Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from book stores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Out West Books in Grand Junction recommends three mysteries all set in southwestern Colorado.
Panther Gap
By James A.McLaughlin
Macmillan
$28.99
April 2023
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From the publisher: Siblings Bowman and Summer were raised by their father and two uncles on a remote Colorado ranch. They react differently to his radical teachings and the confusions of adolescence. As young adults, they become estranged but are brought back together in their 30s by the prospect of an illegal and potentially dangerous inheritance from their grandfather. They must ultimately reconcile with each other and their past in order to defeat ruthless criminal forces trying to extort them for the inheritance.
From Marya Johnston, owner: I try not to read many thrillers, as my only reading time is at night and I’m of an age where I value my sleep. This book was highly recommended, though, so I gave in to temptation. Set in the Four Corners area, Edgar award winner McLaughlin’s “Panther Gap” seems a near mythical place: a small valley surrounded by stunningly described mountains, canyons filled with AP (Ancestral Puebloan) ruins, and oh yeah, lots and lots of bad guys. And (as Butch and Sundance would say), “Who are these guys?” Bowman and Summer grapple with this new inheritance and the truth of their legacy as the people who would thwart them pop up everywhere. This book is a page turner for sure and guaranteed to help you lose a few nights’ sleep.
Last Word to the Wise : A Christie Bookshop Mystery
By Ann Claire
Bantam
$17
October 2023
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From the publisher: Sisters Ellie and Meg Christie share a love of books, reading, and their new roles as co-caretakers of the Book Chalet, their family’s historic bookshop tucked midway up a scenic Colorado mountain. But romance? That’s another story. Ellie and Meg joke that they’re in sisterly competition for worst relationships. So when their cousin signs them up for her newest business endeavor—matchmaking based on bookish tastes—the sisters approach their blind double dates with foot-dragging dread.
While Ellie’s date meets her low expectations, Meg’s match, a book-loving romantic straight out of classic literature, charms her over a lovely dinner. The next morning, Meg is giddy with anticipation of a second date—until she’s stood up without a word. She fumes that she should have known better. However, her date had a good reason for ghosting her: He’s dead. Murdered, the police later confirm.
From Didi Herald, bookseller: I fell in love with the Western Slope when I was 17 and adore finding books set here. I picked this up not knowing it was in a series but it’s a good sign when a cozy mystery is enthralling enough to be able to jump right into the second volume. It was fun to follow the clues and to figure out which unnamed ski town and its surroundings is portrayed. It has everything I like in a cozy: engaging characters, challenging mystery, a helpful feline, a quirky community, a bookstore, and even a library.
The Followers
By Bradeigh Godfrey
Blackstone Publishing
$26.99
August 2023
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From the publisher: Molly Sullivan is used to sharing intimate details of her life with millions of followers. A 31-year-old single mom, she has built a career out of fearless posts about parenthood and dating. But when Molly shares a photo of her new fiancé, Scott, she is shocked by his negative reaction. For the sake of their relationship, Molly agrees to remove the post and keep Scott and his 10-year-old daughter out of her social media spotlight.
But it’s too late, someone has already recognized him. Liv Barrett is certain Scott’s the man who killed her sister and disappeared with her infant niece nine years ago. The police don’t believe her, so Liv takes matters into her own hands. After driving cross-country to Molly’s town, Liv uses her social media posts to orchestrate “accidental” meetings, slowly gaining Molly’s trust. Meanwhile, newlywed Molly begins to unpack boxes in her new home and discovers her husband has been lying about his past.
From Didi Herald, bookseller: It’s rare to find even one mystery/thriller set on the Western Slope in a year, so finding more has been awesome. Entertainingly creepy, this thriller eschews grisly violence for the slow burn of figuring out who is the real threat and the deep dark secrets of several of the characters. Scott’s rafting business and how it is run added verisimilitude to the Durango setting. It does a good job of portraying Durango as a town that is in the process of evolving from a regular down-to-earth mountain town to one that has acquired a “romance of the West” veneer.
As part of The Colorado Sun’s literature section — SunLit — we’re featuring staff picks from book stores across the state. Read more.