Manny Rivera Mystery Books In Order

Publication Order of Manny Rivera Books

Manny Rivera Mystery series by Rich Curtin
Author Rich Curtin writes the “Manny Rivera” series of mystery novels. The series began publication in the year 2011, when “Artifacts of Death” was released.

The series is set in Moab, Utah and stars Manny Rivera, who is a Grand County deputy sheriff.

Moab, Utah is where Rich Curtin has lived for part of his life, and has camped there, too.

“Artifacts of Death” is the first novel in the “Manny Rivera Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2011. Odd events that happened in the year 1938 lead to the present-day cold-blooded murder of a ranch hand in the isolated canyon country close to Moab, Utah. A 9-mm bullet in the victim’s head and an ancient-Indian potsherd stuck right into his chest are the only clues.

Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera is given the case and believes it is related to a drug deal that ended badly. He is really up against a clever and cunning foe that is driven by greed who has discovered a long-forgotten cave that contains a collection filled with rare museum-quality Indian artifacts.

Local merchants and politicians are putting strong pressure on the sheriff to quickly solve the case that is threatening to interrupt the upcoming tourist season, which is the sole source of economic activity in Moab. Because who would want to go exploring the back country with a killer on the loose somewhere?

In the end, Rivera faces a dilemma of ethics. Should he serve the cause of justice or enforce the letter of the law. A woman discovers the answer to a question that has haunted her for seventy years now.

Readers enjoyed the descriptions of the desert country and of Utah, with an intriguing murder mystery on top. The characters are well fleshed out and make you care and root for each of them. It is a fun read that made some readers into fans of Manny and want to read about him in more of his cases. The drive he shows to make up for mistakes during his latest case and to make an impression on the sheriff makes him modest as he is more critical of his mistakes than anybody else.

“February’s Files” is the second novel in the “Manny Rivera Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2012. Even small towns have secrets that are worth killing for. A skeleton found in a makeshift stone grave is found on an isolated bluff that overlooks Labyrinth Canyon located in southeast Utah. Cause of death: with a bullet in the back of their head.

The victim winds up being a controversial investigative journalist who comes from New York City that moved to Moab a few years back to get some peace and quiet. He found it, if only for a little while. He could not turn off his investigative instincts and started probing into a dangerous situation that the town folk were not at all aware of. The guy got too close to a well-kept secret that later cost him his life.

Manny Rivera is given the case. Time is a major factor, because having an unsolved murder out in the back country is going to surely inhibit tourism, the only economic driver Moab has. In order to solve the case, he has to unravel four puzzling questions. He is torn again by a moral dilemma, which tests his commitment to the letter of the law.

The book is an interesting read and keeps the reader guessing all the way through. Rich Curtin’s descriptions of the Four Corners area make some readers want to go there. The books are well written and feature some strong characters. Rich also provides his readers with a unique perspective on law enforcement in this part of the world.

“Trails of Deception” is the third novel in the “Manny Rivera Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2013. Protesters in downtown Moab demonstrate against pothunters that defile ancient-Indian graves to find valuable artifacts. A manifest that threatens tougher action in retaliation against the pothunting is received by the local paper. Shortly after, a San Francisco artifact collector is discovered having been killed in an isolated part of the LaSal Mountains. In his pack is a freshly-dug ancient-Indian pot. Acts of lawless defiance follow that emphasize the rather serious nature of the protest.

Manny is given the job of hunting down the cold-blooded murderer. His investigation leads him to a scientific research center, a charitable hospice, a curandera’s home, and an isolated part of Utah known as the Big Triangle. The series of crimes threatens to throw the tourist economy off the rails, so Rivera is again under pressure to quickly solve this case. Clues are sparse and Rivera’s finely honed sense of logic is tested severely.

Rich delivers another outstanding read in this series. It has some enjoyable storylines and engaging characters. Fans find themselves looking forward to the time they get to sit down and spend on reading each one of these books. During the story, some interesting things happen in Manny’s life that are sure to set up things later. It makes fans eager to see where these developments go later on.

“Moonshadow Murder” is the fourth novel in the “Manny Rivera Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2014. Sunshine, nineteen years old, vanishes in the evening one night from the back country commune where she lives. She is discovered the next day roughly a mile away have been strangled.

The rest of the residents in the commune, who are an odd assortment of dropouts from society, all are possible suspects while Manny Rivera attempts making sense of his strange collection of clues. The deputy’s own life gets endangered while he starts getting closer to comprehending the motive for Sunshine’s being killed.

The killer was consistent to the story, without being obvious. The characters are well realized and engaging, and the story is well thought out. These books are proving to be must reads and must owns for fans, as they can’t get enough.

One Response to “Manny Rivera Mystery”

1. Karen: 1 year ago

   Is there books regarding Manny Rivera that tells of him after his marriage?

   Reply