Outskirts Press, INC.

The Definitive Santa Fe Murder Mystery

Worlds collide in colorful northern New Mexico when two prominent Santa Feans, an outspoken, passionate environmentalist and a glamorous gallery owner, internationally known and reviled, die under mysterious circumstances. A connection, perhaps, to an infamous physicist and an opportunistic New Mexico senator implicated in an international scheme?

Thomas Wolfe may have said it first, but award-winning investigative journalist Mickey Moskowitz strongly agrees: you just can’t go home again. Nonetheless, she flies back to Santa Fe from New York City to investigate the death of her beloved sister Melissa and re-evaluates the life she left behind for the glamour of Gotham. Ever the savvy one, she uses her wit and courage and, as she has done her whole life, asks herself, what would Nancy Drew do?

Just as every Nancy needs her Bess and every Sherlock needs his Watson, she has Lupita, a fiery district attorney in three-inch heels who’s as skilled making chile cheese enchiladas as she is prosecuting challenging crimes. Mickey’s paramour and ad hoc sleuth is Berg, a charming physicist and foodie. Added to the mix is a cast of eccentric characters that in any other American town would be carted off to the home for the bewildered. Peggy van Hulsteyn knows this world (“I didn’t have to make anything up--I just looked out the window!”) and has written about The City Different in The Art of Murder, this smart, engaging, and funny novel for readers who love Santa Fe and a good whodunit.

Just as every Nancy needs her Bess and every Sherlock needs his Watson, she has Lupita, a fiery district attorney in three-inch heels who’s as skilled making chile cheese enchiladas as she is prosecuting challenging crimes. Mickey’s paramour and ad hoc sleuth is Berg, a charming physicist and foodie. Added to the mix is a cast of eccentric characters that in any other American town would be carted off to the home for the bewildered. Peggy van Hulsteyn knows this world (“I didn’t have to make anything up—I just looked out the window!”) and has written about The City Different in The Art of Murder, this smart, engaging, and funny novel for readers who love Santa Fe and a good whodunit.

“I love THE ART OF MURDER, a compelling tale, tautly told. It is laugh-out-loud funny, yet I had tears in my eyes during the poignant last chapter.” —Lynn Cline, author and popular Santa Fe radio host

“Read Peggy's witty, articulate and sophisticated new murder mystery that wonderfully captures the essence of Santa Fe, with its Southwestern flavor, cooking, and many kooky characters. A great, fun read!” Robert J. Guttman, editor-in-chief, transatlantic-magazine.com and Professor, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia