Exposure

(Hardback, Large Print Edition)

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Description

In the follow-up to the National Book Awardlonglisted Shutter, Navajo forensic photographer Rita Todacheene grapples with a fanatical serial killerand the ghosts he leaves behind.

A dual-voice cat-and-mouse thriller, told from the points of view of a killer who has created his own deadly religion and the only person who can stop him, an embattled young detective who sees the ghosts of his Native victims.

In Gallup, New Mexico, where violent crime is five times the national average, a serial killer is operating unchecked, his targets indigent Native people whose murders are easily disguised as death by exposure on the frigid winter streets. He slips unnoticed through town, hidden in plain sight by his unassuming nature, while the voices in his head guide him toward a terrifying vision of glory. As the Gallup detectives struggle to put the pieces together, they consider calling in a controversial specialist to help.

Rita Todacheene, Albuquerque PD forensic photographer, is at a crisis point in her career. Her colleagues are watching her with suspicion after the recent revelation that she can see the ghosts of murder victims. Her unmanageable caseload is further complicated by the fact that half the department has blacklisted her for ratting out a corrupt fellow cop. And back home in Tohatchi on the Navajo reservation, Ritas grandma is getting older. Maybe its time for her to leave policework behind entirelyif only the ghosts will let her . . .

Reviews

A Barnes & Noble Best Mystery & Thriller Book of 2024

The Washington Posts 10 Best Thrillers of 2024

BookPages 10 Best Books of 2024

An Amazon Editors Pick: Best Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Series Books of 2024

A LibraryReads Top Pick of the Month

An Apple Books Best Books of the Month

The prose style seems even more visceral and sharpened, and Rita, with her visions of the dead and her righteous need to find justice for the marginalized, remains an indelible protagonist . . . Exposure confirms Emerson's talents.

The New York Times Book Review

Emerson takes us into the dark better than most storytellers, but she never once forgets that we need to reemerge.

E.A. Aymar, The Washington Post

Hauntingly mysterious.

Ms. Magazine

Ramona Emersons Exposure, her second novel about police photographer Rita Todacheene, takes another leap forward, weaving in poignant looks at Navajo culture, crimes against Native Americans, mysticism, family ties and mental health issues.

South Florida Sun Sentinel

In addition to it being an enthralling story I love that this contemporary mystery combining police procedure, photo technology, and a bit of the paranormal with a complex protagonist was written by a woman who is, herself, Din and was actually a police photographer in Albuquerque.

Colorado Sun

Hard to put down.

The Free Lance-Star

Compulsive and addictive.

LitReactor

Exposure is intense, gripping, moving, and so gorgeously written. I often stopped to reread certain passages purely for the elegance of her language, descriptions of scalded beauty. A stunner!

Mona Susan Power, author of A Council of Dolls

Tightly paced, with evocative description and a strong sense of voice, this is a novel you wont be able to put down until the final word.

Electric Literature

From the very first page, Exposure is equallyif not moreelectrifying than the first, allowing both fans and newcomers to jump right in . . . Emerson, a Din writer and filmmaker who hails from Ritas own hometown of Tohatchi in the Navajo Nation, masterfully commands these tightly wound plot strands, varying the tension and pacing with comforting moments with Ritas beloved elderly neighbor, Mrs. Santillanes . . . Rita Todacheene is a gritty, believable character with a heart that is equal parts steel and soul. Readers will immediately be clamoring for more.

BookPage, Starred Review

Ramona Emerson so effectively describes the starkly beautiful country and the uncompromising weather, which is a formidable antagonist in the plot, that you may need a hot cup of something as you read. She integrates the Native American traditions and beliefs into the modern tale in a way that gives science (the medical examiner), belief (the Navajo) and procedure (the police) their due all three coming together in Rita. They are not always easily reconciled, and her struggles make for a unique and compelling story.

Crime Fiction Lover

Riveting . . . Visceral prose elevates Emersons impressive blend of crime fiction and supernatural horror. This series deserves a long life.

Publishers Weekly

For fans of forensic leads, dark mysteries, dual POV (including the killers), and ghosts! . . . You can start here and not feel lost, but if youd like to start at the beginning of this great series, pick up Shutter.

Book Riot

A compelling, interlocked portrait of two troubled souls.

Kirkus Reviews

Author Bio

Ramona Emerson is a Din writer and filmmaker originally from Tohatchi, New Mexico. Her debut novel, Shutter, was longlisted for the National Book Award and the Bram Stoker Award, nominated for the Edgar for Best First Novel, a finalist for the PEN America Open Book Award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards for Best First Novel, and winner of the Lefty Award for Best First Novel. She has a bachelors in Media Arts from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. She resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she and her husband, the producer Kelly Byars, run their production company Reel Indian Pictures.