Folsom Point

A first novel by R. P. Snow set in northern New Mexico (Abiquiu, El Rito, etc.), former home of our friend Joan Starr Ward, so a setting more familiar to her than me, but of interest nevertheless. Our protagonist is Abigail Romero, a thirty-something single woman who works as a private investigator of sorts and is apparently still on the rebound from a relationship with a sociopathic thief she helped send to jail. Little does she know she's in the sights of his younger brother, who wants revenge not only for losing his hero to New Mexico State Prison, but for Abigail spoiling the big score that was going to set them up for life. Posing as an amateur photographer, he convinces a student working on a dig at the Ghost Ranch (of Georgia O'Keefe fame) to help him steal some recently uncovered artifacts which might be of Folsom origin. The Ranch, in turn, enlists Abigail to try and find the missing artifacts. Our villain, Myron Galt as he calls himself, leaves Abigail tantalizing and vaguely threatening e-mail rhymes and clues lying around her property, none of which she takes seriously enough. Although Abigail recovers one spear point and comes tantalizing close to uncovering Galt, she is scheduled to leave on a pre-planned trip to Spain before a satisfactory ending is reached. Galt will have none of it, however, and kidnaps Abigail, then leaves her in an ancient and deep cistern high in the hills just as a thunderstorm approaches. The account of her ordeal is very realistic. Her eventual plan to catch up with Galt calls on some old friends as well as her own resourcefulness. Although the writing felt a bit awkward at times, the pacing was good and this was an intriguing plot idea with appeal beyond those who love this part of the country.