Deadly Desert

DEADLY DESERT:  THREE NOVELS


From #1 bestselling author J. Carson Black, a boxed set of three complete novels—two of suspense and a ghost story of mystery and horror.  Writing as Margaret Falk, Black set these books in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of her home state of Arizona and in southern New Mexico.  Now for the first time in one volume: DARKSCOPE, DARK HORSE, and THE DESERT WAITS. 


DARKSCOPE, Book 1

A Ghost Story


“A frightening tale of lost souls, lost love, murder and deceit.”

— The Sierra Vista Herald 


After Chelsea McCord’s marriage falls apart, her uncle talks her into a change of scene — Bisbee, Arizona, the scenic mining town with a notorious past. Her great-grandfather, mining magnate Lucas McCord, helped build Bisbee at the turn of the last century. 


Chelsea discovers an ancient box camera in a dusty trunk, the film still inside. On a lark she photographs the town. Is it her imagination, or does the stench of death emanate from the camera’s inner workings?  And when Chelsea looks through a viewfinder wavy with age, she sees children in gunny-sack clothes, their eyes dark and grainy. Children from the 1920’s. She sees a young man and woman at a train station that no longer exists. 


And as the past superimposes itself on the present, Chelsea learns the secret of her family’s true legacy. With one click of the shutter, she has unleashed a pure and hungry evil that will consume everyone she loves.  Now Chelsea must fight to save her beloved uncle — and herself.


“Skillfully blending elements of mystery, horror and a nice touch of irony, DARKSCOPE weaves a fascinating spell. 4 ½ stars."

— Frank A. Loporto, Rave Reviews


DARK HORSE, Book 2

A Novel of Suspense


“A terrific tale of murder and mayhem set on the Quarter Horse racing circuit in the American Southwest. Watch out, Dick Francis!”

—New York Times Bestselling Author J.A. JANCE


Despite the accidents plaguing his racing business, horse breeder Coke McCallister was sure that Shameless, his prized filly, would put him back on top. But now Coke is dead, and his daughter Dakota returns to Arizona determined to sell Black Oak. Dakota is not prepared for the bittersweet memories that greet her, and she really isn’t prepared to see her ex-husband, Clay Pearce. Although she has every reason to distrust him, who else can she turn to in an atmosphere fraught with danger? Who else can she confide in when her life is threatened by an unseen stalker? 


When Dakota enters the filly Shameless in the All American Futurity, a desperate killer lays a trap. And on the eve of the race, Dakota learns the shattering truth. If she runs the filly to restore her father’s good name, her actions could bring down Black Oak and everything with it. 

And she could lose her life.


As featured in The Quarter Racing Journal and The Quarter Horse Journal


“DARK HORSE brings readers smack dab to the center of the complex and fascinating world of horse breeding and racing, and will take readers on an intense and nerve-shattering ride that is bound to please.”

—Romantic Times


“DARK HORSE should put Falk in the Winner’s Circle.”

—New York Times Bestselling Author TONY HILLERMAN


THE DESERT WAITS, Book 3

A Novel of Suspense


"As sharp and prickly as a desert cactus. Thoroughly entertaining."

—Carol Davis Luce, author of NIGHT STALKER


A woman answers a terrified cry for help...

A husband betrays his wife one last time...

The owner of an isolated hotel harbors a dangerous obsession...

A man succumbs to a fatal attraction...


They are four strangers whose lives converge on a lonely stretch of Arizona desert...four strangers brought together by the brutal murder of a beautiful woman. Each of them has a secret. And all of them have a reason to be afraid.


Now, someone else is going to die. For in the desert, under the merciless sun, there is no place to hide.