The title of this book changed on my kindle from “Navajo Wind” to “Path of the Dead”, and that is why it took me a while to find this book to read. Once I did I was put with a book that I did not want to put down until I got to the last page. You are taken on a journey from the person who is kidnapping and killing women, to the couple and their struggles from the past and for every day. That is until Leonard Kansewah, kidnaps Sharon Nakai who is a local news reporter. More importantly her husband Arthur is a retired Marine and was part of a special ops team shadow wolves. They were recruited by the Government to track drug smugglers, human traffickers, they worked with Home land security and were an all Native American Indian unit because of their tracking abilities. Now seeing that the FBI has gotten nothing in the first few hours he decides to look into things himself. This is where the real story begins. You are taken on a journey through the west and through mostly Native American lands which only enhance this story. The story has suspense and mystery and will keep you hooked until the very end. A very good book.

"It was as if a part of his soul had been ripped away, leaving nothing but emptiness and a newfound regret."

Arthur Nakai is an ex-Marine and once was part of the Shadow Wolves, a Native American tracking unit under the auspices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He now runs an outfitters company in New Mexico while his wife Sharon is a news journalist out of Farmington.

When Sharon is kidnapped by a depraved serial killer, Arthur must use all his skills tracking through many states on the way to the Canadian border.

This is a fast-paced thriller with well developed characters and believable dialogue. I especially enjoyed all the Native American facts and lore threaded throughout the book.

This book was originally titled NAVAJO MOON but the title was changed to PATH OF THE DEAD before publication.

I received this book from Blackstone Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Arthur's wife Sharon gets kidnapped from a serial killer. Arthur is going to hunt them down.
A good book that throws in Indian heritage.

A fast read about a man hunting for his wife against a lot of odds. Langley introduces Arthur Nakai, a man with more talents than he's using in his current daily life, and his wife Sharon, who is taken by a serial killer. This blends a sort of trope of the movie Taken with some Tony Hillerman style Navajo wisdom into a book that might actually make a better movie. That said, it's entertaining if at times a little unrealistic: I do think this kidnapping would have been high priority for local, tribal, and federal law enforcement. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Very plot driven and a good one for travel.

Their marriage has been drifting apart but they still love each other. When a killer kidnaps his wife, he realizes how much...

Blackstone Publishing and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on August 14th.

He's a stone-cold serial killer. He only grabbed her because she's on TV and may be useful in his quest to exit the states. The Feds think he's going south. He's heading north. And her husband is coming after him.

The whole story is filled with tension and terror. He's a monster. There's no escape available for her. But her husband has friends and they are worth their weight in gold.

The end comes ten miles from the Canadian border and there is no guarantee over who will win. You won't forget this one soon...

Path of the Dead by Mark Edward Langley was a good solid read. It grabs you from the start with a murder and keeps your attention as Sharon is taken by the serial killer and her husband Arthur (known tracker) hunts them down and tries to get her back. I found the story interesting and the characters are compelling and you get to know them as the story unfolds. Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC book for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book but I did skip some of the more gratuitous passages, especially the opening with the murder of a young girl. The plot made me think of Liam Neeson in Taken when he says "I will find you and I will kill you." but in this case the lead is Arthur, an ex Shadow Wolf, Native American who's wife is taken by the hideous killer and used as collateral across a large part of America. There is a lot going on in the area when she is kidnapped and the police/FBI are somewhat preoccupied. Arthur uses all his wits and his contacts to try and find his wife.

The writing is tight and the pacing is excellent and there are some genuinely tense moments as Sharon does her best to survive, knowing her husband will try to find her. The characters are credible and the behaviours fit the situations. I will look out for more by this author.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This isn't my usual reading choice, but like many people, the Navajo people fascinate me and finding a new book that takes place in their territory in New Mexico. I read a number of David & Aimee Thurlo's Navajo series many years ago and it felt good to return to 'familiar' territory. I've never visited this corner of the world, however, although perhaps one day.

Sharon and Arthur Nakai are trying to figure out why things don't seem to be the same between them, several years after the loss of a baby. The mood is sombre that morning when Sharon leaves for a job and Arthur is left to brood at home. Then Sharon is kidnapped by a man who has killed at least ten other women and the chase is on.

Arthur, an ex-military and Shadow Wolf (tracking human traffickers at the Mexico/USA border), sets out to find his wife and take care of the man who took her. He contacts his friend, Abraham Fast Horse, a Blackfoot he worked with in the Shadow Wolves, to help.

The story moves quickly and I got pulled right in and thoroughly enjoyed it. My only quibble is that it seemed to end quite suddenly and a bit predictably, although it was definitely the right (and only) way to end it. Outside of that, I hope Mr Langley continues with this series as I will be keeping my eyes out for it!

Crime and mystery is not my usual read, awe but this book with its real characters I could hardly put it down. It had really gruesome murder scenes and murders, but I loved the old Native American sayings,and even how the vision of his father in law set Arthur Nakai off in the right direction to look for his kidnapped wife who had been taken by the killer.
The characters, the land that was traveled being areas I had been through and the old ways that were a part of the story made it and awesome read for me and if there is some place that lists ‘the best last line in a book’ I would nominate this books last line, best one I have read in quite awhile.
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC, hope you like my review.Sometimes it is hard to really express how much you love the book,I guess five stars almost explains it.

Basis of the story of a ex- ICE individual with a kidnapped wife appeared a little too bland and wooden.. It seemed that the author was trying to become another Tony Hillerman, but couldn't quite make the grade

I read Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee books for years! When I saw a brand new author with a story about Native Americans I jumped right in! I was not disappointed. Full of great characters, this author brought this story to life. Authur Nakai and his wife, Sharon, have a few issues, but their devotion is never in question. When he is informed that Sharon has been kidnapped by a known serial killer, all efforts by the police chief and the FBI to stop him from tracking down his wife are futile! He has the skills…and the motivation!…to save his wife from certain death and nothing can stop him. He’s great!

Authur’s friend, Abraham Fast Horse, is another man who is devoted to his wife. Have I mentioned how much I like that in a story? Happy, devoted couples always works well for me. Between these two men and their friends and connections, the chase is on. And it’s quite a chase through beautiful but dangerous areas.

I was mesmerized and read the whole book in one sitting. Mr. Langley is a talented writer, keeping the story moving at a fast clip without skipping the details that make a story breathe. I hope that Mr. Langley is working on his next story, maybe with more about Fast Horse!

I recommend this book for all readers and all age groups! Grab a copy and…

Enjoy! ARC graciously provided by Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.

2shay

Navajo wind - I wanted to read this since I’ve been to this part of the world and even stood in the very spot of Four Corners for ..well five minutes as it turned out. Still, I’d not read a thriller set here before!
Fascinating from the point of view of the setting - that’s what attracted me to this book unsuprinsgly as it delves into many areas surrounding the Navajo Apache reserve which covers much of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. Having a criminal suspected of coming fromThe first chapter did put me off though as it lowered the tone for the rest of the novel and I nearly didn’t go on.

It’s not the most exciting novel in that the chase and the kidnaps are nothing too out of the ordinary, but the context of the political, police and social history of the place interested me a lot. I would definitely want to read what ever the author writes next and I hope this is the start of a very unique series.

New Mexico traditions and landscape, Apache culture and more play a huge role in this thriller and I’d love to see more in future. Shadow Wolves too. I’m quite taken with it all.

That Navajo wind blows a chilly breeze into the thriller landscape despite the heat!

A 16-year old girl is brutally murdered as this story opens. The killer, not satisfied with the slashing of her body until her breath is gone, rapes her after her death. Then he is ready for his next victim.

Arthur and Sharon Nakai are tentatively trying to keep their marriage fires stoked after several years and the loss of a baby. Still in love, they are noticing that things between them aren’t quite as special as they once were. But when Sharon, a reporter for a local TV station, flies out of town to cover a story, those worries disappear when she is kidnapped by an Apache responsible not only for the death of that 16 year old girl but others as well.

Arthur, a former member of the Shadow Wolves, a tactical unit trained as part of Homeland Security, sets out to track the killer down and save his wife.

Beautiful imagery and interesting Navajo teachings are woven into this story. There are no real surprises, and the story ends pretty much as expected. Although the characters were a little one-dimensional and I would have liked to feel a little more emotion from Arthur rather than the “big strong man saves the little woman” impression I got from his character, all-in-all it was a good story that kept me interested. I’m hoping the author, Mark Edward Langley, continues a series with these characters so we can learn more about them.

I rated this a solid 3 stars with a thank you to NetGalley Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.