Past and present collide in "Arizona Dreams" by Jon Talton

If you haven't had the please of reading Jon Talton you are missing an author who combines history with mystery. This is an author who not only weaves excellent mystery tales in his novels but includes little pieces of history not only regarding Phoenix and Arizona but other areas as well. Each book is a treat and this one is no exception.

Arizona Dreams: A David Mapstone Mystery
By Jon Talton
http://www.jontalton.com
Poisoned Pen Press
http://poisonedpenpress.com
2006
Large Trade Paperback


In this release last year from Poisoned Pen Press, Historian Deputy David Mapstone returns in another strong novel. It opens quickly with a killing just down the block from his 1924 Spanish Colonial home located in Phoenix, Arizona. After a quick survey of the scene by David and his wife, Deputy Lindsey Faith Mapstone, the two county deputies are happy to turn everything over to the city police.

And while the victim was killed with an ice pick which is interesting, David is more interested in the sudden shocking news that Lindsey has a sister. A sister, Robin, that David Mapstone knew nothing about before they meet her in the street outside the crime scene and one that Lindsey certainly doesn't want to talk about and isn't happy to see. A sister that complicates his relationship with Lindsey and a sister that clearly hides a few dark secrets.

But, secrets have a way of coming to light. So do bodies in the desert especially when David is led to the body by a former student. The body in the grave has no easy answers and as David Mapstone's personal world wobbles on its axis, serves as another marker that violence is aimed Mapstone's way.

The latest installment in the series has little character development in regards to David Mapstone. His character is firmly established and as such, the development in this novel deals with his wife Lindsey. Though back story and current conflict readers are exposed to many new pieces of information that raise multiple questions. Some are answered but many more are not.

The same general technique is used with David's boss, Maricopa County Sheriff Peralta. Long time fans of the series will remember, which is once again explained in this novel, that Sheriff Peralta is now divorced and that his former wife, Sharon is now working on the west coast. Peralta, adrift with out Sharon who steadied him, seems to be faced with a bit of a professional crisis as he senses that his world is changing and he may no longer have a place in it.

That same concept has been an underlying theme throughout the series and it extends here. Progress has Phoenix firmly in its grip and the author, through David Mapstone primarily, makes the point that the past matters and that those in the present who fail to pay attention to history, are ultimately doomed.

The result is another entertaining mystery that moves the series forward while retaining the flavor of the first novel. Culturally rich with a complex tale, the read entertains while it enlightens and educates. The author's clear love for the desert county comes through loud and clear as does his on going ability to weave a good story.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2007