Rudy Ruiz

Solitario Cisneros was the sheriff in the town of Olvido, Mexico until the Rio Grande changed course and left Olivido and its inhabitants as part of the United States. Along with losing his job, soon after Solitario lost his wife, Luz. He blames a curse, a malediction placed on his family, but he is still comforted by Luz's ghost that visits every night. Now, a gruesome killing has hit Olvido and Solitario has been asked to investigate. He wants to stay away, but the ghost of a young boy killed that night encourages Solitario to find his siblings. Solitario agrees to take the case, but as he makes headway in finding the lost siblings, more ritualistic killings occur and more children are taken. With the help of Apache seer Onawa, an old bruja as well as the ghosts of those who have passed, Solitario is on the hunt for those behind the murders.

"The night is dark, but it is also full of light."

Valley of Shadows is a masterful blend of western, horror, historical fiction and magical realism. I have previously read the Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez and this book takes place before it, explaining more of the history of the curse, it was nice to fill in some backstory there. The story starts off immediately in the action and pulled me into the mystery of the strange murders. Solitario's character brings in more mystery as his complexities arise. Solitario is cursed and lonely, but he also has a strong sense of justice and a special set of abilities that have been bestowed to him. Through some flashbacks, Solitario's past, love life, curse and the experiences that made him the man he is are revealed. It almost seemed like this could have been another book. As the crimes continue to build, Solitario realizes the impact of racism, fear and greed that has overtaken the town. Solitario must relinquish his loneliness and use his abilities to fight for the people of his town and bring down an evil that wishes to separate them. Valley of Shadows is a complex story from unique viewpoint of a Mexican-American in the 1880's that creates a haunting and compelling mystery.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (más)

This was a delightful read! The author has written an emotional read about love loss and found but with a little twist! I enjoyed following along as Fugenico tries to win Caroline's heart and as he searches for a way to break his curse. The imagination and research that went into this story was great! Using words and terms that were from that time period helped with the realistic feel and the vivid writing brings the world and the characters to life! It's a romance story with some mystery and magic realism sprinkled in! I haven't read anything else by this author but I look forward to looking into some of her other books!

Thank you Books Forward for sharing this audiobook with me in exchange for an honest review!… (más)