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Bob Wince, an Albuquerque building contractor, sentenced to the New Mexico State Penitentiary for a crime he didn’t commit, is mysteriously granted an early release…fed up with accidents, or fate, running his life. Associating himself with the minor crooks and scammers who gather at his father’s restaurant, “Dimmie’s Half-Off,” Wince vows to reestablish his life and exact revenge on those who set him up…That means working the system…

From Albuquerque to Gallup, to the Navajo reservation and beyond, Peck introduces sleazy operators and hustlers in every line of work. It’s a rich cast of characters — Anglos, Hispanics, Native Americans — who populate New Mexico’s tangled subcultures. The priciest turquoise jewelry could have been made last week in Mahmad Khalil’s Gallup factory; Maria Morales may be named Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year, but she’s still Maria Losinski, Hispanic only through a brief marriage to Ernie Morales.

From the moment you begin Dead Pawn, its mordant humor and crisp language will change the way you see New Mexico, the “Land of Enchantment.”

Reader’s Comments -

…a splendid book…I hope you use the characters in future novels…vividly portrayed…marvelous conversation…especially ethnic…idosyncrasies…a real treat…
- S.K. San Francisco

…enjoyed the characters and loved the Indian-New Mexican southwestern post-modern backdrop…a terrific book!
- A.B. Tempe AZ

…fast-paced with great dialogue and wonderful…Let’s have another!
- P.M. Farmington NM

Reviews -
…[A] parade of sleazy hustlers of various ethnicities…populate this very readable volume…a string of characters that have spent time in prison, on welfare or just lurking around the edges of immorality…[A]nyone who has lived in the Land of Enchantment will recognize the bizarre but endearing collage of ethnicities, social strata and manipulative scammers…Crisp, succinct description that evokes an accurate sense of place, realistic dialogue that makes the reading fast and fluid, and a wit and candor that provide comic relief raise the book above your run-of-the-mill revenge mystery…Peck is a confident storyteller, familiar enough with New Mexico to provide an authentic feel for the place and its multiracial inhabitants.
- Carrie Seidman, Albuquerque Tribune

…the first crime novel by Richard Peck, president emeritus of {UNM} and author of many other books, stories and plays. Peck…showers every aspect of the story with informed detail, from the intricacies of setting up a construction job to the workings of a greasy spoon to the fine points of Indian jewelry, making Dead Pawn an interesting as well as gripping read. I recommend it highly…
- Jane Dickinson, Rocky Mountain News

Dead Pawn is a suspense-filled mystery that is…replete with Elmore Leonard-like characters whose quirky personalities make Peck’s novel a real page-turner.
- Joseph Badal, author of The Pythagorean Solution

The author…is a former president of the University of New Mexico. His…subject is the world of prison inmates, ex-cons, pawn dealers, scam artists and assorted lowlifes of the Albuquerque street scene. The material is dead-on believable and keeps you wondering how the former prexy became so familiar with this stuff…Peck also knows his construction. His lovingly detailed information…makes you wonder if, when not running colleges, he builds houses…Dry humor leavens the dark stuff…Smoothly written, nicely handled…
- Robert Mayer, The Santa Fe New Mexican