Deception Man

A New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards 2018 Finalist for ebook fiction.

Deception Man is a can’t-put-it-down Southwest suspense tale of fraud poisoning New Mexico’s tourist trade in iconic Native American silver and turquoise jewelry.

The prevalence of phony handmade Indian jewelry draws general assignment reporter Cait Zapata into an investigation that traps her in the gunsight of a vengeful killer.

Cait is spurred to write about the faking of handmade art, after her jeweler father and her cousin on the Zuni Pueblo discover someone is pirating their distinctive work and hallmarks and selling the imitations in Santa Fe.

To make matters worse, Cait is fired by her employer, the Albuquerque Star newspaper. In her coverage of the issues surrounding a proposed Gallup-area uranium mine, she defies the political elite by exposing the New Mexico governor’s attendance at private casino bashes paid for by the mining company run by his brother.

Out of a job, Cait continues to probe the illicit selling of manufactured goods as handmade Indian crafts. She runs up against a shadowy counterfeiter, unaware of the danger to herself and those close to her.

Fans of Western mystery, suspense and adventure novels, including the works of Tony and Anne Hillerman, J.A. Jance, Craig Johnson and R. Allen Chappell will enjoy Deception Man, the debut novel from M.E. Smith.