Manny Rivera Series by Rich Curtin

Events which took place in 1938 lead to the present-day killing of a ranch hand in the remote canyon country near Moab, Utah, a mecca for outdoor adventure seekers. The only clue besides a 9-mm slug in the victim's head is an ancient-Indian potsherd stuck into his chest. Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera is assigned the case and judges that it's likely related to a drug deal gone bad... moreEvents which took place in 1938 lead to the present-day killing of a ranch hand in the remote canyon country near Moab, Utah, a mecca for outdoor adventure seekers. The only clue besides a 9-mm slug in the victim's head is an ancient-Indian potsherd stuck into his chest. Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera is assigned the case and judges that it's likely related to a drug deal gone bad. But he's actually up against an intelligent and cunning adversary driven by greed who's discovered a long-forgotten cave containing a collection of rare museum-quality Indian artifacts. Local politicians and merchants are exerting strong pressure on the sheriff for a quick resolution to the case as the killing is threatening to disrupt the upcoming tourist season, Moab's sole source of economic activity. After all, who would want to explore the backcountry with a killer on the loose out there? In pursuit of the villain, Rivera takes the reader on a journey involving an unscrupulous artifact dealer, a fortune in ancient-Indian pots, a university laboratory, a home for the elderly, a ranch with an important secret, and a man who deeply regrets a decision he made. In the end, Rivera faces a moral crisis: Should he enforce the law or serve the cause of justice? And a woman learns the answer to a question that's been haunting her for seventy years. The story provides the reader with a tightly-woven plot, a strong sense of place, and an entertaining cast of characters. For readers already familiar with southeast Utah, vivid landscape descriptions will give them a sense of re-entering the land of high-desert canyons, mesas, mountains, and rivers. less

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... moreProtesters 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. Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera is assigned the job of tracking down the cold-blooded killer. His investigation takes him to a scientific research center, the home of a curandera, a charitable hospice, and a remote part of Utah called the Big Triangle. The series of crimes threatens to derail Moab's tourist economy, so Rivera is under pressure to solve the case quickly. But clues are sparse and Rivera's well-honed sense of logic is severely tested. less

A backcountry commune, consisting of cave-like dwellings hollowed out of an immense sandstone formation in the remote high-desert landscape west of Moab, becomes the focal point of a murder case. A nineteen year old girl named Sunshine, a member of the small community, mysteriously disappears one evening. She was last seen hiking from her residence into an oncoming September thunderstorm. Orin, the leader of the commune, organizes a small search party the next morning to look for her... moreA backcountry commune, consisting of cave-like dwellings hollowed out of an immense sandstone formation in the remote high-desert landscape west of Moab, becomes the focal point of a murder case. A nineteen year old girl named Sunshine, a member of the small community, mysteriously disappears one evening. She was last seen hiking from her residence into an oncoming September thunderstorm. Orin, the leader of the commune, organizes a small search party the next morning to look for her. They discover Sunshine about a mile from the commune, dead by strangulation. Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera arrives at the crime scene and begins his investigation. He looks around at the vast empty terrain, wondering why anyone would kill a seemingly innocent young lady out in the middle of nowhere. The other residents of the commune, an unusual collection of drop-outs from society, are all potential suspects. Rivera's pursuit of the killer introduces the reader to the commune and its bizarre history, a strange backcountry hermit who lives in a camper-top pickup truck, and a picturesque ranch overlooking Labyrinth Canyon owned by a wealthy well-connected third-generation rancher. Rivera receives assistance in his investigation from Amy Rousseau, PhD, an attractive botanist who is quickly becoming his love interest. Rivera conducts his investigation while dealing with problems caused by his inexperienced new boss, Sheriff Denny Campbell. In the end, the deputy's own life is endangered as he gets closer to understanding the motive for Sunshine's murder. less