Migrations of Butterflies and Lies

Imagine Dark Winds meets The DaVinci Code.

An archeologist disappears in New Mexico and Ranger Jack Chastain must find him, but the trail is clouded by conspiracy theories … and rumors of gold.

In 1765, Capitan Juan Rivera and a company of men left Santa Fe with orders to find a route into what is now Colorado, to look for gold and silver. He made two trips, found a little silver, and was largely forgotten by history.

Now, 250 years later, a leather-bound journal is discovered, claiming Rivera wasn’t so much forgotten as he had chosen to disappear. He had plans—plans disrupted by a Comanche raid, but not before Rivera hid gold near present day Piedras Coloradas National Park.

Jack Chastain is bewildered as treasure hunters ravage the park, public lands come under attack, a man goes after him for reasons that make no sense, and a mysterious Native American boy appears in the wilderness—alone.

The search for answers takes Chastain on a dangerous international quest, encountering chilling lies and an unexpected connection—the murder of a butterfly biologist in Mexico. Nothing suggests the murder and the archeologist’s disappearance—hundreds of miles apart—are connected. They are.

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“Mitchell has a big story to tell and he tells it well.” –Ranger Magazine

“Migrations of Butterflies and Lies takes readers on an international adventure. Sometimes reading like a police thriller, other times similar to a treatise on ancient cultures, Migrations keeps one guessing, wondering and turning pages. Mitchell’s expertise in multifaceted plot lines gives us a spectacular ride.” -Roundup Magazine

“Mitchell captures the landscape and drama of the American Southwest while keeping the action galloping. A great read.” -Mary Taylor Young, author of Bluebird Seasons

J.M. (Jerry) Mitchell had a long career with the National Park Service and knows the challenges of protecting beloved places. He retired as Chief of the agency's Biology Division, after working in Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. He now writes national park mysteries.

In his latest Jack Chastain adventure, Jerry Mitchell captures the landscape and drama of the American Southwest, creating a strong sense of place while keeping the action galloping. His fully-wrought characters, not just steely-eyed men but strong, authentic women, wrestle with contemporary conflicts and issues in an austere and ancient landscape that Mitchell brings fully to life. A great read that doesn’t back away from the struggles of the modern West.  -Mary Taylor Young, author of Bluebird Seasons, witnessing climate change in my piece of the wild

In Migration of Butterflies and Lies, J.M. Mitchell has created a suspenseful and complex tale that masterfully interweaves human greed and exploitation with the malicious harm being done to and destruction of our natural world and to native cultural treasures. In the telling, Mitchell explores the root causes and effects of the social pathologies afflicting American culture. Migration of Butterflies and Lies not only captivates, it also helps to further educate the reader about the treasures our national parks hold and the never-ending work it takes to maintain their legacy and integrity.

• Jerry Fabyanic, Award Winning Author of Sisyphus Wins, The Lion’s Den, and Food for Thought: Essays on Mind and Spirit

"Unscrupulous interest groups and nefarious motives rule in this complex, close-to-life Southwestern cross-border thriller of a murderous struggle for gain and control, which is as historic as it is acutely contemporary. Mitchell's book is palpably driven by the author's deep care for our natural environment and cultural heritage, his concern a clarion call to stand up for what so desperately needs protecting." - Katayoun Medhat, author of The Milagro Mysteries 

Migrations of Butterflies and Lies: A Jack Chastain Mystery

In Migrations of Butterflies and Lies, Ranger Jack Chastain takes readers on an international adventure. Action occurring in the novel also has a fascinating domestic thread throughout the American West. Author J.M. Mitchell is no stranger to many of the mystical, magical locales of the Southwestern United States. His knowledge of these places is intricately woven into the storylines of his tale. Sometimes reading like a police thriller, other times similar to a treatise on ancient cultures, Migrations keeps one guessing, wondering and turning pages. The history of Mexico is utilized as part of the story as is a fictional senatorial bid along with magnificent geographical detail. Mitchell’s expertise in multifaceted plot lines keeps the reader engaged and engrossed. It’s a spectacular ride through time, taking the reader to places both real and imagined.