When the Devil Doesn't Show
A Mystery
-
-
3.0 • 3 Ratings
-
-
- $12.99
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
WINNER OF THE "BEST NEW MEXICO BOOK" AWARD FROM THE NEW MEXICO-ARIZONA BOOK AWARDS
A RT TIMES BOOK REVIEW REVIEWER'S CHOICE AWARDS NOMINEE FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY MYSTERY
An intriguing contemporary mystery that exposes the dark side of life in historic Santa Fe by Hillerman Prize-winner Christine Barber
Christine Barber's acclaimed mysteries explore not just the folklore, Indian heritage, and colonial history that draws people to Santa Fe each year, but also the lives of locals, from the rich retirees to the families that have lived there for generations. These mysteries take place in a modern city that still has strong, unforgettable connections to its history.
In her new novel, When the Devil Doesn't Show, a housefire leads to the discovery of not just the bodies of the homeowners, but also a third, unidentified corpse. The search for the man's identity will lead Detective Gil Montoya not too far from Santa Fe to one of its notorious but rarely discussed neighbors, the Los Alamos National Laboratory. A DNA test reveals that the unknown victim is a native of Northern New Mexico, but Montoya has reason to believe that his ties to the infamous nuclear testing facility hold the solution. And when a second housefire is found to contain more bodies, he's determined to find out the answer no matter the cost.
"The insights that Barber, an Albuquerque resident, offers heighten the pleasure of reading her mysteries and give a fresh take on why Santa Fe is called the City Different." —The Albuquerque Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Christmas in festive, farolito-filled Santa Fe, N.Mex., provides the backdrop for Hillerman Prize winner Barber's solid third mystery featuring newspaper editor and volunteer EMT Lucy Newroe (after 2010's The Bone Fire). While battling a blaze on the outskirts of the city, Lucy is among the firefighters who make a grisly discovery the bodies of three murdered and brutalized men inside the fire damaged house. Within days there's a second violent home invasion and then a third, and Det. Sgt. Gil Montoya and partner Joe Phillips find themselves under the gun to capture what appear to be a crew of stone-cold spree killers before they can strike again. As usual, Barber weaves numerous plot elements and multicultural strands of Santa Fe society into an intriguingly complex tapestry. But this time she spreads her attention among so many characters shortchanging, among others, two who will figure most prominently in the surprising denouement that her story doesn't satisfy as much as it should.
