Invisible Path by Marilyn Meredith

The following  reviews will probably tell you what you ought to know about Invisible Path.

Invisible Path is phenomenal! The series improves as time goes on. The last book, Dispel the Mist, included the Native American legend of the Hairy Man. He also helps to move the plot in this new installment along. This, and Tempe's continued confusing dreams, which Nick Two John (the innkeeper and Tempe's friend) doesn't really help Tempe decipher, give this mystery series a unique element.

What the author has always done well in both her series is showcase how a law enforcement career can impact family life. While for Tempe that usually means missing dinners or working on her day off, this makes her a character that readers can relate to.

I eagerly await the next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery novel. –Cheryl Malandrinos, The Book Connection

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Marilyn Meredith brings readers another Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery with “Invisible Path”. Set in the approaching Christmas season, Crabtree is ready to enjoy a visit from her son, Blair, and his friend, Chad, who are both studying Fire Science. But when the body of Danny Tofoya is discovered, her efforts must go into solving the murder. 

Everyone is ready to blame recovering alcoholic Jesus Running Bear, though they are surprised that Danny is the one found murdered and not Jesus. Danny--a known bully--had an inappropriate crush on his cousin, Jolie, who is expecting Jesus’ baby. It doesn’t take long to discover other victims of Danny’s temper.

Besides keeping vigilantes away from Jesus, Crabtree has another pressing worry. A citizen militia is meeting on private property in the woods near Bear Creek, and though they say they are preparing to protect people in the instance of a terrorist-driven Armageddon, Crabtree wonders if they don’t have more nefarious purposes in mind.

Meredith blends police procedural with a traditional mystery that includes subtle examples of prejudice--both against Native Americans and within their own community. Her characters are likeable, and her incorporation of Indian beliefs and superstitions help to immerse the reader in the world of Bear Creek.

-- by Jacqueline Vick on A Writers Jumble.

Over the years, when the most easily identified suspect had been arrested with no further investigation for any others, Tempe had investigated murders on her own time, sometimes at the peril of her job or even her life, until she ferreted out the truth and the guilty party.
Tempe Crabtree returns in Invisible Path, the eighth in author Marilyn Meredith’s series featuring the Native American deputy stationed in the small town of Bear Creek, California in the San Joaquin Valley.

In this outing, set against the backdrop of the approaching Christmas season, Tempe finds her plans to relax with her family interrupted by two seemingly unrelated events: the murder of a young Indian man near the Bear Creek Recovery Center, and the appearance of a group of para-military activists in the woods surrounding the Bear Creek Reservation.
Though most on the reservation seem ready to blame newcomer Jesus Running Bear for the murder, Tempe has serious doubts as to his guilt. Those doubts are amplified when she learns the victim was a known bully with a hair trigger temper and more than a few enemies.
Meanwhile, Tempe also has to determine if the para-military group is just a bunch of solider wannabes playing weekend warrior, or if they represent a more serious threat to the citizens of Bear Creek. Add to that the involvement of the Native American legend of the Hairy Man and Tempe has her hands full.

Author Marilyn Meredith’s infusion of Native American legends and traditions into the story elevates Invisible Path to something more than just a police procedural. The reader truly gets a feel for the balancing act Tempe engages in every day between her job as a law enforcement officer and her Native American heritage. If you like murder mysteries / police procedurals but are looking for a change of pace from yet another one set in a big city, Invisible Path is a nice alternative with believable, well developed, sympathetic characters and a fascinating setting.

--Elizabeth White, Musings of an All Purpose Monkey

Available in trade paperback and for Kindle.

https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Path-Tempe-Crabtree-Mysteries/dp/1070680451/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Invisible+Path+Marilyn+Meredith&qid=1559920071&s=books&sr=1-1