Praise for Concrete Desert... "Elevated by Talton"s considerable writing skill... [Concrete Desert] is more intelligent and rewarding than most contemporary mysteries." -The Washington Post Having recently lost his job as a history professor, David Mapstone returns to his boyhood home of Phoenix, Arizona, to find the city dramatically changed. It"s now a haven for wealthy retirees and a seasonal retreat for West Coast "sophisticates," but pockets of his earlier life-some welcome, some not-remain. Mapstone eagerly accepts a temporary job from his old friend, Maricopa County Chief Deputy Mike Peralta: look into still-open cases and see if he can close any. He is settling into his new job when his college sweetheart appears at his door one evening. True to his memory of her, she is there because she wants something. Her sister is missing, and she wants Mapstone to look for her. Mapstone"s search for the missing woman is quickly resolved when her body is discovered in the desert, but...