Shutter is author Ramona Emerson's thrilling debut novel, about Rita Todacheene, a young Navajo woman who works as a forensic photographer for the Albuquerque police department. Rita has a secret talent: she can see, and speak to, ghosts. The ghosts of crime victims have told her details that help her to solve the crimes, but her talent is really more of a curse than a gift. She cannot speak of it to anyone, and the few times she's tried, no one has believed her. Even worse, angry ghosts demanding justice for their murder have a way of sucking up Rita's energy, making her ill (she always has nosebleeds when the ghosts are around) and keeping her from developing lasting friendships.
As the novel begins, Rita is called to the scene of a horrific death on the highway, where a young woman, Erma Singleton, has been thrown from an overpass and run over. The descriptions of her mutilated body are very gory. In fact, if I had not been reading this book for a book club, I might have stopped reading it right there, thinking that if the rest of the book was going to be like that, I didn't want to continue with it. I am glad to say, though, that it isn't. Once you get past the gory part at the beginning, it's a very rewarding read.
Erma's ghost haunts Rita, demanding that she find who killed her. This vengeful ghost makes Rita's life a misery, causing her to be put on leave from her job and threatening to ruin the few friendships she has. Erma brings other ghosts to haunt Rita, including a murdered judge and his family. Officially, these deaths have other explanations. Erma's death is ruled a suicide, and the killings of the judge and his family are called a murder/suicide. Erma's ghost angrily insists she didn't kill herself, and, poignantly, the ghost of the judge's young son says he saw who killed him and his family.
Of course, all these deaths are related, but only Rita, with her unique talent, can figure out the connection. It would be a spoiler to say too much, but drug cartels and corrupt cops are involved. Rita's life is in danger as she gets closer and closer to the truth. And when she discovers what happened, will anyone believe her?
The present-day crime story is told, in alternating chapters, with the story of Rita's childhood on the Navajo Reservation, and I think it is these chapters that form the heart of the book. Rita is raised by her grandmother, a strong and loving woman, because her mother, a single college student, can't afford to bring her up. Rita's relationship with her grandmother is really the most important in her life. It is her grandmother who teaches her to take photographs, using a cardboard box as a camera. A talent for photography runs in the family, as Rita's mother is also a photographer. Rita's ability to see ghosts begins early on, along with her talent for photography. She sees her grandfather's ghost at the same time as she takes her first picture.
When Rita tells her grandmother about seeing ghosts, the grandmother is frightened because of the Navajo taboo about death. Speaking of the dead will invite the spirits to linger instead of moving on to the afterlife. Rita's grandmother goes to the medicine man, Mr. Bitsilly (another great character), to try to rid her of her curse, but it doesn't work. All they can do is forbid Rita from talking about it. Other people on the Navajo reservation think she is crazy, or a witch.
Several sad incidents take place during Rita's childhood. Her best friend in school turns out to be a ghost, and everyone thinks she has an imaginary friend even though the ghost was very real to her. Then there is the tragic death of Rita's cousin Gloria and her boyfriend in a car accident, while Rita is left in an abandoned house. Gloria will reappear as a ghost at important times in Rita's life.
As Rita gets older, the Navajo Reservation, and the way of life there, deteriorates, and it is fascinating, and sad, to read about the differences in the way people lived during Rita's childhood compared with how they live in the present day. Rita has gotten away from it by living in Albuquerque, but her grandmother and Mr. Bitsilly will not leave the reservation. The details of Navajo culture, and how it has changed over the years, is one of the great strengths of the book. The grandmother's life reflects those changes. We catch glimpses of her childhood, as she is sent off to a boarding school run by white people. She never loses sight of her Navajo beliefs, but we do get a feeling that the grandmother's upbringing has something to do with her decision not to teach the Navajo language to Rita.
Shutter is an exciting novel of suspense, as well as a beautifully-written story about a grandmother and granddaughter. Ramona Emerson is a Navajo woman and a forensic photographer herself, and I'm sure Rita's character (except the ability to see ghosts, of course) owes a lot to her own experiences. The book has been nominated for many awards, including the National Book Award and the Edgar Award, the most prestigious award for mysteries, for best first novel. Variously described as a mystery, a thriller, and a horror novel, it has elements of all three, but it is really unique and doesn't fit neatly into any genre. I know Halloween is still a long way off, but if you are looking for a scary read for Halloween, this would be perfect. I highly recommend it, especially after you get past the gory bits at the beginning. Also, I would love to see it as a movie. Emerson has worked in the film industry, so I wonder if one is in the works. I'm not sure if it's meant to be a stand-alone book or the first in a series, but I would like to see more of Rita and her grandmother.
Shutter is available from the Hatcher Graduate Library.