I met J. Michael Orenduff via email after a mutual author-friend gave me his name as a potential publisher. After some conversation, he was kind enough to offer to republish my series (another story), even though he’d retired and was hoping to sell the company. He was encouraging, informative, and I learned a bit about his life and career as a professor; he earned a PhD from Tulane, taught philosophy and mathematics, and served as a college administrator.

I started reading one Pot Thief mystery after another, quickly breezing through over half the series: The Pot Thief who Studied: Pythagoras (2009), Ptolemy (2010), Einstein (2010), Escoffier (2010) D.H. Lawrence (2012), and Calvin (2025). (Shame on me for not reviewing each one – I know how important it is to authors! Too late to remember, although my least favorite was Einstein.)

I learned that Hubie Schuze, the protagonist, is as witty as Mike himself, that he adds an occasional sly nod to other legendary authors, and that if I ever need to escape illness or trouble, these can be my go-to mysteries.

Although the meat-and-chili-pepper-focused food he describes doesn’t entice me, I loved diving into Hubie’s circle of close friends, his daily ritual of 5 pm margaritas with chips and salsa, and his passion for pottery. In the Pot Thief Mystery Series, villains are always revealed, and justice is served. More importantly, you get to spend time with Hubie Schuze and his quirky friends in Albuquerque and its environs.

 J. Michael Orenduff has won several awards, including a Lefty for best humor mystery and an Epic for best mystery/suspense. He’s also sold a ton of books; all infused with his love of New Mexico (even though he and his wife retired out east).

In the Pot Thief series, the city of Albuquerque gets adoration, attention, and love, mostly from Hubie, who is filled with gratitude to live in such an exceptionally perfect place. Also, in chatting with the author, I learned that all the settings in his books are real except for 1) Hubie’s pottery shop and 2) the restaurant where Hubie and his friend Susannah meet for margaritas every afternoon at 5 pm.