R Allen Chappell Books in Order

This Southwest short story collection follows outliers, workers, drinkers, families, and hard-luck people whose lives rarely make headlines. The stories are earthy, unsentimental, and rooted in New Mexico and desert country.

Charlie Yazzie and Thomas Begay are drawn back into danger as the Patsy Greyhorse murder trials near. A frightened boy, kidnapped children, and tribal corruption push the friends into a fight for witnesses and family.

Thomas Begay wakes drunk under La Plata Bridge with BIA investigator Patsy Greyhorse dead beside him. Fresh from law school, Charlie Yazzie risks his career to clear an old friend and uncover a wider reservation plot.

When Charlie's former archaeology professor is targeted by a militant splinter group, Charlie, Thomas, and Harley Ponyboy step in. The case leads into canyon country, ancient secrets, and a fight over who controls the past.

A brutal killer from Mexico escapes onto the reservation, turning familiar country into hunting ground. Charlie, Thomas, and Harley track him the Navajo way, but the predator is hunting them too.

Old Paul T'Sosi's dreams warn that death is close, but Magpie seems to carry a darker message. As an old enemy seeks revenge, Charlie's family and friends are pulled into spiritual danger.

Two modern murders on Diné Bikéyah seem tied to an ancient girl and a secret buried in the canyon lands. Charlie, Thomas, and Harley face greed, archaeology, and echoes of winter survival.

An old silversmith is found murdered by the highway, and Charlie Yazzie won't leave the case to outsiders. A stranger at Harley Ponyboy's door pulls the friends into a trail of bodies and false faith.

Tressa Tarango comes to the reservation seeking her dead husband Luca's remains and a measure of revenge. Charlie's offer to help draws him toward cartel trouble, restless spirits, and Paul T'Sosi's own crisis.

When a trader is murdered, the clues point at Navajo weaver Lucy Tallwoman. Charlie discovers that wealthy collectors may be manipulating the Native art market, where Lucy's death could make her work priceless.

Harley Ponyboy's luck changes with a lottery ticket, but his search for a lost love leads to danger instead. His need to help her brings an abusive man and old loneliness straight at him.

Sam Klah grows up amid the yellow dust that poisons his home and water. After his mother's death, he sets out to find his last living relative and walks into a mystery bigger than superstition.

A death shakes Charlie, Thomas, and Harley, while Caleb Begay seems drawn into the lives of ancient people. The story braids modern grief, Harley's family troubles, and the dangerous migration of the Swallow Clan.

Years after escaping abuse and the unsolved murder of her white father, a successful woman returns to the reservation seeking answers. Charlie Yazzie, Thomas Begay, and Harley Ponyboy uncover old rage with fresh consequences.

Old Paul T'Sosi's long-lost brother appears with a sorrowful story, and Lucy and Thomas take him in. Then people begin disappearing, Charlie starts asking questions, and Harley Ponyboy may know more than he admits.

Marvin T'Sosi vanishes after reconnecting with his estranged family, then sends four chilling words: I am in Hell. Lucy and Thomas turn to Charlie Yazzie as silence stretches into something stranger and worse.