The Night Detectives: A David Mapstone Mystery

By Jon Talton

Early in Talton’s taut seventh David Mapstone mystery (after 2010’s South Phoenix Rules), a well-dressed man calling himself Felix Smith visits former historian and deputy sheriff Mapstone, now a PI, and his partner, former sheriff Mike Peralta, at their shabby Phoenix, Az., office. Smith pays them $10,000 in cash to investigate the apparent suicide of Grace Hunter, a former prostitute who went over a San Diego, Calif., condo’s 19th-floor balcony. Shortly after Smith leaves, Mapstone and Peralta hear gunfire. Outside, they find Smith with his face blown off in his parked car. Following their one lead, Mapstone and Peralta drive to San Diego, promoted as “America’s Finest City,†in search of Grace’s boyfriend, who they discover is in trouble with someone called AFP (“America’s Finest Pimpâ€). Succinct, wry descriptions of politics and the unwieldy development of Phoenix run alongside the fast-paced plot. While the end reveals rather cliché villains, the journey is thoroughly satisfying. (May)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Release date: May 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781615954452

Jon Talton

Jon Talton is a fourth-generation Arizonan who grew up in the same neighbourhood that Mapstone calls home. He is the author of nine novels, including the Mapstone mysteries, The Pain Nurse and Deadline Man.

Reviews for The Night Detectives

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First Line: The dead talk to me in my dreams. When I wake up, I can't remember what they said.The elections are over, and there's a new sheriff in Maricopa County. Former Sheriff Mike Peralta and his friend and Deputy David Mapstone are out of jobs-- but not for long. Trouble is, their fledgling private detective business doesn't start out well. Not only does Mapstone not want to take their first case, their client is gunned down in the parking lot moments after hiring them. Peralta decides to carry on with the case, the suspicious death of a young Arizona woman who fell to her death from a San Diego highrise. In San Diego, the two new private eyes find the woman's boyfriend who's trying to take care of their baby. He doesn't think his girlfriend committed suicide either and hires them to look into it. Before the day is out, the boyfriend is dead and Mapstone is nearly killed. They may not carry badges anymore, but Peralta and Mapstone are still up to their necks in danger. Although-- like all well-written series novels-- you don't have to read the rest of the books in the series for this latest installment to make sense, I'm more than happy to tell you that I'm a long-time Talton and Mapstone fan. Jon Talton is one of two writers I depend on for an accurate portrayal of the Phoenix metropolitan area. If setting is important to you, Talton's Phoenix is the real deal. He also writes a lean, mean mystery that is both action-packed and introspective. More than once while reading The Night Detectives, I thought I had it all figured out only to find that I didn't. I like that.I like Talton's setting, I like his stories, but more than anything else, I like his character, David Mapstone. It's been a pleasure to watch this character develop through each book in the series. In The Night Detectives, Mapstone is in a very dark place emotionally. Loved ones have died tragically. He is separated from his wife and despairs of their ever getting back together. He's lost a job he loves. He's got a lot on his mind that he'd rather not dwell on, but no matter where he goes, he can't escape his thoughts. Even his home-- once his sanctuary-- has turned into a place he wants to avoid. The only thing I don't like about David Mapstone is that it always seems to be summer in Phoenix when he's at an emotional low, and when he's depressed, he whines about the heat. But what's a little whining from such a nuanced character in such a marvelously told tale? Since Talton's first Mapstone mystery, Concrete Desert, I've been recommending this series. The only thing The Night Detectives has done is to make me more insistent in my recommendation.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My rating: 4 of 5 starsThe Night Detectives by Jon Talton is a Poisoned Pen Press publication. This is a David Mapstone Mystery with a 2013 release date. David and his partner Peralta have been hired to find out what really happened to a young girl that took a dive out a window. Grace, aka, Scarlett has a high end client list of "Johns". However, she had cleaned up her act and gotten married and had a child. So, her "suicide" didn't seem likely. This is the first case for the pair of newly minted private detectives. After a heartbreaking defeat in the race for Sherriff of Phoenix, Arizona, Peralta starts up his own agency. Being Hispanic amid racial turmoil played in big role is his defeat. For, David, a historian, this job is a life line. He is separated from his wife. The two were involved in some pretty heavy drama and now the marriage is hanging by a thread. David is not at his best here as he struggles with anger, sadness, and guilt. This case really gets under David's skin when a baby goes missing. As the detectives search out what really happened to Grace, they undercover a conspiracy that is the link to Grace and her client list. Told in first person by David Mapstone, we are privy to his emotions and thoughts as the case proceeds as well as delving deeply into his personal life and vivid nightmares. I liked this short mystery/detective novel. The author is obviously tuned into the complex political situation in Phoenix and gives us a clear understanding of the climate there. I did have some moments of anger toward Peralta. While the agency was actually his, he could have informed David about some things in advance instead of making him look and feel stupid. Peralta got frustrated with David at times, but I felt like part of it was his fault. It looks like the agency will survive and David will have the chance to work out some of his personal issues. The two detectives and their ladies would make an excellent team for further adventures. Overall this one gets an B+ Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.