Arizona Dreams: A David Mapstone Mystery

By Jon Talton

When a former student turns up in David Mapstone’s office, she seems to have the perfect case for this history-professor-turned-deputy: a letter left by her deceased father, confessing to a forty-year-old murder and providing directions to the body. But things are never what they seem in Phoenix, a fast-buck city of newcomers seeking fresh starts from sometimes dark pasts. Just ask David’s wife, Deputy Lindsey Faith Mapstone. One morning the start of the Willo District home tour is interrupted by murder. A man lies dead with an ice pick in his brain. And Lindsey runs right into her half-sister Robin among the crowd gathering in the historic Phoenix neighborhood, the sister Lindsey hasn’t seen in years. The reunion with Robin rekindles memories about their rough upbringing and the deep rift that they may, or may not, bridge. Why is Robin here now? David has his own problems. There’s a body in the desert, right where the letter said it would be found. But it’s weeks old, not years. And the “former student” who brought in the letter has disappeared. When David finally locates her, she turns out to be a sham, the wife of a politician with a vendetta against Mapstone’s boss, Sheriff Mike Peralta. But what’s her agenda? And then even fresher bodies turn up, the clues keep pointing back to the same remote piece of desert and a seemingly unconnected real-estate development called Arizona Dreams. But Mapstone knows something sinister is fueling this increasingly dangerous case….

• Language: English
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Release date: Jan 31, 2010
• ISBN: 9781615952052

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 Arizona Dreams

[condorena · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Phoenix atmosphere is very well done. Talton's fear for the changes that are happening in the city is very well projected. The historical back story elevates the story to a new level.

[cknikka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another good read... lots of twists and turns and explores some of the complex relationships we have with old friends and with siblings. A look at the new Arizona - planned communities that play to the "Midwest dreams" they represent. Of course the greed and craziness that goes with big money. Our hero Mapstone and his wife do some work together in this story. Mapstone starts out working on his book of "cold cases" he has solved. But gets pushed into exploring some old time Arizona desert rats by an old student that leads him to conflict modern Arizona political players. Good story with lots of good lines like..... "Expecting Trouble?" Lindsey nodded to the special forces looking guys in the cubicle by the entrance. "Oh" Shelly Baker said, "there have been threats from environmentalists." (Mapstone our Hero is thinking)... I figured there were about three environmentalists in Arizona, and they had contractor's licenses. But I took her word for it as she led us down a hallway. ... This is more fun stuff

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Protagonist: Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy David MapstoneSetting: present-day Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding areaSeries: #4First Line: I knew what was coming.Mapstone is first on the scene when his neighbor is found with an ice pick in his brain. As he's leaving the scene with his wife--also a deputy but specializing in computer forensics--her stepsister steps out of the crowd to introduce herself. This would be the stepsister his wife never mentioned. In short order, a former student--Mapstone was a history professor after his first stint in law enforcement--asks him to investigate a 40-year-old murder committed by her late father, who buried the victim in the Phoenix desert. A trip to the site reveals a body, but a fresh one. When more bodies start turning up in the desert, Mapstone wonders if they all may be connected to a new upscale development known as Arizona Dreams.If you want to get a true picture of Phoenix today in a mystery series, the best two to turn to are Betty Webb's Lena Jones series and this one by Jon Talton. Talton's books continue to get better with each new entry in the series. The characters have meat on their bones, and the plot twists and turns on a dime. This is one of the few books I've read recently that I don't feel needs paring down, and it's a page-turner. Excellent stuff!