The Pot Thief Murder Mysteries by J. Michael Orenduff

This week’s featured Southwest book series is the Pot Thief Murder Mysteries by J. Michael Orenduff. The series starts with The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras and I believe there are now seven books.

I can’t find a website for Michael, but here’s his Amazon page, and a description of the first book:

“A dealer of ancient Native American pottery, Hubert Schuze has spent years combing the public lands of New Mexico, digging for artwork that would otherwise remain buried. According to the US government, Hubie is a thief—but no act of Congress could stop him from doing what he loves. For decades, Hubie has worn the title of pot thief proudly. Outright burglary, though, is another story.

“But an offer of $25,000 to lift a rare pot from a local museum proves too tempting for Hubie to refuse. When he sees how tightly the relic is guarded, he changes his mind, but the pot goes missing anyway. Soon a federal agent suspects that Hubie is the culprit. After things take a turn for the serious, Hubie knows he must find the real thief quickly, or risk cracking something more fragile than any pot—his skull.”

These books will introduce you to the Santa Fe art world and provide insight into archaeology and Southwestern ancient culture, while capturing the "Wild West" spirit that still permeates so many new Mexican citizens.

Here’s an interview with Michael. Peek: “I set my books in New Mexico because I love writing about the Land of Enchantment. My main character owns a pottery shop in Old Town Albuquerque where he sells ancient Native American pottery, some of which he acquires by illegally digging it up.”