Jean Hager

I recently had the chance to buy some like-new paperbacks of vintage 80's / 90's cozy mysteries, and this was one of them. I'd read this series back in '94 when it first came out and although I remember not loving it, it stuck with me, and I wanted to see how it held up 20-odd years later.

Here's the weird thing - I remembered exactly who had done it, and why, including the plot twist, as soon as I started to read the book. I rarely remember character names 5 minutes after I put a book down but all these characters came flooding back immediately, along with the plot in its entirety.

So, I don't know if this book suffered from age or my unusually clear memory of it, so I'll just say this: I remember thinking it was mediocre when I read it the first time, and I thought it was mediocre this time.

I have one more of this series that was part of my vintage haul; perhaps it'll be better, or my memory worse, and I'll enjoy the nostalgia trip more.… (mehr)

This is the first in the Molly Bearpaw series by Oklahoma author Jean Hager (who actually lives up the street from me!) I actually read most of the series and the Mitch Bushyhead series thirty or so years ago. Obviously, I have forgotten the details in that time. I remember these books as wonderful, cozy mysteries. I was right!

In Ravenmocker, Molly, who works for the Cherokee nation, investigates mysterious nursing home deaths. There's a touch of romance with the mystery, and the reader learns some interesting facts about the Cherokee and their culture. The mystery has a satisfying resolution that I didn't figure out half way through the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.… (mehr)