"When she did reach the cafe, she bought her hot sandwich and took it back outside to her car, so that she could sit there and stare at the landmark and think about the Tony Hillerman mystery she had just read. It was set all around the great rock. As she pondered it, recalling scenes from the book, she was glad to leave it to authors like him to find and solve the murderous mysteries of the great Southwest. She'd had her own brushes with homicidal individuals in the past. That was enough--more than enough for a woman who desired only to be a doting grandmother, a good friend, a competent rancher, a bit of a needlepoint whiz, and a plain country cook." The "great rock" is Shiprock; the Tony Hillerman book in question is probably The Fallen Man; and the woman hoping for a crime-free life is Genia Potter, the memorable character first created by Virginia Rich and then continued after Rich's death by Nancy Pickard. As she did in The 27-Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders, Pickard uses characters and plot suggestions left by Rich to create a solid, comfortable mystery of the sort usually classified as a "cozy." But even if you're not a cozy lover, you'll probably be enticed by the setting (an archeological camp near the wondrous Mesa Verde National Park, home of the elaborate, mysteriously abandoned Indian villages), by the characters (some tough and interesting women of varying ages, each with her own reasons for visiting the area), the good food served by a feisty cook named Bingo (the cornbread and cream cheese sticks sound particularly succulent), and even the plot--which involves two murders and the apparent disappearance of 16 teenagers from Texas. --Dick Adler


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. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
After the death of Virginia Rich (The Nantucket Diet Murders, 1985), Pickard, author of the popular Jenny Cain series, was commissioned to finish The 27-Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders (Delacorte, 1992). Now in this riveting tale she continues the adventures of 64-year-old Arizona rancher Eugenia Potter, taking her to an archaeological hiking camp in Colorado. There, amid splendid scenery and mystical ancient cities, Eugenia encounters idiosyncratic characters, a camp management under stress, and savage murder. Among the suspects are a spiteful old woman on the camp's board of directors, a pair of selective teachers, and a spacey blonde Indian wannabe. Delightful plot, colorful surroundings, and solid prose makes this a winner.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


The Washington Post Book World, Maureen Corrigan
...a self-proclaimed "labor of love" whose results should please Mrs. Potter's many fans.


From AudioFile
This is the first new adventure of Eugenia Potter since the death of her creator (Virginia Rich). She finds her vacation at an archaeological camp takes a strange turn as first one, and then a second, woman is murdered. Are the murders tied to the ancient peoples who once inhabited this area? Agnes Herrmann finds distinctive voices for the range of characters, although a few of the women's voices sound like caricatures. The pace is steady as Herrmann keeps the plot moving forward in a story with more hidden agendas than intrigue. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Book Description
Kernels of Truth....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, 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 teenagers on a hiking trip disappears without a trace, Mrs. Potter begins some digging... to unearth a cruel scheme, a long-buried secret, and the deadly fruits of a killer's dark hungers.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Mrs. Potter visits the Medicine Wheel Archaeological Camp near Cortez, Colorado, where she hopes to glean the wisdom of the ancients, and see some exciting ruins to boot. There's lots to see at the camp, and treats galore from Bingo, the cook, like Cream Cheese Corn Bread and Uncle Dick's Chicken. But trouble looms when a busload of youngsters disappears without a trace, drawing an eerie connection with the lost Anasazi tribe of so many years before. Then two women at Medicine Wheel end up dead. Are their deaths connected in some way? Who would want to harm them, and why? Mrs. Potter must take matters into her own hands as she investigates, hoping to avert another murder before it's too late.

FROM THE CRITICS

Kay Black - Mystery Reader.com

Eugenia is a pleasant sleuth ￯﾿ﾽ intelligent, wise, compassionate, and very clever. The situation is well rounded in reality, believable and most of the characters are dimensional, not stereotypical. Along the way, a lot of information about Indian tribes and artifacts are learned. The blue corn, from the title, comes from the ancient way of cooking, using maize. Oh yes, recipes are included.

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. (Aug.)

Library Journal

After the death of Virginia Rich (The Nantucket Diet Murders, 1985), Pickard, author of the popular Jenny Cain series, was commissioned to finish The 27-Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders (Delacorte, 1992). Now in this riveting tale she continues the adventures of 64-year-old Arizona rancher Eugenia Potter, taking her to an archaeological hiking camp in Colorado. There, amid splendid scenery and mystical ancient cities, Eugenia encounters idiosyncratic characters, a camp management under stress, and savage murder. Among the suspects are a spiteful old woman on the camp's board of directors, a pair of selective teachers, and a spacey blonde Indian wannabe. Delightful plot, colorful surroundings, and solid prose makes this a winner.

AudioFile - Joyce E. McCarty

This is the first new adventure of Eugenia Potter since the death of her creator (Virginia Rich). She finds her vacation at an archaeological camp takes a strange turn as first one, and then a second, woman is murdered. Are the murders tied to the ancient peoples who once inhabited this area? Agnes Herrmann finds distinctive voices for the range of characters, although a few of the women's voices sound like caricatures. The pace is steady as Herrmann keeps the plot moving forward in a story with more hidden agendas than intrigue. J.E.M. cAudioFile, Portland, Maine

Kay Black - The Mystery Reader.com