It is after such a drinking spree that Thomas wakes to a dead woman by his side. This doesn’t seem to work for the couple, and Thomas turns to alcohol to numb his pain.

With no other way out, Thomas and his wife Lucy move in with Lucy’s mum. First, the man finds himself out of work, which makes it impossible for him to keep his home. After getting him out of jail, Charlie now has to find the real killers to prove that Thomas is innocent. After listening to his side of the story, Charlie chooses to help his old schoolmate and risk his career. Thomas has little recollection of what happened, but he is sure he did not kill anyone. The woman in question is Patsy Greyhorse, a BIA investigator. A woman is lying next to him, and unfortunately, she is dead. Thomas Begay was dead-drunk under a bridge when the police rudely awaken him. Thomas drunk too much, and he never hid his disgust for the white man’s way he claimed Charlie had embraced. Thomas Begay was no stranger to Charlie as they went to law school together. The case involves the murder of a big shot in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Charlie knows precisely where to find the prime suspect.

Charlie is about to get a case that is sure to propel his career. The book stars Charlie Yazzie, a Navajo law graduate looking to create a name for himself in the corporate world. Navajo Autumn is the first book in the Navajo Nation Mystery series. When he is not writing, Chappell continues to dig deeper into the Navajo culture and way of life. The author is quick to state that while his stories are fictional, he tries to make his characters as believable as possible while working to keep the culture accurate. Chappell grew alongside the Navajo, and he believes there is a lot he learned from schooling, working, and hanging out with them. Allen Chappell is an American author of historical mystery author whose writing is inspired by his experiences.

Navajo Autumn by R. Allen Chappell