The lives of Edward S. Curtis a photographer of western landscapes and American Indians, and the fictional character Marianne Wiggins, are intertwined in Wiggins’ newest novel The Shadow Catcher (Simon and Schuster $15.00). It begins with an intriguing scene: Wiggins is “pitching” her book on Edward Curtis to some Hollywood producers. They see a rugged, inventive American who was devoted to photographing his subjects. But Wiggins reveals that his photos were “set-ups” and he routinely endangered the welfare of his family in pursuit of his career. After the meeting Wiggins receives a call that her father is dying in a hospital in Las Vegas. The catch is that her father has been dead for years. Her search for the dying man’s identity reveals even more fascinating and contradictory details of Curtis’ life. There are times when the two stories don’t seem to mesh but the author deftly pulls them together for a very satisfying ending. I couldn’t put this one down. ~ Carol Santoro

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