Dark Side of Morning

SUSPENSE/THRILLER:  The daughter of a respected Native American scholar, Dr. Cleopatra Sommers practically grew up in Chicago’s Museum of Natural History, playing among the artifacts and finding herself drawn to one particular mannequin in a display case – the Pawnee warrior known as Wind Dancer. What she didn’t know was that while she was studying him, Wind Dancer was watching her.

Wind Dancer is a warrior on a mission: to cross over from his world of 1800s Nebraska in to the mysterious world of Modern Chicago and prevent a small pox epidemic. Meeting and falling in love with Cleopatra Sommers complicates matters. But when an old enemy and a skinwalker appear on the scene, it’s going to take everything Cleo and Wind Dancer have – including the help of a grumpy, skeptical cop – to save both of their worlds.

The first in a series, Ms. James takes her readers on a fast-paced adventure involving Native American myths, parallel universes, human sacrifices, and magical true love. Her characters are spunky and fun to watch: Wind Dancer’s struggles with modern idioms and Detective Jacque Marquette’s sharp wit and bad attitude keep the adventure light and funny. The story suffers in the narration: the action scenes are difficult to follow and the prose is uneven and occasionally awkward or rushed. However, readers will appreciate an adventure this fun, anchored in both modern-day and historical Native American culture.

Janice Martin