Shutter is a mix of mystery, police procedure, and a bit of paranormal thriller. Rita Todacheene is a forensic photographer for the Albuquerque police department. Her Navajo background is at odds with her ability to see and talk to the ghosts she sees everywhere. Especially ghosts of the bodies she photographs at crime scenes, car accidents, and pretty much everywhere.
Rita is called to a pretty gruesome scene: a woman has supposedly jumped off an overpass into highway traffic and she's got to take all the scene photos. I'll tell you this is the first bit of the book, and it is really gruesome, so if you have issues, this may not be for you.
Erma, the victim, quickly makes her presence known to Rita. Rita tries to ignore Erma, but Erma is determined to stay loud and in Rita's face until she figures out what happened. No way Erma killed herself.
Rita's story weaves between the present and her struggles to take photos on scene and ignore the ghosts, and her past, growing up with her Grandma on the Navajo reservation. Rita's ability to see ghosts is not a good thing, according to Navajo culture. Many call her a witch, and evil. Her grandmother tries to protect her, and Rita works hard at hiding her talents from the people she loves most.
Now Rita's job is on the line, as her ghostly companion won't let her sleep or rest until her case is solved. As Rita digs deeper into Erma's case, she finds a whole lot of corruption and drug cartel business--stuff that could get Rita killed.
Ooh, this was a good story. First of all, I love New Mexico, so that was a big draw for me. This side of New Mexico, and Albuquerque in particular, is not the pretty side. Rita's Grandmother has a safe home that sounds absolutely lovely, even as poor as she is--it's filled with love and protection. The ghosts that Rita encounter aren't the cheery, happy go lucky folks who have gone to the light and return to say hi. These are ghosts of people who have died violently, or just alone. Anyone who isn't at peace. Rita doesn't know how to shut off access, and once these ghosts figure out Rita can see and hear them, they are drawn to her and demand she help them.
That was my only frustration with Rita-she never worked on trying to contain her gift and preserve herself by protecting herself from all the ghosts. Her "light" was always on. And unfortunately for Rita, her Navajo culture and just everyday people wouldn't allow her to be truthful and open about her ability.
The bad guys are pretty obvious so there's no surprises in the plot. But I did enjoy this novel very much, and I hope there's more in store for Rita. If this was a series, I'd definitely read more.
Rating: 5/6 for a different kind of police procedure novel. A mix of Navajo culture, paranormal thrills, and the art of photography, this was a unique novel that kept my interest. I'm hopeful there are more stories with Rita in the future.
Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.
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