Michael Norman (1)

Third generation Kanab residents Rolly and Abigail Rogers come from a long line of dedicated pot hunters who scour the desert southwest in search of valuable antiquities. When the Utah couple fails to return from a weekend "Skeleton Picnic, "(pot hunting trip)along the desolate Arizona Strip, local Sheriff Charley Sutter turns to BLM Law Enforcement Ranger J.D. Books for help. When Books searches the missing couple's home for clues about their disappearance, he discovers the house has been burglarized and a valuable collection of ancient Anasazi and Fremont Indian antiquities stolen. Soon a search and rescue operation finds the Rogers' truck and trailer at an abandoned campsite near an ancient Anasazi ruin that has been recently excavated. Footprints and other evidence lead Books to conclude that the couple may have been overpowered by a small group of unknown assailants. Sheriff Sutter assigns an attractive young deputy, Beth Tanner, to investigate the burglary of the Rogers' home under the watchful eye of Books. Together they track some of the stolen property to a pawn shop in St. George, and ultimately to a young Navajo man with a criminal record.

Location: Street: 4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW City: Albuquerque, Province: New Mexico Postal Code: 87107-3157 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

Tuesday, May 22, 7 p.m.

Local mystery author Michael Norman will read from and sign the second book in his J.D. Books series, Skeleton Picnic. He'll also present an overview of the research he did in order to write Skeleton Picnic, about the the illicit artifacts trade.

Norman lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Diane. He is the author of The Commission, Silent Witness, and On Deadly Ground. del.icio.us Facebook Google StumbleUpon Twitter Yahoo

Location: Street: 1511 South 1500 East City: Salt Lake City, Province: Utah Postal Code: 84105 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)

A former policeman who later received his doctorate in Criminal Justice and worked as a Professor of Criminal Justice for twenty-five years, Michael Norman decided, after years of academic writing, to try his hand at mystery writing. His debut mystery, The Commission, which Kirkus called "a refreshing throwback to the lean, straight-ahead police procedurals of the Dragnet era,” was chosen as one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2007. Skeleton Picnic is his latest mystery Third generation Kanab, Utah, residents Rolly and Abigail Rogers come from a long line of dedicated pot hunters who scour the desert southwest in search of valuable artifacts. When the couple fails to return from a weekend “Skeleton Picnic” along the desolate Arizona Strip, local Sheriff Charley Sutter turns to Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement Ranger J.D. Books for help. Searching for clues, Books discovers the couple’s home has been broken into and their valuable antiquities collection stolen. Then the Rogers’ truck and trailer are found at an abandoned campsite near a recently excavated Anasazi ruin. Footprints and other evidence suggest that the couple may have been overpowered by an assailant. Soon it becomes clear that the Rogers’ disappearance may not be an isolated incident: law enforcement authorities in the area have identified several unsolved missing person’s cases involving pot hunters who have gone missing under similar circumstances. Books, along with Sheriff Sutter’s attractive young deputy, Beth Tanner, investigate. Soon, Books’ own survival skills are tested. The hunter becomes the hunted—and only one person gets to go home alive. Michael Norman is a Professor Emeritus from Weber State University in Utah. He served as a faculty member in the Department of Criminal Justice for nearly 25 years. Prior to his career in higher education, he was a police officer in the States of Washington and Colorado. Upon his retirement from the university, Norman began to write crime fiction fulltime. Skeleton Picnic is his fourth novel and the second featuring Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Law Enforcement Ranger J.D. Books . His other novels include On Deadly Ground, Silent Witness, and his debut mystery, The Commission, which was named a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2007. Norman currently divides his time between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Star Valley Ranch, Wyoming, with his spouse Diane, and their two rescue pit bulls. To learn more about Michael and his books, please visit his website at:
Location">www.michaelnormanauthor.com

Location: Street: Maria's Bookshop Additional: 960 Main Ave City: Durango, Province: Colorado Postal Code: 81301-5122 Country: United States (added from IndieBound)… (more)