Yellow Lies

The coyote howled four times. Salvador Zuni laughed, realizing he was holding his breath, then waited for another long piercing wail—hoped for another…

Salvador Zuni is a master carver of traditional Native American fetishes. He is also a cheat. He makes synthetic amber that rivals anything to be found in nature, complete down to the insects he places inside. His recipe is worth a fortune, and someone is after it.

When Ben Pecos, the new resident Indian Health Services psychologist, arrives at the pueblo, he finds himself caught up in the investigation of the murder of a trader in native artifacts and fetishes. Someone is willing to kill and use the spirits of the tribes to drive Salvador out of his mind and into prison for the crime. But something smells odd to Ben, and as he begins to investigate, he treads deeper into the mystic and the list of suspects grows longer.

Masterfully plotted and rich with the spirit and characters of the Southwest, Yellow Lies shows Susan Slater to be at the top of her form.