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D. R. Ransdell
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Dizzy in Durango Paperback

4.9 out of 5 stars 7 ratings
Dizzy in Durango An Andy Veracruz Mystery Missing women, abandoned children, and a crazy mariachi fan add up to further trouble for Andy Veracruz. After a fellow traveler disappears, he can't concentrate on vacationing. Worse, he's saddled with two children who aren't his, an angry would-be girlfriend, and a self-appointed younger brother who is more reckless than he is. No wonder he starts seeing double! -- -- -- Ransdell's fluid style allows Andy's story to unfold effortlessly. Besides providing a vivid insider's view of Durango, Ransdell demonstrates how the machismo attitude in Mexico warps the lives of women and children.   --J. L. Greger, author of I Saw You in Beirut
-- -- --  "With his personal and professional life in a mess, Andy Veracruz's head is already spinning when he heads to Mexico and gets mixed up with a missing woman, missing children, and a mariachi fan who's missing a few screws. Murder, mayhem, and mariachi music... how else would you expect to find Andy 'Dizzy in Durango'?" --Amy Bennett, author of The Black Horse Campground mysteries
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Dark Oak Mysteries
  3. Dimensions
    5.98 x 0.48 x 9.02 inches
  4. ISBN-10
    1610092120
  5. ISBN-13
    978-1610092128
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From the Author

This is the original version of Dizzy in Durango. The updated version has a brown cover.

About the Author

After majoring in Spanish, D.R. Ransdell took a job in Durango, Durango, Mexico, so that she could work on her language skills. She originally signed a one-year contract,but by the end of the school year she was having so much fun that she couldn't stand to leave. She spent five years in Durango, teaching English, playing in the orchestra, learning songs, and spending time with her new friends. Her favorite Saturday nights were spent at house parties where guests fought over the guitar. When she returned to the U.S., she was so homesick for Mexico that she joined a mariachi band. Within weeks she had ideas for dozens of murder mysteries!

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dark Oak Mysteries
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1610092120
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1610092128
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.48 x 9.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 out of 5 stars 7 ratings

About the author

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D. R. Ransdell

D. R. Ransdell

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D.R. Ransdell is a writer, a traveler, and a musician. She's also a night owl--how else could she get any writing done? Although she's a native of Illinois, after a lovely stint in Mexico, she moved to Tucson, Arizona, where the sun is strong and the pools are inviting. By day she's a writing instructor at the University of Arizona.

Humorous Murder Mysteries:

Latest release:

PARTY WINE takes place in a village in Northern Italy where the natives construct party houses to keep their wine at a cook sixty degrees. However, the cellars are also perfect for a dead body or two, especially when the locals drink a little too much wine.

Andy Veracruz Series

In MARIACHI MEDDLER, a dangerous woman, a guilty conscience, and a mariachi band in jeopardy add up to Andy Veracruz's first adventure. In ISLAND CASUALTY, the mariachi violinist heads to Greece to relax. Instead of finding an island paradise, he's soon embroiled in local politics he only thinks he understands. In his latest adventure, DIZZY IN DURANGO, a missing woman leads him to abandoned children and a crazy mariachi fan. Will Andy ever get any rest? Not in the near future! When he takes a job in the orchestra, he accidentally becomes a SUBSTITUTE SOLOIST, but he's dismayed to find that being a soloist is the easy part! In BROTHERLY LOVE he and Rachel stage a show in Vegas, but when the personnel manager is kidnapped, Andy has to stop rehearsing and start sleuthing. BROTHERLY LOVE earned Third Place in the Arizona Authors Association 2022 Literary Fiction Contest.

Contemporary Fiction:

In AMIROSIAN NIGHTS, haunting melodies, moonlit beaches, and a handsome bouzouki player spice up a summer holiday! In THAI TWIST, an elephant statue, a long-lost relative, and a charming native add up to a chase through Thailand. In CARILLON CHASE, Gina looks forward to an internship with a travel company, little realizing that she'll be taking a long road trip to the Midwest! CARILLON CHASE earned First Place in the Arizona Authors Association 2022 Literary Fiction Contest.

Humorous Memoir:

SECRETS OF A MARIACHI VIOLINIST

D.R. Ransdell would have never guessed that nostalgia for living in Mexico would lead her to join a mariachi band in Tucson, Arizona. Nor would she have guessed that learning by ear could be such a devilish challenge. The former Illinoisan recounts memorable gigs and describes the exasperating process of relearning technique and new musical traditions. This title was a finalist in the 2019 Arizona/New Mexico Book Awards.

Please visit D.R. at http://www.dr-ransdell.com

For a few visuals, please visit http://www.pinterest.com/drransdell/boards/

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
7 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Old Mvskoke
    5.0 out of 5 stars It's a fun read.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Andy is up to his pits in trouble once again!
    This time he's got more problems than his usual "who done it" mystery... Read "Dizzy in Durango"...It's a fun read...especially if your not Andy...
    Cf.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Mesquite13
    5.0 out of 5 stars a little naughty
    Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Another good read by D.R. Ransdell. Dizzy in Durango is funny, a little scary, a little naughty, and immensely captivating.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Joyce Brown
    4.0 out of 5 stars Exciting but thoughtful
    Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2016
    Trouble follows Andy Veracruz, and this time it’s at the airport in Durango, Mexico where the problems begin. Andy is there to visit his fellow Mariachi musician and sometimes lover, Rachel, who is there for a family celebration. But a sexy woman at the airport attracts his attention, leaves her purse with him, and disappears.
    Inside the bag, Andy finds three thousand dollars. He involves his girlfriend in his search for the missing woman, and they run into danger. Stolen children, dead bodies, and psychotic killers from Durango to the Mexican border to Tucson, Arizona disrupt romantic intentions. Too, Andy’s dizzy spells produce concerns among his Mexican friends.
    Meanwhile, Andy’s relationship with his girlfriend and his music career take unexpected twists and turns. The small-town setting of Durango, a symphony audition in Tucson, and the Arizona desert landscape add interest and appeal to the story.
    Although references to previous episodes in the series disrupt the flow a few times, this cozy mystery is a page-turner with nonstop action. At the same time, it presents character studies and moral dilemmas that cause the reader to reflect on solutions long after the final scene.
    One person found this helpful
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  • O. D. Book Reviews
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another stunning murder mystery by D.R. Ransdell!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2017
    Description:
    Set in both Mexico and Arizona this story takes a while ride that begins with good ol' Andy watching a woman's bag for her. When she disappears and he is left holding her mysterious bag he is unwittingly thrown into another adventure looking for two missing women. The mystery takes deadly turns and Andy and his friends find themselves trying to not only find the missing women but also reunite stolen children with their family all while avoiding a very dangerous and powerful person.

    In Short:
    This is a great series for mystery novel lovers. I found "Dizzy in Durango" to be more of a suspenseful thriller than the previous book. If you are looking for a very well written series with realistic characters look no further. Enjoy a good mystery while watching the slow natural development of Andy and Rachel's relationship and Andy's professional journey as a musician.

    Another stunning tale by D.R. Ransdell!

    Pros:
    Even though these books are part of a series they can be read alone! I read book 2, "IslandCasualty" before this one and absolutely loved it! It was also our Book of theMonth in July! That book gave me the background on Rachel and Andy and their relationship but pertinent details from past books are explained in this story, so you wont miss out. Although these books are all stand-alones if the series appeals to you, read it in order, you wont regret it! The story in this book was very different from "Island Casualty", showing that Andy's life is absolutely full of crazy twists and turns. The poor guy can't seem to go anywhere without murder following him. But it isn't all madness and peril for him! In this installment he auditions for a symphony and makes plans to start a life closer to his friend, lover and could-be-something-more, Rachel.

    These books are incredibly detailed. Every setting is so well described that you feel like you are actually there. The cultures of the people in these places are also well highlighted. In this story you see a spotlight shone onto Machismo culture.

    Cons:
    I have no notable issues with this book.

    Parent's Guide:
    Murder, gun violence, some language, alcohol, and brief sexual content.
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  • AZ Ellen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best in the series so far
    Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020
    I have read all three books in the Andy Veracruz series and they get better with each addition. Andy is beginning to get a little more mature. The mystery is good. This time he is in Mexico and, of course, gets into trouble there. The author's inventiveness in getting Andy into ... and out of scrapes is amazing. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
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  • Carolyn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice people trying to help end up in lots of trouble
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2016
    How could Andy Veracruz know that offering to watch a woman’s purse for a few minutes would lead him, his girlfriend and her extended Mexican family on a deadly quest to rescue an American woman and her two children from her crazed Mexican husband? Andy is a regular guy who has made his living as a mariachi musician for years; he’s also naïvely nice and way over this head when he wades into one dangerous situation after the other. When the end comes, Andy feels morally conflicted wondering if the dead body in front of him is murder or justified revenge. The characters are all interesting people; you’ll enjoy spending a few hours with them.
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