Great book and it has some great recipes with the book

Based on the character created by author, Virginia Rich.

From back of book:

When Egenia Potter stumbles upon some ancient pottery shards on her ranch, she feels a profound connection with the past. And a deep desire to learn more about the relics. Now, with sweet dream cookies in her purse to nourish the body, she's heeding the call of her soul--by visiting an archaeological camp amid the magnificent cliff dwellings of Colorado's Mesa Verde.

But strange things are happening at Mesa Verde, from the director's increasing mental confusion to a visitor's grisly death. Even a Talking Circle - a traditional ritual facilitated by the passing around of an ear of blue corn -- doesn't reveal the source of the trouble. And when a busload of youngsters out on a dig disappears without a trace, Mrs. Potter begins some digging herself... to unearth a cruel scheme, a long-buried secret, and the deadly fruits of a killer's dark hungers.

A little slow moving at first but picked up as it went. Not sure if I really bought the ending.

From Publishers Weekly
In The 27-Ingredient Chili con Carne Murders Pickard carried forward the Eugenia Potter series created by the late Virginia Rich (The Cooking School Murders, etc.). In this second story based on Rich's notes, Pickard ably blends Native American history into a modern murder mystery. Genia, a 64-year-old Arizona rancher and cook, moves out from the kitchen and into the desert after she finds a pottery shard and inscribed seashell in one of her pastures. Her curiosity piqued, she signs up for a five-day interpretive hike for women at the Medicine Wheel Archaeological Dig in Colorado. What she finds at the camp is discord among her fellow hikers and among the camp's trustees, one of whom is out to fire the camp director. Then a camper from a different group is killed and a group of Texas teenagers goes missing. In a series of ritual Talking Circles, where an ear of blue corn is passed from participant to participant, deadly secrets are revealed. After a young archeologist who shares a secret with Genia and her group falls to her death during an overnight hike, it appears that one among them may be a killer. Keeping a low profile, Genia ferrets out the guilty party. In the process, readers are treated to both Genia's astute observations on human nature and to various theories on the Anasazi's abrupt migration from their southern Colorado pueblos. Mystery Guild alternate selection.

When Eugenia Potter stumbles upon some ancient pottery shards on her ranch, she feels a profound connection with the past. And a deep desire to learn more about the relics. Now, with sweet dream cookies in her purse to nourish the body, she's heeding the call of her sould -- by visiting an archaelogical camp amid the magnificent cliff dwellings of Colorado's Mesa Verde. But strange things are happening at Mesa Verde, from the director's increasing mental confusion to a visitor's grisly death. Even a Talking Circle -- a traditional ritual facilitated by the passing around of an ear of blue corn -- doesn't reveal the source of the trouble. And when a busload of youngsters out on a dig disappears without a trace, Mrs. Potter begins digging herself -- to unearth a cruel scheme, a long-buried secret, and the deadly fruits of a killer's dark hungers.

Not the quality of the Dianne Mott Davidson culinary mysteries, but worth reading. Only two recipes included.

Nice cozy, perfect bedtime book

If you like southwest mysteries you should like this book. The mail character also includes a couple of her recipes as part of the book.

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