southwestern culture outweigh the this book’s weaknesses. I would certainly read another from this new series.—Beverly DeWeese