MATTHEW AND WILMA Mason, a married couple from San Francisco on a driving tour of southwest national parks, are found shot to death in the remote and rugged backcountry of southeast Utah. A revolver clutched in Matthew’s hand suggests a murder-suicide, but Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera thinks otherwise. In his mind, there are too many unanswered questions. Why had the Masons, at age 68, detoured … from the planned vacation route shown on their map? Why had they left the comfort of paved roads for rough, gravel back roads that led to nowhere in particular? Why had they driven to the place where they were found, next to an abandoned grass airstrip? And most peculiar of all, why were they dressed like hippies from the 1960s?
more
Love this series. I recommended this to a friend and she loved it tpp.
Richards books are always dependable in that I know with Manny, I’ll get a good who dunnit that is intricately woven and has good friendships touched on as well as a dash of romance. For someone who likes to pit their abilities against Manny’s. You’l never beat him, but it’s fun to join in whether you’re running just ahead or just (way) behind him.
The wife and I enjoyed these books often discussing them and comparing stories with our firsthand familiarity with the area within the great stories unfold.
Rich Curtain is a great Author, always enjoy Manny’s adventures and look forward to his next adventure.
Manny Rivera is a wonderful character and his investigations in this book (and others) are well-written and absorbing.
Transported me to the high desert of SE Utah. Great for mystery lovers who enjoy immersion in a different landscape. Manny is a great detective with a real heart for true justice.
Manny’s musings hold true–every decision we make influences the pathway of our lives, a fact only recognizable in the rear view mirror.
This book reminded me of the books of two of my favorite authors: James Doss and Tony Hillerman. Set in the beautiful arid lands of the American West, an officer of the law, mysteries to solve, an enjoyable read with a twisty plot.
love the way Mr.Curtain paints word pictures of the rural Moab, Utah area where Manny solves his cases with a deliberate focus on the clues he manages to find in his search for justice for the victims he serves. Great read!
Manny Rivera is my favorite detective.
Loved all these books with MannyRiveria in them,hope to see more
Great mystery in the SW.
I didn’t care for the writing style of this author – too matter-of-fact & staccato. There was a lot of history & geography that I wasn’t interested in. The whole thing seemed like reading a criminal report with lots of repeating toward the end. I did appreciate hardly any profanity & no sex, tho.
Interesting story. Book started out strong but had a somewhat weaker ending.
BORING slow read. Normally I read a book this length in 2 days. This book took five days, it just didn’t hold my interest. I did slug through it and when something finally did happen, it was transparent what had happened and who the killer was. Won’t be reading another from this author.
Particularly fun if you know the area around Moab and the Four Corners. Not the best written mystery, but the descriptions of the area and the characters make up for any other drawbacks.
Not a bad story, but the plot is somewhat convoluted.
i really enjoyed this book, very original and when I do not know who the killer is my interest remains until the end.
Loved the descriptions of the country in the west.
A police procedure novel with none of the blood and guts usually contained in this type of book.
Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera doesn’t jump to conclusions in his investigation of the deaths of two tourists. He’s methodical and takes his time to collect all the facts until what is left can only be the truth.
Some readers who prefer their ‘cops and robbers’ books to be filled with sirens and gun battles might consider this slow. The author offers plenty of clues but I only guessed the identity of the murderer at 80%.
I found this utterly absorbing and entertaining, recommended.
This is book 8, now I feel compelled to start at the beginning of the series.