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[edting]

Wow!!!!

You know, at this point, I’ve grown to expect anything from these EQ novels. If I picked up a book tomorrow to find Ellery abducted by aliens and having to solve a murder aboard a UFO, I wouldn’t blink twice. But even I wasn’t prepared for this one.

While driving back from California to NY, Ellery takes a wrong turn in the Nevada desert and gets lost. I mean he really gets lost. Lost, lost. Did I mention, he gets lost?

Ellery eventually stumbles upon a small settlement in a valley in the desert, populated by simple, religious people. They have formed a small biblical society, apart from and unknown by the outside world. There is no electricity, no running water. The people work communally, live off the land, and pray a lot. No one has a name; they’re simply known by their function in the society. There’s the Miller, the Weaver, the Storesman, the Waterman, etc. All are governed by The Teacher, an old, wise man who lives in a simple hut. His hut is holy, is unlocked, but you must ring the bell and be admitted before entering (the ringing of the bell takes on a significance later on.) They are a peaceful people, and the concept of “crime” is unknown to them. Ellery is mistaken for a deity by the people, and when something goes wrong, it’s up to him to figure out who was at fault.

The best part of this book is that it would have worked even without the mystery. I grew to like these simple people, and wished I could have gotten to know them a little better. It was sad when Ellery had to leave them at the end. By the way, I read this without knowing that this is one of the most talked-about books among mystery lovers. For you sci-fi readers, this was ghost written by Avram Davidson.

If this sounds intriguing to you, seek it out. Really special.