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Maria Varela Mysteries #1
The Desert Saint
When Maria Varela first made detective, more than a few cops called her a nepo-baby behind her back. Sure, having a legendary detective for a father hadn’t hurt her career, but he was retired, and the one closing cases was her, not him. Eventually all the arrests silenced even the loudest of the doubters.
Then a long dormant serial killer murders her brother.
Last seen in 1983, the Desert Saint killed five people. All shot twice in the head with the same gun. All with a token placed on the left hand. The best efforts of law enforcement to solve the murders had failed, and when the killings stopped, Las Vegas moved on. Now, only retired cops and the family members of the victims even remember who the Desert Saint was.
So why return now? And why kill her brother?
Capturing a killer no one else could is a hard enough task.
Figuring out why the Desert Saint came for her brother might tear Maria's life apart.
Some crimes are best left unsolved.
__________________________________________
★★★★★ “As much of a page-turner as anything I've read in recent memory. I raced through this book in two days."★★★★★ “Non-stop action, tight pacing, and great characters."★★★★★ "First surprise from this genre in a long time"
Then a long dormant serial killer murders her brother.
Last seen in 1983, the Desert Saint killed five people. All shot twice in the head with the same gun. All with a token placed on the left hand. The best efforts of law enforcement to solve the murders had failed, and when the killings stopped, Las Vegas moved on. Now, only retired cops and the family members of the victims even remember who the Desert Saint was.
So why return now? And why kill her brother?
Capturing a killer no one else could is a hard enough task.
Figuring out why the Desert Saint came for her brother might tear Maria's life apart.
Some crimes are best left unsolved.
__________________________________________
★★★★★ “As much of a page-turner as anything I've read in recent memory. I raced through this book in two days."★★★★★ “Non-stop action, tight pacing, and great characters."★★★★★ "First surprise from this genre in a long time"
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2023
395 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 22, 2024
Excellent and excellent.
An absolutely fantastic and riveting book. There is the crime that is the main story with twists and turns of other happenings. We follow the main character who is a detective, Maria, and her life and family are intertwined throughout the book. It is a well-paced page-turner that is a definite 5-star plus book that should be a must read.
An absolutely fantastic and riveting book. There is the crime that is the main story with twists and turns of other happenings. We follow the main character who is a detective, Maria, and her life and family are intertwined throughout the book. It is a well-paced page-turner that is a definite 5-star plus book that should be a must read.
July 27, 2023
First surprise from this genre in some time
November 11, 2023
An emotionally charged, brilliantly-written debut crime thriller.
Maria Varela’s entire identity is centered around her life as a detective. The daughter of a Las Vegas Police Department detective, she has earned a reputation as a dogged, determined cop in her own right with a spectacular track record. But the murder of her brother, Tommy, threatens to turn her entire life upside down.
Tommy’s death bears a telltale mark of a long-dormant serial killer dubbed the Desert Saint: two .22 caliber gunshots to the head from the same gun, and a token left with or near the body. But the killer is elusive. There have been no taunting calls to the press or police, and the connections between the victims appear to be tenuous at best.
But there’s also this: Maria’s father was assigned to the case in the 1980s. Maria’s partner, Michael, thinks that revenge against Maria’s father may be the only reason the Desert Saint has come back. But Maria insists that she doesn’t want a protective detail, and while she can’t technically work her brother’s case because she has a personal connection to the victim, it goes without saying that she’ll find a way.
In Maria, A.M. Pascarella has created a heroine with uncommon depth. While not afraid to show some emotion, we’re always aware of just how much is simmering beneath the surface.In addition to her father’s law enforcement pedigree, Maria’s ethnic heritage is carefully assembled in both subtle and bold brushstrokes from early in the book. She withstands racist comments (“one hundred percent beaner”) and thoughtful questions (“didn’t all that anti-immigrant stuff bother you?”), groundwork that pays off as more about the killer becomes known. And as the book reaches the third act, Maria’s analytical skills prove sharp enough to cut through any favoritism she might otherwise show her family. No small mannerism or glance goes unobserved.
While the book is rounded out with a compelling cast of characters, Vegas itself is the supporting act – and not the one we all see advertised on TV. Pascarella’s Vegas takes place on the east side, in neighborhoods destined to be bulldozed in favor of newer, shinier developments, and in old casinos where old slot machines still hum. It’s not glamorous, and it feels appropriately gritty within a novel in which a hardworking detective comes to grips with things she never wanted to know about her family.
Maria Varela’s entire identity is centered around her life as a detective. The daughter of a Las Vegas Police Department detective, she has earned a reputation as a dogged, determined cop in her own right with a spectacular track record. But the murder of her brother, Tommy, threatens to turn her entire life upside down.
Tommy’s death bears a telltale mark of a long-dormant serial killer dubbed the Desert Saint: two .22 caliber gunshots to the head from the same gun, and a token left with or near the body. But the killer is elusive. There have been no taunting calls to the press or police, and the connections between the victims appear to be tenuous at best.
But there’s also this: Maria’s father was assigned to the case in the 1980s. Maria’s partner, Michael, thinks that revenge against Maria’s father may be the only reason the Desert Saint has come back. But Maria insists that she doesn’t want a protective detail, and while she can’t technically work her brother’s case because she has a personal connection to the victim, it goes without saying that she’ll find a way.
In Maria, A.M. Pascarella has created a heroine with uncommon depth. While not afraid to show some emotion, we’re always aware of just how much is simmering beneath the surface.In addition to her father’s law enforcement pedigree, Maria’s ethnic heritage is carefully assembled in both subtle and bold brushstrokes from early in the book. She withstands racist comments (“one hundred percent beaner”) and thoughtful questions (“didn’t all that anti-immigrant stuff bother you?”), groundwork that pays off as more about the killer becomes known. And as the book reaches the third act, Maria’s analytical skills prove sharp enough to cut through any favoritism she might otherwise show her family. No small mannerism or glance goes unobserved.
While the book is rounded out with a compelling cast of characters, Vegas itself is the supporting act – and not the one we all see advertised on TV. Pascarella’s Vegas takes place on the east side, in neighborhoods destined to be bulldozed in favor of newer, shinier developments, and in old casinos where old slot machines still hum. It’s not glamorous, and it feels appropriately gritty within a novel in which a hardworking detective comes to grips with things she never wanted to know about her family.
August 13, 2023
"The Desert Saint" by A.M. Pascarella is a gripping and suspenseful crime thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end. The book follows Maria Varela, a detective in Las Vegas who has to face her worst nightmare when her brother is killed by a serial killer who has been dormant for 40 years. The killer, known as the Desert Saint, was responsible for five murders in 1983, all with the same signature: a bullet to the head and a token on the left hand. The case was never solved, and Maria's father, a legendary detective, was one of the investigators who failed to catch him. Now, Maria has to find out why the Desert Saint has returned, and what he wants from her family.
The book is well-written and fast-paced, with complex and realistic characters that will make you care about their fate. The author does a great job of creating a vivid and atmospheric setting of Las Vegas, showing both its glamour and its dark side. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the last page. The book also explores themes such as family, loyalty, justice, and revenge, and how they affect the choices and actions of the characters.
"The Desert Saint" is a debut novel that delivers on its promise of a thrilling and satisfying read. It is a must-read for fans of crime fiction and serial killer stories. If you are looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look no further than "The Desert Saint" by A.M. Pascarella.
The book is well-written and fast-paced, with complex and realistic characters that will make you care about their fate. The author does a great job of creating a vivid and atmospheric setting of Las Vegas, showing both its glamour and its dark side. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the last page. The book also explores themes such as family, loyalty, justice, and revenge, and how they affect the choices and actions of the characters.
"The Desert Saint" is a debut novel that delivers on its promise of a thrilling and satisfying read. It is a must-read for fans of crime fiction and serial killer stories. If you are looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look no further than "The Desert Saint" by A.M. Pascarella.
August 29, 2024
Complex and several twists
I think that this might have made a decent movie. There were a few things from characters' lives that weren't revealed until toward the end, but they ended up tying together in surprising ways. Unfortunately for me, I had a lot of issues with the dialog. A significant amount of the dialog sentences ended with, "(character's name) said." I was listening using Amazon's Assistive Reader (which I despise), and I heard "said" so often that I decided to do a search to see how many times it had been used in the book. It was 240+ pages long and it had been used 1550+ times. The MC's statements ended that way about 450 times. When narration/non dialog happened, it was really good. I just couldn't tolerate the plethora of the word, "said." It was too much of a deterrent. The book wasn't for me and my rating is 2½⭐ due to the dialog.
I think that this might have made a decent movie. There were a few things from characters' lives that weren't revealed until toward the end, but they ended up tying together in surprising ways. Unfortunately for me, I had a lot of issues with the dialog. A significant amount of the dialog sentences ended with, "(character's name) said." I was listening using Amazon's Assistive Reader (which I despise), and I heard "said" so often that I decided to do a search to see how many times it had been used in the book. It was 240+ pages long and it had been used 1550+ times. The MC's statements ended that way about 450 times. When narration/non dialog happened, it was really good. I just couldn't tolerate the plethora of the word, "said." It was too much of a deterrent. The book wasn't for me and my rating is 2½⭐ due to the dialog.
April 2, 2024
I did enjoy the characters and the premise...a long "retired" serial killer making an appearance once again to kill a detective's brother. What could that brother have done to deserve the punishment the Desert Saint is exacting? I liked the investigation. I didn't like the very weird tangent near the end with Harold. Very out of left field, very weird, but it did lead Maria to the reason for her brother's death and ultimately the Desert Saint.
November 21, 2024
I just saw a review on Goodreads which matched my issue.
Dialogue was constantly "... he said ... she said ... he said." There were very few uses of alternate conversation verbs (asked/replied/called etc). The other reviewer stated that in 246 pages "said" was used more than 1550 times. Also (issue from me) too much of the dialogue was one sentence at a time.
Very frustrating
Dialogue was constantly "... he said ... she said ... he said." There were very few uses of alternate conversation verbs (asked/replied/called etc). The other reviewer stated that in 246 pages "said" was used more than 1550 times. Also (issue from me) too much of the dialogue was one sentence at a time.
Very frustrating
January 30, 2024
This was an easy, fast read that had an interesting plot with some good twists. The book was a little disappointing because the characters were stereotypical and a few of the events were not believable.
March 22, 2024
Fairly well written and certainly contains plot twists, this is the story of Dominic, retired Las Vegas Police detective, his daughter Maria, currently an LVPD detective, and the Desert Saint serial killer.
May 6, 2024
A wasted life
A poorly written story written by an author that uses way too much crude language. Many great novels have been written by author who don’t have use such language to get the point across. This one could have been without the f…bombs thrown onto the pages!
A poorly written story written by an author that uses way too much crude language. Many great novels have been written by author who don’t have use such language to get the point across. This one could have been without the f…bombs thrown onto the pages!
May 15, 2024
Maria is on the case when a serial killer/vigilante resurfaces after 40 years dormant. She finds things out about her family and people she thought were normal and has to make a big decision whether to come clean or cover up. Good plot and some twists to keep you reading.
July 5, 2024
The Desert Saint had some good twists and the ending was fairly strong. Unfortunately, the writing was not clear at times and it was a struggle hold my attention in the first half of the book at times. This is a Kindle Unlimited series which could lead to getting book 2 in the series. 2 stars.
March 19, 2024
Desert Saint
Here’s another writer who has no compunction about profaning the sacred and using f-bombs liberally. The story premise may be good but is ruined by bad language.
Here’s another writer who has no compunction about profaning the sacred and using f-bombs liberally. The story premise may be good but is ruined by bad language.
April 10, 2024
Twisted plots
This story isn't as it seems over and over again, just keeps getting better and better. Keeps your mind in the game
This story isn't as it seems over and over again, just keeps getting better and better. Keeps your mind in the game
July 15, 2024
Well crafted mystery.
Story developed and then took a turn you didn't expect. Made you think what choices would I have made. Thank you!
Story developed and then took a turn you didn't expect. Made you think what choices would I have made. Thank you!
September 25, 2024
Riveting
This murder mystery had me intrigued at the twists band turns. Finding out the true identity of the desert saint was mind blowing.
This murder mystery had me intrigued at the twists band turns. Finding out the true identity of the desert saint was mind blowing.
March 11, 2025
Very well written crime drama. Great ending. Definitely read more about this character from this author
April 23, 2025
I thought that this was an okay read. Decent pace, tight story.
April 15, 2024
OMG, I wanted to like this book but the writing and plotting were sloppy beyond belief. The main character's cop partner was not even granted the dignity of a last name. I accidentally purchased the other books in the series but Big A is forgiving and let me get my money back.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews