I liked Ramona Emerson’s Shutter, a blend of police procedural, Native American culture, paranormal, and horror, that I didn’t wait long to read the second installment, Exposure. The latter can be read as a stand-alone novel, but reading the first helps set up the dynamics better. It is set in Gallup, New Mexico, rather than Albuquerque, as Rita has returned to her grandmother’s home in nearby Tohatchi to heal from a gunshot wound and, more seriously, to recover from the daily emotional trauma of dealing with ghosts demanding her help in settling their affairs.
Unlike Shutter, which alternates between Rita’s past and present, Exposure is told from the points of view of Rita and a psychotic serial killer who invokes St. Michael to justify his killings. In a cold Gallup winter, the serial killer disguises his deeds as deaths by exposure on the snowy streets. In real life, he is the outreach pastor thought by locals to be a saint slips due to his many good deeds. In contrast to these horrors, Rita’s relationships with her grandmother, her elderly friend Mr. Bitsilly, and her best friend Shanice help anchor her, protect her, and give her hope and consolation through her ordeals.
********************
Exposure (Soho Crime, October 1, 2024) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
********************
You can read my review of Shutter here.
********************
This post contains affiliate links to third party sites. These can help you visually identify books I recommend. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small compensation at no additional cost to you. This offsets some of the cost of maintaining this blog.
