From Publishers Weekly
Talton avoids the excessive carnage and high body count that too often mar otherwise competently handled crime novels in his compelling third mystery to feature the Phoenix deputy known as "The History Cop" (after Camelback Falls and The Concrete Desert). When an FBI badge turns up with the body of a homeless man found facedown in a swimming pool, Mapstone recalls the story of John Pilgrim, the only FBI agent ever murdered in Arizona. Although the unsolved slaying occurred in 1948, the gang suspected of Pilgrim's shooting death is still operating. When Mapstone's police officer wife, Lindsey, obtains proof of their guilt in Pilgrim's murder, she becomes their next target. And so the heat is on—and it's mostly on Mapstone, who proves a resourceful and intelligent protagonist. Taut prose helps tighten the screws, and the winning, sensitive portrayal of the Mapstones—both of them a relief after too many hard-nosed PIs who are all gristle and no brain—lends credibility to the noirish narrative. While Talton breaks no new ground, he knows all the angles and plays them for maximum impact. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
The past is never past on the mean streets of Phoenix, especially when the mercury hits a hundred and it's only April. Half a century after the unsolved murder of an FBI agent, the missing badge is found on the body of a dead transient. The case seems a perfect fit for David Mapstone, history professor turned Maricopa County deputy sheriff. That is, if he can get past a forced partnership with rival cold-case expert Sgt. Kate Vare and the FBI's strange stonewalling about the details of the agent's killing.
To complicate matters, there are the crimes making history today, like the arrest of Russian mafia members in a multimillion-dollar fraud case. David's wife, Lindsey, star of the sheriff's Cybercrimes Bureau, was on the task force that busted the case wide open. But her triumph is short-lived when a hit in Scottsdale leaves three task-force members dead. Lindsey's life in danger, Sheriff Peralta stashes Lindsey and David in a safe house. That doesn't get the good "History Shamus" off the hook, though, as Sheriff Peralta inexplicably demands that David solve the cold case.
The trail will take Mapstone to the most forlorn parts of Phoenix, as well as to San Francisco and picturesque southern Arizona, as he slowly uncovers the bloody secrets surrounding the mysterious FBI badge. He's got the brains and the leads. Now all he and Lindsey have to do is live long enough to bring justice to a fifty-year-old crime.
About the Author
Jon Talton is a fourth-generation Arizonan. He has worked as a columnist and editor for newspapers in Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dayton, Denver, and San Diego. He currently works as a columnist for The Arizona Republic. Jon and his wife, Susan, live in Phoenix.
Dry Heat: A David Mapstone Mystery FROM THE PUBLISHER
"The past is never past on the mean streets of Phoenix, especially when the mercury hits a hundred and it's only April. Half a century after the unsolved murder of an FBI agent, the missing badge is found on the body of a dead transient. The case seems a perfect fit for David Mapstone, history professor turned Maricopa County deputy sheriff. That is, if he can get past a forced partnership with rival cold-case expert Sgt. Kate Vare and the FBI's strange stonewalling about the details of the agent's killing." "To complicate matters, there are the crimes making history today, like the arrest of Russian mafia members in a multimillion-dollar fraud case. David's wife, Lindsey, star of the sheriff's Cybercrimes Bureau, was on the task force that busted the case wide open. But her triumph is short-lived when a hit in Scottsdale leaves the task-force members dead. Lindsey's life is in danger, Sheriff Peralta stashes Lindsey and David in a safe house. That doesn't get the good "History Shamus" off the hook, though, as Sheriff Peralta inexplicably demands that David solve the cold case." The trail will take Mapstone to the most forlorn parts of Phoenix, as well as to San Francisco and picturesque southern Arizona, as he slowly uncovers the bloody secrets surrounding the mysterious FBI badge. He's got the brains and the leads. Now all he and Lindsey have to do is live long enough to bring justice to a fifty-year-old crime.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Talton avoids the excessive carnage and high body count that too often mar otherwise competently handled crime novels in his compelling third mystery to feature the Phoenix deputy known as "The History Cop" (after Camelback Falls and The Concrete Desert). When an FBI badge turns up with the body of a homeless man found facedown in a swimming pool, Mapstone recalls the story of John Pilgrim, the only FBI agent ever murdered in Arizona. Although the unsolved slaying occurred in 1948, the gang suspected of Pilgrim's shooting death is still operating. When Mapstone's police officer wife, Lindsey, obtains proof of their guilt in Pilgrim's murder, she becomes their next target. And so the heat is on-and it's mostly on Mapstone, who proves a resourceful and intelligent protagonist. Taut prose helps tighten the screws, and the winning, sensitive portrayal of the Mapstones-both of them a relief after too many hard-nosed PIs who are all gristle and no brain-lends credibility to the noirish narrative. While Talton breaks no new ground, he knows all the angles and plays them for maximum impact. Agent, Jay Poynor. (Dec. 6) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
When a homeless man is found dead with a late FBI agent's badge sewn into his jacket, it's time to send in the History Shamus. Deputy David Mapstone, of Maricopa County, Arizona, once taught history at San Diego State. His reputation has spread ever since he started cracking high-profile cases (Camelback Falls, 2003, etc.). Still, it's unsettling to be tapped for sleuthing help by the FBI. The badge in question, Mapstone's told, belonged to Agent John Pilgrim, killed in the line of duty back in 1948. Where has his badge been ever since? And why, the feds want to know, was it in the possession of the late and unlamented John Doe, drowned in a forgotten swimming pool? Before he can dig into the Pilgrim case, however, Mapstone is distracted by the Russian Mafia. His operations stymied by the cleverness of Detective Sergeant Lindsay, detestable local godfatherski Yuri has put out a contract on the delectable computer whiz, who happens to be Mapstone's wife. Is there a connection between the state-of-the-art cyber-crimes and the John Doe-John Pilgrim mystery so shrouded in history?Talton's characters are consistently more interesting than their story. Maybe next time. Agent: Jay Poyner/Poynor Group/Orloff Agency
Art & Photography
Book Info
