The Desert Waits

by J. Carson Black

"As sharp and prickly as a desert cactus. Thoroughly entertaining."---Carol Davis Luce, author of NIGHT STALKERA woman answers a terrified cry for help...A husband betrays his wife one last time...The owner of an isolated hotel harbors a dangerous obsession...A man succumbs to a fatal attraction...They are four strangers whose lives converge on a lonely stretch of Arizona desert...four strangers brought together by the brutal murder of a beautiful woman. Each of them has a secret. And all of them have a reason to be afraid.Now, someone else is going to die. For in the desert, under the merciless sun, there is no place to hide.* * * * *Praise for J. Carson Black's DARK HORSE (writing as Margaret Falk)"Should put Margaret Falk in the Winner's Circle."---Tony Hillerman"A terrific tale of murder and mayhem set on the quarter horse racing circuit in the American Southwest…Watch out, Dick Francis."---J. A. Jance

Genres: Mystery

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Carol Luce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the blend of desert and Hollywood. Not the glitzy Hollywood, but the real thing on a movie set. The suspects are as diverse as beer and champagne and just as flavorful. All the characters are rich in development and fascinating studies in human nature. Throw in some exotic and skin-crawling critters and the cast is complete.No one writes crisp, sharp desert atmosphere like J C Black. In this book the desert comes alive.

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A movie shooting turns into the real thing when a real loaded gun is substituted for the prop gun. Shortly before her death, the actress had called an old friend from high school to come to her aid, but she wouldn't tell her friend what the problem was. Alex, the wildlife photographer friend, is drawn into the mystery.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, dear. I just finished "The Shining," and this one starts with a drive to a hotel. The romance was minimal (yet nice) and the plot was good. What bugged me was the author writing the intelligent female lead doing incredibly stupid things. Surely there are other ways to move a plot along. Otherwise, this was a great read, with some interesting justice issues.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the star is killed during a movie shoot, the pressure to solve quickly can mean poor policing, and a murderer still out there.

Suspenseful, quick reading, and nice desert (Sonoran) atmosphere.

[Nancy Houston Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman dies on a lonely stretch of desert road, but her child survives. Questions surround the death that bring the lives of four people together as secrets are revealed.

[Glenn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and well-written thriller as a photographer confronts both wildlife trafficking and murder in the vicinity of an Arizona movie location.

[Walter Straus]

I am starting this based on Sue's recommendation about JC Black