Strange events which took place in 1938 lead to the present-day cold-blooded killing of a ranch hand in the remote canyon country near Moab, Utah. The only clue besides a 9-mm bullet in the victim’s head is an ancient-Indian potsherd stuck into his chest.Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera is assigned the case and judges it’s related to a drug deal gone bad. But he’s actually up against an intelligent … intelligent and cunning adversary driven by greed who’s discovered a long-forgotten cave containing a collection of rare museum-quality Indian artifacts.
Local politicians and merchants are exerting strong pressure on the sheriff for a quick resolution to the case as the killing is threatening to disrupt the upcoming tourist season, Moab’s sole source of economic activity. After all, who would want to explore the backcountry with a killer on the loose out there?
In the end, Rivera faces an ethical dilemma: Should he enforce the letter of the law or serve the cause of justice? And a woman learns the answer to a question that’s been haunting her for seventy years.
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Utah is beautiful as are the four corners! I visited the 4 corners site and have actually stayed at the RV park in Monticello UT, loved every minute there!
very interesting read, and very easy. Just a rainy day afternoon read. But a good mystery. love the ending.
Love this series
Another great book by this author. Really makes one want to visit Utah.
Great series!
I love Manny Rivera. I learn so much about the interactions between Anglos, Mexicans, and Indians while reading this series.
I loved this book! Definitely recommend it and the whole series!
This series of books are written to portray the detective as human& very believable
Central characters are believable and sympathetic, Geographical descriptions are valid and of interest as is much of the tribal history. A solid and captivating read as were the other related books.
Good read. Keeps you guessing.
Authentic Southwest locales.
Another great experience following Deputy Manny Rivera as he does his thing to solve another crime. A very memorable protagonist with an appreciation for nature and justice. I hope this series continues for a long time!
I enjoyed getting to know Detective Manny Rivera. Author Rich Curtin sets the scene quite vividly. Not action-packed, this is a more thoughtful mystery.
Beautifully written with a surprise ending.
Artifacts of Death is another terrific Manny Rivera Mystery by the talented Rich Curtin. Set in the breathtaking New Mexico/Colorado/Utah area, the story begins with secret cache of ancient Native American pottery hidden in a isolated cave. Somebody is selling off pieces for personal profit. A young ranch hand gets in the way. Body number one. I love New Mexico and the Four Corner region and felt as if I were back there again just reading the descriptions. I love Manny Rivera. This is the third Manny book I’ve read, but it is the first of the series.
Good, clean story. Well developed leading characters. I am reading all of the Manny Rivera series.
I love every book Rich Curtin has written about Manny Rivera — and I hope he continues the series. The characters are very real and interesting. I love the descriptions of the territory. I never leave a book without learning something about history and culture. And often about a new “sport” like letter boxing!
This is an excellent series. Good plots and interesting characters along with vivid descriptions of the land and life style around Moab, Utah. I started with a free copy of the first volume, and have purchased several others.
Characters are absolutely wonderful. Since we know early on who commits the murder, Rich Curtin has done a marvelous job of giving the characters a life for us to see and understand. I enjoyed this book.
Should we ever do the wrong thing for the right reason is one of the questions this story presents to us.
An unusual topic for fiction. I found the technical information correct and handled well.