by Marty Eberhardt (Author)
A gardener digs up an old skeleton in the "back forty" of Shandley Gardens, a public garden in the Sonoran Desert. Volunteer coordinator Bea Rivers discovers that the victim, a man who disappeared in 1969, may be connected to a small town in New Mexico, where he'd made quite a few enemies among amateur archaeologists. There may be some connection with illegal artifacts... and with Shandley Gardens' founders. As Bea is drawn into the investigation, she meets an ever-increasing cast of quirky suspects. What began as an intriguing puzzle becomes considerably more threatening, while Bea negotiates single parenthood, a long-distance relationship, and huge new job responsibilities. She needs to untangle what is happening, for Shandley Gardens and for the safety of her own family.
Author Biography
Marty Eberhardt directed botanical gardens in Tucson and San Diego and spent many years as a nonprofit staff member, board member, and consultant. She now delights in using the right side of her brain to write fiction and poetry. Her first novel in the Bea Rivers series, Death in a Desert Garden, was published in 2021. Marty lives with her husband in the small mountain town of Silver City, New Mexico as well as in Tucson, Arizona, and she enjoys the flora, fauna, and quirky people in both locations.