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As this novel opens, Lt. Sam Chitto of the Oklahoma Choctaw Tribal Police finds himself doubting his career choice. His latest case: the rape of a 15-year-old by her aunt's husband. Because the crime was committed against an Indian by a non-native on tribal lands, the case goes to federal court—and means no arrest but paperwork for a possible later indictment. For now, the offender will walk free Chitto knows.
And then Chitto is assigned to work a shadow investigation on a strange case being handled by the FBI. A man has been killed and beheaded on sacred tribal land. The man is the husband of a Chickasaw woman, but not a native himself. There's also another curious thing: a part of the scalp has been torn away. It seems someone is meting out his own justice.
Chitto finds himself drawn deeper into the case, even as old ghosts pull at him—his dead wife and his father, a police officer murdered on the job. Once a student of geology, Chitto left behind a possible career in science to join the force, with the ulterior motive of finding his father's killer. He finds some clues in this novel, but the author has left this story dangling for future books.
SCALP DANCE is a strong debut, revolving around the customs and traditions of native Americans (the author has Choctaw and Cherokee ancestors). Chitto is a fascinating character, a Choctaw who professes not to be into the "old customs," but who now finds that the key to his new case lies in those rituals and traditions.
A small flaw is that this book may be too much of a fast read—certain threads are quickly dispensed with, and Chitto goes from finding one character suspicious to suddenly being attracted to her. Nevertheless, Clifton's writing pulls you in, and fans of Tony Hillerman and Craig Johnson will enjoy this book. I'll be looking for the next Chitto mystery.
§ Lourdes Venard is an independent editor who divides her time between New York and Maui.
Reviewed by Lourdes Venard, November 2015
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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