The American Café

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2012 WILLA Literary Award Winner: Best Original Softcover Fiction

When Sadie Walela decides to pursue her childhood dream of owning a restaurant, she has no idea that murder will be on the menu.

In this second book in the Sadie Walela series, set in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, Sadie discovers life as an entrepreneur is not as easy as she anticipated. On her first day, she is threatened by the town’s resident "crazy" woman and the former owner of the American Café turns up dead, engulfing the café—and Sadie herself—in a cloud of suspicion and unanswered questions.

Drawing on the intuition and perseverance of her Cherokee ancestry, Sadie is determined to get some answers when an old friend unexpectedly turns up to lend a hand. A diverse cast of characters—including a mysterious Creek Indian, a corrupt police chief, an angry Marine home from Iraq, and the victim’s grieving sister and alcoholic niece—all come together to create a multilayered story of denial and deceit.

While striving to untangle relationships and old family secrets, Sadie ends up unraveling far more than a murder.
“A pleasing and satisfying novel with plenty of suspense and tension layered with ambience and soul, which Hoklotubbe then populates with characters both warm and wicked. This engaging adventure leaves readers looking forward to Sadie’s next adventure.”—Durango Herald

“The sequel to Deception on All Accounts builds Sadie’s reputation as an amateur sleuth while continuing to portray the strength of Native American culture and the discrimination its adherents face. Readers will want to follow a budding romantic relationship as well as another career change ahead for Hoklotubbe’s appealing protagonist.”—Booklist

“Great characters and an authentic Native American setting (Oklahoma’s Cherokee country) make this second series title a good pick for Tony Hillerman fans.”—Library Journal

“Five stars to The American Café, a riveting and lyrical novel. Sara Hoklotubbe draws on her Oklahoma and Cherokee heritage to create an absorbing tale with an appealing protagonist. Mystery lovers will be enchanted.”—Carolyn Hart, author of Letter from Home

“A wacky cast of characters complements a plot line that . . . offers its share of twists.”—Publishers Weekly
The American Café
256 Pages 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.7
Published: April 2011Paperback ISBN: 9780816529223
Published: April 2011Ebook ISBN: 9780816521234

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