The murder of an archeology student pulls Apache Tribal Officer Al Victor into what seems to him a senseless killing. The Arizona Antiquities Task Force brings Deputies Bren Allred and Manny Sanchez into the case. They find themselves investigating a sophisticated high-dollar artifact theft ring centered around the unique Baleful Owl effigy. The ruthless ring leader is not motivated by greed, but vengeance for imagined wrongs. Before the case is solved one of the officers will be the unwitting target of the skilled assassin. The Baleful Owl joins The Wham Curse and Saints & Sinners as the third mystery in Virgil Alexander's rural cop series. Mixed with the main story line is the natural and human history of the Southwest. The cultures of the native tribes, the rural ranchers and farmers, and Hispanic traditions are woven into the unique fabric of the contemporary West. "The Baleful Owl is an engrossing tale of archaeology and mayhem that plays out under the spectacular but unforgiving light of the American Southwest. A relatable cast of characters draws the reader into a plot that explores some of America's oldest cultures and the criminals who hope to profit from them. Take a trip through Virgil Alexander's Arizona. You'll be glad you did!" -Mary Anna Evans, author of award winning Faye Longchamp archaeological mysteries The Baleful Owl is like a Tony Hillerman novel-a loving rendition of people and places in the Southwest. Alexander accurately reports police procedures and demonstrates the seriousness of artifact theft, while he entertains you with interesting characters. - J.L. Greger, author international medical mysteries "If you have ever watched an Apache burden basket beingconstructed, it is a work of art. Virgil Alexander's mysteries are constructedin somewhat the same way. In his third novel, The Baleful Owl , he begins with the crime (which is the point ofthe basket) and then the clues are the reeds extending wider and wider. The othervery diverse knowledge Alexander has is woven in and around the backbone ofthose reeds into what becomes an excellent tale and a thing of beauty." -LindaPearce, The Arizona Silver Belt newspaper. The Baleful Owl is the third book in my Deputy Allred & Apache Officer Victor Series . From Tempe to Safford, and Tucson to Grants and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, the officers chase the clues to two murders, while trying to understand the machinations of the artifact ring. They also must handle their other police duties and the challenges and responsibilities of their personal lives. Of course all this melds with the interesting natural history, cultures, and people of the contemporary West.