PI Lena Jones learns that old sins never die; they’re still taking lives.
When PI Lena Jones’ partner, Pima Indian Jimmy Sisiwan, is arrested in the remote town of Walapai Flats in northern Arizona, Lena closes the Desert Investigations office and rushes to his aid. What she finds is a town up in arms over a new uranium mine located only ten miles from the magnificent Grand Canyon. Jimmy’s sister-in-law, founder of Victims of Uranium Mining, has been murdered, but the opposing side has taken hits, too. Ike Donohue, the mine’s public relations man, is found shot to death, which casts suspicion on Jimmy and his entire family.
During her investigation, Lena finds not only a community decimated by dangerous mining practices but also a connection to actor John Wayne and the mysterious deaths resulting from the 1953 filming of The Conqueror. Gabe Boone, a wrangler on that doomed film, is still alive, but the only person the aged man will confide in is John Wayne’s ghost. It’s up to Lena to penetrate Gabe’s defenses and uncover the decades-old tragedy that no one in Walapai Flats wants to talk about. By delving into the area’s history, Lena discovers the reason that high-ranking government officials want those crimes to remain under wraps.
Desert Wind, like the others in Betty Webb’s Lena Jones mystery series, is based on the facts of true-crime cases.
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"As always, good crime story featuring PI Lena Jones, this time about the shockingly dire results of nuclear testing and uranium mining in the Southwest -- and the government coverups."
— Ellyn (4 out of 5 stars)
“Webb pulls no punches in exploring another human rights issue in her excellent seventh mystery starring Arizona PI Lena Jones.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Webb’s compelling exposé of the damage done to nuclear fallout victims (known as downwinders), accompanied by research notes and bibliography, makes for fascinating reading.”
— Library Journal" This is a tough review to write, the mystery part was okay, however; reading the "Author's Note" at the end of the book was mind sobering. Did not realize how much our country had & continues to be affected by the nuclear bomb tests. "
— Mary, 12/22/2012" I love books where I learn things. With the research that Betty does with her books, I always do. Good characters, good settings. "
— Sue, 8/25/2012" This is a "who-done-it" that has stayed with me. Webb uses a familiar genre to get us thinking about a period of time and its effects than I knew little about. A surprise of a book. "
— Mary, 4/20/2012" In each of Betty's books I've learned something about the topic and this book is no different. The research Betty put into it is obvious. "
— Christina, 3/27/2012Betty Webb worked as a journalist and often bases her mystery novels on stories she covered as a reporter. Currently a creative writing teacher at Phoenix College, she is a member of the National Federation of Press Women, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Society of Southwestern Authors.
Marguerite Gavin is a seasoned theater veteran, a five-time nominee for the prestigious Audie Award, and the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones and Publishers Weekly awards. She has been an actor, director, and audiobook narrator for her entire professional career. With over four hundred titles to her credit, her narration spans nearly every genre, from nonfiction to mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, and children’s fiction. AudioFile magazine says, “Marguerite Gavin…has a sonorous voice, rich and full of emotion.”