Yes, but it is integral to the plot, so I won’t give it away. Was there anything new you discovered, or that surprised you, as you wrote this book? I have a long way to go before my name can be added to the list above, but it is a goal for which I will strive. I added a dash of the supernatural and a scoop of molecular genetics to boot. HEARTS OF THE MISSING is a mystery (murder), it is set on a fictional New Mexico Pueblo (I had members of the Laguna Pueblo read and suggest changes), and it contains a female protagonist in law enforcement. That’s when I found the Tony Hillerman Prize, submitted–and won in 2017. I remember thinking as I finished it that it might fit with works by Tony and Anne Hillerman/Margaret Coel/Aimee and David Thurlo, and started looking online for ways to present and market it.

I didn’t set out to write a Southwestern Mystery, but that’s what it became. How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

I learned so much during my research of the Native American Pueblo cultures of New Mexico, I wanted to share that in some small way. I hope readers will come away a little breathless and with a smile of enjoyment. What do you hope readers will take away from this book? She realizes she must be willing to sacrifice everything–her career, her life, and even her soul–to save the people she is sworn to protect.Īward-winning author Carol Potenza took some time to meet with The Big Thrill to discuss her debut novel, HEARTS OF THE MISSING: As Nicky closes in on the murderer, those closest to her are put in jeopardy. With an intimate knowledge of Fire-Sky customs and traditions, the killer ensures the spirits of those targeted will wander lost forever. As the evidence leads her to a shocking discovery, she uncovers not only murder but a motive with an ominous, vengeful twist that strikes at the very core of what it means to be a member of the Fire-Sky People. When a young woman linked to a list of missing Fire-Sky tribal members commits suicide, Pueblo Police Sergeant Nicky Matthews is assigned to the case.

Hearts of the missing by carol potenza