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Donis Casey

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Crying Blood: An Alafair Tucker Mystery (Alafair Tucker Mysteries Book 5) Kindle Edition

by Donis Casey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 64 ratings

Book 5 of 10: Alafair Tucker Mysteries

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"Casey depicts family ties that uplift and support and family ties broken by anger in a poignant, lyrical, authentic novel of early day Oklahoma." —CAROLYN HART, New York Times bestselling author

In the autumn of 1915, Shaw Tucker, his brother James, and their sons go hunting. Instead of a quail, Shaw's dog, Buttercup, flushes an old boot...containing the bones of a foot. Buttercup then leads the men to a shallow grave and a skeleton with a bullet hole in the skull. That night, Shaw awakens to see a pair of moccasin-clad legs brushing by his tent flap. He chases the intruder, but he has disappeared. His concern is justified when he realizes that someone—or something—has followed him home.

Dread turns to relief when he captures a young Creek Indian boy called Crying Blood. Shaw ties the boy up in the barn, but during the few minutes he is left alone, someone thrusts a spear through Crying Blood's heart. The local law is on the killer's trail, but Shaw Tucker has a hunch...

Only Shaw's wife Alafair might be able to forestall his dangerous plan. So Shaw sends her on a wild goose chase so he can confront the killer...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

On a hunting trip on the grounds of an abandoned farm once owned by his stepfather, Shaw Tucker, his brother, sons, and nephews find the skeleton of a long-dead man. At the campground that night, Shaw sees some unexplained things, and his uneasiness persists at home, where he learns that the farm is rumored to be haunted. Shaw becomes concerned that someone has followed them home, and his suspicions are confirmed when he captures a boy, Crying Blood, who is out to avenge his brother�s death at the hands of a white-haired man. After Crying Blood is murdered, Shaw and his wife, Alafair, feel responsible for finding the killer and unraveling the mystery of the past. Alafair, the mother of 10, takes a backseat to Shaw in this investigation, and as in other books in the series, the reader is immersed in the details of early-twentieth-century life in Oklahoma�from butchering hogs to quilting. Reflections on the importance of extended family add texture to the mystery. --Sue O'Brien

Review

''Crying Blood is a thoroughly engrossing evocation of life on a self-sufficient 1915 Oklahoma farm. In Alafair Tucker, mother of ten, Donis Casey has created a clear-eyed woman of her time: pre-ERA, accepting of her place in a male-dominated society, but not hampered by it because she well knows the value of her contributions to her family's well-being. This is my first meeting with Alafair Tucker and her family. It will not be my last.'' -- Margaret Maron, Edgar Award-winning author

''Powerful as a blue norther sweeping across the Creek Nation, Crying Blood is a gripping entry in Donis Casey's superb Alafair Tucker series. Casey depicts family ties that uplift and support and family ties broken by anger in a poignant, lyrical, authentic novel of early day Oklahoma.'' --Carolyn Hart, award winning mystery author

Praise for Donis Casey's novels:

''Those who like their puzzles cloaked in local color from a different time will be amply rewarded.'' -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Sky Took Him

''Pam Ward shines . . . she captivates the listener from the book's benign opening to its surprising conclusion.'' --AudioFile on The Sky Took Him

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VLBRFCT
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Poisoned Pen Press (November 30, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 30, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2782 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 261 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,423,089 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4,104 in Women's Divorce Fiction
- #8,997 in Historical Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #10,550 in Amateur Sleuth Mysteries (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 64 ratings

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Donis Casey

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Donis Casey is the author of five Alafair Tucker Mysteries, The Old Buzzard Had It Coming, Hornswoggled, The Drop Edge of Yonder, The Sky Took Him, and Crying Blood (Feb. 2011). She has twice won the Arizona Book Award for her series, and been a finalist for the Willa Award and the Oklahoma Book Award. Her first novel, The Old Buzzard Had It Coming, was named an Oklahoma Centennial Book.

While researching her own genealogy, she discovered so many ripping tales of settlers, soldiers, cowboys and Indians, murder, dastardly deeds, and general mayhem that she said to herself, “Donis, you have enough material here for ten books.” The resulting historical mystery series, set in Oklahoma in the booming 1910s, features the sleuthing mother of ten children.

Donis is a former teacher, academic librarian, and entrepreneur. She was born and raised in Tulse, Oklahoma, and now lives in Tempe, AZ, with her husband, poet Donald Koozer.

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A Reader in Washington

The Oklahoma Tucker Saga Just Gets Deeper and Richer

Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2011

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The fifth entry in Donis Casey's historical series, set in the Oklahoma of a century past, takes us further into the big story of the Tucker family. Though farmwife Alafair Tucker has been the primary sleuth to this point, "Crying Blood" belongs primarily to her husband, Shaw.
The story begins when Shaw, out on a hunting trip, comes across the skeleton of a man who'd been killed long ago by a bullet between the eyes. Shaw suspects a young Creek Indian who calls himself Crying Blood is implicated in the death of the man, but when Crying Blood is murdered, in part because of actions taken by Shaw, Shaw becomes obsessed, and sets out to find the killer. It's a dangerous and, for Shaw, painful, row to hoe, complete with disturbing family secrets and a hint of supernatural involvement. The suspense is near-palpable. To solve the case, the honorable Okie farmer will need the help and support of his wife and his near-grown son, Gee Dub.
For characters and background, Casey draws heavily on stories she's heard about her own family's life in Oklahoma pioneer days, and the characters and settings are as real as you'll ever find in works of fiction. Throughout the series, I've had to keep reminding myself that these are made-up people, though I'm sure the details of life on a farm there and then are taken straight from history. As the series develops and time passes, the family grows, and relationships change, all of which increase the hold that the Tuckers and their friends and neighbors exert on the reader.
It's hard not to think of this series as a sort of Little House on the Prairie for grownups. It deserves the same level of recognition and readership.

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Shoshana Hathaway

Farms and "haints"

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2012

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This book captivated me for several excellent reasons. First, there is the mystery, which, though veiled in Native American lore and seeming supernatural events is, in fact, a very cold "case" that suddenly and dramatically heats up. Then, there is the setting; Oklahoma in the early 20th Century, still half wild West, just coming into the modern era, but with roots and traditions buried deep in the past. The author brings all the diverse elements of that particular place together masterfully, and the result is a place and time with which I could easily relate, imagine and understand. This was, essentially, an agriculture society, and we get to see farm life from that period from the inside out ..and it is fascinating! The characters are mostly sympathetic, and lovingly drawn, flaws and all, even the tiny children and dogs. I sometimes felt as though I was visiting in that home, and had to remind myself that, if I wanted a piece of pie and some coffee, Alafair Tucker wasn't going to offer it ...but eating pie seemed an appropriate thing to do while reading this book, so I did.

The author has a gentle, straightforward style which I found easy and pleasant reading, and my sense was that she caught the nuances of accent and idiom in her dialog perfectly. There is violence in this book, yes, but not obtrusively so, and while a fair amount of gore is implied, the author chose not to rub our minds in it. In fact, the goriest part of the book was the excellent and informative description of hog butchering in the afterword. While I doubt I'll ever have occasion to butcher a hog (or anything else), I did enjoy this afterword for its insights into how things were done before the advent of industrial meat production on small, family farms.

While the mystery is interesting, it isn't the real focus of the book, in my opinion. The real focus of this book seems to be how the family reacted, and their process, physical and emotional, in resolving it. I got the sense that these were good, honest folk, determined to do right, morally and ethically, and that they did.

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Lulabelle

Historical mystery

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2013

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Donis Casey writes about a time long ago with the modern themes of marriage, tending children, cooking and holding it altogether. I love her descriptions of Indian territory becoming a state, the growth and people of the towns. She crafts believable people who are flawed and yet loved. The tale in this book is about a father taking male family members on a "bonding" trip, if you will. The site the men visit is abandoned, yet there are many unanswered questions about what really has and is happening at this old homestead. An intriguing read I highly recommend.

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2014

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I can't get enough of Alafair Tucker mysteries! My friend introduced me to Donis Casey last month when she loaned me "Hell With the Lid Blown Off." I rarely start reading a series without going from first to last. I decided to read the last one first and got so hooked I then went back and started with her first Alafair mystery. Sadly, I only have one book to go - #6. :( Now I'll look forward to the next one.

I love the way she beautifully weaves in life on the farm, family affairs, old time cooking + taking care of family, house and farm chores while pondering the latest murder. Really makes me think about our lifestyle compared to early 20th century and all we have today to be grateful for. I highly recommend this "Oakie" cozy, as my friend calls it.

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Carol Woodruff

This author writes excellant books, her endings are never ...

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2016

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This author writes excellant books, her endings are never predictable, I never figure out "who done it", but I anxiously await each new book.

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Bucathy

Another great read by Donis Casey

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012

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Donis Casey has written another excellent book in her Alafair Tucker series. Just like the previous stories, i couldn't put this down. Not only is it a great mystery story but i also really love 'watching' her family grow up and learning about their extended family connections. Can't wait for the next book to be written!

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2012

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While I'm glad I have hot, running water, and can run to the store for sausage, if I had lived 125 years ago, I'd want to be Alafair Tucker. She isn't superhuman; she's a real woman, wife, mother, grandmother....and detective on the side: after the children are fed, the cows milked, and in-between the quilting.

Casey brings her from the Oklahoma prairie of the late 1800s into the beginning of the next century with the railroad, automobiles, banking...and women working outside the homeplace.

I hope that Casey continues to bring Alafair and her family further into the 20th century.

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Nicky Australia

Great Series

Reviewed in Australia on November 13, 2015

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Engaging story
period piece with interesting facts .
Added whispersync
Beautifully narrated.
This is in my listened to more than 3 times pile

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Crying Blood: An Alafair Tucker Mystery (Alafair Tucker Mysteries Book 5) Kindle Edition

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