Ancient Ones

An Emmett Parker and Anna Turnipseed Mystery

By: Kirk Mitchell

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

Though there are signs of foul play, BIA investigator Emmett Quanah Parker and FBI special agent Anna Turnipseed aren't looking for a killer - the remains dug out of a riverbank by an illegal fossil hunter are 14,000 years old. Parker and Turnipseed are sent to Central Oregon as official witnesses to the examination of John Day Man, as he is dubbed, for the bones have quickly provoked a controversy that threatens to erupt into violence: the skeleton is not Native American but distinctly Caucasian, shattering long-held tenets concerning who the first inhabitants of this continent were.

Emmett, with his Comanche and white ancestry, and Anna, a reservation-born Modoc with Asian blood, share a sensitivity to both parties' concerns - and a forbidden attraction that's causing them professional and personal problems. They've broken the unwritten law that partners should never get emotionally involved. Having crossed that line, Emmett and Anna are too distracted by each other to see the escalating suspicion and fear around them when a young tribal anthropologist is swallowed by the misty night - and within hours of her disappearance the fossil hunter who discovered the skeleton is found disemboweled.

The Warm Springs Indians insist that the unburied bones of the Ancient One have been turned into a skep, a murderous spirit that haunts the darkness. As winter closes in on the steppes of the Colombia Plateau, accusations of ritualized murder fly between the Indian and white communities - and the fight turns deadly when a second skeleton is unearthed.

In the midst of the turmoil, Emmett and Anna are paralyzed by their own demons. This estrangement could prove deadly if they stop watching each other's back long enough for a killer to target them too. And at the center of it all are the Ancient Ones, exacting a terrible price as the dark path to resolution runs a gauntlet through the boneyards of prehistory.

©2001 Kirk Mitchell (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"A superior police procedural ... [Mitchell] keeps the suspense ... high." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Tony Hillerman, watch your back.... Mitchell knows his turf and delivers a savory whodunit without remorse." (People)

Contemporary Native American mystery 5 stars

Latest in a series about an investigator with The Bureau of Indian Affairs. A Native Apache Indian who must unravel the murder of fellow Indian. A mixture of suspense and cultural Native American beliefs. Well written who done it!

Too Many Gory Scenes

I chose this book because of the location. I have spent most of my lifetime in the Columbia River Gorge. This story was embarrassing. First of all, the repeated pronunciation of The Dalles as the “Dolls”.
Cannibals ? Really? Ridiculous. The sexual aspect between the two main characters was boring.
Well, I guess you get that I didn’t like this book at all.

Excellent novel and narration

i'm delighted to have found anna and emmett and will listen to the rest of the series; impressive and professional narration.

Turk Mitchell fail this time

I have enjoyed previous Kurt Mitchell books but this one didn’t do it. His idea of sexual abuse is not acceptable. Once you go through this have a difficult time to recover and cannot be taken seriously . This book made it seem silly in the therapist was ridiculous. Jann no h huh

Too Bloody

This one while developing the characters more was needlessly bloody and violent. Too bad because extended and repeated violence did little to further the plot. Sometimes more is not better. If you like the series and are not too squeamish then go ahead. Narrator is excellent with varied voices.

Narrator should have done more research!

I enjoyed the storyline, even though there were times I had to go back to figure out who was who. But as an Oregonian, I was offended that the narrator did not do any research to figure out how to pronounce city names and place names that were horribly mispronounced. It was very irritating to have an author write a story about a specific area and not have the narrator care enough to pronounce names correctly. Specifically: the Dalles, Kaneeta, and the list goes on.

Different kind of story.

The story was fine. It was the numerous times Starbucks was mentioned that made me wonder if the author received any appreciation from that company.

Evil Goes to New Heights

When skeletal remains are unburied from a riverbank by an illegal fossil hunter, Parker and Turnipseed are called in to investigate as to whether or not the body is of Indian origin. The claim is that it is 14,000 years old and of Caucasian decent. (I don't buy the idea that the earth is that old, nor do I buy the Darwin theory of evolution. But thankfully this book doesn't really push any of these. The American Indians have their own beliefs about creationism, although many of them are actually Christians.) There is a convergence of evil spirits from those rooted in paganism to those belonging to various Indian tribes. I find it very interesting to learn about the tribal customs and beliefs, but I my stomach turns at the pagan ones. Being a Christian, I am very aware that demons are real, and anyone who believes otherwise is foolish. The Indians care for their native lands and their love of the God that they found in nature, prior to missionaries coming to America, to me is proof that they KNEW the Lord. The background of the pagan priest in this story with a history of being a Christian missionary is a sickening tale. Although there are some gruesome things going on in this book, it is very well done, without as much language, blood and sex as you might think. The story between Anna and Emmett is extremely well done, and I found myself welling up with tears as their relationship took an unexpected turn. Again, I was up until the wee hours as this tale keep me awake and I had to finish the book. Excellent story and exceptional ending.

great listen

I Loved it. I couldn't leave it alone. I can't wait for the next one.

Light fare

Enjoyable light summer time reading.
Sexual tension between FBI agent and BIA agent continues from her prior novels not totally resolved as last chapter shows.

What a complicated Nation

I enjoy this series for 2 reasons. First becoming more aware of the complexity of First Nation people and secondly for the drama of the main characters.

Brilliant

Yet another on the edge of your seat ending. How riveting the information on the Native American Indian each time I listen. Love the storyline. Can’t wait for the next book

Excellent

The thing it doesn't tell you, about this book is, it's about resevation native American's, a man & woman, they both work for the FBI.

I am hooked

I loved this one as much as the other three and cannot wait to read another Kirk Mitchell offering, what have I been missing all these years, who knew..?

Excellent.

I good story. The references to native american thoughts add to the enjoyment. I will now began the third in the series.