"Hecht is a master . . .  Land of Echoes is more than a supernatural mystery.  It is an exploration of the psyche and the struggle of people and spirits caught between worlds . . . The writing is poetic in a way that us sure to raise gooseflesh."  --  Rocky Mountain News

"Hecht is so good at his ghosts and demons believable that Land of Echoes quickly caught me up in its exciting story . . .  In the end, the book is so well-balanced and beautifully written that you probably won't realize you've been reading a ghost story." --  Chicago Tribune

"Hecht's exploration of the supernatural, the Navajo culture, and the beauty of the New Mexican desert all come together in a story that is as enthralling as it is evocative."  -- New Mystery Reader

A BookSense Pick of the year

A Rocky Mountain News pick of the year

Land of echoes

In this second installment of the Cree Black series, Cree is called to investigate a fascinating case unfolding in the vast high desert of New Mexico.  Tommy Keeday, a student at a boarding school for gifted Navajo teens, has been seized by a frightening, violent, inexplicable illness.

His family believes he is possessed by the hostile spirit of a dead ancestor.  Cree must decide whether Tommy is just a sensitive teenager seeking attention, is suffering from an exotic brain disorder -- or whether there's truth in the Navajo legends of witches, skinwalkers, and malevolent ghosts.

As Tommy's condition worsens, Cree and her colleagues, aided by a talented Navajo physician, realize they are in a race against time.  Their investigation takes them into the terrifying realm of possession, Tommy's past, and crucial moments of Navajo history, and pits them against present-day mining interests willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden.

Land of Echoes is a mystery, a passionate love story, and an exploration of Navajo culture and identity in modern America.