Land of Echoes: A Cree Black Novel (Cree Black Thrillers)

In the end it is people, not places, that are haunted.Tommy Keeday is a talented student at a boarding school for gifted Navajo teens, located in the vast high desert of western New Mexico. When he is suddenly seized by an illness with bizarre and frightening symptoms, his family believes he is possessed by a chindi, the hostile spirit of a dead ancestor. But Julieta McCarty, the principal of Oak Springs School, is unwilling to accept either a traditional Navajo explanation or a conventional medical diagnosis. In desperation, she calls on Seattle-based parapsychologist Cree Black.Nothing in Cree's training as a clinical psychologist or her experience as a paranormal investigator has prepared her for the dangerous task of helping this brilliant boy in whom two spirits seem to battle. Is Tommy Keeday just a sensitive but troubled teenager, or is he suffering from an exotic brain disorder? Or is there truth in the terrifying Navajo legends of witches, skinwalkers, and malevolent ghosts? As Cree and her associates struggle to find the answer, it becomes apparent that there are secrets in the pasts of Tommy and the people around him, and that his fate can only be decided by exposing these unresolved longings and regrets. Drawing on in-depth research and personal experience, Daniel Hecht's latest novel, the second in the Cree Black series, is a thrillingly plausible supernatural mystery, a passionate love story, and a thoughtful exploration of Navajo culture and identity in modern America. The Barnes & Noble Review Second in the Cree Black series (following City of Masks ), this paranormal thriller is filled with fascinating elements of Navajo culture and traditional beliefs. Author Daniel Hecht finds a careful narrative balance between family drama, eerie occultism, and scientific examination. Teenager Tommy Keeday suffers strange and dangerous seizures while a student at a school for gifted Native Americans in New Mexico and is believed to be possessed by an evil Navajo spirit. Seattle-based parapsychologist Cree Black is asked to study and save the boy. Along with her team of ghost hunters, she uses her own empathic skills to delve into the dark secrets of the teachers and fellow students who might have something to do with Tommy's illness. Hecht makes a bold effort to give readers believable investigations into the supernatural. Cree considers and applies theories involving magnetic fields, mysterious energies, genetics, and geographical forces. The narrative is leavened with a great many separate back-stories, as several fascinating Navajo myths and local legends are discussed in depth. This plausible, spooky, and grabbing mixture of solid detective work and paranormal chills is highly recommended. Parapsychologist Cree Black Is Called In To Work With Tommy Keeday, A Student At A School For Gifted Navajo Teens, After He Falls Victim To An Illness With Terrifying Symptoms, Which His Family Believes Are Caused By A Hostile Spirit. Daniel Hecht. SAM YAZZIE, the boys' dorm night supervisor, was in his room reading when he heard an odd sound from the far end of the building.