Trails of Deception

Protesters in downtown Moab are demonstrating against pothunters who defile ancient-Indian graves in search of valuable artifacts. A manifesto threatening stronger action in retaliation for the pothunting is received by the local newspaper. Soon thereafter, a San Francisco artifact collector is found murdered in a remote part of the LaSal Mountains. In his backpack is a freshly-dug ancient-Indian pot. Subsequent acts of lawless defiance emphasize the serious nature of the protest. As the violence escalates, Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera risks his life to unravel a complex weave of greed and death that threatens to plunge tranquil Grand County into a war zone. Clues are scarce, and Rivera's well-honed sense of logic is severely tested.

RICH CURTIN is the author of the popular Manny Rivera Mystery Series. He has spent many enjoyable days and nights hiking, jeeping, rafting, and camping out in the backcountry of the Four Corners area. He is intimately familiar with the canyon country about which he writes, and has been an Amazon Kindle Top 100 Author. He is a retired Executive Vice President of Southwest Research Institute.