MWSA Book Review

Old Money

Author:  David Walks-As-Bear

Publisher:  The Wildland Press

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

Another Gem from author Walks-As-Bear!

There is almost something like a signature or a finger print that lets you know that you are reading one of David Walks-As-Bear’s novels. His worlds are inter-dimensionally spiritual, mystical and emotionally engrossing. He always takes his readers someplace where the ordinary does not exist. In his world, he lives with one foot in the material world while the other is immersed dreams, visions and his inner senses. He plays with the readers own sense of reality at times. His latest book in a continuing series of classic Ely Stone novels, “Old Money” takes us to even deeper inner depths of this American Indian tribal cop as he explores the Hawaiian Islands were he has been sent by his tribe to investigate land acquired by his tribe.

The story is a strange and interesting blending of that mystical magic of the author’s own Indian culture along with the mysticism of the old ancient Hawaiian beliefs and religion. Added to that mix are some actual historical events which make this book explode with adventure. This gives his storyline a very unique foundation. There is nothing simple or normal in the plot as we dig up and discover connections with Mark Twain, the Civil War, an old Confederate warship ship named the C.S.S. Shenandoah and our hero’s many visions and dreams. There is absolutely no way that you have ever read anything like this before, let alone even dreamt about it. This is so fresh and new and full of energy and mystery.

The author’s main character in this series is Ely Stone. He has created this man of mystery with some human flaws and inner demons and conflicts. The character is tormented by his visions and dreams but also by his checkered past. His girl friend Nettie Cole back in Michigan, thinks he can kill much too easily for her likes, even though he was in a situation of defending himself. As with all of the author’s previous books he is a master of fleshing out the people he writes about. None of them are cardboard characters; he has rogue Muslims, an antiques dealer, major villains and Secret Service agents among others. He also becomes a suspect in several murders.

He uses dialog as a strong bridge that fully supports and gives the reader an understanding and connection to all the action. It is skillfully written and shows the all around writing skills that Walks-As-Bear has. The phrasing is a joy to read as it allows your mind to absorb what is happening or what the setting may be.

This book is like a good jigsaw puzzle and the more you get into it the more you become obsessed on finding those missing pieces to complete the picture. You will want to know what the ship was carrying. There is also a discovery a journal written by Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) which gives details of the location of an unimaginable treasure in Hawaii if true.

It is not a book that you can just sit and read for a few minutes and then pick up days later on. It is best enjoyed in several longer readings where you can become, in an almost Zen like way, one with the book’s storyline. This would be a wonderful vacation book to read on a beach in Hawaii, or some other island paradise, or on a cruise, or just in your backyard on a weekend. It is that kind of book.

One interesting side note about this book is that most all of the facts like the ship and Mark Twain are all based on the author’s research and are fact based events. It is once again, the twisting together of fact and fiction that makes Walks-As-Bear novels feel so mysterious.

This book receives the MWSA’s highest book rating of FIVE STARS! It also gets my personal endorsement.

Visit the author's website: www.thewildlandpress.com.