Bones in the Back Forty - (Bea Rivers Mystery) by Marty Eberhardt (Paperback)

About the Book

"A gardener digs up an old skeleton on the grounds of Shandley Gardens. Volunteer coordinator Bea Rivers discovers that the victim, a man who disappeared in 1969, may be connected to a small town in New Mexico, where he'd made quite a few enemies among amateur archaeologists. There may be some connection with illegal artifacts... and with Shandley Gardens' founders. As Bea is drawn into the investigation, she meets an ever-increasing cast of quirky suspects. What began as an intriguing puzzle becomes considerably more threatening, while Bea negotiates single parenthood, a long-distance relationship, and huge new job responsibilities. She needs to untangle what is happening, for Shandley Gardens and for the safety of her own family. A single mother is drawn into the investigation of a missing man whose body is found on the grounds of the botanical garden where she works and soon must untangle the cold case for the safety of her family"--

Book Synopsis

A gardener digs up an old skeleton in the "back forty" of Shandley Gardens, a public garden in the Sonoran Desert. Volunteer coordinator Bea Rivers discovers that the victim, a man who disappeared in 1969, may be connected to a small town in New Mexico, where he'd made quite a few enemies among amateur archaeologists. There may be some connection with illegal artifacts... and with Shandley Gardens' founders. As Bea is drawn into the investigation, she meets an ever-increasing cast of quirky suspects. What began as an intriguing puzzle becomes considerably more threatening, while Bea negotiates single parenthood, a long-distance relationship, and huge new job responsibilities. She needs to untangle what is happening, for Shandley Gardens and for the safety of her own family.

Review Quotes

"[Marty Eberhardt] offers a new genre of joyful suspense every time a reader cracks open one of her books." --Silver City Daily Press.

"Marty Eberhardt takes the reader on an immersive journey into the beauty of the southwestern landscape where ancient artifacts mingle with decidedly modern bones in her second Bea Rivers mystery." --Lynn C. Miller, author of The Unmasking and The Day After Death

"For fans of cozy mysteries in Southwestern settings." --Library Journal, about Death in a Desert Garden, first book in the series


"Marty Eberhardt has penned another winner." --Kris Neri, NM-AZ Book Award-winning author of Hopscotch Life

"This gripping story intertwines Eberhardt's deep knowledge of the desert landscape with characters whose social and ethical leanings invite readers to pause and consider the impacts each of us has on our fragile environment." --Betsy Randolph, 2021-2022 President, Women Writing the West

"Marty Eberhardt creates a tale full of endearing characters, alluring landscapes, and local flavor." --Vicky Ramakka, author of The Cactus Plot, about Death in a Desert Garden

About the Author

Marty Eberhardt directed botanical gardens in Tucson and San Diego and spent many years as a nonprofit staff member, board member, and consultant. She now delights in using the right side of her brain to write fiction and poetry. Her first novel in the Bea Rivers series, Death in a Desert Garden, was published in 2021. Marty lives with her husband in the small mountain town of Silver City, New Mexico as well as in Tucson, Arizona, and she enjoys the flora, fauna, and quirky people in both locations.