Dance of the Bones goes on sale Tuesday, September 8, the day after Labor Day. For some of you, this will be the first Walker book you’ve ever read. (I hope it won’t be the last!)
The first of this series, Hour of the Hunter, was my first non-Beaumont book. When it came out, many dyed-in-the wool Beaumont fans were less than thrilled and more than a few wrote to let me know they were displeased. I turned some of those folks around by explaining how a former professor of Creative Writing from the University of Arizona ended up being the crazed killer in that book. It’s a good story. Those of you who are regular readers of my blog have probably already heard it, so I won’t repeat that oft-told tale here.
The point is, if you’re a Walker newbie or a Walker oldie, you’ll be entering the world of the Tohono O’odham, the Desert People, who have lived in the desert west of what they called Chuk Shon (Tucson) for thousands of years. You’ll also meet a cast of T.O. characters stretching from the 1880s to the present—Understanding Woman, Rita Antone, Looks at Nothing, Fat Crack Ortiz, Lani Walker, and Dan Pardee—as well as Understanding Woman’s great, great, great grandson, a surly teenager named Gabe Ortiz. Many of those characters have been dead for decades at the time this book takes place, but you’ll find that their wit, wisdom, and stories live on.
By now you’re probably thinking, is she nuts? I thought this was supposed to be a murder mystery, and isn’t J.P. Beaumont supposed to be in this book? It is, and he is. Beau and Brandon Walker team up to solve two far flung and long cold homicides, even though Beau is as much a stranger to all these folks as new readers will be. But you know what? I’m not worried about that.
In 1970 I went to Sells, Arizona, for the first time as the newly hired librarian at Indian Oasis School. The road through the reservation from our house was mostly flat desert, but just before entering Sells, the road crosses series of hills through a low-lying pass. As I drove down into town that day and smelled wood smoke from cooking fires lingering in the air, I felt like a complete outsider, but over the next five years, that changed. Melissa Juan, Pauline Hendricks, Rita Pablo, and Loretta Ramon took me in and made me part of their circle—a circle I still treasure to this day.
And that’s my purpose in writing these books. Yes, I want to tell a story. In the earlier books, you see how Diana Ladd and Brandon Walker are brought into the T.O. circle, and I’m confident J.P. Beaumont and my readers will be welcomed in the same way.
If you come to one of the Dance of the Bones events, you’ll no doubt hear some of my reservation “circle” stories. I will not, however, be telling any of the T.O. legends that appear in the backgrounds of all the Walker books. Those are considered ‘winter-telling tales’ and can only be told between the middle of November and the middle of March. Since DOTB is a September book, telling those stories is off-limits.
The schedule is up on my website, www.jajance.com. Go to the map and click on your state for detailed information about appearances. And if you want to read more about the Walker Series, just read about it on my website too. See you on the road.
Now I’d better go pack.
Just how do you pronounce the name of that Indian tribe? I’ve seen it before, but am not sure. Sounds interesting. I’m glad you got even with that creative writing teacher. Love it.
Tah-hah-no Aw-oh-dahm
Love your books have read them all and in some cases read more than once. Look forward to this new mystery and to be honest mostly because Beaumont is part of the story. Thank you for Beaumont. MJ
I’m in the middle reading Kiss the Bees right now. The Walker books are a lot more intense that your other serials but I love the characters and Indian Tails are very interesting to me. I got a big kick out of Look at Nothing in the Hour of the Hunter.
I can’t wait to read Dance of the Bones, but I have to read the next two Walker books first, because I’m OCD like that. lol.
Morning, It’s not that I didn’t like The Walkers books. I had trouble reading and keeping all the characters streight. I found you later than most authors. You had already written a lot of Brau’s books and just a couple of Brady’s books. So if I had started with the Walker books I would probably would not have gone on. I have to admit that I fell in love with Beau’s story line. With Beau ,with seattle ( where We lived at the time) I can not tell you why but he is my main man. Joann and Ali are a,close second. I own all the Walker books .I have read a couple so I will try again. Looking forward to the new book I like where Beau is going with his life. As a wife of a member of law enforcement, retirement can be hard.
Have a grand week. Enjoy your travel this season …Jan
I’m a fan of all your books. The settings make them all different and entertaining. I’ve read the Walker series as they have come out and have missed them. I’m glad that Beau is meeting up with Brandon. Can’t wait to read this book.
I enjoy all your different series. The Walker stories are more involved and have more characters. But I adore that series above all. Queen of the Night was my favorite of any book you’ve written so far.
Looking forward to September 8!
I have to say I was one of the readers who really didnt like the first Walker book way back when. Recently I have read (or re-read) all the Walker books and really enjoyed them! Looking forward to Tuesday!!
Walker Books, they are real thrillers.
It would be almost interesting to see if anyone could do them justice in movie format.
Just finished reading my first book by jajance. Remains of innocence. It was wonderful.if other books by ms.jance ate as good . I have found a favorite author. Betty hargens
Dear Betty,
Thank you for the kind words. I hope you enjoy my other books.
JAJ
My thoughts on not liking a book and giving up on an author. Don’t. You may like another book she or he has written so try again. This happened to me this weekend. I had said, “Never again” in reference to another mystery writer. However, I liked her new book.
Jance has so many to pick from you should have no problem finding your favorite character. Mine is Beau, of course.
I can’t wait! Right now I’m deep into Dead to Rights. I must admit to reading your books completely out of order; I just pick them up as I find them on my bookshelf, in the library or the bookshop. I look forward to making Walker’s acquaintance.
Really should research your drugs : succinylcholine is a paralytic- which means you are not able breathe without assistance- Henry wouldn’t have had to shot anyone they would have stopped breathing
And they wouldn’t have gone to sleep , unless your are given a sedative with it , you stay awake while suffocating