“Snake-Eater” by T. Kingfisher

T. Kingfisher’s (aka Ursula Vernon) latest book is set in Arizona, where the protagonist Selena, along with her dog Copper, have arrived in a poor, remote town after ditching her emotionally abusive boyfriend. Selena is looking for her aunt, whom she hasn’t spoken to in years, and finds out that she died about a year before. But it doesn’t take long for the people of the town to welcome her, and before Selena knows what’s what she’s ensconced in her aunt’s house despite her repeated protestations that she’s only staying a few days.

Selena’s something of a wreck; her self-confidence has been utterly destroyed by her ex’s constant undermining and negging of her, under a veneer of being kind and taking care of Selena. She’s trying to throw off her learned helplessness, but it’s hard; about the only thing she can really make herself be assertive about is the health and wellbeing of Copper.

She’s welcomed and fed (which is good, because she has no money), befriending especially  her elderly neighbor Grandma Billy and the town priest Father Aguirre (who feels much better knowing there’s someone nearby to keep an eye on Grandma Billy). She is taught how to garden, how to avoid dehydration, how to watch out for scorpions, what plants to make sure Copper doesn’t get close to. Grandma Billy helps her plant the garden (“But I’m only staying a few days!” “Don’t worry, if - ahem I mean ‘when’ of course - you leave I’ll take care of the garden myself”), with lots of desert friendly plants like squash. And when Selena sees a strange green man in the garden, Grandma Billy calmly tells her that’s just a squash god, he’s harmless and good for the plants, and would probably appreciate an offer of cornmeal.

Things continue to get stranger, especially when it becomes clear that her late aunt had been in some way involved with a god of roadrunners, the titular Snake-Eater. Roadrunners (apparently, I’m not from the Southwest) resemble velociraptors more than the “Meep meep!” guy of Looney Toons fame. They will hunt anything smaller than them, are not afraid of people, and routinely kill and eat rattlesnakes. Given all that, it’s not surprising that Grandma Billy’s unconcern about the squash god does not extend to Snake-Eater.

In the story that follows, Selena’s fledgling self-confidence begins to grow at the same time as the Snake-Eater’s interest in her. It’s a wonderful story: cozy in the parts where Selena learns to value herself and trust that her new neighbors really do like and respect her, and creepy as all hell in the Snake-Eater’s interest in her.

And then there’s Copper. Copper is such a good girl. Ursula, if you read this, please give us a novella or something entirely from Copper’s point of view.