Customer Reviews

Arizona Dreams (David Mapstone)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like many of the finest examples of noir, Talton's novel has a firm sense of locale: in this case, Phoenix, Ariziona. Talton, like his narrator, grew up in Phoenix, and like his narrator, he returned from elsewhere to reconnect with his roots. One of the characters in Arizona Dreams (someone who did not grow up in Phoenix) repeats the often-heard cliche that Phoenix has no stories to tell (this in implicit contrast to all of the lore--so much of it Hollywood and tourist industry bunk--that Arizona presumably has to tell). But Talton and his narrator know better, and some of the most important stories to tell about Phoenix (and other sunbelt cities) concern the crime, corruption, and multifaceted chicanery that are integral parts in the engine driving the phenomenal growth of the area in the past fifty years. The Chamber of Commerce and its allies (which include the real estate and construction industries at the very least) never tell the stories relating to the human and environmental cost of such growth, but this is the story Talton's excellent novels have to tell. Working with the novelistic device of a cold-case investigator and murder as the the most dramatic face of that human cost, Talton, with a fine sense of narrative irony, tells the stories so many of the Sun Belt residents do not want to hear in their pretense that there are no stories to tell. One added note of interest: Talton is a business editorial writer for the Arizona Republic, and one of the great delights of his four novels lies in perceiving the links between his newspaper columns and his detective novels.

This is Jon Talton's fourth book of the David Mapstone Mystery collection that I now have.

I was NOT disappointed with this newly released mystery with the "History Shamus", Deputy David Mapstone.

A very interesting, enjoyable read with twists and turns til the final surprise ending.

Concrete Desert, Camelback Falls, Dry Heat, and now Arizona Dreams. All were great reads.

I cannot wait for the next in this series.

"Even-numbered Mapstones don't suck" seems to be the pattern developing with Jon Talton's series. I found the first Mapstone disappointing, the second one quite an improvement, and the third one so-so. But now Talton has hit his stride and produced a thriller that really thrills, and a plot that holds together right up to the climax, tying together the loose ends without those "And now, Mr. Bond, before I kill you, I will explain my whole master plan" set-pieces that spoiled some of the previous novels.

Talton is also getting better at breathing life into his characters. Lindsay in particular becomes much more interesting, with revelations about her family and her past that David Mapstone had no inkling of. Sheriff Peralta puts in an appearance, but instead of being the ever-present father figure, he becomes less sympathetic and an impediment to Mapstone's investigation - which makes for a more interesting story.

What I really like is that Talton delves more deeply into Phoenix's real-estate-driven and Enron-like economy which is based on lies and denial - the idea that there will always be an infinite supply of cheap real estate and free water, and an endless stream of unskilled workers coming here to happily work minimum-wage McJobs to keep the whole house of cards going. Thanks to the extreme fringe-right politicians who keep getting elected here (the Tom Earley character strikes me as a spot-on depiction of notorious bloviator JD Hayworth), "planning" is a dirty word synonymous with socialism and totalitarianism. And so Phoenix stumbles into the future with no clue how to handle its explosive growth, no political will to make hard but necessary decisions. It's a perfect breeding ground for criminals and scam artists like the ones portrayed in this book.

I haven't read the fifth Mapstone yet, but I hope Talton hasn't rested on his laurels but is continuing to do what this novel does: in the entertaining guise of a detective thriller, hold up a mirror to contemporary Phoenix.

This is Jon Talton's best yet. His mystery writing credentials are established, and women have always liked his books. With "Arizona Dreams," he uses his knack for intellectual narrative and noir dialogue to introduce a surprising twist about Lindsey's life before she married the history shamus. That thread gives the book an emotional depth that leaves you eager for the next installment.

This is the third Jon Talton novel I've enjoyed. Mr. Talton weaves seemingly unrelated events into an interesting plot with a surprise ending. That being said, there were far too many dead bodies and the hero, David Mapstone, is attacked relentlessly. L.D. Bergsgaard, author of While Others Sleep and Next Year in Jerusalem.

I used to live in the Phoenix area so always enjoy mysteries set in that area. Also had the chance to meet Jon Talton when I lived in AZ and he was working for the AZ Republic. Mr. Talton came to speak to one of the womens groups I belonged to. He brought along his first book for us ladies to purchase and also have autographed. I have enjoyed all novels I have read by Mr. Talton and I recommend them to others.

...get back. The plot wanders aimlessly and has holes you could drive a truck through, but it doesn't matter much because the characters are so shallow you don't much care what happens to them. The writing is turgid where it's not pretentious: "'I'm here for the lifestyle,' he said, dabbing hot sauce on his food like an inattentive priest sprinkling holy water." (At a nightspot) "Everyone was dressed in black, which gave me hope Phoenix might be a city someday." I'm not particularly picky when it comes to mysteries, but Talton fails to live up even to my low standards. Won't be reading any more by this author.

This author and his series are outstanding. Living in AZ I can picture all the places he refers to.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (7/06)

Dr. David Mapstone, a Deputy, previously was a history professor and his main purpose now was to write a history book for the Sheriff's department. A former student, Dana, showed up at his office with a letter that her deceased father left with a confessional of a murder he committed 40 years earlier and the location of the grave in the dessert. Because his work didn't involve investigations he suggested the case be turned over to an active Deputy, however, the student insisted that Mapstone conduct the investigation himself.

The plot thickens with twists and turns when he and his wife Lindsey, who is also a Deputy, are called by a neighbor to a murder in their neighborhood. While at the murder scene Lindsey spots her half-sister Robin, whom she hasn't seen for many years, in the crowd. Suspicions arise as to why she is at the scene.

During the investigation as a result of the letter given to Mapstone by Dana, it is found that the body in the grave was not buried there 40 years ago, but as recent as two weeks. When Mapstone attempts to find Dana, she is nowhere to be found. Suspicions arise as to the validity of the letter as well as who Dana really is. Finally, when she is found, it ends up that she is the wife of a politician that has a grudge against the Sheriff, Mapstone's boss.

From there the plot thickens even more so, with every chapter being an unpredictable chain of events that occur. More bodies are found, Dana appears and disappears, Mapstone, and his wife Lindsey gets more involved against the direction of the Sheriff, and ultimately the investigation leads to a corrupt real-estate development called `Arizona Dreams."

Jon Talton's expert writing skills keep the reader turning pages. There is no indication or hint of what will happen next, even if it looks predictable, it's not what you would expect the events to be. And, the ending is certainly not one that the reader would anticipate or even figure out in advance. Is this a good read? Yes, definitely!

Received book free of charge

Jon Talton's latest David Mapstone mystery probes the fraudulent practices often seen in Arizona real estate development, adding a corrupt county supervisor to the mix. That Mapstone is the sheriff's historian is apropos, as Talton is himself a considerable expert on Arizona history. This offering adds a previously unknown sister-in-law to Mapstone's life, and also causes him more than a few problems, during her stay with David and Lindsey. The sheriff, unconvinced, or unwilling to believe the corruption connection give Mapstone a deadline to come up with the evidence, and in the process of doing so, he and Lindsey find themselves facing heat much greater than that provided by the Phoenix summer. Two ice pick slayings, a body in a barrel, and a savagely murdered innocent youth keep the reader turning pages until Mapstone puts all the pieces together. This is a good read for mystery lovers, especially anyone familiar with Phoenix and vicinity.