The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein

A shady pottery collector is murdered in sunny New Mexico in this mystery in a "winning series" (Susan Wittig Albert).
Maybe it was the chance to make an easy $2,500. Or maybe it was the opportunity to examine a treasure trove of Anasazi pots-or maybe it was just a slow day at the antiques shop that convinced Hubie Schuze to agree to a strange proposition. A reclusive collector wants a confidential appraisal, with one catch: Hubie must be blindfolded and driven to an unknown location by a chauffeur. Sure, it's an odd setup, but what could possibly go wrong?
Hubie's nonchalance fades fast when he finds three replicas among the genuine antiquities. Worse, after returning home, he can't seem to find the $2,500 cash that the collector gave him. Incensed at the rip-off, Hubie is determined to recoup the money, but Detective Whit Fletcher interrupts his scheme, dragging him instead to the morgue to identify a John Doe. When the sheet is pulled back, Hubie is shocked to see the body of the unknown art collector.
Hubie is not a suspect-yet. But the longer he pursues this mystery, the more tangled he will become in the dead man's shadowy life.
The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein
is the 3th book in the Pot Thief Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

J. Michael Orenduff grew up in a house so close to the Rio Grande that he could Frisbee a tortilla into Mexico from his backyard. While studying for an MA at the University of New Mexico, he worked during the summer as a volunteer teacher at one of the nearby pueblos. After receiving a PhD from Tulane University, he became a professor. He went on to serve as president of New Mexico State University.
Orenduff took early retirement from higher education to write his award-winning Pot Thief murder mysteries, which combine archaeology and philosophy with humor and mystery. Among the author's many accolades are the Lefty Award for best humorous mystery, the Epic Award for best mystery or suspense ebook, and the New Mexico Book Award for best mystery or suspense fiction. His books have been described by the
Baltimore Sun as "funny at a very high intellectual level" and "deliciously delightful," and by the
El Paso Times as "the perfect fusion of murder, mayhem and margaritas."