Dry Heat: A David Mapstone Mystery

Rating:
Summary: A Hot Read
Review: Dry Heat, just as did his previous two excellent books, perfectly evokes the essence of the present and older Phoenix. Of course being a crime novel there is an over emphasis on the seedy parts of the city. The chief protagonist is a historian and the author would seem to be one also, or at least an excellent researcher. Very fast read, but entirely too short. Also, the author doesn't write often enough. Not to be missed.

Rating:
Summary: fine "History Shamus" tale
Review: Having a homeless person die is no big deal anywhere in this country. However, having a homeless person die with an FBI's badge sewn into his pocket raises eyebrows. When that badge found on the John Doe belonged to Agent John Pilgrim murdered in 1948, nothing makes sense.

The FBI asks Maricopa County, Arizona Deputy s David Mapstone to help on the case because he brings a unique perspective to an investigation. A former San Diego State University Professor of History, David looks at clues from the viewpoint of a historian sifting through information. The Feds believe that point of view might explain how a badge lost over fifty years ago surfaced on a dead; ironically the FBI fails to cooperate when it comes to providing full information on the long dead agent. However David has other concerns involving his wife Lindsey; a computer whiz, she several others cracked a case involving the Russian mafia; now three members of her team have been assassinated. As the Mapstones struggle to stay alive, the professor begins solving the current spin of the cold case homicide.

The third "History Shamus" tale is an intriguing mystery especially when David works the cold case with little cooperation from the FBI, who wants to restrict his investigation to how the homeless person got the badge. His work also puts him in professional conflict with the Cold Case Squad. The sidebar involving his spouse adds suspense and ultimately ties back to the prime theme, but can be distracting until the reader sees the links. DRY HEAT is a terrific entry in a fine unique police procedural (see CAMELBACK FALLS and CONCRETE DESERT for the previous novels).

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Talton does it again
Review: Mapstone is at his intellectual and deep-feeling best in Talton's third David Mapstone mystery, DRY HEAT. The dialogue is pure Talton -- witty, gritty and insightful. The story is another sophisticated tale of Mapstone, a history professor turned sheriff's deputy, taking on crime in the blistering heat of Phoenix, this time with his wife, Lindsey, whose life is in danger because of some Russian mafia-busting she's done.

As usual, Talton's strong sense of place and history make this a book even non-mystery buffs like me love. Anyone who believes Phoenix is a Shangri-la of swimming pools and merely "dry heat" will appreciate Mapstone's nuanced view of the sprawling city as an "acquired taste." The book's cadence is peppered with fresh turns of phrase, such as Mapstone's contention that con artists, misfits and other "rough-hewn faces" end up in Phoenix, "as if the city is the last fence line catching the unattached debris of a windy world."

Thanks for another one, Mapstone and Talton.

Rating:
Summary: Talton is Terrific!
Review: With Dry Heat, his third David Mapstone novel, Jon Talton has joined the ranks of the best of detective novelists. His first two are excellent reads, but in this one, Talton seems to have reached a new level of maturity in his writing. The somewhat complicated plot is neatly woven together by Talton as detective David Mapstone delves into the dusty archives of the old county courthouse to discover the identity of a homeless man, whose body is found in an abandoned pool in an undesirable neighborhood. Mapstone's wife, who has used her considerable computer skills to crack the Russian Mafia, finds her own life in danger, and Mapstone must try to protect her, while continuing to investigate the death of the homeless man. Talton deftly manages the interweaving plots, describing the research skills of former professor, Mapstone, displaying the investigator's dedication to seeking truth, and revealing his genuine and deep love for Lindsey. Talton knows Phoenix and Arizona and has an obvious love for the city, yet is painfully aware of its problems and particularly of the sprawl that has changed this city so drastically in the past several decades.
Anyone who has lived in or visited Phoenix will enjoy the local color, incuding his descriptions of the fabulous sunsets,and also of the violence of wind storms. But those who have never been there will also enjoy an excellent read. I found this book to be a real page turner and look forward to more from this author.