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The Desert Behind Me
**WINNER OF THE NEW MEXICO-ARIZONA BOOK AWARD**
“Shannon Baker gets better with every book. A superb read.” —Jess Lourey, bestselling author of The Quarry Girls
Two girls gone. One haunting past that refuses to stay buried.
Jamie Butler is a mystery.
To the residents of sun-scorched Tucson, she's just a retired New York cop looking for a fresh start. Few know of the dark cloud that follows the traumatic murder of her daughter and her own ensuing mental breakdown. But as Jamie starts anew, building a life with the Arizona Rangers and kindling a romance with Deputy Rafe Grijalva, a sinister echo a girl disappears under eerily similar circumstances to her own daughter.
When Jamie and Rafe dig deeper, they unearth chilling patterns too haunting to overlook, reminiscent of a nightmare Jamie believed was laid to rest.
But as evidence emerges, and with Jamie's unstable mental state casting shadows of doubt, she's swiftly thrust into the eye of suspicion. Now, she’s ensnared in a race against time, desperate to save another and confront her past.
As the desert sun beats down, one thing becomes chillingly the line between Jamie's twisted memories and a horrifying reality is blurring beyond recognition.
________________________________
What readers are saying about THE DESERT BEHIND
★★★★★ "What a wild ride!"
★★★★★ "I couldn't stop reading."
★★★★★ "A terrifying journey, but worth every minute."
★★★★★ "...the unforeseen ending gives its shock effect."
★★★★★ "Wow. Baker just keeps churning out great winning heroines. Another five star book."
“Shannon Baker gets better with every book. A superb read.” —Jess Lourey, bestselling author of The Quarry Girls
Two girls gone. One haunting past that refuses to stay buried.
Jamie Butler is a mystery.
To the residents of sun-scorched Tucson, she's just a retired New York cop looking for a fresh start. Few know of the dark cloud that follows the traumatic murder of her daughter and her own ensuing mental breakdown. But as Jamie starts anew, building a life with the Arizona Rangers and kindling a romance with Deputy Rafe Grijalva, a sinister echo a girl disappears under eerily similar circumstances to her own daughter.
When Jamie and Rafe dig deeper, they unearth chilling patterns too haunting to overlook, reminiscent of a nightmare Jamie believed was laid to rest.
But as evidence emerges, and with Jamie's unstable mental state casting shadows of doubt, she's swiftly thrust into the eye of suspicion. Now, she’s ensnared in a race against time, desperate to save another and confront her past.
As the desert sun beats down, one thing becomes chillingly the line between Jamie's twisted memories and a horrifying reality is blurring beyond recognition.
________________________________
What readers are saying about THE DESERT BEHIND
★★★★★ "What a wild ride!"
★★★★★ "I couldn't stop reading."
★★★★★ "A terrifying journey, but worth every minute."
★★★★★ "...the unforeseen ending gives its shock effect."
★★★★★ "Wow. Baker just keeps churning out great winning heroines. Another five star book."
- GenresMystery
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2019
About the author
Shannon Baker
33 books289 followersShannon Baker writes mysteries about strong women in dangerous situations. Her books are set in the iconic landscapes of the American West, from the Colorado Rockies to the Nebraska prairies, to the deserts of southern Arizona. Baker spent 20 years in the Nebraska Sandhills, where cattle outnumber people by more than 50:1, and too few years living on Colorado’s front range. Her dark suspense, The Desert Behind Me, is a 2019 Winner of the New Mexico/Arizona Book Award.
Seconds before quitting writing forever and taking up competitive drinking, Shannon was voted Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s 2014 Writer of the Year and, buoyed with that confidence, continued to write, earning another RMFW Writer of the Year nod in 2017-18. Shannon makes her home in Tucson where she enjoys cocktails by the pool, breathtaking sunsets, a crazy Weimaraner, and killing people (in the pages of her books).
A lover of the outdoors, she can be found backpacking in the Rockies, traipsing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, skiing mountains and plains, kayaking lakes, river running, hiking, cycling, and scuba diving whenever she gets the chance. Arizona sunsets notwithstanding, Baker is, and always will be, a Nebraska Husker, heartbreaking as the last two decades have been. Go Big Red.
Seconds before quitting writing forever and taking up competitive drinking, Shannon was voted Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s 2014 Writer of the Year and, buoyed with that confidence, continued to write, earning another RMFW Writer of the Year nod in 2017-18. Shannon makes her home in Tucson where she enjoys cocktails by the pool, breathtaking sunsets, a crazy Weimaraner, and killing people (in the pages of her books).
A lover of the outdoors, she can be found backpacking in the Rockies, traipsing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, skiing mountains and plains, kayaking lakes, river running, hiking, cycling, and scuba diving whenever she gets the chance. Arizona sunsets notwithstanding, Baker is, and always will be, a Nebraska Husker, heartbreaking as the last two decades have been. Go Big Red.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 23, 2020
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads!
Review to come.
Review to come.
October 18, 2024
This book was amazing and thrilling to read. I was hooked by the dark secrets of the little girls who were kidnapped and left for dead by a crazed psychologist. Jamie Butler, a former police officer from Buffalo, NY, decided to relocate to Tucson and build a life with the Arizona Rangers. When her daughter was murdered, Jamie had a mental breakdown. Her mother Amanda, a law enforcement officer herself, encouraged her to take a leave of absence with a stay at a spa in Palm Springs. Toward the end Jamie finds the clues that lead her to an abandoned boneyard where military aircraft was stored. She found the little girls alive. The guy who kidnapped the girls was arrested and charged with endangering the girls. And this book had a happy ending! I really enjoyed this book!
July 10, 2020
I read this book because of the subject and because it had such a high review rating. It did have a happy ending by saving several young children and putting a controlling, obnoxious parent in her place, however for half the book not being able to know whether she is talking to the voices in her mind or real people became a little wearisome. I found each character to be very black and white. Even a flighty person will occasionally say something intelligent or a strong person will show weakness, Most of the characters her had their role and never budged. The story, however, is about child abuse and sends a beneficial and worthwhile message.
July 31, 2019
A freaking amazing book! I can not recommend this enough. It had so much suspense and the ending was unexpected but at the same time needed and healing. Please read you will not be disappointed.
May 6, 2019
An intense psycho-thriller!
Is she crazy or is it grief and guilt over the brutal murder of her teenage daughter that compels Jamie Butler to “Protect and Serve” long after she has officially retired from the New York police force? She lives in Pima County now, in the desert, as far from her past life in New York as possible. After years of mental hospitals and therapy, she lives alone, isolated from family and friends, maintaining an uneasy truce with the voices speaking in her head.
She has made great progress in her recovery and volunteers with the Arizona Rangers, assisting local law enforcement, often at schools. Her mother and her therapist worry about the psychological effects of being in such close contact with children but Jamie wants to build a new life, if she could just figure out what “normal” is.
Being around children is stressful, especially since neither the children nor their parents understand how much danger there is; she must always be hyperaware of possible threats to their safety and watch over them. Now young girls are being abducted and Jamie sees similarities to her daughter’s case, but no one will listen to her.
The book is another well written thriller from Shannon Baker. There is a fine line between sane and insane and the author is able to make Jamie walk it. The story line is suspenseful and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my chair.
Is she crazy or is it grief and guilt over the brutal murder of her teenage daughter that compels Jamie Butler to “Protect and Serve” long after she has officially retired from the New York police force? She lives in Pima County now, in the desert, as far from her past life in New York as possible. After years of mental hospitals and therapy, she lives alone, isolated from family and friends, maintaining an uneasy truce with the voices speaking in her head.
She has made great progress in her recovery and volunteers with the Arizona Rangers, assisting local law enforcement, often at schools. Her mother and her therapist worry about the psychological effects of being in such close contact with children but Jamie wants to build a new life, if she could just figure out what “normal” is.
Being around children is stressful, especially since neither the children nor their parents understand how much danger there is; she must always be hyperaware of possible threats to their safety and watch over them. Now young girls are being abducted and Jamie sees similarities to her daughter’s case, but no one will listen to her.
The book is another well written thriller from Shannon Baker. There is a fine line between sane and insane and the author is able to make Jamie walk it. The story line is suspenseful and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my chair.
May 6, 2019
Twisted, dark, and impossible to put down!
I haven't read a psychological thriller in a while but this one grabs a hold of you and doesn't let go! Our main character is broken from her past and trying to mend. She is a former (now retired) cop whose daughter was murdered. She moved out to the desert to heal but trouble seems to follow her. She sees trouble where it might not exist and hears voices in her head. There are two girls missing with the evidence pointing to Jaime herself. Is she just imagining everything, did she kidnap the girls, is someone trying to frame her? So many twists and turns in this you'll need to hold on tight for the ride. Dark, twisted, but what a good read!
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
I haven't read a psychological thriller in a while but this one grabs a hold of you and doesn't let go! Our main character is broken from her past and trying to mend. She is a former (now retired) cop whose daughter was murdered. She moved out to the desert to heal but trouble seems to follow her. She sees trouble where it might not exist and hears voices in her head. There are two girls missing with the evidence pointing to Jaime herself. Is she just imagining everything, did she kidnap the girls, is someone trying to frame her? So many twists and turns in this you'll need to hold on tight for the ride. Dark, twisted, but what a good read!
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
May 6, 2019
As I started reading the book, I kept thinking these places sound very familiar. Low and behold it’s set in Tucson which I am very familiar with the locations.
Jamie is an New York ex-cop. She relocated to Tucson and is a volunteer for the police. Her instincts are good, she doesn’t always know why but she knows when something isn’t right. I liked her ”sticky hairs.”
As the story begins, she is just holding her life together. She believes a girl has been abducted but is having a hard time convincing anyone.
Without giving away the plot, I highly recommend this book. It kept me engaged and turning pages.
I have found a new to me author that I will be reading more of in the future.
I received an e-copy ARC and am not required to leave a positive review.
Jamie is an New York ex-cop. She relocated to Tucson and is a volunteer for the police. Her instincts are good, she doesn’t always know why but she knows when something isn’t right. I liked her ”sticky hairs.”
As the story begins, she is just holding her life together. She believes a girl has been abducted but is having a hard time convincing anyone.
Without giving away the plot, I highly recommend this book. It kept me engaged and turning pages.
I have found a new to me author that I will be reading more of in the future.
I received an e-copy ARC and am not required to leave a positive review.
May 6, 2019
What Jamie has repressed about her daughter's murder may just kill her, too! This book was superbly crafted to continually ratchet up the suspense. Jamie Butler's daughter was abducted and killed, and it nearly broke Jamie. After a breakdown and hospitalization, she retired from the Buffalo PD and moved to Tuscon, but it seems something evil has followed her. Battling depression, repressed memories, voices screaming in her head, and an overbearing mother may push her over the edge into madness, especially when girls resembling her daughter go missing in Tucson. I loved Jamie the fighter, even against unsurmountable odds, to save those blonde little girls and her own sanity. See my 5-star rating? It's THAT GOOD!
July 19, 2019
This was a good book, although it took a while for me to get into. After the first two chapters, I was convinced that I probably wouldn’t end up reading it. This is because within the writing style, it felt like it jumped around a lot and made some assumptions. This made it really difficult to follow the story, and the characters, but I tried to push through this.
Past this, it ended up being a really interesting book. The story was interesting and it was the sort of psychological thriller where you weren’t always sure what was going to happen.
All in all, it was a pretty standard psychological, murder mystery thriller and I probably would have rated it higher had I not got lost at the beginning. Definitely worth a read though if you can wade through that!
Past this, it ended up being a really interesting book. The story was interesting and it was the sort of psychological thriller where you weren’t always sure what was going to happen.
All in all, it was a pretty standard psychological, murder mystery thriller and I probably would have rated it higher had I not got lost at the beginning. Definitely worth a read though if you can wade through that!
December 9, 2019
I've read all of Shannon Baker's books, and was thrilled to find out about her newest release. I devoured this book, but took my time to savor each and every word of this wild ride of a psychological journey. Jamie Butler is my newest favorite heroine, deserving of praise and heartfelt support as she navigates the voices in her head that warn and taunt her—a daunting task, for sure. A horrific past crime motivates Jaime’s actions and keeps her on her toes as she does her best to be on constant high alert, which translates to a wild rollercoaster ride you will white-knuckle through page after page. Truly one of my favorite books of 2019.
May 3, 2019
What a great story. When The Desert Behind Me starts, Jamie is just hanging on. She was once a New York cop, but after the brutal murder of her daughter, she is just a shell. She’s working but every day is a struggle. She has rituals and routines she needs to get her through the day, sometimes medication to get her through the night, and she hears voices. Her therapist tells her to get out and do things, her mother tells her she’s not ready, and the voices in her head are usually pretty harsh. Jamie may not realize it, but she is still pretty strong to cope with all of that each and every day. But things are building and how much more can she take?
A girl is abducted, or at least that’s what Jamie believes. The girl’s mother thinks she’s just taken off for a while, her friends insist she’s not really missing, and the police think another case is more important. Is Jamie right or is she just seeing similarities to her own daughter’s case that aren’t really there? Jamie is stubborn and single-minded and frantic to find this girl before it’s too late. So frantic that she behaves recklessly and becomes a suspect herself.
As the pace ramps up and the danger increases, Jamie becomes more unsure of what is real and what is not, what memories are true and what memories are just too hard to face. The excitement and fear are non-stop. I couldn’t bear to read for fear of what might happen next, but I couldn’t put the book down. And I never saw the end coming! I received a copy of The Desert Behind Me from the author in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
A girl is abducted, or at least that’s what Jamie believes. The girl’s mother thinks she’s just taken off for a while, her friends insist she’s not really missing, and the police think another case is more important. Is Jamie right or is she just seeing similarities to her own daughter’s case that aren’t really there? Jamie is stubborn and single-minded and frantic to find this girl before it’s too late. So frantic that she behaves recklessly and becomes a suspect herself.
As the pace ramps up and the danger increases, Jamie becomes more unsure of what is real and what is not, what memories are true and what memories are just too hard to face. The excitement and fear are non-stop. I couldn’t bear to read for fear of what might happen next, but I couldn’t put the book down. And I never saw the end coming! I received a copy of The Desert Behind Me from the author in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
May 19, 2019
Jamie Butler retired from from the New York Police Department for lots of good reasons, but when she's drawn back into crime detection because of her gut instincts, her fragile mental health is stretched to the breaking point. This suspense novel is a page-turner dealing with a serial killer bent on revenge, kidnappings of vulnerable young women, and Jamie's internal network of helpful and not-so-helpful voices. Highly recommended.
February 11, 2020
I picked up this mystery novel while on my first trip to Tucson, and was delighted to see that the places so vividly described were the very neighborhoods that I stayed in - so at one level, this is a love letter to the characters, places and desert of Tucson. The protagonist is a mentally ill, female, veteran policeman, involved in events that were handled believably and sympathetically without losing the hard-boiled edge of a page-turner thriller. I hope that this is made into a movie!
August 17, 2023
Reader in ATL
Slow plot, but it got better after Jamie start remembering what happened to her daughter. Her mother Amanda is so controlling, Jamie thought she was helping her, but she wanted to suppress Jamie's memory by keeping her drugged on medication. It would be nice to have a sequel to this book so the readers can find out if Jamie and Rafe got together and what happened to Cali.
Slow plot, but it got better after Jamie start remembering what happened to her daughter. Her mother Amanda is so controlling, Jamie thought she was helping her, but she wanted to suppress Jamie's memory by keeping her drugged on medication. It would be nice to have a sequel to this book so the readers can find out if Jamie and Rafe got together and what happened to Cali.
May 8, 2019
This is an amazing book, where the external abduction and murder mysteries are paralleled by the mysteries and secrets held by the voices in Jamie's head. Rafe the cop has a good start on working with Jamie's voices. I would love to see them teaming up to help and protect threatened children. On the other hand, I will read whatever this author comes up with next. She's that good!
November 11, 2021
Emotional rollercoaster
Voices in our heads. Who out there doesn't have them to one degree or another. Listen carefully to those voices because they might be your saving grace one day. This really was an real emotional thriller.
Voices in our heads. Who out there doesn't have them to one degree or another. Listen carefully to those voices because they might be your saving grace one day. This really was an real emotional thriller.
June 17, 2025
Voices
I enjoyed the book but was too long. Every time I thought at going to end it just kept on going. It did end differently than I thought it would, I'm glad the heroine stood up to her mother.
I enjoyed the book but was too long. Every time I thought at going to end it just kept on going. It did end differently than I thought it would, I'm glad the heroine stood up to her mother.
November 20, 2025
poor, monotone narrator
The narrator is monotone and very off-putting. It didn’t make sense that Michaela is Patricia in this book. I do not recommend as this is the first Shannon Baker book that I really didn’t like.
The narrator is monotone and very off-putting. It didn’t make sense that Michaela is Patricia in this book. I do not recommend as this is the first Shannon Baker book that I really didn’t like.
April 21, 2019
Very involved psychological novel! It drags you into the novel! Most interesting!!
May 27, 2019
A TRULY GREAT MIND CHALLENGE
If you want a good brain workout with lots of mental options this book will keep you going to it’s exciting end!
Well worth reading.
If you want a good brain workout with lots of mental options this book will keep you going to it’s exciting end!
Well worth reading.
October 17, 2022
I have heard this author speak and this book sounded interesting to me as it took place in Tucson. It was a very well thought out mystery and I enjoyed the book.
December 17, 2023
Read in two sittings! Intriguing, kept me guessing, and then it all came together with an unexpected denouement.
I’d like too see more of Jamie and Pete and Rafe please
Kudos to Shannon Baker
I’d like too see more of Jamie and Pete and Rafe please
Kudos to Shannon Baker
June 4, 2026
This book was excellent from beginning to end. Great thriller filled with suspense.
September 22, 2020
The character of Jamie Butler, a retired NYPD officer, is carefully written to reflect a schizophrenic with PTSD triggered by the abduction of young girl who resembles her daughter. Not only must she try to decipher clues left by the perpetrator, she must also keep the voices under control to maintain her sanity.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews