Arizona Dreams: A David Mapstone Mystery

David Mapstone Mystery #4

by Jon Talton

When a former student turns up in David Mapstone's office, she seems to have the perfect case for this history-professor-turned-deputy: a letter left by her deceased father, confessing to a forty-year-old murder and providing directions to the body. But things are never what they seem in Phoenix, a fast-buck city of newcomers seeking fresh starts from sometimes dark pasts. Just ask David's wife, Deputy Lindsey Faith Mapstone. One morning the start of the Willo District home tour is interrupted by murder. A man lies dead with an ice pick in his brain. And Lindsey runs right into her half-sister Robin among the crowd gathering in the historic Phoenix neighborhood, the sister Lindsey hasn't seen in years. The reunion with Robin rekindles memories about their rough upbringing and the deep rift that they may, or may not, bridge. Why is Robin here now? David has his own problems. There's a body in the desert, right where the letter said it would be found. But it's weeks old, not years. And the "former student" who brought in the letter has disappeared. When David finally locates her, she turns out to be a sham, the wife of a politician with a vendetta against Mapstone's boss, Sheriff Mike Peralta. But what's her agenda? And then even fresher bodies turn up, the clues keep pointing back to the same remote piece of desert and a seemingly unconnected real-estate development called Arizona Dreams. But Mapstone knows something sinister is fueling this increasingly dangerous case....

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Procedural, Westerns

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Jon Talton is the author of the David Mapstone novels, which follow the adventures of a historian-turned-deputy, working the mean streets of the urban West.

Jon's first novel, "Concrete Desert," was hailed by Kirkus as "an impressive debut." The Washington Post said it "is more intelligent and rewarding than most contemporary mysteries." The series has continued with "Camelback Falls," "Dry Heat," "Arizona Dreams" and "Cactus Heart." "Dry Heat" received Arizona Highways magazine's best fiction award in 2005.

Reviews

[Andy Plonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Talton pens a credible mystery the real joy of this series is the historical perpective one gets about Arizona, especially Phoenix.

[Sue Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the kind of book I would normally read but because it took place in Arizona, where we have family and have visited, I thought I’d give it a go, and I really enjoyed it. I’ll be reading the others in the series.

[Dlmrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arizona Dreams is David Mapstone Mysteries Book #4 of currently 9 by Jon Talton. I had not read the other books in this series, but after purchasing this one from Kindle I will be reading the others. This is an excellent novel, covering the problems with huge cities in the desert southwest in general and Arizona in particular. David is a former college professor, working as the historian for the Phoenix copshop - not really respected for his contributions to the police by many, and often on rocky ground with his immediate supervisor, but he and his deputy wife work very hard to keep the peace. Folks who average more than 4-6 inches of rain a year have a real hard time understanding the problems inherent to those of us who try to live in this land that we love. This novel puts it all in perspective while offering an excellent who-done-it with personable characters and the skinny on the advantages and detriments of living in the desert. Read it BEFORE you decide to move to Phoenix, ok? Or Roswell or Tucson or Las Cruces.

Our mountains are spectacular, our roads in good shape for the many hours travel between communities, we have 350 days of sunshine a year. Today, June 8, in Phoenix, it will be at LEAST 109 degrees with winds of up to 20 miles per hour and a relative humidity of about 8 percent. Everywhere in the southwest, water is getting more scarce every day and wildfire danger has been extremely high for months. My little New Mexico town of Alamogordo, at 3,400-foot altitude, will have a high of about 94 degrees, winds steady at 8 MPH, and 12% humidity. We have had so far this year a little less than 3 inches of rain - and very unusual, no measurable snow last winter to feed our aquafers. So Jon Talton is preaching to the choir in my case, but it's a sermon worth heeding. If I ever have to move again it will be to a place above 6,000 feet altitude and perhaps with a fresh-water lake...
REVIEWED on June 8, 2024, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile,

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Prof Mapstone's historical frame of reference in all of his observations about human nature, politics, the land-grab around Phoenix, modern America, his choice of reading matter, quotes that go through his head from historic personages, etc. Being an intellectual in a very philistine setting is this author's way of making Mapstone an outsider, the often necessary stance for an effective crime-solver. I appreciate how the relationship with his wife is portrayed, with so much respect and affection. The Southwest has a mystique that is communicated well in the author's descriptions, and that is what I liked best about the book, feeling like I have had a trip to Arizona's heat, long Indian past, Mexican food, and the endless open spaces full of cactus, buttes, washes, caves etc. I want to find and read the rest of the series now.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love listening to books. And sometimes, instead of listening to audiobooks, I have my husband or my daughter read aloud to me. This particular book was read aloud by my husband. I did not ask him to read it to me, it just sort of happened. And I doubt he will read another Mapstone book aloud to me, considering how many times I interrupted him and told him that I thought Mapstone was extremely stupid.

**Contains spoilers**5
The plot line was okay. But David Mapstone? Oh my goodness. What a dumb dude. I constantly interrupted my husband to express my incredulity over his obtuseness. Seriously? He didn't realize when he was being when he was being manipulated by Dana? Give me a break. If the low level of flirting that she did is all it took to completely overwhelm him, then I don't see how he gets any crime solved.

[Mr. Richard W. Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

I really enjoyed Arizona Dreams. I cannot say enough about the story and characters who brought out deep feelings about the present and not so long ago past. The present day Arizona is so different from when I had the opportunity to live in the 1957-1966 Tombstone era. I could go on but it’s hard to imagine that 2024 has seen so many changes. Water is the key but few care as our forth generation Arizona Author relates.

[M. Sprouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've appreciate the David Mapstone series, but this one might be my least favorite. I did enjoyed it, there was a decent story, but not truly a case that involves much history. There was a fair amount of action and suspense. However Mapstone, should have probably been name "Milktoast". I suppose it's an attempt by the author to make his character seem real and not too macho. That worked (mostly) for the first three installments. However, in this one he's just too weak and naive.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two and a half stars: Loved the Arizona history background but found the characters and their actions less than believable and oftentimes one-dimensional; dialogue exchanges were also stilted; sadly, I don't plan on meeting up with David Mapstone and his cronies in the future.

[Elizabeth Kane · Rating 3 out of 5]

book 2/3 from neighbor Eila .....quick, fun, informative....learning more than I ever cared to know about Phoenix! Really like the key characters.....fun historical stories that are entwined with current happenings....
Fun

[Peter Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great entertaining vacation read. Talton never disappoints me.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book.

[Spenser · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little weak compared to previous books in the series.

[brent dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts slow and then adds many pieces to make this a very interesting read.

[Chili Diane Evance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arizona Dreams

Movers and shakers. All in it for glory and especially the money. Can the Professor/Deputy figure out what is going on.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book written by a Arizona native as the protagonist, David Mapstone went from Tom's Tavern in downtown Phoenix to Sentinel Road near Yuma and many other places in Phoenix. The mystery itself is a little slow as David tries to find out who is killing people with an ice pick. The ending was satisfying.

[Carl Brookins · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Mapstone is an unusual protagonist. He used to be a history professor. After he moved to Arizona, he became a county deputy sheriff. Now he’s married to a wonderful woman who is also a deputy. Together they go through life having interesting adventures and an occasional married squabble.

In the present adventure, their fourth, I believe, an ex student of Mapstone’s, a woman who professes a long-ago crush on David, shows up in his office with a letter apparently written by her dead father. In the letter he confesses to a long ago murder. The information sends Mapstone on a quest into the Arizona desert where....well you’ll have to read the book. Suffice to say what he finds there is not exactly what you expect he’ll discover.

Meanwhile, as they sometimes say, his wife is encountering a paradox of her own. The ice-pick murder of a nearby relative results in David’s wife, Linda Faith, seeing her own sister, Robin, in the gathering crowd. Why she’s there and what really happened in these two but connected incidents forms the foundation of this complicated but logical mystery.

The characters are nicely portrayed, the dialogue not only seems honest but it makes sense as well. The sheriff’s relationship with Mapstone is at times a bit over the top, but that’s a minor cavil.

One of the nice things about Talton’s writing is the careful way he gives the reader just about everything needed to solve the mystery early in the book, but you have to be paying attention. Some of the best clues happen in parts of the narrative which we are often told, “everybody skips over.” Their loss, I say.

If I have a complaint it’s that the back of the ARC I have reveals far too much about the story. Poisoned Pen Press is doing good things in the mystery field and this book is another example.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one ends on a very bitter note. Surprisingly so.

David Mapstone is approached by a former student who discovered a letter written by her father before he died confessing to killing someone in 1966. The letter gives directions on how to find the body but doesn't say who the dead man was.

But no one is who they seem in this story. There are lies and secrets on lies and secrets. I didn't realize how personal all those lies and secrets were to the author until the end. If I were someone who paid attention to local news (the book is set in Phoenix where I live) I'm sure I'd know right away what actual corruption and shenanigans were being written about in this book of fiction. I'm not a native and when I moved here reluctantly in 1998 the governor was being charged with corruption, making me a cynic from the beginning. The author didn't let the governor's downfall ruin his positive feelings for several more years since this book wasn't published until 2006. Since then there have been more and more examples of public officials being less than ethical and upstanding. I hope the author can recover some of his love for the city since he was helping me connect to it on a deeper level than hating the summers and the sprawl and its homogenous blandness.

[Tyler H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was interesting but confusing. I am interested in Arizona history and stories but when I checked it out I didn't realize it was more of a grownup book and it was hard to understand parts of it.
It takes place in Phoenix and is about a sheriff's deputy who used to be a history professor. He is married to another sheriff's deputy and there is a man murdered in their neighborhood by being stabbed in the head with an ice pick. And a woman who was one of his students when he was a professor brings him a letter from her father before he died where he confesses to killing someone and burying him in the desert. So the deputy, David Mapstone has to try to figure out the murder in his neighborhood and there are some other murders that happen also that he has to solve. They are related because of some land out in the desert that is called Arizona Dreams, where houses were going to be built.
I would probably recommend this book to someone who is interested in Arizona history and someone who has lived in Phoenix. I wouldn't recommend it for teenagers.

[george burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunate Changes

This the fourth book in a series built on two interesting themes. The protagonist is a former history professor turned deputy specializing in cold cases. The second theme is the changing and turbulent nature of Arizona. Although, the second theme continues to flourish, the first is fading. Mapstone is now involved in current cases with the emphasis on violence. Meanwhile, his personal life is becoming more intrusive. It is fine for a man to love his wife, but the fact and the details are seldom of much interest to third parties. Being forced to read about it is even more tedious. Nevertheless, the beginning of this adventure is promising with a woman claiming to be a former student and producing a letter from her late father confessing to a murder. 0f course, nothing is as it seems. The plot is complicated and the author keeps the reader's attention, but in the end it is unbelievable.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
This is the fourth of the Deputy Sheriff David Mapstone mysteries by Jon Talton, but it's the first I have read. It is set in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and the surrounding desert. Mapstone is a former college professor and historian who (having been denied tenure) is now a Maricopa County deputy sheriff, hired to use his academic skills for solving cold cases. This mystery is apparently the first in which he works on a new case.
This was a straightforward, direct, plainspoken mystery, marred only by the clichéd ending in which the suspect who has the drop on the detective gratuitously confesses/explains all before being unexpectedly subdued. I understand the usefulness of this device in mysteries, but just once I'd like to see the suspect stay tight-lipped right up to the end.
I will probably read other books in this series, especially during the cold New England months when I'm having my own Arizona Dreams about our annual summer stays there.

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dr David Mapstone, history professor and now Sheriff's Office historian, meets his sister-in-law and gets involved with what starts with a murder in his neighborhood, a visit from a woman who claimed to have been a former student, a body buried on a deserted plot of desert and what's this, shakey real estate land deals with claims of developing more desert lands? Horrors!

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still enjoying this series. It is interesting to read about how Phoenix has changed in the last 30-40 years (when I lived there). The author goes back even further and tells a lot of the history and how the city has changed from farm land to the large city that is filled with people, yet has no industry that would enable the city to sustain itself. And still, the developers keep expanding, keep building, while the temperature goes up, and the water sources decline.

This is a mystery (fiction) series, but there's a lot of history and background included.

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mysteries, and I love it when I find a series that I am interested in. I love to the continued adventures of the same characters. this one was specially enjoyable because it takes place in Phoenix, where I have lived the past 12 years. even some of the events that are happening during the book I remember as real events, like the gas pipeline break that caused us to have long gas lines during its repair.... it is well written and a very enjoyable mystery.

[Ingrid Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years back, I won this book at a raffle, but didn't get around to reading it until this week. Not my usual read...but truly one of the most well-written books I've ever read.

From page one, with his casual, laid-back writing style, Jon Talton slips into your psyche and captures your attention. I loved the prose, the story and the amazing descriptions of Phoenix and Southern Arizona.

It's always great to find a new "favorite" author!

[Peach Kraft · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose this because Arizona! Mystery! The protagonist left Phoenix in the '70s, as I did and makes frequent observations on how it has changed. Really, really frequent. I started the book full of nostalgia and hope that the state pays more attention to the worthy cause of sustainablilty, went through a phase of despair and outrage, and by the end I wanted to litter. He has an axe to grind and does it at the expense of story. And wants us to know he's wicked sexy.Yeah there's a mystery.

[John Damaso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skipped from book 1 to book 4, and I think I might jump to the most recent work in the series. Mapstone is perhaps too moral for a hard-boiled protagonist, and you can feel Talton propping him up at every turn. There are enough threads here to intrigue the casual reader, and the central Phoenix denizen will be rewarded with loads of local color. The city of Phoenix is still a major character (as in book one), but this novel ends with the narrator feeling less and less like it is his home.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Jon Talton book that I have encountered and I really liked it. Based in Phoenix it is an involved story surrounding land speculation and the tremendous amount of growth in that area of the country. Corrupt politicians, sneaky behind closed doors deals and murder. This story had a little bit of everything. A great read. I give it ★★★★’s.

[Barbara B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such fun reading a really good story that takes place in your own back yard!! This author used to report for the local paper. Now the series he writes all take place in Phoenix and surrounding areas. Not only are the on-going characters very likable, it's fun to be able to picture right where the action takes place.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talton's books are entertaining mysteries, but unless you're from AZ, and more specifically Phoenix, several of the references might seem random. If you're from AZ and you like mysteries, though, this is perfect for you.