About Carol Potenza

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.

“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”

“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”

“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”

“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”

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”

“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”

“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”

“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”

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

“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”

“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”