The Beautiful Bones

Deputy Ricos #2

by Elizabeth A. Garcia

Take one sharp, determined deputy and ask her to solve a mystery that has not been solved in thirty years. Stir in a disgruntled local chauvinist, a tourist who disappears while camping near Big Bend National Park, a sexy new waiter in Lajitas, a foray into the nightlife of a nearby Mexican town, a tall and handsome millionaire, a herd of wild pintos, a ferocious blizzard, a bloody one-car crash, and an abandoned mercury mining town. Sprinkle with the awe-inspiring scenery of the Big Bend area, starry desert nights, a little hawk-watching, and the drop-dead beauty of Wyoming. Mix it all together for a fast-paced read you won’t want to put down. Ms. Garcia has already shown herself to be a master of the whodunit, stay-up-all-night-reading genre. The Beautiful Bones is the second of the Deputy Ricos Tales series.

334 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2013

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Garcia has done it again. She has created a second, brilliant mystery with a stunning new set of characters. In the second installment in the Deputy Ricos series, we have the pleasure of coming home to Deputy Ricos, her partner Barney, and Sheriff Ben as they take on a thirty day old disappearance, and a thirty year old enigma. As Margarita delves into the darkness of a case older than herself, she struggles to keep her work from becoming personal with the acquaintance of two handsome gentlemen and one lovely cook from Wyoming. Meanwhile, back home in Terlingua, Margarita is becoming closer and closer to an extravagant newcomer named Billy. Will these charming outsiders help solve the mysteries at hand? Or are they implicated in the dark deeds themselves?

As we try to solve the crime for ourselves, we are treated to all of the beauty, depth, and excitement of Garcia’s first novel. We glory in Garcia’s breathtaking descriptions of the landscapes of Terlingua and Wyoming. We become even better acquainted with our old friends in West Texas, and we both question and love the strange new characters. And as Margarita searches for answers to decade old questions, there emerges from the shadows of Texas a character darker than any we have yet come across.

If you enjoyed Ms. Garcia’s first novel, you will relish this new mystery of even greater proportions. Find yourself a comfortable chair and get ready for the new threat hiding in the depths of West Texas. The Beautiful Bones is another stunning novel that will have you lingering on the distant Chisos mountains as you puzzle over the thirty year old mystery that continues to haunt Terlingua.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the Deputy Ricos series, and again I enjoyed it a lot. I noticed a couple of discrepancies in the plot line that I didn't with the first book, but I still liked Margarita and her fellow officers (mostly) and friends, and the setting is well described. I look forward to seeing how the series continues.

[P. Upshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deputy Ricos is given an impossible task, a thirty year old disappearance

Deputy Ricos is given an impossible task, a thirty year old disappearance. She looks at the case from the direction of the life of the young woman and finds so many questions. With Deputy Rico's unique perspective, she finds hints of terrible wrongs, that were done and still occurring.

[Tracey S Choat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ricos Book 2

I have enjoyed reading the books in this series. I plan to read the next book in this series. I especially enjoy the descriptions of the area.

[Thomas Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoy reading the Deputy Ricos novels - the first two so far. As another reviewer said, Ms Garcia is outstanding writing about the West Texas landscape. I used to live near there, and she writes the landscape and people perfectly. Those pages are a joy to read. On the other hand, I felt that the many pages describing events in Wyoming, while well written, had almost nothing to do with the main plot. The plot unfolds rather slowly, as one would expect, as Deputy Ricos works to solve a 30-year old murder. I enjoyed following her careful reconstruction of the original investigation after so many years, discovering omissions and errors in it, that eventually leads to the solution. I will enjoy following Deputy Ricos as her career progresses.

[Ambera Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As promised, I bought the second in the Margarita Ricos series, The Beautiful Bones. I didn’t think it was possible for me to love the second in a series more than the first; so many authors get it wrong when they add to a great first novel. I LOVE The Beautiful Bones. LOVE it! Wow. I am speechless. I feel like I have been exactly where Margarita has been, done exactly what she’s done.

I could not put it down.

You will not be disappointed!

[Barbara Villegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again the real star of this author's books is the scenery. Having been to both the Lajitas area and Jackson, Wyoming, I am trilled to revisit as a reader. The splendor of the backdrop however, is just a small part of this exciting mystery. So much intrigue and twists of plot are remarkable.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful country in a bit so pretty story.

[Dino Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

And another!

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good mystery from Beth Garcia. I enjoy reading her descriptions of life in the Big Bend landscape.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great book!! I absolutely love the Deputy Rico's tales!