The Big Gamble (Kevin Kerney)

Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney never solved the disappearance of Anna Maria Montoya 11 years ago. Then her remains are discovered in the ruins of an abandoned fruit stand in Lincoln County, along with the charred corpse of John Humphrey, whose killer set the fire that revealed Montoya's final resting place. The deputy sheriff investigating Humphrey's murder is Clayton Istee, the estranged son Kerney only recently learned he had. Meanwhile Kerney investigates Montoya's possible ties to a modeling agency that may be a front for a prostitution ring catering to VIPs, Istee focuses on the connection between his murder victim and an illegal gambling operation in rural southern New Mexico. By the time the author ties the parallel but seemingly unrelated investigations together in this intricately plotted thriller, the two lawmen--father and son--have begun to develop a personal as well as a professional relationship, which will likely flower in future outings in this popular series. --Jane Adams