Patricia A Bonn
Authors do not choose a story to write, the story chooses us. - Richard P. Denney
Patricia A Bonn
– An e-Short Story Of Suspense
ICE agent Daniel Candelaria knows trouble when he sees it in Auggie Miranda, an intense Latina whose oh-dark-thirty call for help draws him into the dangerous world of human smuggling in the southern Arizona desert. Shadow Wolves, Native American trackers, guide Daniel and Auggie across the unforgiving desert of the Tohono O’odham Reservation in the hope of finding an innocent American kidnapping victim in time.
by Patricia A Bonn and Tristan Henry
by Patricia A Bonn
What Will You Discover
Stories of Murder & Mayhem
Tried and True
Caroline and Madeline are twin bestselling mystery authors, both 95 years old and widowed and they hate each other.
Never Left Behind
Mike Murphy grabbed at his vibrating smartphone as it danced across the night stand.
SoWest: Wrong Turn
George Watkins’ windshield displayed the same view he’d seen for hours. Rough country.Saguaro cactus. Desert shrub
Sowest: Danger Awaits
The 2025 Desert Sleuths anthology will feature Desert Sleuths member-written and edited mystery and crime short stories with a theme of Danger Awaits!
Tried and True
widowed and the real-life mystery is one of them is trying to kill the other
Never Left Behind
Superb offering entertains with a surprise rescue by an unusual group of people.” Mark P. Sadler.
SoWest: Wrong Turn
Then the GPS starts giving directions in French and he has attracted the attention of law enforcement
Sowest: Danger Awaits
SoWest: Danger Awaits was published in September 2025. This Desert Sleuths anthology features mystery and crime short stories by its members.
Patricia’s stories often include characters who are active military, veterans, and their loved ones. . . and there always seems to be a dog.
25+
Books Published
4K+
Happy Readers
10+
Words of Praise from the Writing Community
So West: Love Kills
“Love Kills, kills. An exploration of love under the hot desert sun that often goes wrong in the most delicious ways. If you like your love emanating from a dark heart, you’ll love Love Kills!” Review by Matt Coyle, author the Anthony, Shamus and Lefty Award-winning Rick Cahill series.
So West: Love Kills: Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter Anthology (Volume 9, 2021)
Never Left Behind
Praise for “Never Left Behind,” a short story by Patricia A Bonn.
“Superb offering . . .entertains with a surprise rescue by an unusual group of people.” Review by Mark P. Sadler, author of “Kettle of Vultures,” Suspense Magazine.
Part of So West: So Deadly: Sisters in Crime Desert
Sleuths Chapter Anthology (Volume 6, 2015)
BEST ANTHLOGY 2016 FINALIST AWARD ~New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards~
SoWest: Wrong Turn
“You’ll roast in desert heat, plunge down canyons, bump along desolate roads and gritty city streets alike, and chew your nails reading this collection of Southwestern short crime fiction. No wrong turn here, the Desert Sleuths present suspenseful armchair travel at its best.” Review by Edith Maxwell, Agatha Award winning author of cozy and historical mysteries, both short and long.
So West: Wrong Turn: Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter Anthology (Volume 10, 2023)
Bad JuJu,
A short story by Patricia A Bonn
U.S. Deputy Marshal JT Knight had the recurring dream of danger hidden behind a distant door. His sixth sense had served him well as a Marine Scout Sniper in Iraq, saving his team and civilians. As a member of the Fugitive Task Force, he hunted bad guys as his day job. The dream remained in a mental compartment for JT while he did the job and carried on his life as husband and father of four young girls. When an alert about a dangerous fugitive landed in his in-box, JT’s foreboding had taken physical form and he had to rely on his sniper ability and sixth sense to outwit the violent criminal.
Recent Events & Accomplishments
Like A Thief Stealing Time
Sonoran Writer’s Conference
On May 9, 2026, Sonoran Writer’s Conference was held in Mesa, Arizona. Patricia participated in two panels: You Can Make it Up, But it Better be Right: The Value of Research in Fiction Writing and Plotting Practices—Tips, Practices, and Warnings.
Patricia’s paper celebrating the 100th anniversary
Patricia’s paper celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66 was accepted for presentation at the Arizona Historical Society’s Mini-Conference to be held in Tucson, Arizona on September 26, 2026. Her paper and Power Point presentations are based on a 100-year-photo album of her grandparents’ travel from Shawnee, Oklahoma to Portland, Oregon in the summer of 1925 on precursor roadways of Route 66.
Works in Progress
LUCKY 13
Joe Reagan is on leave following a deployment to Iraq in 2009. As a Navy SEAL, he feels compelled to serve. Tragedy has shaken him and the future is not so clear. As he visits family to help deal with his loss, Joe seeks to come to terms with what comes next. Lucky 13 is a novel which follows his journey of healing.
SKIVVIES
This collection of Patricia’s short stories features tales of active military, veterans, and their loved ones. Contents include “Never Left Behind,” “Desert Shadows,” “The Nose Knows,” and others. SKIVVIES’s narratives tell of snipers and silliness . . . loyalty and honor . . . and a dog.
So West: Evil Elements (2027)
The 2027 Desert Sleuths anthology, So West: Evil Elements, is open for submissions and Patricia is writing a short story to be considered for the collection.
An updated version of the short story, “If Walls Could Speak.” Is in the queue for inclusion into the SKIVVIES collection. Cari Reagan moves to Arizona to start over only to find her new house holds secrets that are worth killing for by a dangerous drug cartel.
Patricia also plans to update the short story, “Murphy’s Law.” Marine Mike Murphy lost his lower legs on a goat trail in Afghanistan, but not his sense of duty. He is pulled into a killer’s game to protect an FBI analyst targeted by the dangerous criminal.