Smokescreen: A Fernando Lopez Santa Fe Mystery

Fernando Lopez Santa Fe Mystery #2

by James C. Wilson

A prominent city councilmember, Tito Garcia, is assassinated at the beginning of the Santa Fe Fiesta. Known as a peacemaker, he had negotiated an agreement to ban a controversial Fiesta procession known as the Entrada . The procession celebrated the Reconquest of Santa Fe twelve years after the 1680 Pueblo Rebellion drove the Spanish out of Santa Fe. Both Spanish and Native American groups blame each other for Garcia's murder and vow revenge. The situation explodes in violence when one Hispanic group attempts to march in downtown Santa Fe in violation of the agreement. Fernando Lopez is forced to rethink the case when he discovers Garcia's involvement with Three-Hills Ranch, a compound suspected of sex-trafficking young women from border towns like Nogales and Juarez. The journey to find answers takes Lopez on a journey into the underbelly of wealthy Santa Fe society where deep cultural and ethnic conflicts have festered for over four hundred years. Smokescreen , the second in the Fernando Lopez Santa Fe Mystery Series, concludes in a fiery confrontation at Three-Hills Ranch, where the truth is finally revealed and justice served. Includes Reading Guide.

153 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2021

Reviews

[Jim Augeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good yarn by local NM author Wilson. I couldn't escape the feeling that I was seeing a parallel between the books antagonist Robert Warner and his ranch outside of Santa Fe and the real life story of Jeffrey Epstein! Tell me I'm wrong. As a long time NM resident I realize that there are some strong cultural divides in melting pot cities like Santa Fe, and it is likely naive of me to think that those feelings are not as strong as portrayed herein. But I know we have had some real life stories here that echo the story surrounding the Santa Fe Fiesta referenced in the book. Still a very good book, and I am ready to move into the next in the 4-book series.

[Brittany Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic, action-packed novel! I stumbled across James C. Wilson’s writings at one of George R. R. Martin’s bookstores in Santa Fe highlighting local authors. I’m so glad I did! Wilson’s character development is superb. He has an uncanny ability to describe both the beauty and hardships of life in New Mexico perfectly.

The characters are relatable (which is an important aspect for me) and interesting, and the plot is engaging. The writing style is right on par with a good Hillerman novel.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good mystery!

[Scott K Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pronoun Use

Great story, great setting. There were lots of situations where the use of the pronoun "He" left me confused about which character to whom was being referenced. Other than that, I loved the book!