Cate Culpepper

When cultural anthropologist Grady Wrenn meets spiritual healer Elena Montalvo on the banks of the Rio Grande, the two must find a way to end the ghostly "River Walker's" murderous vendetta.

River Walker

Carol Bailey

This is by no means Cate Culpepper’s 1st book. However, it is the 1st book that I have read written by her. I’ve heard good things about her Tristiane series but it’s just has never peaked my interests. I’m not even sure that I would have come across this book if Megan and a few others in the Goodreads book group “Mostly Lesfic” hadn’t recommended it. “Thanks Ladies!”

I LOVED this story. I can clearly pinpoint why: Grady felt real. Her pain and loss felt real. I think it’s a difficult balance when an author can make a character feel damaged but not make them feel like a caricature. There were also definite pieces of Elena’s personality that reminded me of people I’ve known in my own personal life, and she was a terrific balance to Grady’s academic view of the world. 
Then there is the mystery of La Llorona which kept me intrigued throughout the story, with an unexpected plot twist.

Now I have to go see what other Cate Culpepper books I need to read.

Megan Cooper

I first read this in 2010 and really enjoyed it. Nine years later and it stands the test of time. Newly moved to New Mexico, Dr. Grady Wren , a cultural anthropologist, is drawn into a local legend that appears to have become all too real. La Llorna is actually a common Hispanic folklore story about a woman drowns her sons in a river and is doomed to walk the shores of the river looking for them and drowning unsuspecting children. In River Walker, Grady discovers that the legend originated in the town of Mesilla where a woman and her sons were drowned by her abusive husband and her weeping spirit wanders the Rio Grande every 100 years, her wails of rage and grief driving men to drown themselves in the water. For some reason, Grady herself hears La Llorna – and the pain and grief in her cries echos the grief that shadows Grady’s life. She and Elena Montalvo, the last of the Weeping Woman’s descendants and a spiritual healer, try to find La Llorna and put an end to the recent rash of suicides.

Ms. Culpepper was an accomplished writer and as the story and characters unfold you can’t help but be drawn in. Through Grady, you can almost feel the rage, grief and guilt in La Llorna’s cries rising from the pages. There’s a wonderful feel to the story – there’s a bit of suspense and tension as they dig deeper into what is happening in Mesila and the anger and fear that drives the locals to blame Elena for the recent deaths, as well as a sweet and well-paced romance between Grady and Elena. Although the story is told from Grady’s perspective, Ms. Culpepper provides an amusing and enlightening insight into Elena through her one-sided conversations with her goddess – the love and irreverence in those monologues transitions into her humour and teasing of the gringa professor.

2011 Review:
I wasn't a fan of the first Tristaine book, so I kept passing by Culpepper's other offerings. Shame on me. River Walker was a great read - the characters, story and writing all shine.

River Walker

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