Rating: 
Summary: exellent murder mystery
Review: "Zia Summer," by Rudalfo Anaya, is about a small-timepersonal investigator from Albuquerque, New Mexico, named Sonny Baca,the great-grandson of famed lawman Elfego Baca. Sonny's cousin, Gloria Dominic, who is married to Frank Dominic, a very high political figure in the town, turns up dead. She was killed with surgical precision as all of her blood was drained and not a drop was spilled. Sonny, who is trained to find missing people, is hired by his aunt to find the murderer. He finds out that Gloria had many ties with a cult from the Sandia pueblo, and this cult worshipped the sun. He also finds out that this group is planning to blow up a truck that is going to the nuclear waste site in southern New Mexico. The truck is filled with nuclear waste and if it is blown up the contamination would kill the whole state. This book was very good. The book was not only a great murder mystery, but it also had a lot of old Hispanic tales within the story. It is a great novel for anybody who likes a great book.
Rating: 
Summary: Taste of the Southwest
Review: Sonny Baca is a private detective investigating a cult murder of his cousin Gloria. The story weaves together a fabric using the old Native American, the Hispanic, and the Anglo traditions that are so juxtaposed in Albuquerque, and most of the Southwest. Anaya keeps us involved and entertained well by the cast of characters from the beginning to the dramatic climax. He shows us the good and the bad aspects of these traditions. In the end the reader is left with a greater appreciation for the natural beauty of the Southwest and a greater feeling for the traditions and beauty of both the fantasies and realities of these indigenous peoples. It helps to know a little Spanish to catch some of the brief phrases used, so a Spanish dictionary is helpful at times. However, the story never taxes the Anglo with Spanish since most of the words are either very common expressions or are explained in the text (except for the curses!). Hopefully, we can look forward to more about Sonny (and Rita) in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Taste of the Southwest
Review: Sonny Baca is a private detective investigating a cult murder of his cousin Gloria. The story weaves together a fabric using the old Native American, the Hispanic, and the Anglo traditions that are so juxtaposed in Albuquerque, and most of the Southwest. Anaya keeps us involved and entertained well by the cast of characters from the beginning to the dramatic climax. He shows us the good and the bad aspects of these traditions. In the end the reader is left with a greater appreciation for the natural beauty of the Southwest and a greater feeling for the traditions and beauty of both the fantasies and realities of these indigenous peoples. It helps to know a little Spanish to catch some of the brief phrases used, so a Spanish dictionary is helpful at times. However, the story never taxes the Anglo with Spanish since most of the words are either very common expressions or are explained in the text (except for the curses!). Hopefully, we can look forward to more about Sonny (and Rita) in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely worthwhile
Review: The novel is admittedly uneven -- I suspect that hard-core mystery fans will become impatient with the see-it-coming-a-mile-away nature of some of the occurances -- but worth reading. Anaya's prose is frequently lovely and the characters resonate. In addition, it's a pleasure to read an author who presents the mystical/spiritual with respect. In my opinion, Anaya wasn't preachy, but he clearly agrees with Jung's assertion that the religious impulse in human beings is as ineradicable as the sex drive.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely worthwhile
Review: The words from Zia Summer leap off the pages and etch themselves into your memory for all eternity! A bizarre murder, a small time detective, a cast of memorable characters, a really nasty villain, and the enchanting city of Alburquerque make Zia Summer an unforgetable novel. FIVE STARS!!
Rating:
Summary: A murder mystery hotter than a New Mexico Summer
Review: The words from Zia Summer leap off the pages and etch themselves into your memory for all eternity! A bizarre murder, a small time detective, a cast of memorable characters, a really nasty villain, and the enchanting city of Alburquerque make Zia Summer an unforgetable novel. FIVE STARS!!
Rating:
Summary: Bring On More
Review: This was a book that I could hardly put down. Sonny Baca is one of a kind. Bring on more like this, Mr. Anaya!
Rating:
Summary: Bring On More
Review: This was a book that I could hardly put down. Sonny Baca is one of a kind. Bring on more like this, Mr. Anaya!
Rating:
Summary: exellent murder mystery
Review: While I liked Zia Summer quite a bit and really enjoyed all the characters I found it a bit preachy. Anaya is clearly a proponent of a very interesting form of spirituality native to the Southwest, but if this had been more blatantly "Christian" novel or a "Catholic" I would have found it unpalatable. The exoticsm of the Southwestern setting carries Anaya a long, long way.
Rating:
Summary: Zia Summer has great characters, but is a bit preachy.
Review: While I liked Zia Summer quite a bit and really enjoyed all the characters I found it a bit preachy. Anaya is clearly a proponent of a very interesting form of spirituality native to the Southwest, but if this had been more blatantly "Christian" novel or a "Catholic" I would have found it unpalatable. The exoticsm of the Southwestern setting carries Anaya a long, long way.
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