It's a good story.

Laird neatly portrays the pretentious snobbery of Tucson with a vivid reality that makes the rest of the story authentic -- including a realistic and sympathetic portrayal of the Tohono O'Oodham Native Americans.

The story is straightforward. After the body of his O'Oodham friend disappears from his truck, and the police could care less about investigating the disappearance, biologist Gray Napoleon sets out to recover it. The more questions he asks, the more trouble he stirs up for himself, and that is the crux of the story.

Napoleon is the typical Tucson twit, admirably and well portrayed by Laird, a native of Wisconsin who is now dedicated to saving Tucson from itself. A former UCLA drop-out, Napoleon reformed and finally got a degree as a biologist which enables him to now roam the desert at leisure. He lives in an old adobe with three-foot thick walls in the South Tucson barrio, the ultimate status symbol for the pampered politically proper ecologists of Tucson. It gives him ample excuse to moan and groan about anyone who does anything to modernize the neighborhood -- Give praise for the ex-hippies who are saving Tucson from itself !

In his introduction, he praises Tucson author Julian Hayden (deceased since the book was published) as an inspiration -- in the book, he says Napoleon was an early member of the radical ecologists who used to trash Hayden's equipment and cost him thousands of dollars. If Laird appreciates the irony of this situation, he certainly doesn't indicate it in the book. Yet, this sense of righteous twittery is pure Tucson.

Enjoy a pizza ? Once again, his response is pure Tucson. He turns his nose up at the usual pizza chain offerings, and instead enjoys a hole-in-the-wall local restaurant. That is SOOOOO Tucson -- but, it leaves me wondering if he's ever heard of a chimichanga. As the book ends, he writes of Napoleon parking his truck in a wash while he hikes into the desert -- no one but an innocent Eastern tourist would be dumb enough to park in a wash where it could be washed away within minutes in a typical summer monsoon flash flood. Let's just say that it's as dumb as trying to drive through a flooded underpass . . . . .

All these flaws add up to pure Tucson atmosphere, which gives his story a delicious aura of authenticity. Many detective stories are anonymous; after reading Laird, you have a feel for the foibles and follies of Tucson -- isn't that what life is about ? If we weren't complex mixtures of flows, foibles, follies and fantasies, our lives would be immeasurably dull and stories such as this would have no meaning.

My advice is to buy the book, read it and enjoy. It'll give you a good story, and a genuine feel for Tucson -- and, if you've lived in Tucson, a good laugh.

I would rate this book 5 stars for the enjoyment I received from it, but, the story takes place in the community in which I have lived for the last 48 years, & I realize it would not be quite so enjoyable for someone "not from around here". Both of my sons who do not like to read could not put the book down until they had finnished it. It is not only rivetting, but also teaches the reader something about the southwest, and Native Americans from this area.

Suspense fiction, like carnival rides, doesn't often live up to your visceral expectations. This is not the case with TO BURY THE DEAD. Laird's style picks you up by the lapels and throws you around the room for awhile. I could not put this book down until I had finished it...then I wanted more. I look forward with much anticipation to his next book.

The Sonoran Desert is a killing place as a Tucson reporter tries to sort out good and evil. The hero is allegedly based on the persona and not so ficticious reporting experiences of southwestern writer Charles Bowden. Other Tucsonans are easily recognizable making this a real hometown book