Scratchgravel Road: A Mystery (Josie Gray Mysteries)
Mother Nature can be nearly as dangerous as Mexican drug cartels in the small border town of Artemis, Texas. Police Chief Josie Gray must contend with the heatstroke potential of the desert sun as well as flooding and mudslides caused by torrential rains as she hunts for the murderer of a man found with horrible open sores on his arms. The condition of the body raises questions for the coroner and the three-member Artemis police department, particularly when the victim is identified as working for a company cleaning up the nearby former nuclear weapons plant. Meanwhile, Josie risks her life by crossing the border illegally to retrieve the rebellious teenage daughter of one of her officers. This sequel to Fields’ award-winning debut, The Territory (2011), an adrenaline-fueled account of warring drug cartels, is lower in energy than its predecessor, but it’s still a solid crime novel, noteworthy for the delineation of the west Texas desert country and the well-drawn cast of characters; Josie Gray is a protagonist worth following. --Michele Leber