≫ Libro Scalp Dance A Sam Chitto Mystery Lu Clifton 9781432831295 Books

Scalp Dance A Sam Chitto Mystery Lu Clifton 9781432831295 Books

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Scalp Dance A Sam Chitto Mystery Lu Clifton 9781432831295 Books

It's been many years since I read a Tony Hillerman mystery, but as I began SCALP DANCE, I was reminded of his work. Lu Clifton’s writing swept me right into the story, and as with Hillerman’s tales, I felt I'd entered a land of stark beauty inhabited by people who lead lives quite different from my own.

The main character in SCALP DANCE is Sam Chitto, a college graduate with a double major in geology and criminal justice. This combination of subjects gives him the expertise he employs as a Choctaw tribal policeman. Whether Lieutenant Chitto is contemplating the rock formations beneath his feet or touching the worry stones in his pockets, readers realize within a few chapters that this character has a connection to the land that is matched by his concerns for the people who live there, including his own mother and grandmother. Yet Sam has reached a point in his life where he’s become tired, frustrated, and he’s contemplating quitting. Contributing to his state of mind are the pain of his father’s decade-old unsolved murder and his young wife’s more recent death from cancer.

A series of murders snags Sam’s interest and might draw him back into a commitment to his chosen profession. The prologue vividly describes one of these murders, with a hint of something mystical that feels true to the setting. This is Oklahoma. Indians who’d lived in the East were forced to move here, and those who survived the deadly march were relocated on land divided among many different tribes and non-Indians in a complicated and confusing manner. Now, members of law enforcement often must carefully scrutinize a map like a checker-board to determine in which Indian Nation a particular crime has been committed. Sometimes the perpetrator slips away and goes un-apprehended due to the time involved in sorting out the correct jurisdiction.

The problem with these murders is not that they are similar or that the victims have had bad reputations. The confusing aspect is that they are carried out in different Indian Nations. In his quest to uncover the brains behind these crimes, Sam finds himself in some awkward situations with an attractive woman who could be a suspect. Along with this whiff of romance, there’s plenty of action in this novel, the first in a series, with more to be published soon.

The plot is clear with no loose ends except those – such as a love interest --that can be carried over into other books. Solving these strange, ritualistic killings is not easy for Sam or the reader. Chitto is a strong character who has an appealing sense of humor. In addition, his desire to move beyond the cultural and religious into a purely logical or scientific approach to his job and his life creates an internal conflict that is developed throughout this well constructed mystery novel.

Lu Clifton is a native of Oklahoma, and her descriptions of the land and the people ring true. In children’s literature, writers who create fiction outside their own experience are often criticized for not having that insider’s view. Lu has Choctaw and Cherokee on both sides of her family, but, in addition, she’s obviously done her research.

I highly recommend SCALP DANCE to readers who’re looking for a mystery that has a rural setting and authentic characters – both major and minor. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the Sam Chitto series.


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Scalp Dance A Sam Chitto Mystery Lu Clifton 9781432831295 Books Reviews

There’s a new cop in town and his name is Sam. Detective Sam Chitto of the Choctaw Tribal Police to be exact. There’s more to Sam Chitto than most other cops you’ve followed. He’s not only smart— a trained geologist and armchair philosopher—but he’s human to the core. As for his private history, he’s a teetotaler (non-drinker), gum-chewing (a placebo for cigarettes), and a young widower whose quest involves solving the murder of his father (a former tribal policeman). As for his public history, he lives in and works for the Choctaw Nation in southeastern Oklahoma—which is only one of many Native American nations in the state. And if you knew nothing about Oklahoma’s history before, you will after you read this book. Believe me, there’s more to it than the Oklahoma Land Rush that’s taught in history classes.

There’s a wonderful sense of history, both public and private, in this novel. It’s this sense of history that lies behind the plot, which is revealed in bits and pieces through the main characters’ backstories. This sense of history is key, as the past comes back to haunt the present, and Clifton does an excellent job developing it in order to add depth and feeling to her characters. The history of the area is really quite fascinating and I had no idea that it resulted in such a Gordian knot of trouble for law enforcement. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Blending mystery and the complexities of criminal cases on the tribal lands in Oklahoma, Scalp Dance A Sam Chitto Mystery by Lu Clifton opens just outside of Hugo, Oklahoma. Lieutenant Sam Chitto is a member of the Oklahoma Choctaw Police. A man of honor and principles haunted by his past, he is also very frustrated with the rules and regulations regarding crimes and jurisdictional land boundaries. Frustration stemming from situations such as the current rape case he working where a non-Indian is the assailant and most likely nothing is ever going to happen to him.

Sam Chitto has made it clear to Director Daniel Blackfox that he wants and needs a change from the normal daily grind though this new case he had handed to him is not what he had in mind. The case involves the homicide of a man found on the Tuskahoma council house grounds. The victim was decapitated which, while clearly the cause of death, was also done in such a way to leave very little evidence behind. The head, once removed, was placed next to the body. It is also apparent that prior to death the deceased had been spread eagled and staked down to the dried ground made hard by the summer heat. Despite what must have gone on there is nearly no evidence on or around the body. Since the dead man, one Delbert Wilcox not listed on the tribal roll, was married to Emma Love Wilcox of the Chickasaw, Director Blackfox is going to pair Sam Chitto with Police Sergeant Frank Tubbe of the Chickasaw Nation. The director wants Tubbe and Chitto to work the case hard and fast and do as much as they can before the FBI swoops in and takes over.

That might have worked better if the person or persons involved had stopped at just one. They didn’t. As the bodies begin to accumulate, it slowly becomes clear the who and why behind it all in Scalp Dance A Sam Chitto Mystery by Lu Clifton.

This is one of those cases where the review buzz and hype is actually warranted. Author of the middle school books titled Freaky Fast Frankie Joe, Immortal Max, and Seeking Cassandra, Lu Clifton has created a very strong novel of mystery as well as psychological complexity. She has taken the clichés of a son haunted by the unsolved case of his murdered father and a husband haunted by the death of his wife from cancer where the simple act of eating and enjoying food made by a woman could be viewed as a sign of disrespect to the dead wife, and managed to rework them both in ways that are fresh for readers. Add in various ongoing cases made more difficult by the legal complexities with regards to crimes on Indian lands in Oklahoma and more makes Scalp Dance A Sam Chitto Mystery a solidly good read.

It will also be interesting to see what happens in the next book in the series. While the ending works and reveals the identities and motivations, it also raises at least a couple of questions in the mind of this reader as how this series will move forward. Nothing more can be said without very possibly ruining the book. That certainly will not happen here. It also would not be surprising if Scalp Dance A Sam Chitto Mystery racked up several awards for author Lu Clifton. It truly is that good.

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
It's been many years since I read a Tony Hillerman mystery, but as I began SCALP DANCE, I was reminded of his work. Lu Clifton’s writing swept me right into the story, and as with Hillerman’s tales, I felt I'd entered a land of stark beauty inhabited by people who lead lives quite different from my own.

The main character in SCALP DANCE is Sam Chitto, a college graduate with a double major in geology and criminal justice. This combination of subjects gives him the expertise he employs as a Choctaw tribal policeman. Whether Lieutenant Chitto is contemplating the rock formations beneath his feet or touching the worry stones in his pockets, readers realize within a few chapters that this character has a connection to the land that is matched by his concerns for the people who live there, including his own mother and grandmother. Yet Sam has reached a point in his life where he’s become tired, frustrated, and he’s contemplating quitting. Contributing to his state of mind are the pain of his father’s decade-old unsolved murder and his young wife’s more recent death from cancer.

A series of murders snags Sam’s interest and might draw him back into a commitment to his chosen profession. The prologue vividly describes one of these murders, with a hint of something mystical that feels true to the setting. This is Oklahoma. Indians who’d lived in the East were forced to move here, and those who survived the deadly march were relocated on land divided among many different tribes and non-Indians in a complicated and confusing manner. Now, members of law enforcement often must carefully scrutinize a map like a checker-board to determine in which Indian Nation a particular crime has been committed. Sometimes the perpetrator slips away and goes un-apprehended due to the time involved in sorting out the correct jurisdiction.

The problem with these murders is not that they are similar or that the victims have had bad reputations. The confusing aspect is that they are carried out in different Indian Nations. In his quest to uncover the brains behind these crimes, Sam finds himself in some awkward situations with an attractive woman who could be a suspect. Along with this whiff of romance, there’s plenty of action in this novel, the first in a series, with more to be published soon.

The plot is clear with no loose ends except those – such as a love interest --that can be carried over into other books. Solving these strange, ritualistic killings is not easy for Sam or the reader. Chitto is a strong character who has an appealing sense of humor. In addition, his desire to move beyond the cultural and religious into a purely logical or scientific approach to his job and his life creates an internal conflict that is developed throughout this well constructed mystery novel.

Lu Clifton is a native of Oklahoma, and her descriptions of the land and the people ring true. In children’s literature, writers who create fiction outside their own experience are often criticized for not having that insider’s view. Lu has Choctaw and Cherokee on both sides of her family, but, in addition, she’s obviously done her research.

I highly recommend SCALP DANCE to readers who’re looking for a mystery that has a rural setting and authentic characters – both major and minor. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the Sam Chitto series.