I’m delighted to report that The Arizona Triangle, the first in a new detective series, is a juicy, propulsive mystery that explores urban and rural Arizona’s darkest corners. . . . Jo is a terrific character—up to her ears in trouble, no doubt, but her complexities set her up wonderfully for future installments.” — New York Times Book Review
“ Accomplished . . . . Graves’s dazzling prose and well-drawn heroine make this well worth seeking out.” — Publishers Weekly
“This desert noir features complex characters trapped in an ugly, emotional past. The vivid details and beauty of the Arizona landscape are in sharp contrast to the repellent secrets of a killer.” — Library Journal
“This is a propulsive, taut and occasionally anxiety-provoking read, with evocative Arizona desert environs. . . . The Arizona Triangle may have provided Christensen with a break from her novel, but Sydney Graves brings the author’s same perspicacity and wit to this whodunit.” — Sante Fe Reporter
“Fans of action-packed mysteries with strong female detectives, like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, will enjoy this series starter.” — Booklist
“The Arizona Triangle [is] full of crisp, snappy dialogue and perceptive psychological profiles.” — Albuquerque Journal
"[The Arizona Triangle] becomes an elaborate description of the beauty of Arizona’s geography, climate and wildlife, with a complex mystery involving multiple deaths woven within. For anyone interested in Arizona’s beauty and mysteries, this is a fun read." — The Paris Insider
"Jo is a terrific heroine, and Sydney Graves knows how to write a taut thriller that delves deep into questions of identity and the underbelly of the every day, even as it explores the long-lasting impact of the past." — Criminal Element
"The Arizona Triangle reminds me why I love mysteries. Christenson's book sneaks up on you; what starts as an ordinary little mystery slowly turns into a deep look into family and connection in the desert southwest. Read The Arizona Triangle in the desert if you can; this book brings the beautiful strangeness of Arizona to life." — Sara Gran, author of the Claire DeWitt books
"The Arizona Triangle is a taut, propulsive, and darkly funny modern noir. And Jo Bailen, the complex protagonist of this twisted Arizona whodunit, is a welcome addition to the pantheon of sleuths with big appetites and bulldog instincts. Gritty entertainment at its best." — Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of A Talent for Murder
“Oh, goody goody! A new mystery series, with a smart, complicated sleuth, great writing, and a can’t-guess-the-killer plot. What’s not to love?” — Monica Wood, author of How to Read a Book, The One-in-a-Million Boy, and When We Were the Kennedys
"Sydney Graves has crafted a gorgeously written southwestern noir that straddles the line between literary and genre in a landscape whose spaciousness and light contrast sharply with the darkness of crime and the treacherous terrain of personal history. Graves has caught beautifully the complex textures and woodsmoke tang of Tucson and the rich high desert environment, and gone beyond that to create characters and a community as particular and elemental as a great western. And her protagonist, Jo Bailen, is as distinctly wrought and shaped as a Sahuaro cactus. I loved her and this story." — Peter Nichols, author of Granite Harbor and The Rocks
"A queer PI in an all-female detective agency housed in a sorry part of Tucson—for starters. Then there are the horrifyingly grotesque actions of a tortured soul. But who? A suspenseful thriller that’ll keep you guessing till the very end." — Stella Sands, author of Wordhunter, Baby-Faced Butchers, and The Dating Game Killer
“Terrific . . . I found this book irresistible from the opening page and stayed up late to finish it. . . . . the setting is something that Tony Hillerman could conjure up, and Jo is a wonderful addition to the ranks of great American female PIs (or any PIs, really). I await her return.” — The Globe and Mail
09/01/2024
In this series starter from Graves (a.k.a. Welcome Home, Stranger author Kate Christensen), ecological despoilment and emotional trauma are entangled in a case that leads back to teen secrets. Jo Bailen works for an all-women private detective agency based in Tucson, AZ. She's just finishing a case when her boss sends her back into her own past: Delphi, where Laura Gold is afraid for her missing daughter, Rose Delaney. Rose and Jo were childhood best friends, but they've been estranged since age 14. Laura believes that only Jo can find Rose, who's been gone for two days. Jo follows the police to the site where Rose's body has been found hanging from a tree, and police officer Tyler Bridgewater is vomiting. It was Rose, Jo, and Tyler's triangular relationship that caused their teen trauma and estrangement. Now, 26 years later, Tyler's involvement in investigating Rose's death raises Jo's suspicions. She thinks Rose tried to prevent a land scam that affected a local artists' community, which might have led to her murder. VERDICT This desert noir features complex characters trapped in an ugly, emotional past. The vivid details and beauty of the Arizona landscape are in sharp contrast to the repellent secrets of a killer.—Lesa Holstine
