Wingbeat by Marilyn Meredith    Books by Marilyn Meredith · Wishing Makes It So · Cup of Demons · Deeds of Darkness · Deadly Trail · Intervention                 >> View all
Category:	Mystery/Suspense	Publisher:	Golden Eagle Press	ISBN-10:	1891940082
Pages:	221	Copyright:	2004

Deputy Tempe Crabtree is busy investigating a hidden marijuana farm and a murder while her husband has troubles of her own. Get your Signed copy today! Buy your copy! Amazon Books by Marilyn The footprints disappeared abruptly. Montelongo had left the trail. Tempe paused, alert for any sound. The night birds and crickets were still, he wasn't far ahead. Had he stopped to listen just like she had? Moving the beam of her flashlight slowly to the side of the trail, she grass flattened to the size of the prints she'd been following. A few rocks looked as though they'd been disturbed. Certain this was the direction her quarry had gone, she set off after him. The tracks through the grass were not as easily followed as the clear depressions Montelongo's boots made in the damp earth of the path. Tempe moved slowly, watching for anything that looked different or out of place. It was surprisingly easy until she reached the river. Because she could see no evidence of his progress along the bank in either direction, he must have crossed to the other side. Picking up the trail on the opposite bank would not be simple. There was no way of knowing if he had waded a few steps before coming ashore. Shining the flashlight up and down stream, Tempe eliminated the possibility that he was still in the water. Because it rained only once after a summer of a few brief, random thunder showers, the river was still moderately low and slow moving. Tempe crossed on a natural rock bridge--guessing that Montelongo had done the same. When she reached the bank, she shined the beam along the edge checking for footprints in the mud. The faster she pushed him the less careful he'd be. It didn't take long to find a slight depression made by a boot several yards down stream, and a freshly broken twig on a manzanita bush. She smiled. She hadn't lost Montelongo. Following the only break in the thick undergrowth, Tempe hurried, depending on her flashlight beam to locate signs that Montelongo had passed that way. A feeling of harmony with the surroundings settled upon her. It was the first time she'd ever tracked a person in the wilderness, and the ease with which she was able to do it made her briefly wonder if it had anything to do with her Yanduchi genes. A scruffy coyote, tail between its legs, appeared in front of her. Illuminated by the beam of her flashlight, the animal stared at her momentarily, before skulking off into the underbrush. Tempe remembered something a Yanduchi friend had told her. A coyote crossing one's path was a sign something bad was about to happen. Bad for Montelongo, she trusted, not her. Once again an owl swooped down in front of her, not even pausing as it snatched a mouse from the ground and lifted on wing beats to disappear into the trees. The memory of Nick Two John's answer when she asked him what the sudden appearance of an owl meant, caused her to shudder. Death. In this case it surely meant the death of the mouse -- hopefully the only significance. The owl's departure brought back the memory of swirling blue feathers of the gown worn by the shaman on that turning-point night during the summer. The scent of smoke from a faraway chimney reminded her of the ceremonial fire. The rhythmic thump of her own heart was like the drum from that night. A silvery mist rising from the damp earth swirled around her. The mist changed shape, taking on substance -- becoming a giant bird. Tempe wasn't sure if it were real or conjured by her imagination. The wing span, large as a condor's, blocked her view of the evening sky. But no, despite the size, the blue of the feathers was that of a heron. Tempe heard the voice of the shaman. "Open yourself ... allow the Creator to guide you." The heron immediately faded from view, and she remembered how resolution for Hutch's problem began when he turned to the Lord. Convinced that the Creator of the ancient Indian religion and the God her husband worshiped were one and the same, Tempe lifted her eyes toward the heavens and prayed. "Dear Lord, Creator of all things, lead me in the correct path. Help me to discover the truth." Thunder rumbled higher in the mountains. Tempe hoped it wouldn't rain until after she caught up with Montelongo.

Paperback

Wingbeat Review
Deputy Tempe Crabtree, wife, mother and relentless sleuth, faces a new challenge, one that threatens to cast a dark stain over all she holds dear. Her Native American heritage, her trust in her Christian minister husband and her duty as a deputy bring new conflicts into her life. The silent wing beat of an owl foretells danger, but not Tempe's discovery of a well hidden pot farm, her involvement in the murder of a woman hastily buried in the dirt dug out of grave destined for another or the growing child abuse accusations leveled at her husband. Can she discover the sources of the threats, or will this danger become her undoing?
Will I answer my own question?
Of course not. I wouldn't want to take away one iota of the excitement in this mystery from the reader. I wouldn't hesitate to call it a police procedural, because Tempe marches to her own drummer most of the time. I enjoyed every page of Wingbeat, the fourth book featuring Deputy Crabtree and her assorted family, Native American mentors, and friends. Marilyn Meredith, peerless storyteller, presents fully realized characters, wonderful glimpses into a Native American culture, and the follies and fancies of the human estate (including the flaws and fumbles and fears) with precise plotting and a deft hand.
I've read all four books and each time I think it can't be as good as the last one. But Meredith invariably proves me wrong. Each book builds on the previous volume, but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. However, Meredith's writing is addictive and should come with a warning saying, "Bet you can't read just one." That would include her other novels -- some mysteries, some not -- as well.
Patricia Lucas White, Crescent Blue


Wingbeat Review
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty

Tempe Crabtree, resident deputy of the small community of Bear Creek, has
her hands full. Normally, she writes a few tickets for speeding and makes
sure things don't get too out of hand on Friday nights. Now she's been asked
by the sheriff of a neighboring town to be on the lookout for marijuana farms. Asif that weren't enough, a newcomer to the area has been murdered and a man
matching her husband's description has been exposing himself to
schoolchildren.

Tempe knows her husband is innocent but how to prove it? And her gut tells
her the murder victim has something to do with the influx of marijuana in
the county. Can she find the killer, find the marijuana farmers and prove
her husband's innocence before it's too late?

My first Tempe Crabtree novel Wingbeat will certainly not be my last. I fell
in love with Tempe from page one and hated when I read the last page. Tempe
has great inner strength, an intense devotion to her family, even wondering
if her job keeps her away from them too much and the way she is torn between
respecting her Native American heritage without it seeming as if she doesn't
support her minister husband makes for a very depth-filled character. Throw
in a well-written mystery that keeps the reader guessing, but with all loose
ends and hunches tied up and explained leave no doubt in this reviewer's
mind that Marilyn Meredith is a very talented author. Very highly
recommended.




Wing Beat, the fourth and latest Tempe Crabtree mystery by Marilyn Meredith is a must read for anyone that loves native American lore, California small towns and tight knit communities. All of the characters are well defined and the sense of place is real. Wing Beat is finely crafted Christian mystery with just enough faith and suspense to keep you turning the pages. Tempe Crabtree is a feisty, take-charge resident deputy that doesn't mind getting a little dirty or staring down a bear to bring the bad guy to justice. A must read for spring and summer. Four Stars--- Patricia E. Canterbury, author Poplar Cove/ Delta Mysteries

Title: Wingbeat
Author: Marilyn Meredith
Publisher: Golden Eagle Press
First Published: 2004
ISBN: 1-891940-08-2
Classification: Series Mystery
Price: $7.99 (US Dollars)
221 pages

The wingbeat of an owl is considered to be the harbinger of danger or death by many Native Americans. The eye-catching cover and an incident with an owl will pull you right into the latest in the series of Tempe Crabtree mysteries by Marilyn
Meredith.
On routine patrol, Deputy Tempe Crabtree pulls over a rather wild-looking, unkempt woman speeder, who seems more than a little defensive. There is talk
in the Bear Creek area, where Tempe is deputy, that there is a new marijuana farm. When the woman's body is found in a shallow grave in a family cemetery, Tempe fears that the farm where the woman, her husband and friends have been living hides evidence and secrets.

While Tempe is working overtime on the case, Hutch, her minister husband, is suspected of being a "flasher" when schoolchildren describe someone who looks like him and drives a similar vehicle.

In this fourth book in the series, author Marilyn Meredith has served up another delicious mystery. There is the perfect blend of small town life and Native American wisdom. The books stands well on its own, but readers will want to collect and read all the Tempe Crabtree books. The fast paced action and
excellent character development make them all pure, delightful entertainment.
Tempe Crabtree Mystery Series
By Marilyn Meredith
Unlike the rest of California, the fictional town of Bear Creek doesn’’t consider marijuana a ““safe”” drug. Deputy Tempe Crabtree, the Native American heroine of Marilyn Meredith’’s award-winning mystery series, may be consigned to patrol by her dismissive male counterparts, but she knows the law as well as she knows her pastor husband, Hutch. Or does she?
It seems that while some pot growers insist on stonewalling Tempe, citizens of the small community where she lives and enforces the law insist that Hutch is yet another man of the cloth gone bad. Could gentle, loving Hutch, who disapproves Of Tempe’’s association with Native American shamanism, expose himself to schoolchildren? Tempe doesn’’t think so, but her son Blair, a hotheaded firefighter, does. More to the point, even her boss suspects Hutch. Where’’s a peace pipe or a rain dance when you need one?
What else could go wrong? One of the marijuana farmers turns up dead, and to top it all off, she’’s actually the missing granddaughter of Tempe’’s friend Joe Seaberry, a retired cop. Did Seventeen Seaberry’’s hotheaded, potheaded husband kill her, or does Joe know more than he’’s telling? Tempe ponders the unthinkable once again, and though she wants to believe Joe, the case against him is nearly nil, unlike the case against Hutch.
Fortunately, Tempe’’s multiple roles, as Yanduchi-born woman, wife, mother, and deputy, give her multiple insights and eyes as powerful as the owl that foretells death among her people. And as her male chauvinist superiors cavalierly suggest, she has a ““woman’’s touch”” when it comes to dealing with wounded spirits. Also, at the end of the day, she has a strong marriage, held together by faith and true love.
Tempe and Hutch create a realistic portrait of an interfaith marriage held together by the values of love, commitment, trust, and sacrifice. Author Marilyn Meredith continues to be a strong voice for the Christian faith as well as for women in fiction, particularly female law enforcement officers rain-dancing as fast as they can to break the glass ceiling. Just say yes to Tempe Crabtree.

MyShelf.Com/Kristin Johnson


WINGBEAT is the fourth installment of Marilyn Meredith's Tempe Crabtree series. The author's descriptive skills give readers the sense that they are there, in the woods and rutted roads of Bear Creek. Meredith is expert at drawing rich characters with depth. WINGBEAT contains only a smattering of strong language and, while there is some adult subject matter, the book could easily fit into an older teen's summer reading. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

I Love A Mystery –Caryl Harvey



















Wingbeat
My first Tempe Crabtree novel Wingbeat will certainly not be my last. I fell
in love with Tempe from page one and hated when I read the last page. Tempe
has great inner strength, an intense devotion to her family, even wondering
if her job keeps her away from them too much and the way she is torn between
respecting her Native American heritage without it seeming as if she doesn't
support her minister husband makes for a very depth-filled character. Throw
in a well-written mystery that keeps the reader guessing, but with all loose
ends and hunches tied up and explained leave no doubt in this reviewer's
mind that Marilyn Meredith is a very talented author. Very highly
recommended.




Wing Beat, the fourth and latest Tempe Crabtree mystery by Marilyn Meredith is a must read for anyone that loves native American lore, California small towns and tight knit communities. All of the characters are well defined and the sense of place is real. Wing Beat is finely crafted Christian mystery with just enough faith and suspense to keep you turning the pages. Tempe Crabtree is a feisty, take-charge resident deputy that doesn't mind getting a little dirty or staring down a bear to bring the bad guy to justice. A must read for spring and summer. Four Stars--- Patricia E. Canterbury, author Poplar Cove/ Delta Mysteries

Title: Wingbeat
Author: Marilyn Meredith
Publisher: Golden Eagle Press
First Published: 2004
ISBN: 1-891940-08-2
Classification: Series Mystery
Price: $7.99 (US Dollars)
221 pages

The wingbeat of an owl is considered to be the harbinger of danger or death by many Native Americans. The eye-catching cover and an incident with an owl will pull you right into the latest in the series of Tempe Crabtree mysteries by Marilyn
Meredith.
On routine patrol, Deputy Tempe Crabtree pulls over a rather wild-looking, unkempt woman speeder, who seems more than a little defensive. There is talk
in the Bear Creek area, where Tempe is deputy, that there is a new marijuana farm. When the woman's body is found in a shallow grave in a family cemetery, Tempe fears that the farm where the woman, her husband and friends have been living hides evidence and secrets.

While Tempe is working overtime on the case, Hutch, her minister husband, is suspected of being a "flasher" when schoolchildren describe someone who looks like him and drives a similar vehicle.

In this fourth book in the series, author Marilyn Meredith has served up another delicious mystery. There is the perfect blend of small town life and Native American wisdom. The books stands well on its own, but readers will want to collect and read all the Tempe Crabtree books. The fast paced action and
excellent character development make them all pure, delightful entertainment.


Wingbeat
Tempe Crabtree Mystery Series
By Marilyn Meredith
Unlike the rest of California, the fictional town of Bear Creek doesn’’t consider marijuana a ““safe”” drug. Deputy Tempe Crabtree, the Native American heroine of Marilyn Meredith’’s award-winning mystery series, may be consigned to patrol by her dismissive male counterparts, but she knows the law as well as she knows her pastor husband, Hutch. Or does she?
It seems that while some pot growers insist on stonewalling Tempe, citizens of the small community where she lives and enforces the law insist that Hutch is yet another man of the cloth gone bad. Could gentle, loving Hutch, who disapproves Of Tempe’’s association with Native American shamanism, expose himself to schoolchildren? Tempe doesn’’t think so, but her son Blair, a hotheaded firefighter, does. More to the point, even her boss suspects Hutch. Where’’s a peace pipe or a rain dance when you need one?
What else could go wrong? One of the marijuana farmers turns up dead, and to top it all off, she’’s actually the missing granddaughter of Tempe’’s friend Joe Seaberry, a retired cop. Did Seventeen Seaberry’’s hotheaded, potheaded husband kill her, or does Joe know more than he’’s telling? Tempe ponders the unthinkable once again, and though she wants to believe Joe, the case against him is nearly nil, unlike the case against Hutch.
Fortunately, Tempe’’s multiple roles, as Yanduchi-born woman, wife, mother, and deputy, give her multiple insights and eyes as powerful as the owl that foretells death among her people. And as her male chauvinist superiors cavalierly suggest, she has a ““woman’’s touch”” when it comes to dealing with wounded spirits. Also, at the end of the day, she has a strong marriage, held together by faith and true love.
Tempe and Hutch create a realistic portrait of an interfaith marriage held together by the values of love, commitment, trust, and sacrifice. Author Marilyn Meredith continues to be a strong voice for the Christian faith as well as for women in fiction, particularly female law enforcement officers rain-dancing as fast as they can to break the glass ceiling. Just say yes to Tempe Crabtree.

MyShelf.Com/Kristin Johnson


WINGBEAT is the fourth installment of Marilyn Meredith's Tempe Crabtree series. The author's descriptive skills give readers the sense that they are there, in the woods and rutted roads of Bear Creek. Meredith is expert at drawing rich characters with depth. WINGBEAT contains only a smattering of strong language and, while there is some adult subject matter, the book could easily fit into an older teen's summer reading. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

I Love A Mystery –Caryl Harvey