Scalping the Red Rocks -- A Derek Mason Mystery

by Greg Lilly

Overview

Something's askew in the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. The town's inhabitants are divided by urban growth. Some entrepreneurs try to make a quick buck by selling out the very aspect of the town that drew them: the awe-inspiring views and natural beauty. Spirited, passionate, and a bit mettlesome, Derek Mason helps his aunt Ruby find her place in the New Age haven, but instead they discover her real estate agent scalped in an empty condo. The crafty real estate agent had intended to sell off part of the pristine landscape, to scalp the land to the highest bidder, but someone scalped him first. Derek meets Myra and Topher, best friends with a shared secret from Devil's Bridge; Kimbo Blue, a former child star from Hollywood with a eunuch-ness that defies his adult persona; Clarity Received, the New Age girlfriend of the victim; and Tricia, the diva ex-wife. Along with a troupe of paranoid art gallery owners, gossipy sales clerks, sexy day workers, and a Jeep-driving Yavapai-Apache, the quirky characters of the resort town hamper Derek's attempts to expose the killer. Small town secrets, shady deals, and serial arsonists threaten to throw Derek off the trail. The destructive power of greed materializes in the idyllic setting, and Derek struggles to keep his sense of self-value over the immediate gratification of self-indulgence. Temptation from his past jeopardizes his future, unless he can tame his libido and focus. Or will he lose his head too?

Product Details

BN ID:	2940011817847
Publisher:	Cherokee McGhee
Publication date:	10/07/2010
Series:	Derek Mason Mysteries , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	222
File size:	732 KB

About the Author

Greg Lilly grew up in Bristol, Virginia then lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. The rich storytelling tradition of the South captivated him and he began writing. He first turned to creating short stories after plot lines and characters emerged from the technical manuals he wrote for a large family-owned corporation. His first novel, Fingering the Family Jewels – a Derek Mason Mystery, grew from those Charlotte experiences. To escape the city and find a slower pace, he relocated to Sedona, Arizona for several years. During that time, his novels Devil's Bridge and Under a Copper Moon chronicled adventures of the high desert—present and past. Scalping the Red Rocks is the next novel in the Derek Mason Mystery series and unites the Derek Mason characters with the lead characters of Devil's Bridge. Greg is a freelance writer, magazine editor, and former Arts & Culture commissioner for the City of Sedona, Arizona. Today, he writes and lives in the tidewater area of Virginia.

Editorial Reviews

"SCALPING THE RED ROCKS is an exciting, well-written page-turner of a mystery, which will keep you guessing as you slowly learn more about each of its colorful, complex characters...I'll kick the red dust off my boots, and give this five full stars out of five!"

Bob Lind

"Greg Lilly gives us some unforgettable characters and his ability to create them is amazing. The residents of Sedona are the kind of people you will never forget."

Amos Lassen

"Though the novel conveys a vivid sense of place, its chief characters thus are largely outsiders feeling their way in a culture that appears familiar but is actually alien to them. The novel is crisply plotted. I especially admire how the author uses red herrings in ingenious ways."

Drewey Wayne Gunn