Jon Talton je autorom románov Davida Mapstona, ktoré sledujú dobrodružstvá historika, ktorý sa stal zástupcom a pracuje v drsných uliciach mestského Západu. Jeho dielo je oslavované pre svoju inteligenciu a odmeny, ponúkajúc jedinečný pohľad na zložitosti mestského Západu očami historika, ktorý sa stal zástupcom. Taltonov osobitý hlas vytvára pútavé a bystré príbehy.
A young New York professor's brutal murder in Phoenix reveals connections to a dangerous drug cartel, thrusting historian-turned-deputy David Mapstone into a perilous investigation. With his sister-in-law Robin now at risk due to her relationship with the victim, David must navigate the treacherous world of modern smuggling to uncover the truth behind the killing. As he shifts focus from historical crimes to current threats, the story unfolds in a gripping race against time to protect Robin and solve the mystery.
The narrative explores Phoenix's transformation from a pre-Columbian irrigation hub to a vibrant agricultural center, highlighting its resilience in overcoming the harsh desert environment. Following World War II, the city's population surged due to migration to the Sun Belt, showcasing the adaptability and optimism of its residents. Jon Talton, a fourth-generation Arizonan, chronicles the city's dynamic history marked by audacity, vision, and the ongoing struggle for a secure future, making it a remarkable example of American achievement.
Phoenix, 1933: A young city with big dreams and dark corners Great War veteran and rising star Gene Hammons lost his job as a homicide detective when he tried to prove that a woman was wrongly convicted of murder to protect a well-connected man. Now a private investigator, Hammons makes his living looking for missing persons--a plentiful caseload during the Great Depression, when people seem to disappear all the time. But his routine is disrupted when his brother--another homicide detective, still on the force--enlists his help looking into the death of a young woman whose dismembered body is found beside the railroad tracks. The sheriff rules it an accident, but the carnage is too neat, and the staging of the body parts too ritual. Hammons suspects it's the work of a "lust murderer"--similar to the serial strangler whose killing spree he had ended a few years earlier. But who was the poor girl, dressed demurely in pink? And why was his business card tucked into her small purse? As Hammons searches for the victim's identity, he discovers that the dead girl had some secrets of her own, and that the case is connected to some of Phoenix's most powerful citizens--on both sides of the law.
