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David Mapstone Mystery #6
South Phoenix Rules
A handsome young New York professor comes to Phoenix to research his new book. But when he's brutally murdered, police connect him to one of the world's most deadly drug cartels. This shouldn't be a case for historian-turned-deputy David Mapstone―except the victim has been dating David's sister-in-law Robin and now she's a target, too. David's wife Lindsey is in Washington with an elite anti-cyber terror unit and she makes one demand of protect Robin. This won't be an easy job with the city police suspicious of Robin and trying to pressure her. With the sheriff's office in turmoil, David is even more of an outsider. And the gangsters are able to outgun and outspend law enforcement. It doesn't help that David and Lindsey's long-distance marriage is under strain. But the danger is real and growing. To save Robin, David must leave his stack of historic crimes and plunge into the savage today world of smuggling―people, drugs, and guns―in Phoenix. Arizona's "History Shamus" returns in South Phoenix Rules . It's the most gripping and personal David Mapstone Mystery yet.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
50 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Jon Talton
25 books93 followersJon 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 7, 2022
Very slow start. Lots of angst. Questionable plot. Carnage. It was fine. Seemed like this was just marking time for future books.
July 25, 2010
South Phoenix Rules is the first book I've read by Jon Talton and I have mixed feelings. This one is part of the ongoing David Mapstone Mystery series. Not having read any of Talton's prior books in the series, I found the story hard to get into due to gaping holes in information I might otherwise have known. Mapstone's relationship with his estranged wife is a large part of the story, though it is not until the end of the book that their history starts to make sense. I don't know how much of my confusion throughout was due to Talton's desire to add suspense but it seemed to me that some important facts from past books should have been sprinkled in at the beginning. Unlike most mystery and suspense series, this one doesn't do as well as a stand-alone or a series that you can jump right into.
I also had an issue with the incredible sadness and underlying hopelessness that followed throughout the entire book. There seemed to be no glimmer of hope or occasional uplifting moments for either the main character or the reader. Consequently, the entire book left me feeling gloomy.
That being said, Talton's writing itself is highly enjoyable. The plot is intricate, with unexpected twists. The characters are well developed, with their own quirks and traits. His books are absolutely worth reading. However, I would suggest starting at the first book in the series and reading them in order.
** I received this as an early review copy from the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, through http://NetGalley.com. **
I also had an issue with the incredible sadness and underlying hopelessness that followed throughout the entire book. There seemed to be no glimmer of hope or occasional uplifting moments for either the main character or the reader. Consequently, the entire book left me feeling gloomy.
That being said, Talton's writing itself is highly enjoyable. The plot is intricate, with unexpected twists. The characters are well developed, with their own quirks and traits. His books are absolutely worth reading. However, I would suggest starting at the first book in the series and reading them in order.
** I received this as an early review copy from the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, through http://NetGalley.com. **
April 14, 2018
I am so glad I found Jon Talton on the shelf at the library! This sheriff-procedural was a top-notch thriller and a really good, well-written-and-plotted read, but the winning aspect for me was the clear look at the reality of Hispanic immigration in Arizona--the bad guys are not the hardworking, law-abiding immigrants being deported, they are the drug-and-arms gangs that remain untouchable--except for the ones that run afoul of David Mapstone. Still the surprising denouement was a revelation of how hard it is to go against the powerful foreign gangs. With the murder victim's girlfriend winding through the story, there was a soft edge to the sharp realities and the historical crimes and snippets that give depth to this book. Splendid read!
November 7, 2020
South Phoenix Rules is a walk through time and through a gang-infested Phoenix. Written by Jon Talton, an author I came to respect and admire for his egalitarian insight into Arizona business and commerce as a columnist for the Arizona Republic/Phoenix Gazette.
His narrative, as the blurbs on the back cover rightly state, is neat and tight. His hero, David Mapstone as well as other characters in Mapstone's orbit are keenly well developed. Sprinkled through the chapters are numerous geographical references that are real and right on the money. If you grew up, or otherwise have lived in Phoenix for some time, those references and your memories of them put you directly into the story in a most intimate way.
His narrative, as the blurbs on the back cover rightly state, is neat and tight. His hero, David Mapstone as well as other characters in Mapstone's orbit are keenly well developed. Sprinkled through the chapters are numerous geographical references that are real and right on the money. If you grew up, or otherwise have lived in Phoenix for some time, those references and your memories of them put you directly into the story in a most intimate way.
November 15, 2018
Good book
December 4, 2019
Yet another great book from Jon Talton
July 19, 2023
Descriptive , dreary, gritty, action, good read
May 15, 2024
Strong finish
Started out strong, then a little slow, but finished very well.
It says I need 9 more words, but two more will do.
Started out strong, then a little slow, but finished very well.
It says I need 9 more words, but two more will do.
January 7, 2011
Noir in blazing sunlight? Reach for a cold glass of water and read on. . . . The gripping prologue to South Phoenix Rules is chock-full of testosterone-laden thugs armed to the teeth with every conceivable death-pistol imaginable, and soon sets the relentless pace from this latest thriller by Jon Talton. The oppressive August temperature in Phoenix is reaching 114 degrees—and that’s just in the shade. The horrendous heat carries a special color for which even the great poet Dante would have difficulty describing adequately. But soon it’s going to get even hotter for historian and newly resigned deputy police officer, David Mapstone. N.Y.U. Professor Jax Delgado comes to Phoenix apparently to conduct research for his next book. Once in town, he meets the beautiful and free-spirited Robin Bryson, and soon they begin dating. Shortly afterward, Delgado is brutally murdered, and police believe they can connect him to one of the world’s most deadly drug cartels. Suspicion initially falls on Robin, who just happens to be Mapstone’s sister-in-law. Robin is staying at Mapstone’s home while his estranged wife, Lindsey, is in Washington with an elite anti-cyber terror unit. Upon hearing of the killing of Delgado, Lindsey makes one demand of Mapstone: Protect Robin at all costs. Easier said than done. Is Robin as innocent as she claims? Or is she hiding something dark and sinister? Mapstone has yet to decide before getting embroiled into Delgado’s murder. Into the mix comes Detective Sergeant Kate Vare, out to prove that Robin and Mapstone were somehow involved in the murder of Delgado. To say that Vare and Mapstone don’t see eye to eye would be an understatement. There’s as much history between the two as there is in the books Mapstone reads. Mapstone’s analytical mind is always one or two steps ahead of the villains in Phoenix, but when it comes to the trilogy of strong women in his life—Robin, Lindsey and Vare—his thinking is miles away. This makes him more human, more flawed, someone we can relate to, rather than some superhuman and two-dimensional Shamus with all the answers. One little niggling criticism of the storyline has to be addressed, though: South Phoenix Rules is the sixth book in the Mapstone series, and for those readers jumping into their first Mapstone book, some more information could have been planted in the early pages regarding his estranged wife. It takes just a little too long to unfold in this particular case, and could have been ironed out closer to the beginning, if just to bring the reader on-board faster. That said, South Phoenix Rules is a haunting noir story vividly rendered by Talon’s white-hot prose. The plot is complex with genuine twists you never see coming, and the droll dialogue is sarcastic, fast, and nose-breakingly violent. Happy-ever-after, South Phoenix Rules is not, but those wishing for an original slant on crime fiction should pick up this impressively unyielding noir story and quickly add it to their must-read list. You won’t be disappointed.
July 14, 2011
First Line: The August heat in Phoenix has a color.
Changes are staring David Mapstone in the face. His boss was defeated in the recent election, and Mapstone knows he's on the way out, too. He has no clear idea of what he's going to do next. All he does know is that his wife is still on assignment in Washington, DC, and he's not exactly happy that her sister, Robin, is living in the apartment above his garage.
When the history professor Robin is dating is killed and connected to a deadly drug cartel, Mapstone knows that Robin's life is in danger. In order to protect his sister-in-law, he has to turn from history and cold cases to the very real and very current world of smuggling (people, drugs, guns) in Phoenix.
Once again Talton has crafted a gripping mystery with a main character I've grown to care about-- and taught me more Phoenix history along the way. Mapstone is a Phoenix native, raised by his grandparents in an older home in an older neighborhood. He's seen the way Phoenix has changed, and he doesn't like it. (When I think of the changes this city has undergone since I moved here in 1976, I understand at least part of Mapstone's pain.) Talton uses this knowledge of the past as well as the here-and-now to excellent effect-- even down to the new sheriff of Maricopa County having won the election with a STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! campaign.
The tension keeps simmering with gang members watching the house, shootouts in parking lots, illegal gun sales, and Mapstone's very uneasy relationship with his wife. Perhaps it was because I knew which Pete's Fish and Chips Mapstone was meeting a bad guy at, or because a suspect lived a few blocks from me, but I almost felt as though I needed eyes in the back of my head as I read this book. I love reading a book that keeps me that involved in the action.
If you live in Phoenix and love crime fiction, you should definitely read this series. Even if you live elsewhere, you should enjoy these well-written books featuring the "History Shamus". How well does this book stand on its own? It stands on its own rather well. There are comments made about events in previous books, but they shouldn't be confusing.... Hopefully they'll make you want to read the rest. The characters in this series grow and change, and I've enjoyed experiencing the changes along with them. Perhaps you will, too.
Changes are staring David Mapstone in the face. His boss was defeated in the recent election, and Mapstone knows he's on the way out, too. He has no clear idea of what he's going to do next. All he does know is that his wife is still on assignment in Washington, DC, and he's not exactly happy that her sister, Robin, is living in the apartment above his garage.
When the history professor Robin is dating is killed and connected to a deadly drug cartel, Mapstone knows that Robin's life is in danger. In order to protect his sister-in-law, he has to turn from history and cold cases to the very real and very current world of smuggling (people, drugs, guns) in Phoenix.
Once again Talton has crafted a gripping mystery with a main character I've grown to care about-- and taught me more Phoenix history along the way. Mapstone is a Phoenix native, raised by his grandparents in an older home in an older neighborhood. He's seen the way Phoenix has changed, and he doesn't like it. (When I think of the changes this city has undergone since I moved here in 1976, I understand at least part of Mapstone's pain.) Talton uses this knowledge of the past as well as the here-and-now to excellent effect-- even down to the new sheriff of Maricopa County having won the election with a STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! campaign.
The tension keeps simmering with gang members watching the house, shootouts in parking lots, illegal gun sales, and Mapstone's very uneasy relationship with his wife. Perhaps it was because I knew which Pete's Fish and Chips Mapstone was meeting a bad guy at, or because a suspect lived a few blocks from me, but I almost felt as though I needed eyes in the back of my head as I read this book. I love reading a book that keeps me that involved in the action.
If you live in Phoenix and love crime fiction, you should definitely read this series. Even if you live elsewhere, you should enjoy these well-written books featuring the "History Shamus". How well does this book stand on its own? It stands on its own rather well. There are comments made about events in previous books, but they shouldn't be confusing.... Hopefully they'll make you want to read the rest. The characters in this series grow and change, and I've enjoyed experiencing the changes along with them. Perhaps you will, too.
November 6, 2010
Got this free as an advanced reader copy.
It’s hot. Gasoline is running in short supply. Tempers are ready to flare. Gangs are at each others’ throats. Foreclosures are rampant. And deputy David Mapstone Maricopa County sheriff’s department historian has been called back into uniform duty due to cutbacks. Mapstone combines his skills as a historian with law enforcement knowledge to solve cold cases.
In this page-turner, Mapstone’s sister-in-law (David’s wife, Lindsay Faith has moved to Washington to take a job with Homeland Security) has been dating a sociologist from NYU, Jax. She’s been living in Mapstone’s garage apartment and one evening receives a package from him. Inside is Jax’s severed head. Mapstone, who was in the process of resigning from the department to return to teaching following his mentor non-re-election for sheriff, soon learns that NYU has no record of Jax and that he may have really been a notorious assassin.
David’s boss, Peralta, warns him he needs to protect Robin from the gangsters who sent the head. Then David notices that Robin is wearing a necklace that has blood on the back. In a confrontation, she admits that the chain, which has two dog-tags attached, bith dating from WW II and belonging to a Nisei soldier, was in the box with the head. Did she scream before or after she took the chain from the box, David wonders. Then it turns out Jax was ATF. David is soon in the midst of a jungle of mistaken identity, murder and mayhem.
Phoenix does not come off well. “[It] was increasingly a freak show. Ted Williams’ head was frozen in Scottsdale, waiting for the day the slugger could be regenerated. Unfortunately some employees decided to use his noggin for batting practice. The richest man in town didn’t support the arts, but he spent money to try cloning his dead dog. A disgraced former governor remade himself as a pastry chef. It was a city where a man left his wife by killing her and his children and then blowing up his suburban house, where a woman cut up her lover and left him in a dumpster.”
Excellent story with a nice blend of history and investigation and a great read.
It’s hot. Gasoline is running in short supply. Tempers are ready to flare. Gangs are at each others’ throats. Foreclosures are rampant. And deputy David Mapstone Maricopa County sheriff’s department historian has been called back into uniform duty due to cutbacks. Mapstone combines his skills as a historian with law enforcement knowledge to solve cold cases.
In this page-turner, Mapstone’s sister-in-law (David’s wife, Lindsay Faith has moved to Washington to take a job with Homeland Security) has been dating a sociologist from NYU, Jax. She’s been living in Mapstone’s garage apartment and one evening receives a package from him. Inside is Jax’s severed head. Mapstone, who was in the process of resigning from the department to return to teaching following his mentor non-re-election for sheriff, soon learns that NYU has no record of Jax and that he may have really been a notorious assassin.
David’s boss, Peralta, warns him he needs to protect Robin from the gangsters who sent the head. Then David notices that Robin is wearing a necklace that has blood on the back. In a confrontation, she admits that the chain, which has two dog-tags attached, bith dating from WW II and belonging to a Nisei soldier, was in the box with the head. Did she scream before or after she took the chain from the box, David wonders. Then it turns out Jax was ATF. David is soon in the midst of a jungle of mistaken identity, murder and mayhem.
Phoenix does not come off well. “[It] was increasingly a freak show. Ted Williams’ head was frozen in Scottsdale, waiting for the day the slugger could be regenerated. Unfortunately some employees decided to use his noggin for batting practice. The richest man in town didn’t support the arts, but he spent money to try cloning his dead dog. A disgraced former governor remade himself as a pastry chef. It was a city where a man left his wife by killing her and his children and then blowing up his suburban house, where a woman cut up her lover and left him in a dumpster.”
Excellent story with a nice blend of history and investigation and a great read.
February 22, 2011
http://mysteriesetc.blogspot.com/2011...
Another winner from Poisoned Pen Press! What an amazing story and I feel so enlightened in regard to the state of modern day Phoenix. South Phoenix Rules presents Phoenix with a brutal realism that expertly depicts the challenges that it faces today. Phoenix is presented as soulless city that has been exploited during the real estate boom. However, now its reality is filled with home repossessions and lost jobs. Talton does an amazing job of capturing the mood of the city. And you can feel his loss as he despairs over what used to be before the carpetbaggers showed up. In a sense it is similar to the loss of old Louisiana that James Lee Burke so eloquently portrays in the Dave Robichaux series.
I love that the main character David Mapstone is a historian with the sheriff's department in Phoenix. What a cool job! He gets to solve cold cases. Love it! David is also suffering a personal loss that is reflected in his dark moods. His wife Lindsey has left town for a job with Homeland Security in D.C. And she has left her sister behind with him. It is the murder of his sister-in-law's boyfriend Jax Delgado that sets the story in motion.
And what a story it is. In many ways the story was torn straight out of the headlines where daily we hear about the "Mexican Drug Wars" and Latino gangs in the Southwest US. And Talton proves time and time again that he knows Phoenix oh so well. I don't want to give too much away so I'll conclude with highly recommending this wonderful Phoenix Noir crime fiction delight!
Another winner from Poisoned Pen Press! What an amazing story and I feel so enlightened in regard to the state of modern day Phoenix. South Phoenix Rules presents Phoenix with a brutal realism that expertly depicts the challenges that it faces today. Phoenix is presented as soulless city that has been exploited during the real estate boom. However, now its reality is filled with home repossessions and lost jobs. Talton does an amazing job of capturing the mood of the city. And you can feel his loss as he despairs over what used to be before the carpetbaggers showed up. In a sense it is similar to the loss of old Louisiana that James Lee Burke so eloquently portrays in the Dave Robichaux series.
I love that the main character David Mapstone is a historian with the sheriff's department in Phoenix. What a cool job! He gets to solve cold cases. Love it! David is also suffering a personal loss that is reflected in his dark moods. His wife Lindsey has left town for a job with Homeland Security in D.C. And she has left her sister behind with him. It is the murder of his sister-in-law's boyfriend Jax Delgado that sets the story in motion.
And what a story it is. In many ways the story was torn straight out of the headlines where daily we hear about the "Mexican Drug Wars" and Latino gangs in the Southwest US. And Talton proves time and time again that he knows Phoenix oh so well. I don't want to give too much away so I'll conclude with highly recommending this wonderful Phoenix Noir crime fiction delight!
February 13, 2017
Dr David Mapstone, historian and once again ex-cop, gets involved with his sister-in-law's life when her lover's head is delivered to her in a box, along with the military dog tags of a Japanese man.
Who killed her lover? Why was he wearing the dog tags of a Nisei veteran? Was he actually a legendary hit man or a visiting professor like he had led her to believe?
What's up with David and his wife Lindsey? Lindsey, who took a job in Washington DC with Homeland Security?
And Peralta. He lost his job in the last election, what will he do with his life? What will happen to the lands that once were lush with life and now are paved over like a Joni Mitchell song?
Who killed her lover? Why was he wearing the dog tags of a Nisei veteran? Was he actually a legendary hit man or a visiting professor like he had led her to believe?
What's up with David and his wife Lindsey? Lindsey, who took a job in Washington DC with Homeland Security?
And Peralta. He lost his job in the last election, what will he do with his life? What will happen to the lands that once were lush with life and now are paved over like a Joni Mitchell song?
April 18, 2016
South Phoenix Rules (Audio CD) by Jon Talton
Wow where do I start? The reader was kind of boring to listen to and all of the characters were unlikable. Now this is my first book by Jon Talton and the first in the David Mapstone series.
1. David "weak dick" Mapstone - a whiny, panicky former cop that can't resist sleeping with his sister-in-law even while crying over his wife, who moved to DC for a job
2. Lindsey - The wife, sleeping her way through DC, being a total bitch and doesn't want anything to do with trying to keep her sister safe and doesn't care until she's killed.
3. Robin - the sister/sister-in-law. Uses the excuse that so many people use to sleep around, cheat and not care what destruction is left in their wake: "I'm a free spirit."
Yes Lindsey and David were having serious problems after she miscarried a baby. Both blame themselves and each other, Robin is also part of the problem. Lindsey insists she live with them, or with David after she moves to DC. David gets lost in thought and memory and self-pity a LOT, to the point where he gets surprised by bad guys all the time.
The actual story was a decent one. But do all the problems with this book drag it down? I think so. I may give this series one more try but I'm not rushing to do it.
Wow where do I start? The reader was kind of boring to listen to and all of the characters were unlikable. Now this is my first book by Jon Talton and the first in the David Mapstone series.
1. David "weak dick" Mapstone - a whiny, panicky former cop that can't resist sleeping with his sister-in-law even while crying over his wife, who moved to DC for a job
2. Lindsey - The wife, sleeping her way through DC, being a total bitch and doesn't want anything to do with trying to keep her sister safe and doesn't care until she's killed.
3. Robin - the sister/sister-in-law. Uses the excuse that so many people use to sleep around, cheat and not care what destruction is left in their wake: "I'm a free spirit."
Yes Lindsey and David were having serious problems after she miscarried a baby. Both blame themselves and each other, Robin is also part of the problem. Lindsey insists she live with them, or with David after she moves to DC. David gets lost in thought and memory and self-pity a LOT, to the point where he gets surprised by bad guys all the time.
The actual story was a decent one. But do all the problems with this book drag it down? I think so. I may give this series one more try but I'm not rushing to do it.
June 19, 2011
South Phoenix Rules... when you're outnumbered and backup can't arrive in time, when you have more assholes than bullets, all you can do is become the crazy Anglo.
David Mapstone ends up involved with the mob and rival drug cartels in this latest adventure. Mapstone also battles his own internal daemons when his wife leaves him after losing their baby to a miscarriage. Then he ends up protecting his sister-in-law Robin when it appears she is somehow involved in the gangland style murder of her boyfriend.
This my second David Mapstone mystery. I didn't think I was going to like this one, it didn't seem to have the stand alone quality that I look for in these "series" books. With that said, I did end up liking this book. The character development was excellent, especially the relationship that
Mapstone developed with his sister-in-law, Robin.
Jon Talton took his time setting the scene and the background for this story and at times, it seemed to lag. But once the action started, the story was exciting and worth the effort.
David Mapstone ends up involved with the mob and rival drug cartels in this latest adventure. Mapstone also battles his own internal daemons when his wife leaves him after losing their baby to a miscarriage. Then he ends up protecting his sister-in-law Robin when it appears she is somehow involved in the gangland style murder of her boyfriend.
This my second David Mapstone mystery. I didn't think I was going to like this one, it didn't seem to have the stand alone quality that I look for in these "series" books. With that said, I did end up liking this book. The character development was excellent, especially the relationship that
Mapstone developed with his sister-in-law, Robin.
Jon Talton took his time setting the scene and the background for this story and at times, it seemed to lag. But once the action started, the story was exciting and worth the effort.
March 30, 2015
I picked this book up at the library book sale for my husband, and then ended up reading it myself, on his recommendation. I enjoyed the way the author wove the history of Phoenix, AZ. into this mystery. He tackled a lot--the mob, the damage done by non-stop development, the former beauty of this once agricultural area, the Japanese internment camps of WWII. There were times I thought he might be biting off a bit too much, but it was what I liked best about the book. What a painless way to learn. The mystery was somewhat complex, very relevant to what has been happening in the Southwest. Sometimes the transitions from a very violent scene, to a more thoughtful one seemed jarring and abrupt...but that is the way the desert is. Within a few minutes, a dry riverbed can flood from the curtains of rain that come down in a desert storm. Good read, interesting main character and a good supporting cast.
November 17, 2015
A good mystery. David Mapstone has lots on his plate. His best friend, the sheriff, just lost his job so Mapstone decides to quite the force also. His wife is in D. C. and they are having problems and his sister-in-law is living with him. She has a package delivered with her boyfriend's head in it and Mapstone goes about trying to find out who killed him and why. He is trying to protect his sister-in-law and fails. He then tries to find her killer. There is a lot going on. The boyfriend was an undercover agent and he also had his own agenda. There is a mobster in witness protection, Mexican drug cartels, drug dealers, gun runners and they are all connected. Plus there is history about old time Phoenix and World War II.
An interesting book. Mapstone confronts some demons within himself, whether he can kill someone out of revenge, etc. and what he is going to do with his future.
An interesting book. Mapstone confronts some demons within himself, whether he can kill someone out of revenge, etc. and what he is going to do with his future.
February 19, 2011
This is one of those books I probably should have stopped reading after fifty pages (per Nancy Pearl), but I foolishly persevered. It's just not my kind of book. Historian and Deputy Sheriff David Mapstone has it all in the summer--but after a jump from the Prologue, by December he's out of work, his wife is working in Washington, and he's living with Robin, the beautiful sister-in-law that he dislikes and distrusts, watching his hometown overtaken by corruption and developers. Then things get really bad, and Mapstone gradually reveals to the reader how he got to this place. There's a fairly high body count, and a lot of philosophizing about what's been lost in today's Phoenix. I knew there was a reason I've been avoiding this series.
April 22, 2014
This is a darker, almost too dark, novel in the Mapstone series, not as enjoyable as the previous ones. Mapstone and Lindsay are 'separated' by work, distance and 'distance,' and yet her sister Robin in living in David's house and trying to seduce him -- theater of the absurd to start and it only gets worse. There is the ongoing, incomprehensible and totally annoying animosity towards Mapstone by police person Kate Vare which runs throughout, and pretty much ruins, the book -- theater of the absurd part 2. Then there is the disjoint way in which the story is told, making it very difficult to follow. Add to this that Mapstone decides to go to the dark side, yeah, like that is going to happen -- theater of the absurd 3.
July 24, 2011
This book is definitely part of a series, and not the place I would start reading. For those who already like the series, it a good but not stellar entry. Mapstone is now out of his Deputy Sheriff's job, and his relationships are going through big changes. He and his estranged wife face emotional turmoil, complicated by the presence of his wife's sister Robin in Mapstone's house and in need of his protection. The plot was a little convoluted, and I didn't get as drawn into the story as in some previous books, but the writing is good and the atmosphere of Phoenix in a down economy is very real and intense.
November 21, 2013
Following the bitterness of Arizona Dreams, this book has David Mapstone becoming a colder, harder person in how he deals with the bad guys. It's getting more noir. It opens with Robin opening a box delivered by FedEx that contains the head of her boyfriend. It appears he was killed by a drug cartel. David tries to figure out how Robin is tied to the guns and drugs running between Phoenix and the Mexican cartels. Personally, the hits to David keep coming but the book ends on a hint of hope and the corruption bashing in Arizona Dreams is a minor thread in this book.
December 14, 2013
This is definitely not a love story for Phoenix. I used to read Jon Talton's columns when he wrote for the AZ republic (and his jabs at it in the book ring true!). This book exposes much of what is wrong with the city and brutally portrays the worst side of us. The sliding of the city parallels the slide of Mapstone, the main character. I have read all the books in the series and this is the toughest to read because of both of these. But it is a good story and worth the read. I only hope the closing comments about making a stand apply to both the person and the city.
April 8, 2011
This is not like pump your fist in the air and scream South Phoenix Rules with exuberant joy. No, this about the "South Phoenix Rules" of how things go down. Drug cartels, police dirty and not so dirty, gangs, Mexico, and relationships in trouble pretty much sum up this book. This is a short easy read, interesting at times, boring and drawn out at others. ( I think I may have even skipped a couple of pages it went on so long...)
October 24, 2013
Good book with lots of twists and turns. Set in modern day Phoenix but Jon Talton provides a lot of interesting Phoenix history. As a Mesa, Arizona resident, I enjoyed the references to local landmarks and locations and recent events but even if you don't live in The Valley of the Sun or have not visited here, you would still find the book entertaining--it's not an "insider's" book. It's a good mystery and well written.
February 6, 2011
This is the sixth book in the David Mapstone Mysteries series. This book is a pretty dark and disturbing picture of Phoenix. It makes me want to move away. I don't recall that feeling from the other books. On the other hand, it is pretty entertaining to read all about the people and places
We know in the valley. There is an especially accurate portrait of the Maricopa County Sheriff.
We know in the valley. There is an especially accurate portrait of the Maricopa County Sheriff.
August 29, 2016
Off the books, on his game
Jon Talton continues to please with this Cop turned professor turned cop again, crossing over the line to get justice. A midlife crisis available only to the class of citizens in education, he finds a substitute for love in the worst place. And like all midlines crisis, the resolution is unglamorous as it is fitting.
Jon Talton continues to please with this Cop turned professor turned cop again, crossing over the line to get justice. A midlife crisis available only to the class of citizens in education, he finds a substitute for love in the worst place. And like all midlines crisis, the resolution is unglamorous as it is fitting.
January 14, 2011
I am not sure why I did not enjoy this book more. I thing the plot was just a little too busy. Too many subplots. The main character seems very conflicted. I enjoy a little bit of humor in even the grimmest of books.
February 7, 2011
After living in Arizona for ten years, it is fun to read books that take place in and around Phoenix. Reminds me of good times in the desert. And, it helps that Talton is a good writer. I would compare him to JA Jance in how he intertwines the city locales with the story.
July 31, 2011
This book was a lot darker than the previous ones in the series.
May 4, 2011
David Mapstone series - action takes place in and around Phoenix AZ. Current setting. Would read another by this author.
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