Mysteries and Legends of Arizona explores unusual phenomena, strange events, and mysteries in Arizona’s history. Each episode included in the book is a story unto itself, and the tone and style of the book is lively and easy to read for a general audience interested in Arizona history.

Are inscriptions on lead crosses found on the banks of the Santa Cruz River remnants of Freemasons or a hoax? How did famous evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson arrive in Douglas weeks after she went missing in Los Angeles and was presumed dead? Did the Lost Dutchman's treasure spell the end for Adolph Ruth, whose skull was found nearly a mile away from his body in the Superstition Mountains? Author Jane Eppinga details thirteen stories of disappearances, murders and unsolved cases from the annals of Arizona history.

Picacho Peak Mystery follows the adventures of Johnny Blue, a retired engineer working as a security guard for the Central Arizona Project canal. The quiet widower's search for solitude in the desert is interrupted by his obsession with a young couple he finds dead at the bottom of the famous southern Arizona landmark. As he investigates the deaths and the nearby trail of mysterious blue crystals, he unwittingly becomes involved in disputes between land developers, farmers, environmentalists, militia groups and illegal border crossers.

The massacre at Wickenburg was one of the most notorious crimes committed in the Wild West--a story revealed in this book through a criminal investigation. November 5, 1871. A westbound stagecoach carrying seven men and one woman left Wickenburg in the early morning hours. At 8:00 a.m., six of the passengers were shot dead. One man and the lone woman, severely wounded, escaped into the desert. Debates raged over the identity of the murderous ambushers -- Indians? Mexican bandits? The two survivors? After a massive investigation, the U.S. Army concluded that a band of local Yavapai Indians were responsible, which led to a policy of "removal and concentration" that altered the fate of nearly every Indian in America's Southwest. Wilson, a longtime law enforcement officer who has spent decades researching 19th century crimes, presents the first book about this notorious crime and its resulting fallout. This is an intriguing look into the past, and a riveting story that reads like a mystery novel. R. Michael Wilson has served as a consultant for "The History Channel" about crimes of the Old West and the author of several books, including Great Train Robberies of the Old West. He lives in Las Vegas.

Having recently lost his job as a history professor, David Mapstone returns to his boyhood home of Phoenix, Arizona, to find the city dramatically changed. It's now a haven for wealthy retirees and a seasonal retreat for West Coast ''sophisticates.'' But pockets of his earlier life - some welcome, some not - remain. Mapstone eagerly accepts a temporary job from his old friend and Maricopa County Chief Deputy Mike Peralta: Look into still-open cases and see if he can close any. He is beginning to settle into his new job when his college sweetheart appears at his door one evening. True to his memory of her, she is there because she wants something. Her sister is missing and she wants Mapstone to look for her. Mapstone's search for the missing woman is quickly resolved when her body is discovered in the desert, but he is stunned to find the dead sister in circumstances identical to a sensational 40-year-old unsolved murder. Mapstone's dogged investigation of both murders bridges the chasm of clashing cultures, meshing his own long-ago memories with the tangled doings of newcomers and their acolytes, young women eager to share the lifestyle of tainted wealth, drugs, and careless violence. Jon Talton is a fourth-generation Arizonan who grew up in the same Phoenix neighborhood David Mapstone calls home. Concrete Desert is first in the Mapstone series, followed by Camelback Falls, Dry Heat, Arizona Dreams and Cactus Heart. www.jontalton.com

A Small Town Arizona Mystery Murder@ the Black Mesa CaféA Minerva Doyle Mystery Series (Book 1) Marty Knox Who Murdered Mom?A toxic Mom instigates her own murder at the Black Mesa Café, Arizona."Everything revolves around bread and death." Old Proverb * Do you dread family get-togethers?* Do relatives start arguments at mealtime?* Did you wish they'd receive their comeuppance?* Does your mother drive you mad with unreasonable demands?* Did you attend funerals where ancient wrongs and Family secrets ferment to a boil?* Have you lost cherished possessions?* Has something forced you to start over from scratch? Cyber forensic analyst, Minerva Doyle, and her husband, Michael Doyle, retired ATF agent, celebrate her signed teaching contract with Navapache Community College in Northern Arizona. They look forward to a romantic weekend at the local Bed and Breakfast off old Route 66. Newlyweds Minerva and Michael, play their favorite guessing game 'a la Sherlock Holmes' while waiting to eat supper at the quirky Black Mesa Café, Arizona. A welder, a law officer, and an elderly woman fall under the couples' scrutiny. When Mary Steven, the tyrannical matriarch, collapses at the next table, Minerva clears gawkers out of the way and calls 911 while Michael gives Mary CPR. Because Mary Steven died at the hospital, Arizona Marshal Charles Dubois interviews Michael and Minerva Doyle. the eyewitnesses. He warns the Doyles that the Steven's clan is infamous for lawsuits. The Good Samaritans soon discover that helping a person in trouble can cause financial ruin. Minerva rejects the Steven's wrongful death claim by discovering the real murderer. Minerva seeks justice for the victim so she can clear Michael's good name. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? Who murdered Mom? "All my possessions for a moment of time." Elizabeth 1 Queen of England."A free life cannot acquire many possessions because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs." Epicurus"Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold; happiness dwells in the soul." Democritus