• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Endorsements
  • Books
  • Periodic Table of Death
  • Contact
  • Blog
Carol Potenza

Carol Potenza

New Mexico Mysteries

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Goodreads

Tightly plotted and intelligent | Science and Suspense | Eerie Spirits and Visions | Action-Packed Thrills | Slow Burn Romance

BOOKS BY CAROL POTENZA

The Nicky Matthews Mystery Series

Hearts of the Missing

The Tony Hillerman Prize winning first book in the Nicky Matthews Mystery series. Members of the Fire-Sky Pueblo have gone missing, but no one seems to notice except a young woman who turns up dead in an apparent suicide. Pueblo Police Sergeant Nicky Matthews is assigned to the case and pressured by her superiors to close it quickly. But as Nicky’s investigation deepens, she discovers that the young woman and the Pueblo’s missing were targeted for murder—hunted because of their ancestry and genetics. With a hostile captain, interference by a politically powerful ex-lover, and a burgeoning relationship with one of the undercover agents, Nicky doesn’t know who she can trust.

READ MORE
AMAZON

The Third Warrior

Ancient prophecies and a stalking death. “They say the chief decided to approach this god of death and fire and called for volunteers. They say four brave warriors stepped forward to run into the fire. No one knew the warriors would return alive.” Three brothers who coveted the title of sacred fetish carver are dead. Is it murder? Or did the vengeful spirit of the god of death and fire require their sacrifice? A vulnerable young boy is the only one left to inherit. Can Fire-Sky Pueblo Police Sergeant Nicky Matthews protect him? With the tension, heat, and body count rising, Nicky’s actions take a reckless and dangerous turn, driven by elements outside of her control.

READ MORE
AMAZON
Spirit Daughters with Winner Badge

Spirit Daughters

A treasure beyond value. Her mother’s life on the line. When a murder victim falls out of a closet at Police Sergeant Nicky Matthews’ feet, her investigation leads her to a powerful tribal fertility medicine. What Nicky keeps secret is that this medicine was once at the center of her father’s scientific research. He’d isolated the single most-important compound in a fertility treatment worth a fortune … and worth killing for. But when her father vanished, the identity and location of the plant that produced this compound was lost. Or was it? Nicky’s archeologist mother may hold the key to the plant’s rediscovery which makes her the target of the desperate killers.

READ MORE
AMAZON

A De-Extinct Zoo Mystery

UNMASKED

Catch the Killer, Save the Bear. Veterinarian Milly Smith is living her dream, working in a zoo populated by de-extinct creatures resurrected from ancient DNA: Mammoths and mastodons, dire wolves and do-dos, camelops and saber-toothed cats. But a routine surgery on a massive short-faced bear goes horribly wrong and a colleague is dead. The bear is slated to be destroyed unless Milly can prove the animal was used  by a diabolical killer as a murder weapon. A killer whose attention has turned to Milly.

And Get Carol Potenza’s Latest Book FREE!

When you sign up for Carol’s Newsletter, you’ll receive updates and special deals from Carol sent directly to your inbox! After signing up, you’ll also receive an ebook copy of Unmasked: a De-Extinct Zoo Mystery completely on the house!

I've been featured on eBookDaily

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi, I’m Carol Potenza.

I live in southern New Mexico with my husband, Leos, and our extremely grumpy chihuahua, Hermès. I love my adopted state and the desert southwest. It’s beautiful, and its strong multicultural history has been shaped by diverse peoples and cultures. Las Cruces sits nestled at the bottom of the Organ Mountains to the east and the Rio Grande to the west. It is the second largest city in the state, but has a wonderful small town feeling, and every fall, the scent of roasting green chile fills the air. I have a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from UC San Diego and worked in a plant genetic engineering laboratory at New Mexico State University for years before I moved to full time teaching—Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

The paranormal and “visions” I add to some of my books come from true stories told to me by relatives and friends who experienced them first hand—and their words can be hair-raising. I knew as I listened, I’d need to write them down and blend them into my fiction because I love that shivery feeling. I myself am not sensitive, except for one time. Ask me about it if we ever meet. I love to blend strong women sleuths, paranormal, and mystery with science to create my BiocheMysteries. I hope you will enjoy my stories.

READ MORE
The Periodic Table of Death

Click on a periodic table element to learn how it contributed to human death past, present, and future.

1 Hydrogen
2 Helium
3 Lithium
6 Carbon
7 Nitrogen
9 Fluoride
16 Sulfur
20 Calcium
Periodic table element Titanium with Ti abbreviation and atomic number. Spilled Skittles Candy is in the background
22 Titanium
24 Chromium
26 Iron
Periodic Table Depiction of Arsenic (As) with a Skull on top of gold books
33 Arsenic
36 Krypton
47 Silver
77 Iridium
82 Lead

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT CAROL POTENZA

Endorsements and Testimonials

Nicky’s temperament is another interesting twist. She is clearly not the perfect heroine investigator. I sometimes was angry with her for being oversensitive to imagined slights, and other times delighted with her courage.

S.L.
-for Spirit Daughters

“Carol Potenza’s award winning debut novel is a fascinating page turner that will leave readers anxious for the next in the installment. Pueblo Police Sergeant, Nicky Mathews, blends science, mysticism and cunning police work as she investigates a tribal murder that leaves her life in jeopardy. Thoroughly researched and masterfully plotted, Hearts of the Missing uses the atmospheric beauty of New Mexico to fully make… Read more “Tricia Fields”

Tricia Fields, The Josie Gray Mystery Series
- for Hearts of the Missing

“The Hearts of the Missing is engrossing, bewitching, and compelling. Filled with the natural enchantment of its New Mexico setting, this story of an intrepid detective in Native American culture and her FBI partner kept me rapt and… Read more “Jeffe Kennedy”

Jeffe Kennedy, RITA® Award winning author of The Twelve Kingdoms and The Uncharted Realms
- for Hearts of the Missing

“Hearts of the Missing is a stunning debut. It’s compelling, intelligent, and brilliantly designed. Brava, Miss Potenza! I couldn’t put it… Read more “Darynda Jones”

Darynda Jones - NY Time Bestselling Author
- for Hearts of the Missing

“In the Hillerman tradition, Carol Potenza’s Hearts of the Missing winds and weaves together like a Tsiba’ashi D’yini basket holding one fine… Read more “Craig Johnson”

Craig Johnson, author of the Walt Longmire Mysteries, the basis for the Netflix drama Longmire
- for Hearts of the Missing

Tony Hillerman Prize Winner 2017 ‘Hearts of the Missing’ by Carol Potenza “New Mexico is a spectacular setting for mysteries, and Carol Potenza puts its majestic landscape to unexpected and thrilling… Read more “David Morrell”

David Morrell. New York Times bestselling author of Murder As a Fine Art
- for Hearts of the Missing

“Getting hooked on Carol Potenzas character Nicki Mathews. I just finished Third Warrior after reading Hearts of the Missing, also Nicki Mathews mystery set in New Mexico. The character Nicky Mathews has evolved in the past two books. She’s somewhat of a mystery herself. As a strong but vulnerable person she keeps up a a independent professional life when possible. Yet she has a inner… Read more “Nina Hampton”

Nina Hampton (Goodreads)
- for The Third Warrior

“I’ve been a long-time fan of Tony Hillerman since my father introduced me to those mysteries way back in the early 1970s. Since then, I’ve read every Tony Hillerman book and, being raised in the Southwest, love how he (and later his daughter, Anne Hillerman) capture the aura of the land and its people so beautifully and with such empathy. Author Carol Potenza’s debut novel,… Read more “Suanne Schafer”

Suanne Schafer
- for The Third Warrior
https://suanneschaferauthor.com/book-review-the-third-warrior/

“Author Carol Potenza is now on my automatic-buy list. I have read every Tony Hillerman book and, being raised in the Southwest, loved how he (and later his daughter Anne Hillerman) captured so beautifully the aura of the land and its people. Author Carol Potenza’s debut novel, Hearts of the Missing, won the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest and… Read more “SuZreader”

SuZreader
- for Nicky Matthews Mystery Series

“Tony Hillerman Prize recipient Carol Potenza strikes gold with her upcoming police procedural debut Hearts of the… Read more “Linda Castillo”

New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo
- for Hearts of the Missing

“The spirit of Tony Hillerman hovers over every page of Carol Potenza’s debut novel Hearts of the Missing (Minotaur), so it’s no surprise that, when still unpublished, it won the 2017 Hillerman Prize for the best first mystery set in the… Read more “Neil Nyren”

Neil Nyren BookTrib
- for Hearts of the Missing

“I loved all the suspense, mystery and surprises in this book. There was so much suspense that it had me hooked to the storyline and I was so into uncovering the mystery of what was going on that I flew through this book and felt myself on the edge of my seat as I was reading through the chapters….I really enjoyed reading about Nicky’s characters.… Read more “Booksonthebookshelf”

Booksonthebookshelf.wordpress.com
- for Hearts of the Missing
MORE ENDORSEMENTS

RECENT POSTS FROM CAROL POTENZA

Blog Post Feed

July 2, 2023 by Carol Potenza

Writing Update! Plus + How Are You? It’s Been Awhile…

I’ve been writing and publishing, thus avoiding social media and criminally ducking my website duties. I feel guilty about that, but made great progress on the fourth Nicky Matthews Mystery (Sacred Ghosts) and the next De-Extinct Zoo Mystery (Ambushed). Update 1: Signs: A De-Extinct Zoo …

Read moreWriting Update! Plus + How Are You? It’s Been Awhile…
December 26, 2022 by Carol Potenza

New Year’s Resolution: Write a Mystery Challenge from Me to You

We’ll follow Demystifying the Beats and write a mystery What made someone who’d only written scientific papers and grants want to write fiction? (That would be me) An eReader for Christmas. This gift from my sisters-in-law was amazing. It allowed me to take dozens in not hundreds of books …

Read moreNew Year’s Resolution: Write a Mystery Challenge from Me to You
Detail of Still Life Oil Painting with Native American Pottery
November 23, 2022 by Carol Potenza

You are invited to Book Club to Discuss “Spirit Daughters”

I’m going to copy paste the write-up up from the wonderful Charlotte Zimmerman who coordinates the Mesilla Valley Readers of Southern New Mexico Book Club BUT this is actually an international book club with members from all over the world because they use Zoom for their presentations, as well …

Read moreYou are invited to Book Club to Discuss “Spirit Daughters”
SEE ALL POSTS

carolpotenzaauthor

I would love for you to follow me on Instagram.

carolpotenzaauthor
Dropped our amazing daughter off at the San Diego Dropped our amazing daughter off at the San Diego Convention Center for a conference then drove up to Harry’s Coffee Shop in Del Mar, Ca. for a little brunch. Ocean view is nice. #delmarcalifornia #harryscoffeeshop
Elements of a Mystery: When I write, “My mind is Elements of a Mystery:
When I write, “My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.” 😂🙈 #BlazingSaddles. And all of these images represent elements in #StingofLies and play important parts in moving the mystery forward. And I had a great time weaving them together. Sting of Lies is on PRE-ORDER now online for a great low price! #staytunedformore #murdermysterybooks #columbianmammoth #caravaggio #actionadventurebooks #newmexico
I have lived in the deserts of Southern #Newmexico I have lived in the deserts of Southern #Newmexico for over 30 years and I have never known a horny toad (pro tip: don’t try to hashtag ANYTHING with “horny” in it) shoot blood from its eye 🩸👁️until now. #Phrynosoma can deliberately increase its blood pressure and fill its sinus cavities with blood and squirt said blood 4-5 feet. I love the colors of this guy and the fact that he looks like an angry Ewok. He fits in perfectly with the #Gilawildernes pine 🌲 tree forest floor. He was fine and scampered off.
You know, once I retired, I didn't want anymore do You know, once I retired, I didn't want anymore dogs--training them, and worrying about what to do with them when we travel. Too much mess, too much bother. But then I inherited Hermes 🐕, and I'm really, really glad he lets me take care of him. I decided to dedicate my new book Sting of Lies to all the dogs that have shared their lives with me and my family over the years. AND I'm getting super emotional over this post 😊. #lovedogs #bookrelease #sofatime #murdermystery #cozymystery
A friend of mine has a #kestrel box. She observes A friend of mine has a #kestrel box. She observes that when the male is courting the female, he brings her gifts--like #snakesofinstagram and #lizardsofinstagram. We joke that our husbands do it, too, but by cooking us dinner or getting us top notch microphones for podcasts. Mine also brings me snakes 🦎and 🐍 lizards in the form of pictures. Not sure what kind of snake this is or even which end is the head. Racer? Garter? Little help? #newmexico #amountain
This is Hermes. 🐾 He lives in our house and all This is Hermes. 🐾 He lives in our house and allows us to feed, walk, and spend sofa time with him. He has a funny eye, but I don't know why. He came that way. Hermes refuses to go outside into our backyard at night 🌚without a human guardian. Swipe the next two pictures to see why. Here is a hint 🦉. They live in a tree five 🏡 houses down the street. 

#chihuahuas #greathornedowls #backyardwildlife #raptors
I have NEW #MYSTERY up on #preorder. This is the f I have NEW #MYSTERY up on #preorder. This is the first book I've written where one of the protagonists is a dog, so I decided to dedicate this books to all the dogs that have shared their lives with me and my family. PRE-ORDER NOW before the price goes up! link in bio. #megafauna #Ilovedogs #mysterywriters #newmexicolove
I'm doing an Author Talk at the Branigan Library 9 I'm doing an Author Talk at the Branigan Library 9-6-23 at 1:30pm and I can't BELIEVE how much I look like my mother in this picture 👀. Thanks @tbmlfriends and @citizensbankoflascruces #mysterywriter #newmexicotrue #lascruces
Last day of the 1/2 price SALE. The story has a fi Last day of the 1/2 price SALE. The story has a fierce heroine protagonist, the man she loves (if she doesn't blow it), a lost fertility medicine that gives miraculous results, clashing mothers and daughters, creepy paranormal creatures with glowing red eyes, murder, betrayal, ruthless (great word) villains, adventure, action... WHAT ARE YOU WAITNG FOR? 😮 link in bio #newmexicofiction #murdermystery #onsale #mysterybooks
Since Spirit Daughters won the Daphne contest, I t Since Spirit Daughters won the Daphne contest, I thought I'd like to celebrate and cut its price by half on a few online sites. And thanks for your support 😊. #mysterybooks #awardwinningbooks #onsale #onsalenow Link for Spirit Daughters in my bio!
Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • For Book Clubs
  • Extras
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Sign up for Carol’s Newsletter

When you sign up, you’ll receive Carol’s latest mystery, “Unmasked: A De-Extinct Zoo Mystery” completely FREE!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Goodreads
  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • For Book Clubs
  • Extras
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions

Other Books by Carol Potenza

Nicky Matthews Mysteries

The Third Warrior

Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Apple Books
Buy from Barnes and Noble
Buy from Barnes and Noble Nook
Buy from Google Play
Buy from Kobo
Abe Books
Booktopia
Fantastic Fiction
The Third Warrior
Buy now!
The Third Warrior

Hearts of the Missing: A Mystery

Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Apple Books
Buy from Audible.com
Buy from Barnes and Noble Nook
Buy from Books-A-Million
Buy from IndieBound
Buy from Kobo
Abe Books
BookWorks
COAS Books
Collected Works Bookstore
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore
Hearts of the Missing: A Mystery
Buy now!
Hearts of the Missing: A Mystery

Spirit Daughters

Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from GoodReads
Buy from Book Depository
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Barnes and Noble Nook
Buy from Kobo
Spirit Daughters
Buy now!
Spirit Daughters
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Goodreads

Copyright © 2022 · Carol Potenza All Rights Reserved.
Website by Stormhill Media