[Picnic in the Ruins] isn’t just a thriller – it’s also one of the funniest books I have read in years. It’s full of great, dry humor....This is a perfect read for fans of Elmore Leonard, William Boyle, and The Coen Brothers. — Liberty Hardy
A madcap caper across the RV-strewn vacation lands of southern Utah meets a meditation on mythology, authenticity, the ethics of preservation, and one nagging question: "who owns the past?"
Anthropologist Sophia Shepard is researching the impact of tourism on cultural sites in a remote national monument on the Utah-Arizona border when she unexpectedly crosses paths with two small-time criminals. The Ashdown brothers were hired to steal maps from a "collector" of Native American artifacts, but instead of delivering as promised, the brothers are out to strike it rich. But their ineptitude has alerted the local sheriff to their presence — and forced their employer, to send a fixer to clean up their mess before it upsets her machinations. Sheriff Dalton, following the Ashdowns' trail, soon discovers he's not dealing with a simple burglary--and any hope the sheriff had for peace and quiet is long gone.
ORDER FROM your local BOOKseller
OR TRY BOOKSHOP.ORG.
PRAISE FOR PICNIC IN THE RUINS
Library Journal
★ Petersen's tightly written mystery plays out over the vast, unforgiving terrain on the Utah-Arizona border with a lineup of unforgettable characters....Petersen delivers a fast-paced chase over a hostile landscape while underscoring the past and present threats to Native American antiquities. Hang on tight and enjoy the ride.
KIRKUS
Part mystery; part quirky, darkly funny, mayhem-filled thriller; and part meditation on what it means to "own" land, artifacts, and the narrative of history in the West...a fast-paced, highly entertaining hybrid of Tony Hillerman and Edward Abbey.
Publisher's Weekly
A rollicking mystery...Petersen keeps up plenty of action and suspense while also offering philosophical insights on who owns the land. Petersen's offbeat adventure keeps the reader turning the pages.
the Book Riot Newsletter
I think one of the hardest things to do well in crime novels is the chase scene/car chase sequence. To convey the threat of capture, combined with the excitement and fear, on the page is a difficult thing to do. But this fantastic novel nails it! This is a crime novel, but it’s also a serious look at archaeological digs, artifacts, and ownership. But this isn’t just a thriller – it’s also one of the funniest books I have read in years. It’s full of great, dry humor....This is a perfect read for fans of Elmore Leonard, William Boyle, and The Coen Brothers.
Booklist
Blending dark comedy and crime fiction, Petersen examines a moment in time that exquisitely reveals timeless and far-reaching themes....Throughout the novel’s adrenaline-filled external conflicts, Sophia is simultaneously considering deep, universal questions: To whom does this treasure really belong? Who owns this land? And, ultimately, who owns history itself? Picnic in the Ruins is an excellent read for those who enjoy thrillers set in the Southwest and readers interested in the preservation of history and culture.