The Pot Thief Who Studied Georgia O'Keeffe

(Paperback)

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This Southwest-set tale about a hunt for a precious relic offers a nice mix of comedy and mystery from an award-winning author (Booklist).

A dealer in traditional Native American pottery, Hubie Schuze scours New Mexico in search of ancient treasures. The Bureau of Land Management calls him a criminal, but Hubie knows that the real injustice would be to leave the legacies of prehistoric craftspeople buried in the dirt.

In all his travels across the state, there is one place that Hubie hasnt been able to access: Trinity Site at the White Sands Missile Range, where the first atomic bomb was detonated. Deep within the range are ruins once occupied by the Tompiro people, whose distinctive pottery is incredibly rare and valuable. When an old associate claims to have a buyer interested in spending big money on a Tompiro pot, Hubie resolves to finally find a way into the heavily guarded military installation.

But Hubie has more on his mind than just outwitting the armys most sophisticated security measures. Hes in love with a beautiful woman who has a few secrets of her ownand his best friend, Susannah, may have just unearthed a lost Georgia OKeeffe painting. Its a lot for a mild-mannered pot thief to handle, and when his associate is murdered and Tompiro pots start replicating like Russian nesting dolls, Hubie suddenly realizes hes caught up in the most complex and dangerous mystery hes ever faced.

The Pot Thief Who Studied Georgia OKeeffe is the 7th book in the Pot Thief Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Reviews

Hubie Schuze is a pottery geek. He loves digging in the desert for ancient ceramics and crafting copies of artifacts with his own hands. When hes not engaged with clay, Hubie is usually absorbed in reading a book, often a classic. His sidekick in sleuthing is Susannah Inchaustigui, a descendant of one of New Mexicos Basque ranching families. Shes two decades younger than Hubie and everything he is notbrash, garrulous, and unrestrained.Their bond is based on a mutual appreciation of margaritas, good food, old movies, and the fact that they both have relationship issues.

In the six colorful and engrossing Pot Thief Mysteries, Hubie and Susannah tackle the deserts toughest cases. Hubies involvement with ancient pottery invariably connects him with a crime, he is thrust into uncomfortable situations that provide humor and surprises, and he finds ideas in his esoteric readings that help solve the case. The novels are set predominantly in Albuquerques Old Town, home to eateries, galleries, studios, and shops, including Spirits in Claywhose proprietor is one Hubert Schuze.
Enjoyable . . . Clever word play, a torn canvas that may be an unknown OKeeffe, and nods to several classic mysteries add to the fun. Publishers Weekly

Fans of the series will flock to this latest installment, and readers who havent made Hubies acquaintance should be encouraged to do so. [A] nice mix of comedy and mystery. Booklist

I couldnt have been more delighted.... [A] wildly enjoyable and satisfying read. Mystery Scene Magazine

Sprinkled with a cast of characters, word play and word games... dealing with New Mexico history and geography. Detours spin off into other detours, which... are part of the lightheartedness of the story. Albuquerque Journal

"The newest installment in J. Michael Orenduffs smartly funny series is filled with wild situations, clever word play, and a good helping of fast-paced action. I loved every twist and pun. Anne Hillerman, bestselling author of Spider Womans Daughter

I laughed out loud, I was thrilled, I learned a bunch of fascinating new thingsmust be a Pot Thief book. The Pot Thief Who Studied Georgia OKeeffe may be the best yet in a truly wonderful series. Timothy Hallinan, author of the Poke Rafferty and Junior Bender novels

Praise for the Pot Thief Mysteries
J. Michael Orenduff knows how to hook a reader from the get-go. Albuquerque Journal on The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy

Orenduff perfectly captures the beauty of the New Mexican sunset, a good friend and a margarita. Throw in the occasional dead body, and its pure enchantment. El Paso Times on The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein

Funny at a very high intellectual level and deliciously delightful. TheBaltimore Sun on The Pot Thief Who Studied Escoffier

Author Bio

J. Michael Orenduff grew up in a house so close to the Rio Grande that he could Frisbee a tortilla into Mexico from his backyard. While studying for an MA at the University of New Mexico, he worked during the summer as a volunteer teacher at one of the nearby pueblos. After receiving a PhD from Tulane University, he became a professor. He went on to serve as president of New Mexico State University.

Orenduff took early retirement from higher education to write his award-winning Pot Thief murder mysteries, which combine archaeology and philosophy with humor and mystery. Among the authors many accolades are the Lefty Award for best humorous mystery, the Epic Award for best mystery or suspense ebook, and the New Mexico Book Award for best mystery or suspense fiction. His books have been described by the Baltimore Sun as funny at a very high intellectual level and deliciously delightful, and by the El Paso Times as the perfect fusion of murder, mayhem and margaritas.