Jon Talton is back with Mapstone!

Talton throws Mapstone into a dangerous situation that forces him to confront and make peace with his dual natures as a quiet professor and a Rambo-like solver of problems 

— Library Journal 

Gripping...tough but vulnerable Mapstone will keep you hooked — Kirkus

A haunting noir story vividly rendered by Talton's white-hot prose...original...impressively unyielding

— New York Journal of Books

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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 him: 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.

Jon will be at The Poisoned Pen January 15 at 2:00 PM signing South Phoenix Rules. This event will be webcast from the blog . 

Even though Jon left Arizona to for Seattle several years ago, he remains a staff favorite for his novels as well as his journalism and blogging.