Santa Fe Psychosis

Description

Jackson Bardo, a San Francisco private investigator, is summoned to New Mexico in 2019 by his ex-girlfriend Jenny. Her life has been threatened and she needs money. Days after he arrives, Jenny disappears, forcing Bardo to team with Santa Fe Police Detective Diego Juarez to find her. Once they learn she is part of an extortion scheme, Bardo must confront a violent casino collection agent. Then the two detectives become embroiled in a missing teenager investigation. But the discovery of another girl—dead—leads them on a larger quest to stop a sex trafficking operation. With the help of Detective Maria Ravello and Sergeant Ellison, Bardo and Juarez go after the procurers: a small group who travel in vans to festivals and concerts to drug and abduct new victims. Once the detectives have stopped the procurers, they are unable to convict the rich men running the trafficking from the cloistered safety of an exclusive private club. As they continue to gather evidence, they are hampered by the return of a criminal presumed to be dead, who seeks a murderous revenge on both detectives.

About the Author

Max Talley is the award-winning author of two novels and three short story collections, including Yesterday We Forget Tomorrow and When The Night Breathes Electric. Seventy of his stories have appeared in literary journals and anthologies. His most recent novel is Peace, Love & Haight, and his 2025 story collection, Destroy Me Gently, Please, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Born in New York City, Talley attended liberal arts college in Vermont, and currently lives in Santa Barbara, California. www.maxtalley.com

Praise for Santa Fe Psychosis and Talley’s Crime Thrillers

“As we go on Bardo’s hazardous journey through Santa Fe and beyond, it’s difficult not to be beguiled by the Land of Enchantment, regardless of the ominous underpinnings throughout.”
—Genna Rivieccio, author, Lindsay Lohan Stole My Life

The hot breath noirs of David Goodis crossed with William Burroughs jittery kaleidoscopes.
—Gary Phillips, Ash Dark Night

“Talley’s novel is a fast-moving, gritty noir, with great dialogue, suspense, and characters that are larger than life.”
—Leonard Tourney, author, Catesby’s Ghost

“Talley’s writing is hip, tense, and wildly propulsive. An outstanding thriller.”
—Cynthia Weiner, author, A Gorgeous Excitement

“Max Talley concocts a wild stew of social commentary, stirred with unforgettable characters, and seasoned with humor. A rewarding roller-coaster ride.”
—John Reed, author, The Kingfisher’s Call