WASHED UP

A flash flood slams a mysterious log into a footbridge; rushing water overflows the banks of Yavapai Wash. A high desert shoot-out echoes through the air on the 4th of July. Two friends strike out to seek the scene of the shoot-out. What could possibly go wrong? The shoot-out was over, right? The area had been cleared and was safe to explore, wasn't it? Perhaps, but a seemingly abandoned ranch there really isn't and its artifacts point to the story of a rancher's son missing for decades. Can these intrepid adventurers solve the case?

A summer monsoon flash flood slams a mysterious log into the braces of a footbridge; the rushing water overflows the banks of the Yavapai Wash. A high desert shoot-out echoes through the air on the 4th of July. Two friends take an adventurous walk through the desert to seek out the scene of the shoot-out. What could possibly go wrong? The shoot-out was over, right? The area had been cleared and was safe to explore, wasn't it? Perhaps, but. . . A seemingly abandoned ranch really isn't. A mother's long hidden journals, holding the secrets of a ranch life and the story of a deadly feud over water rights, are discovered during a renovation. The journals reveal a tale of a missing son, never found. Believing the mysterious log and the missing son are linked, the two friends join forces with the abandoned ranch's inhabitant and trusty dog determined to solve both mysteries. In the process, the trio forms a tenuous relationship with the county's seasoned Sheriff; find themselves in several heartwarming interactions with the residents of a small, high desert village with a storied past; and, stumble upon the solution of a long-forgotten, unsolved murder, the answer to which raises even more questions.

This cozy mystery resulted from the collaborative efforts of Patricia Jo (PJ) Dustman and MaryEllen Zeman-Tinsley (ME Tinsley). Professional colleagues for nearly two decades, during that relationship, the two discovered a shared love of language and storytelling. Following their formal retirement and the publication of a volume of narrative poetry, the two began to collaborate to create this Southwest Desert Mystery. Patricia, whose professional background focused primarily on PreK through Grade 12 public education, spent her more than three decades teaching and administering public schools in both Ohio and Arizona. Following her years in public education, she joined a prevention research team at Arizona State University specializing in developing interventions for substance abuse prevention for youth and families.