cover image Mystic Horseman

Mystic Horseman

Kathleen Eagle, . . Mira, $6.99 (344pp) ISBN 978-0-7783-2514-7

Dillon Black “Bear,” a middle-aged Lakota, submits his ranch to a reality TV makeover in Eagle’s hard to swallow latest (following Ride a Painted Pony ). Monica Wilson-Black, Dillon’s ex-wife and Martha Stewart–style host of It Only Looks Expensive , convinces part-Sioux TV producer Ella Champion that Dillon and his run-down South Dakota Wolf Trail Ranch would make a great makeover project for Ella’s hot series, Who’s Our Neighbor? Dillon has his own stake: his Mystic Warriors Horse Camp needs an extreme-ish rehab for a summer program that brings horses into the lives of local at-risk Native American youth. Guest decorator Monica (who’s battling cancer), their aspiring veterinarian daughter Emily and teen son D.J. converge on the ranch. It gives Dillon opportunity to reconnect with his family and forge a new love connection with Ella. Although Eagle excels in portraying everyday Native America, the merger of Hollywood with Lakota mystique doesn’t quite come off. (Mar.)