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Book Review By Felicia Jordan
The Ghost Walker by Margaret Coel

In a Wyoming blizzard, Father John O'Malley stumbles onto a corpse dumped in a ditch. When he returns with the police, it has vanished. His Arapaho neighbors on Wind River Reservation fearfully tell him the person's ghost will wander the world causing mischief until it is properly buried.

With a sinking heart, Father John learns a young Arapaho, Marcus Deppert, has vanished from the reservation. Marcus had spent time in federal prison for drug dealing, and Father John fears he may be in trouble again. He searches for the young man while simultaneously looking for a way to save St. Francis Mission, where he is head pastor. He has learned the Jesuits plan to sell the mission to a development company, the Z Group, that wants to build a recreation center.

Meanwhile, Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden visits her estranged daughter, Susan, who is living on a ranch with three white men. Susan is obviously addicted to drugs, and Vicky fears the men are operating a drug ring. Father John wonders if the men are somehow responsible for Marcus's disapperance, especially after Marcus's former girlfriend is murdered. Vicky and Father John work together to save Susan and to expose the drug ring. They find evidence the Z Group could be involved. The closer they get to the truth, the more they put their own lives in danger.


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - depressing/sad
How difficult to spot villain? - Somewhat obvious
Time/era of story:
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Murder of certain profession?
Misc. Murder Plotlets - local police w/ IQ of a houseplant
Kind of investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
descript. of violence and chases - 0 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 %
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Ethnicity/Race

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
The antagonists are: - Drug kingpins
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - West
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - ranch

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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