Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed on 12/15/2019 + 1031 more book reviews

I really enjoyed the first one, CONCRETE DESERT. I've had this on my shelf for a while. I kept passing it over because I'm reading a number of different series in order, and I kept thinking I would do the same with this. But I'm realizing that for most of these long-running mystery series, it doesn't matter much, and I don't want to get too compulsive about it. I didn't like this one nearly as much as the first, but it wasn't because I read it out of order.
The main thread is the ever-expanding development of Phoenix. Mapstone comments on how all the places he knew as a kid are now seas of suburban rooftops. He says it again and again and again, so by the middle of the book I'm thinking "enough already, I got the idea". A lot of the writing seems overblown and dramatic. Like every good outsider protagonist, Mapstone ignores department protocol and common sense to take off and investigate on his own, although sometimes he brings his computer-genius wife with him. But in so doing he gets his boss and mentor, the chief of police, really mad at him - there's a lot of that. Then the subplot with the sister-in-law, not sure I believed the ending with that one. I still liked the tour of Phoenix and southern Arizona, I liked the plot involving development and water, and despite the slightly purple prose I like the descriptions of the area. I'm still interested in reading more of them, but the series isn't on top of my list.

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