High Desert Heist (eBook)

A SW Desert Mystery Book 2

Patricia Jo Dustman, MaryEllen Tinsley (Autoren)

eBook Download: EPUB

2024 | 1. Auflage
310 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-5780-8 (ISBN)

Infos

Who has the missing money from the 1878 Mineral Basin heist? What really happened to the missing Chance son, Patrick? Where does the search for answers to all these questions even begin? These questions propel RJ, Claire, and Sam into their next adventure. A trek across the ranch leads to serious critter encounters for Rascal and emotional trauma for Sam and her friends. The trio, finally refocused on the search for the missing money, discovers the Town of Mineral Basin in mining country and decides to undertake a fishing expedition of sorts; exploring the history of mining country while researching the history of the Mineral Basin Bank Heist. Conversations in mining country add to the heist's mystery as well as its effect on the mining community. Now, two generations later, memories passed down to current residents, unanswered questions, historical archives, and old-timer stories make the trip to Mineral Basin even more haunting. Sam's line cabin project unearths more forensic evidence of foul play. Sam needs Sheriff Charlie Ketchem's help to answer forensic questions about the new evidence. New friend, Nacho Verde, a well-known online investigator, along with Gila County Sheriff, Zeke Franks, add to the tight circle of friends, and all together they embark on the search to solve the heist. Twists and turns to the last page will keep you guessing!

see bio above

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Who has the missing money from the 1878 Mineral Basin heist? What really happened to the missing Chance son, Patrick? Where does the search for answers to all these questions even begin? These questions propel RJ, Claire, and Sam into their next adventure. But, first, what about those Copper Q line cabins that Sam's documentary filmmaker wants to use in his film? A trek across the ranch leads to serious critter encounters for Rascal and emotional trauma for Sam and her friends. Sam's new neighbors, Dr. Scout and Mac, treat Rascal's injuries and create an immediate bond with the three friends. The trio, finally refocused on the search for the missing money, discovers the Town of Mineral Basin in mining country and decides to undertake a fishing expedition of sorts; exploring the history of mining country while researching the history of the Mineral Basin Bank Heist. Conversations in mining country add to the heist's mystery as well as its effect on the mining community. Now, two generations later, memories passed down to current residents, unanswered questions, historical archives, and old-timer stories make the trip to Mineral Basin even more haunting. Meanwhile, Sam's line cabin project unearths more forensic evidence of foul play combined with local interference from an unlikely source. Sam needs Sheriff Charlie Ketchem's help to answer forensic questions about the new evidence while, at the same time, warning off a determined trespasser. New friend, Nacho Verde, a well-known online investigator, and reliable contractor, Ben, become central to solving the line cabin mysteries at the Copper Q. New Gila County Sheriff, Zeke Franks, becomes a part of the tight circle of friends, and together they embark on the search to solve the heist. Along the way, they encounter surprises and intrigue in their efforts to uncover the answers. Will it take all of them to uncover the truth of the heist? Is the heist connected to the line cabin forensic evidence? Twists and turns to the last page will keep you guessing!

Textauszug

Mystery Characters

The Village of Boulder Creek

Claire Mary Clancy

Claire is a true blue friend and neighbor; the epitome of a compassionate, people-person. A retired drug abuse rehab counselor who ended up as CEO of a non-profit, Claire lives by herself across the condo complex “inside” road from RJ. They struck up a friendship during their professional lives and expanded it after moving to their condos. Claire would not venture into the unknown alone, but she and RJ have become fast friends who like to take day trips which they call adventures; and they usually turn out to be adventures unforeseen.

RJ Hamaker (has never been known by her full name, Rachel Jayne)

RJ is the adventurous type. Her fiery, upbeat personality will take the lead on any trip; any adventure; any… well… anything. A retired elementary school teacher and principal, RJ worked in public schools for 3 decades before she retired and unexpectedly landed a job as a prevention researcher at the local university. RJ lives by herself across the condo complex inside road from Claire. The two had formed a friendship through mutual interests in the well-being of children and picked up where they left off when they ended up as neighbors after they retired. RJ’s second floor condo balcony overlooks a protected desert habitat, including a natural wash crossed by a wooden footbridge leading to a manicured golf course and resort.

Samantha “Sam” Triknots

Sam’s life has been a mix of writer, marriage partner, and Hollywood producer. She is a well-known writer of Western mysteries who fell in love with the Southwest desert, out of love with her ex, and resides in what has been refurbished to look like an old abandoned ranch. It is north of the suburbs of the nearby city and is a site especially designed for commercial use, for both feature-length films and commercials.

Dr. Scout Caraday

As a veterinarian new to Boulder Creek, Dr. Scout, as she likes to be called, has known about the community for several years. She worked her way through college and veterinary school by working with her Father’s Phoenix real estate brokerage during the summers. She met her new husband when she showed him the ranch property they now own. With his help, she transformed the basement of the old ranch house into a clinic for small animals, while making plans to build a larger clinic that will have spaces for large animal care as well as a new clinic for small animal health. In the meantime, she cares of ranch animals in the area using a mobile veterinary unit.

Aaron “Mac” MacAlpin

Mac and Dr. Scout married after they met while Scout was working for her real estate broker Dad and showed Mac the old Tucker Ranch. Mac, originally from the Prescott area where his family worked on a big cattle ranch, grew up listening to his grandfather tell the story about how he and other cowboys from the ranch drove a small herd of cattle to the Second Chance Ranch down by Boulder Creek and how beautiful that area was. His grandfather often said that if he’d had the money, he would have bought a ranch down there. Mac, intrigued by his grandfather’s love of the area, decided to visit shortly after he finished his degree in agribusiness at the University of Arizona. He too fell in love with the beauty of the Boulder Creek area and began saving money to look for a ranch there. He contacted Mr. Caraday’s real estate office to show him properties in that area. It just so happened that on the day he was scheduled to visit the old Tucker place, Mr. Caraday sent Scout to conduct the showing. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sheriff Charlie Ketchem

Sheriff Charlie, like his father before him, and his grandfather before that, has both a deep-seated love for the community he serves and the investigative knowledge and skills he needs to perform at an exemplary level. He is a real-life version of “protect and serve” dedicated to the well-being of the county’s residents. He is a well-known, and even more highly-respected; a seasoned county Sheriff whose territory includes Sam’s ranch. At first, he is easily flustered by the assertive trio of women who contact him about the memorabilia being dug up by Sam’s dog, Rascal. Over time, however, his signs of irritation give way to genuine regard and a sense of humor about their inquisitiveness.

Ignacio “Nacho” Verde

Nacho and Sheriff Charlie Ketchem became friends after meeting at a law enforcement conference and meeting up with each other at the same conference for several years in a row. They became close friends through Nacho’s work. Charlie had visited Nacho’s home several times over the years, knew that Nacho’s wife had passed away, and cultivated the friendship even more when Nacho retired after 20 years to start his own investigations business.

Village of Boulder Creek

Although there are many areas in the Valley of the Sun that could be named this, this village is a totally fictitious place situated in the Sonoran desert north of Phoenix. A close-knit community of ranchers and village shopkeepers whose families have lived in the area for decades and who have helped, supported, nurtured, and watched over their friends and neighbors for generations, and still do.

Burt Reparar

A jack of all trades for the Village of Boulder Creek and the surrounding area, Burt and his brother, Eddie, worked with their widower Father to establish a well-run hardware business in the Village of Boulder Creek. When they assumed ownership of the store after their Father died, Burt took over the field work that required travel to owners’ residences, ranch or home. He is gregarious and gracious as well as a perfectionist when it comes to his work for others. He is known for his soft heart for both animals and people, a trait that proves invaluable to Sam and her friends.

Eddie Reparar

The overall operations of the hardware store and its inventory and walk-in customers are the sum and substance of Eddie’s daily life. He enjoys the in store work and is known for his knowledge of all types of hardware and equipment as well as the business sense that has proved to be the path to continued success for the store and for their spotless reputation as an important cog in the wheel of the Village’s longevity. He is a master of finding unusual items needed for special events.

Florence “Flo” Owens

Flo, as everyone calls her, also has lived in the Village all of her life. Her parents built and owned the Mercantile, and she has continued as owner of this historic business. After her parents died, Flo refurbished and restored the historic Mercantile building, applying for and receiving an Historic Landmark designation for the restored building, creating a much-appreciated tourist attraction for the Village. She is known for her generosity, helpfulness, and her passion for boots. As a classmate of Burt and Eddie, the three have relied on one another for support and share a vision of the Village as a place of peaceful, resourceful, and resilient people.

Annie Renovo

Annie arrived in the Village of Boulder Creek riding a half-dead horse. She, herself, was nearly starved. She told the Villagers that the rest of her family had perished trying to make their way through the mountains from New Mexico. When her parents died during the journey, she had taken the only horse that was still alive and had ridden non-stop until she reached the valley and saw the village in the distance. She was determined to make it as far as the Village where she straggled in and fell off her horse in front of the hardware store. A local rancher took her in and nursed her back to health, providing food and shelter and sharing clothes from two daughters. After healing, Annie found a job as waitress in Mom’s Café, a local diner. She moved into the Village and had stayed there ever since, getting to know everyone and taking good care of her customers.

Pastor Downer

The Pastor, no longer a newcomer to the Village, has continued his abrasive ways. The trait has not endeared him to the people of the Village but they tolerate him. He calls himself a fundamentalist, preaching unwavering, inflexible and strict literalism of the Bible. He knows the truth about everything and often doesn’t allow others to finish their sentences before he explains his interpretation of what they were saying, often inserting quotes from the Bible to make his point. He is known, especially, for interrupting women and discounting their contributions to discussions while, at the same time, wondering why many of the residents attend his services only once.

Ben Ingenero

When Sam bought the Copper Q and decided to renovate the old ranch house, she searched for a contractor who was known to be versatile and ready to tackle a very complex combination restoration/renovation project. She had heard about Ben and his high-quality work on other historical sites, including...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.5.2024
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-5780-8 / 9798350957808