What Readers Say about Bones in the Wash
Bones in the Wash: Politics is Tough. Family is Tougher.
It’s 2008 and the presidential election all comes down to New Mexico. Albuquerque Mayor Tomas Zamara knows politics is like playing football on a muddy field — if you don’t get dirty, you’re not giving your all.
Charged with delivering New Mexico’s five electoral votes for John McCain, Mayor Zamara is directed to shut down voter registration drives and accuse the Democrats of stealing the election. He’s also grappling with a fierce opponent, a demanding and volatile new woman, and his father’s unrelenting pressure to use city money to rescue the family business. Then, when a flash flood unearths the skeleton of his long-missing wife, investigators zero in on Zamara as a suspect.
Winner, Best Book 2015 — Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA)
My brother’s book review
I was next to a guy on the bus, and I was talking about the book. I teach literature, so it’s a pleasure for me to talk about books. He was a reader, so he told me about Philip Roth and I told him about John Byrne Barry. Anyway, he said “Well, it must be awkward, you being an English professor and him wanting to know what you think of the book.”
And I laughed and said it wasn’t awkward at all; the book was so good I didn’t need to worry about that for a second. [more]
A perfect read for this political season
Reminds me of T.C. Boyle’s “Tortilla Curtain,” only better. In 2016 we all know the outcome of the 2008 presidential race — Obama defeats McCain — yet by adding murder and dysfunctional family dynamics to the mix, Barry manages to infuse the past race for New Mexico’s electoral votes with intense drama and great suspense.
Even though you know who won, “Bones in the Wash” is a page-turner you won’t want to put down. [more]
Like taking a vacation in New Mexico
A murder mystery, political intrigue and intertwining family dramas merge to create a riveting and fast read. Barry’s cast of characters will stay with you long after the book is finished, and the setting is so well drawn it’s like taking a vacation in New Mexico. A vacation filled with sexy temptresses, scheming politicos, dumpster diving and ill fated balloon rides! [more]
A political page turner
Bones in the Wash is a fast-moving whodunnit built around the 2008 presidential campaign as it played out in New Mexico. The story alternates between two attractive and sympathetic characters who are on opposite sides of the campaign. It includes political dirty tricks, international drug gangs, a disappeared spouse who may have been murdered, cranky dysfunctional families, and lots of beautiful New Mexico countryside. I was up till 4 am finishing this one. The surprises continue right to the last page. I highly recommend it.
I didn’t want to put the book down when I had to.
Peering into the private lives of real people
It is remarkable how the author so completely understands the characters he develops for this story: the dynamics of Zamara family; the competitive relationship between two young women friends; the distinctly different romances between young Sierra and her boyfriend, between Mayor Zamara and the mysterious Tory, or the strained marriage of Sierra’s parents.
You feel as if you’re peering into the private lives of real people, all skillfully set against the backdrop of the highly competitive world of Presidential politics, with the sinister world of organized crime casting a faint but menacing shadow. It takes a fertile imagination to dream up a flash flood that threatens the lives of the mayor and his lover on an outing in one part of the state, while uncovering the bones of his murdered wife in another. I found myself eagerly turning the page to discover how the various plot lines in this book were going to turn out. Highly recommended. [more]