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Early ARC readers say of Dragon's Revenge: ~~This story is an intriguing mix of history, mystery, romance, and contemporary adventure. It weaves between the present, in which Letty is trying to solve a murder in a library (how classic is that!) and the past, set out in a memoir about a Chinese immigrant in the 1890s. …the charm is in the believable, complex characters, and the evocative Arizona setting. ~~CJ Shane’s books are difficult to put down. The reader is drawn to the characters, story, murder, romance and the history within. ...I felt like I was a participant, it was magical. |
Dragon's Revenge: A Letty Valdez Mystery
Second in the Letty Valdez series (November 2018: When Tucson private detective and Iraq War vet Letty Valdez is hired to investigate a murder, she immediately finds herself targeted by a violent criminal. To find the killer, Letty turns to an old memoir of life in late 19th century Tucson. Clues in in the memoir, with its tale of love between two immigrants - one, an Italian widow, and the other, an exiled Chinese revolutionary - launch Letty on a suspense-filled struggle to find answers, to stop the murderer – and to stay alive! Letty, a Chicana/Native American, has to deal with a mugging, a home invasion and a shootout on the Tohono O’odham Reservation in her attempts to find the criminal who is targeting her. Letty is helped by friends and family, plus a new canine pal, Teddy the Black Lab sniffer dog. Like all Letty Valdez Mysteries, there’s excitement, intrigue and a touch of romance in Dragon’s Revenge. |
For library and bookstore wholesale orders, go to Ingram iPage or order from Rope's End Publishing |
Readers' five-star reviews of Desert Jade:
~~An enjoyable and suspenseful book! Desert Jade is the first Letty Valdez mystery. It's a fast moving and richly textured book set in Tucson, Arizona. I was pulled in immediately by well crafted characters and fine descriptions of the southwest and local culture. ...An international mystery embroiled with the border between Mexico and Arizona and the Chinese underworld. Letty is nobody's fool and with her at the helm I found myself in anticipation of what happens next. I enjoyed the addition of a lifesaving rescue dog named Millie and a bit of romance thrown in. A wonderful first Letty Valdez mystery. |
Desert Jade: A Letty Valdez Mystery (November 2017)
Tucson private investigator and Iraq War vet Letty Valdez joins forces with an unlikely ally, Chinese police Detective Inspector Zhou LiangWei who has been sent to Arizona on the advice of Interpol to track the activities of Hong Kong Triad gangsters. In this fast-paced suspense thriller, the two work together to stop the murderous Triad smugglers, and at the same time, find and rescue three abducted young women. Mystery + suspense + a touch of romance = a page-turner set in the Sonoran Desert! 
Desert Jade: A Letty Valdez Mystery was named a 2018 finalist for
Best Thriller-Suspense, New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards |
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Just Published
Daemon Waters: A Letty Valdez Mystery August 2019 
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Passage from chapter 7 of Daemon Waters:
Letty watched Anselm closely. He was quiet now, lost in his own thoughts. He seemed very sincere. He was convinced his friend had been murdered, and he wanted justice. Also he clearly wanted to protect the natural resources of Agua Caliente Park. “Do you know the word ‘daemon’,” he asked suddenly. “Doesn’t that have something to do with software? I don’t know exactly.” “Yes, that meaning refers to a kind of software program. Unix has a bunch of daemons.” Letty had no idea what Unix might be so she just nodded. “But I’m referring to an older, lesser-known meaning. Usually people think first of ‘demon’ which is one meaning. But it also refers to a special kind of supernatural being somewhere between human and godlike. I often think of water in the desert as a daemon. We humans run around as if we were in control of things, but we’re not. In fact, if the water dries up in the Sonoran Desert, we’ll all be forced to move somewhere else. I went once to visit the Atacama Desert in South America. It’s between the Andes and the Pacific, and only gets about half an inch of rain a year. There are very few people living there, and they are mostly in fishing villages along the coast.” Letty’s eyebrows went up. “Half an inch? That’s not much rain!” Anselm nodded. “You can understand why ancient cultures gave offerings to rain gods asking for enough water, or not too much in other places. That’s why it’s easy to think of water as a daemon. Water literally means life. My friend Edward knew this.” “I spent my early childhood on the Tohono O’odham Reservation. It’s drier out there than the Tucson area. I learned early to respect water.” “So do you think you can take this on?” |
