Rita is a Navajo woman working as a photographer for an Albuquerque crime unit. Since she was a young girl, she has been able to see the spirits of dead people. Because she is frequently photographing the recently deceased, she often sees spirit. One night, she is called to a grisly scene- a young woman has been torn to pieces after falling from a bridge and .then being hit by multiple vehicles. The victim begins to follow Rita around, insisting that she didn't commit suicide. She wants Rita to find out what really happened and she won't let Rita have any peoce until her death has been resolved. But as Rita does her investigating, she is putting her life in danger. I found Shutter by Ramona Emerson to be exciting and suspenseful.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#ramonaemerson
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#navajo

Rita Todacheene was raised on the Navajo reservation by her grandmother. Her mother had left for the wider world knowing her daughter would be safe with her mother. That's where Rita learned to take pictures; both her grandmother and mother were photographers. Rita left the reservation to live with her mother when she got older but her grandmother's house was always home. Only her grandmother and the medicine man know Rita's secret. Rita can see the dead and they talk to her.

Grown, Rita is now a forensic investigator for the Albuquerque police department. She is known as the best photographer but the work is dragging her down. The hours are brutal and she is surrounded by death every day. She solves cases no one else can because the dead talk and she gets clues about what really happened when they died.

But this death seems different. A woman is found on the highway, apparently a suicide who jumped from the bridge above. The detective in charge of the case is a man Rita tries to stay away from, a racist man who despises women as well. He is lazy about his cases and declares the death a suicide with no investigation. But Rita sees that the woman was thrown from above by a man. The ghost of this woman is not like the others. She is furious, demanding that Rita get her case designation solved so that her daughter won't go to social services and her murderer will be punished. She lets in other ghosts all demanding that Rita do their bidding. Her gift has become the thing that could kill her.

This is a debut novel but one that was listed for the National Book Award longlist and the Edgar Award for best debut novel. Emerson is from the Dine tribe and is a videographer, writer and editor. She uses her talent to write stories of her people in modern times, outlining the issues they continue to face and highlighting their triumphs. This novel grabs the reader immediately with an opening scene that gives a peek into Rita's life and difficulties. It describes her culture while giving the reader a look into the cartels that are in New Mexico and the police corruption that allows that. Rita is a sympathetic character and the reader will be cheering for her. This book is recommended for mystery readers and those interested in multicultural reads.

Ramona Emerson writes a compelling mystery told through the lenses of the narrator's numerous cameras. It was unlike any mystery I have read previously and pulled me in from the first chapter. I appreciated the cultural scope as well as the viewpoint from a woman in a field of work that is frequently seen as a boys club. This book went beyond a murder mystery and has something for a wide variety of audiences.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nice change of pace from my daily read. I almost put this up as DNF but about halfway in it took hold. Interesting concept not really horror but definitely paranormal.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this book. It definitely lived up to its hype. This author has become a must read.

This book is difficult to rate. There are parts I loved and other parts that I didn't particularly care for. After reading other reviews, I see I am not alone. I loved the chapters about Rita's childhood life with her grandmother on a Navajo reservation but did not care for the crime/mystery part of the story. I found myself skimming through the present day chapters. After the opening scene, which was quite gruesome and intriguing, I thought the story was rather slow until about three quarters of the way through the book. I did find the information regarding forensic photography interesting and, in my opinion, the narrator fit the personality of the main character. I'd be interested in reading more by this author especially if she focuses less on crime fiction.

Shutter
by Ramona Emerson
Narrated by Charley Flyte

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Rita is an indigenous forensic photographer working for the police. The thing is, Rita also sees spirits. While this helps her to solve crimes and help spirits find peace, this also causes trouble for Rita. The physical toll on her causes nosebleeds, and, well, she has to be careful who she lets in on her little secret. This book, in that regard, reminds me a bit of the CW show The Coroner. This book was quite entertaining and I really like the majority of the characters. I enjoyed the bits of Indian/Navajo aspects of her life especially.

The narration was well done and very believable. I'd happily listen to more books narrated by Charley Flyte. Overall, this is a great, solid listen and a super entertaining suspense/thriller. I'm really eager to see what else Ms. Emerson has in store in for us in the future!

This paranormal crime thriller is a great read, another of the several excellent Native American mysteries/suspense stories I've read this year and one that I would highly recommend. This excellent debut novel focuses on a young Navajo woman, Rita, who works as a forensic photographer for the Albuquerque Police Department. Rita sees dead people, an unusual and literally haunting gift for a Navajo, as the Navajo people are known to be afraid of all things death-related. Fortunately, her gift helps her do her job especially well, as the ghosts that rise up after a murder often tell her what to photograph to provide the evidence that will be needed to find their killer.

The book opens on the most grisly scene in the novel, with a body literally strewn in pieces across the freeway. (If you don't like gore or extreme violence, at least you can be assured that this first scene is as bad as it gets.) The cops are leaning toward ruling the death a suicide, but the ghost is there telling Rita in no uncertain terms that she was murdered and insisting that Rita help police solve the case. Naturally Rita can't tell anyone about any of the information the ghost is giving her, as then she would need to explain where she was learning so much background information. So instead she sets about trying to solve the case herself with the ghost nagging her in the background.

The story goes back and forth in time from Rita's coming-of-age in her grandmother's house on the reservation to present day as she is being worn down by constant interruptions by more and more ghosts desperate to find someone who can hear them and help solve their own mystery deaths. Rita doesn't want to be this person for so many ghosts, but sometimes she feels powerless to stop them.

Rita is a strong female character caught in a dark place. I found myself rooting for her and turning the pages late into the night to see where the story would go. Actually, it's funny I wrote it that way, as I never turned any pages, since I listened to this novel as an audiobook . I'm grateful for the advanced-reader copy provided by Netgalley and RB Media. Charley Flyte was an excellent narrator.

This book was so interesting - especially to me as a photographer. I really liked the chapter headings with the cameras and settings. I also liked that it was kind of a slow burn mystery with rich details of the main characters past life intermingling with her present.

The paranormal aspects of this book were so interesting!

I think, out of it all, I enjoyed the Navajo details the most and how the culture was part of it all. I find her job fascinating (if a bit grim) and how she overcame the difficulties at the end.

I'd recommend to those who are looking for a slower paced mystery/thriller that pays off in the end but can see past some of the grittier details. Definitely 18+ IMO.

!Note: some language, graphic descriptions, sexual references, and drug use mentioned.

My rating: 3.8*

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Thanks to NetGalley for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a really fascinating blend of mystery and paranormal with strong characters and an engaging plot. I loved the interactions between Rita and Irma, and thought the exasperation coupled with genuine fear was really well done. More of a character study than a straight up crime novel, I do think that some people may be a little disappointed with the mystery element of the plot, as it was never really in any doubt who the 'bad guy' was. For me however, I really enjoyed the exploration of Rita's life through the photographic elements of the story and overall, thought this was an engrossing and satisfying read.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What is the most rather boring I didn’t really like it I thought it was dry and totally offWhat is the most rather boring I didn’t really like it I thought it was dry and totally off

I could not imagine being able to see ghosts! I love that Rita put her "gift" to work and used it to help solve crimes. This story was a wild ride and I was here for it all the way. She totally helped take the bad guys down and eventually got spiritual help and helped her cousin move on to the spirit world in the end. I really enjoy learning about other cultures via fiction reading, I am so glad that more and more BIPOC authors are getting published and sharing their cultures with us.

#Shutter
#NetGalley

Shutter is a debut by Ramona Emerson and I will be watching for more, hopefully a series. In Shutter, we meet Rita Todacheene, a forensic photographer working for the Albuquerque police force. She has an eye for crime scenes and her images have helped solve many cases. What Rita tells noone is that she sees the ghosts of crime victims who point her toward the clues that other investigators overlook. This ability has wreaked havoc on her life, causing her to leave the Navajo reservation, where she was raised by her grandmother, as well as isolating her from friends and causing problems with the law. Rita is sent to photograph a scene of a supposed suicide, but the ghost of the victim tells her she was murdered and leads Rita into dangerous situations, going up against an Albequerque cartel.

The opening of this book was a bit grisly, with the description of the body that had been thrown or fell from the overpass. There was a slow start, but I was interested in the story from the start. Rita is an interesting character, and I was happy to read about her past. She was a pariah with her own people, having the ability to see ghosts. I also learned about the culture and life on a reservation in these parts of the story. Loving photography, she used that to have a career with the police, her ability to see ghosts helping her out. I have read mysteries where ghosts propel the solving of the crime, but Irma took this over the top and really pushed. I wanted the case to be solved, but I also wanted Irma to back off a bit. The crime itself was a bit formulaic, with crooked cops and drug cartels, but the procedural aspect was interesting. This was a good start to a series and I look forward to seeing if Rita returns in other books. The narration by Charley Flyte was okay, and I enjoyed this audiobook.

This was well done on audio. I enjoyed learning about the Navajo culture. I recently drove through the setting area of the book, Albuquerque and Gallup so I could vividly picture it in my mind. I love when a book connects like that! Very interesting storyline and characters, and everything wrapped up nicely in the end.
Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

I genuinely really loved this book. I thought that the audio production was also perfect and I think Ramona is one of the best new writers in crime. I was so invested in the journey of our heroine, her relationship with her family and community, as well as the way she managed her employment. The mystery was great and it was super spooky at many points. It was also incredibly poignant which I think was what hit home the most for me. Very well done and a huge congratulations!

Slow burner this one took a while to get going but when it did it was great! Explodes into life! Absorbing and exciting with a different slant on police work

Shutter is an excellent crime procedural with diversity and ghosts. Ramona Emerson and her main character, Rita Todacheene, are Diné, layering a rich culture to a compelling thriller.
Rita’s grandmother has always told her to ignore the ghosts she sees but, as a crime scene photographer, the ghosts are getting harder to ignore.

Rita’s life is thrown into chaos as ghosts require more and more of her to solve the mystery of their deaths. Once the door is opened to them they begin to wreak havoc on her life.

This novel blends thriller and horror expertly, and I can’t wait to see what Emerson writes next.
The audiobook is excellent.

Part murder mystery, part supernatural thriller. Shutter is a great autumn read with a Navajo lead trying to solve a police corruption ring. Rita works as a forensic photographer, her ability to see ghosts assisting her job as they usually lead her to clues the detectives miss, while complicating her life when they demand her help with unfinished business. One such case opens this story, when Rita photographs what is written off as a suicide. The horribly mangled body of the victims terrorizes Rita to solve her death. The closer Rita gets, the more the bodies pile up, and the more Rita's life is in danger.

I loved the high stakes that continued to build as the story progressed. The plot and mystery never felt convoluted or too high to be believable. The breakdown of the motives was easy to understand despite being a somewhat complicated, multi-layered dive into organized crime and police corruption. I didn't have a lot of available energy while reading this one, and I really appreciated Emerson's gift at unfolding the story.

The scene with the murdered family were by far the creepiest and saddest of the whole book, and were definitely the one that stuck with me longest after the end. It chilled me to the bone both from the creepiness but also from the cold bloodedness of the murderer. Horrifying in every regard.

The entire book was edge of my seat thrilling, and I can't recommend it enough.

Rita is a crime scene photographer and she is overworked and, oh yeah, she sees ghosts. Now she has a particularly nasty and determined ghost haunting her who wants her death/crime solved. When she doesn't get her way, she pulls other ghosts into her orbit and brings them along to haunt Rita. Rita is a Navajo and her grandmother is very against her profession but she is also proud of her granddaughter and teaches her about her "box" camera. I loved all the technical aspects of this book and learning about the different cameras. There were some twists and turns but overall this was a very good book.

Shutter is my first book to read by Ramona Emerson. I will definitely keep an eye out for any more that she writes! I loved seeing the case unfold through the camera lens. Different outlook and it worked well. I listened to the audio book and really liked it. The pacing and voices were great.