Book Review: Dry Heat

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Dry Heat     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Jon Talton
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Government Agency   FBI   Police Procedural
Series: David Mapstone # 3
St. Martin's, Oct 2004, $22.95, 213 pp.

Having a homeless person die is no big deal anywhere in this country. However, having a homeless person die with an FBI’s badge sewn into his pocket raises eyebrows. When that badge found on the John Doe belonged to Agent John Pilgrim murdered in 1948, nothing makes sense.

The FBI asks Maricopa County, Arizona Deputy s David Mapstone to help on the case because he brings a unique perspective to an investigation. A former San Diego State University Professor of History, David looks at clues from the viewpoint of a historian sifting through information. The Feds believe that point of view might explain how a badge lost over fifty years ago surfaced on a dead; ironically the FBI fails to cooperate when it comes to providing full information on the long dead agent. However David has other concerns involving his wife Lindsey; a computer whiz, she several others cracked a case involving the Russian mafia; now three members of her team have been assassinated. As the Mapstones struggle to stay alive, the professor begins solving the current spin of the cold case homicide.

The third “History Shamus” tale is an intriguing mystery especially when David works the cold case with little cooperation from the FBI, who wants to restrict his investigation to how the homeless person got the badge. His work also puts him in professional conflict with the Cold Case Squad. The sidebar involving his spouse adds suspense and ultimately ties back to the prime theme, but can be distracting until the reader sees the links. DRY HEAT is a terrific entry in a fine unique police procedural (see CAMELBACK FALLS and CONCRETE DESERT for the previous novels).

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner