The following reviews are by Dawn Dowdle - mysterybks@yahoo.com

Take a look at her website www.mysteryloverscorner.com

Death du Jour
By: Lou Jane Temple

Fanny Delarue is a young cook for a wealthy family in Paris in 1790. Her mother gives her a Spice Box. She treasures it.

There is a lot of political unrest at this time. Then a neighboring chef, Etienne de la Porte, is found dead under suspicious circumstances. She and her head chef, and lover, Henri, had been taking classes from Etienne. He was also Henri's mentor. Soon after Fanny and Henri's boss leaves the area and dismantles his house and lets all the servants go.

Henri and Fanny end up staying at the master's house because Henri has been injured in the unrest. Then Henri disappears. Fanny searches for him and finds herself in some dangerous situations.

Can Fanny find Henri and Etienne's killer? Are they the same person? Can she stay safe while investigating?

This is the second in the Spice Box series. I liked Fanny and Henri. Even though historical mysteries are often hard for me to get into, I don't find that with this series. The author writes in such a way that I almost forget it's a historical mystery and just get into the mystery. I found this time period to be very interesting. Not something I knew a lot about.

Fitness Kills
By: Helen Barer

Nora Franke has accepted a position as a menu consultant at an elite fitness ranch in Baja to try to lose some extra pounds and distance herself from Max in New York where she's a food writer.

She makes some new friends, but soon there is tragedy when one of their group is found dead on the mountain. Nora didn't know him, so it doesn't affect her as much. But when one of her friends is killed in front of her, Nora is shaken. Then there are attempts on her life. Who is the killer? Is it one of her new friends? The shady ranch owners?

Nora has to write an article on the deaths, so she is able to do some investigating without it looking like she's investigating the deaths. Unfortunately, she's not so sure the killer sees it that way when the attempts on her continue. Can she unmask the killer without putting herself in more danger? And what about Max, has she made any decisions about him?

I really enjoyed this book. Nora is such a great character. The author has done a fabulous job creating a protagonist that has a valid reason for snooping. And she's such fun, too. The locale really lent itself to this story and enhanced it. I look forward to reading more Nora Franke mysteries.

Murder Off The Books
By: Evelyn David
Echelon Press

Mackenzie "Mac" Sullivan is a retired DC cop. He is now a private investigator and takes his Irish Wolfhound Whiskey on many stakeouts. He uses the many vehicles his friend Jeff has. Jeff runs the local funeral home, but on the side he has various vehicles, including a pest control van and taxis.

Mac is trying to find a half-million dollars that has been embezzled. He works for the insurance company, but is soon hired by some teenagers to find Dan, the person the police believe is behind the embezzlement and a murder.

Mac stakes out Rachel Brenner's house. Dan is her brother. In the course of the stakeout, Mac and Rachel meet. After they discover another murder, Rachel doesn't know who to believe. Did her brother kill someone? Did he steal the money? Is he being set up? Can Rachel and Mac solve this mystery without putting themselves and her son in danger?

I loved this fast paced mystery. There are plenty of twists in the plot to keep you guessing. Mac and Rachel are both great characters. And Jeff and his zany vehicles really add to the story. Then there's Rachel's senior citizen neighbor that keeps popping up and enhancing the story.

I can't wait to read another book by this author.

To Love And To Perish
By: Laura Durham

Annabelle Archer, DC wedding planner extraordinaire, and Richard, a caterer and friend, are checking out the last minute details in the ballroom before their bride is set to go down the aisle when they find Carolyn Crabbe, a hot-tempered wedding planner, strangled to death with a bridal veil in a hotel ballroom. Carolyn was well-known but not well-liked. She was the Queen of Mean.

Annabelle was seen arguing with Carolyn not long before she was killed, so she become a prime suspect. Then when another wedding planner is killed, Annabelle fears she may be next. She decides she had better find the killer and fast. But can she do that before anyone else is killed, namely herself?

Annabelle is so much fun! I wish she'd been my wedding planner. Except that murder seems to follow her around!

Kate, Annabelle's assistant, and Richard are wonderful characters in this series as well. They all complement each other, too. Having a wedding planner for a protagonist really provides a lot of wonderful storylines. The author has done such a fabulous job at creating and plotting this series.

A Dinner To Die For
By: Claudia Bishop

Meg and Andy are about to be married, and Quill is working hard at making sure that happens. Meg seems determined to mess it up. Plus Jerry Grimsby seems to be mucking things up. He's supposed to be filling in as chef at the Inn at Hemlock Falls while Meg is on her honeymoon.

In the midst of all this, there's a fire at the old MacAvoy barn and a body is found. Then it is announced that Leo "Boom-Boom" Maltby and his business partner Norwood Ferguson will be opening Lovejoy's Nudie Bar and Grill in Hemlock Falls. Many of the women of the village protest it.

Quill has her own problems at the Inn . Doreen steps in to help, only does it really help? Quill ends up giving some promotions that provide their own challenges.

Can Quill find the murderer while making sure Meg and Andy get married in a few days? And can she do it without putting herself in danger?

I always devour the books in this series. I would love to spend a week at the Inn at Hemlock Falls . Quill and Meg are great characters and have really grown with the series. I love all the peripheral characters and the roles that they play. They really add to the story, especially all the town folks and the Chamber of Commerce members.

Death Reins In
By: Michele Scott

Michaela Bancroft and her friend and colleague Audrey Pratt attend the Quarter Horse Races together. After the races they plan to look at some horses. Michaela is expanding her training business to include riding lessons.

Unfortunately, Audrey is found strangled to death with a pair of reins after the race. The cops begin looking for her brother Bob who has been missing for a few days. They think he started drinking again and killed his sister. Michaela doesn't believe this. She's concerned there may be a connection between his disappearance and her death.

As she begins to investigate, she finds many secrets and ends up in some sticky situations. Can she find out what happened to Bob and who killed Audrey without putting herself into jeopardy?

Even though I'm not a horse person, I love this series. Michaela is such a fun character. All of the other characters enhance the series. I also like the California setting.

The writer gives enough information about horses to interest the reader but not so much that only horse lovers would enjoy the series. The mystery is plotted out well with plenty of suspects and twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

The Fractal Murders
By: Mark Cohen

University of Colorado math professor Jayne Smyers hires Pepper Keane, former Marine JAG turned PI, to investigate the deaths of three other math professors. The Feds have investigated and found no link between the deaths. Jayne is convinced there's a link. Pepper is skeptical at first but agrees to look into it.

There's plenty of bad blood between Pepper and FBI agent Polk who did some of the investigating. This history adds to Pepper's determination to investigate these deaths.

As Pepper digs deeper into the deaths, he begins to see some similar threads that continue to propel him forward. With romance in the air, Pepper worries that Jayne may be the next victim.

Can he decipher the pattern and unmask the killer before anyone else is killed? Can he protect Jayne as well?

I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshing mystery. Pepper is a fabulous character, even with his baggage. It is explained throughout the book, so we aren't left floundering. His interactions with Polk, Jayne, detectives where each mathematician was killed, his brother, his neighbors, and his best friend really help us to get to know him.

I found the math to be explained in plain English so that it was easy to understand. It also didn't detract from the investigation; it actually enhanced it. I am not a mathematician, but I really enjoyed this book. I hope he writes more in this series. I can't wait to read them.

The Scout Master
By: Luisa Buehler
Echelon Press

The best way to describe Grace Marsden is that she's a female version of the character Monk. Her step-son's scout troop finds a spooky crate marked "Property of the U. S. Army" in the woods. It contains the bones of a dead cat and a few other trinkets. There are Satanic worshipers in the woods, so everyone believes it belongs to them.

Grace takes her nephews to the woods and is attacked. Then a body is found in a hole. Harry, Grace's husband and ex-spy, finds his hands full trying to take care of her.

Grace begins to investigate and isn't sure she likes what she finds. Can she figure out the mystery without putting herself or those she loves in further danger?

This was the first book I've read by this author. It definitely won't be the last. She weaves a wonderful tale of intrigue and suspense while still keeping it on the cozy side. Grace is an interesting character. She has quite a few quirks, but that really adds to the story.

I found the story to be well-plotted and hard to put down. I thought the author did a great job of creating a lot of suspense, especially in the dark woods, without making it scary or gruesome.

A Wrinkle In Crime
By: T. Dawn Richard

After May Bell 's success in two previous murder investigations, she signs up for a civilian ride-along program to gain more experience. In her zeal to prove her abilities, she steals and destroys the police cruiser and makes a citizen's arrest of two men fleeing after she thought she saw them holding up the convenience store. In the process she also blew out the tires of their vehicle with a shot gun. Unfortunately Office Murphy explains she arrested two innocent men.

Plus the sister of her friends, the Peach sisters, has died. She's certain there's more to it than the police believe. So she sets out to discover the truth.

In the process of investigating, she ends up in jail, has to talk to many unsavory characters, and has people after her. Can she find the killer without putting herself in any more danger?

I really enjoy May Bell's antics. She's a senior citizen with a lot of spunk and determination. She has her share of blunders, but she keeps at it.

In this book I missed the residents of the senior facility she previously lived in, but May Bell found plenty of new ways to entertain the reader without them.

Married In Metropolis
By: Lonnie Cruse

Sheriff Joe Dalton's son is getting married. What should be a happy occasion turns into anything but when the bride's mother is found face down in the river. She wasn't a very likeable person, but that doesn't make it any easier for Joe to find her killer.

Everyone in the family and some of the people attending the wedding are suspects. Joe has his work cut out for him as he tries to be a father and sheriff at the same time.

Then there's his mother-in-law staying with him. She's enough to deal with all by herself. She was to return home after the wedding but has decided to stay to make sure Joe solves the murder. This just serves to make him want to solve it even faster. Can he find the killer without alienating his son and daughter-in-law?

This is the first book I've read by this author. It surely won't be the last. I loved this book. Joe is such a great character and the plotting is so well done. I enjoyed Metropolis, too. I was worried when I started reading this book that it was going to be a mystery with Superman in it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't the case.

Silenced By Syrah
By: Michele Scott

The new restaurant, Georges on the Vineyard, is about to open in the new boutique hotel and spa at Malveaux Estates. It features star chef Georges Debussey. He is well-known for his cuisine as well as his lack of couth.

Georges goes for a Syrah bath splash at the spa to relax before the restaurant grand opening. When he doesn't return, Simon and Marco get Nikki to find out what's wrong. She finds him dead from a gunshot.

Detective Robinson rubs Nikki the wrong way when he tells her to not play Nancy Drew. She sets out to investigate on the sly.

During all this, Andres asks her to go to Spain with him. Nikki is upset most with the way he asks. And she isn't sure what she should do. And then there's Derek.

Nikki finds herself in danger along the way. Can she figure out who the killer is before someone else dies?

I really like this series. Nikki is such a fun character. The sexual tension created between Nikki, Andres, and Derek really adds to the storyline, but I do hope she makes a decision soon. When I first met Simon and Marco, I found them to be obnoxious, but now I really enjoy them. They add to the story and help Nikki along the way.

The Napa Valley setting really adds to the story as well. It seems so serene in the midst of the murder investigation. I would love to spend a week at the new hotel at Malveaux Estates.

Whether you like wine or not, give this series a try. I recommend reading them in order, but you don't have to.

Unplugged
By: Lois Greiman

Christina "Chrissy" McMullen is a psychologist. She used to be a cocktail waitress. Her gorgeous secretary Elaine "Laney" is a wanna-be actress. She can have just about any man she wants. So why did she choose Jeen Solberg, a nerd Chrissy had dated and rejected?

Now Solberg is missing. He went to a convention in Las Vegas and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Laney is worried. He called her regularly. Then nothing. She tried reaching him and a woman answered the phone. Chrissy agrees to find out what happened. She's hoping he's dead, because if he took up with a showgirl, she'll kill him herself.

Chrissy isn't sure what she feels for Lieutenant Jack Rivera. This just adds to her problems. Then she meets one of Solberg's associates. Can she trust him? As she gets closer to the truth, it becomes more dangerous. Can she find Solberg without putting herself in a killer's path?

I love this series. Chrissy is such a fun character. I find myself laughing out loud when I read these books. The predicaments she gets herself into in this book are truly entertaining. The sexual tension with her and Rivera adds to it, too. All the characters are well rounded and the plot moves along at a good pace. There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing.

And Murder For Dessert
By: Kathy Delaney

Ellen McKenzie never thought she'd get remarried. So why is she now engaged? She's really not sure how it happened. She loves Dan Dunham, Santa Louisa Chief of Police, but marriage?

Her niece, Sabrina Tortelli, and her husband Mark are coming to stay with Ellen. Mark is the new winemaker at Silver Springs Winery, and Sabrina will be managing the tasting room and doing special events. Ellen, a realtor, has been wrangled by her sister Catherine to let them stay with her while Ellen finds them a rental.

At the Harvest Festival Dinner at the winery, guest chef Otto Messinger and Frank Tortelli, Mark's dad, get into a verbal fight. Soon after Otto is discovered dead in one of the old fashioned wooden fermenting tanks. Sabrina and Mark are both suspects, but Sabrina appears to be their prime suspect.

Ellen doesn't believe Sabrina did it. She sets out to find out who did, with the help of her Aunt Mary. To complicate life even more, an old high school classmate of Ellen's is back in town and trying to pick up their “romance” where it left off. Funny thing is, there was no romance!

Can Ellen keep Sabrina out of jail and find the real killer without becoming the next victim?

I really enjoyed this book. Ellen is such a wonderful character. The interaction between the various characters is well written. The story moves at a good pace. The winery is a good setting for this story as well.

Fit To Die
By: J. B. Stanley

James Henry and the Supper Club are back with more fabulous escapades. When arson hits Quincy 's Gap, Virginia , putting newcomer Willy Kendrick and Chilly Willy's Polar Pagoda out of business, they investigate. Soon it is discovered that it is murder, not just arson.

Plus Witness to Fitness is new to town and Ronnie is a dynamo spokesperson for the gym. The Flab Five decide to join together to lose some pounds. They soon find out the food is tasteless and they are exhausted from the exercise classes, but they keep pressing forward.

James struggles with his feelings for Lucy and how to convey them to her. Plus he's busy planning the big fundraiser for the library and caring for his cranky father who has decided to redo the kitchen. How can he manage everything at once?

Can the Flab Five uncover the killer without putting themselves in danger?

I love this series. James Henry is such a lovable character. The setting is wonderful. The Flab Five are terrific. I devour the books, but I always hate to see them end so soon.

I like how the characters are growing with each book. She's done a great job at creating a series that I can't wait for the next book.

I highly recommend this book and the series. If you're like me, you'll have trouble putting it down but be sad when it ends!

Meow Is For Murder
By: Linda O. Johnston

Amanda, Jeff Hubbard's ex-wife, asks Kendra Ballantyne for help avoiding her stalker. She wants Kendra to take care of her two Bengal cats for a few days. Kendra agrees begrudgingly. The stalker shows up and demands to know where Amanda went. Kendra refuses to tell him and realizes just what a menace he is. When Amanda returns home and finds the stalker dead in her house, she asks Kendra to help her prove her innocence. Kendra agrees only if Amanda will promise to get out of Jeff's life.

Kendra soon finds out that Leon was a serial stalker and there are quite a few people who are happy he's dead. Problem is she can't find any one person who she thinks actually killed him.

Plus Kendra begins to wonder if Jeff really wants Amanda out of his life. He says he does, but his actions tell another story.

Can Kendra find the real killer without putting herself in danger? Does she still want Jeff?

I love this series. Kendra is such a fun protagonist. She gets herself in some interesting situations. I love the peripheral characters and all the great animals she takes care of. The author has done a great job of creating such a likeable character that is three-dimensional.

There is plenty of humor along with a well-plotted cozy mystery.

Steamed
By: Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant

Chloe Carter is a food connoisseur. She's now a grad student due to a wacky clause in her uncle's will. Before she can touch her inheritance, she has to get a master's degree of her choice.

When she gets burned by her neighbor and boyfriend, she signs up with an online dating service. She's known as GourmetGirl on the Internet. Reluctantly she accepts a date with DinnerDude. The food is good, but Eric's a bore. When he doesn't come back to the table, Chloe finds him stabbed to death in the men's room.

When she attends Eric's funeral, his parents show up with the opinion that she was his fiancée. Not wanting to upset them at the funeral, she plays along. What she doesn't know is this isn't the only interaction she'll have with them!

Her next date is with a yummy chef, but unfortunately Josh's the prime suspect. She doesn't think he did it, so she sets out to find the real killer. She has ulterior motives, because she wants Josh out of jail so she can continue to date him.

Can she find the killer without becoming the next course?

I really enjoyed this book. Chloe was such a fun character. The authors did such a great job that I often forgot two different people wrote this. Her interaction with her dates and sister were great. Plus her classes and her internship really added to the story. Don't read this when you're hungry. The food descriptions are yummy!

Her many forays into the dating and restaurant scenes were entertaining. I found myself chuckling and laughing out loud when reading this book. This is a great light chick lit mystery.

The Phantom's Phantom
by Robert Reginald

Reviewed by Victor J. Banis

Author Reginald resurrects The Phantom Detective in this witty and stylish tribute to the pulps of the 30s and 40s. Using as his "hook" the discovery of a cache of heretofore unpublished case files, the author offers up what one can but hope will be the first in a long line of new Phantom Detective adventures.

Richard Van Loan, the Phantom Detective, is in retirement and having dinner at a posh Manhattan restaurant in 1953 when the wife of his old friend, Frank Havers, calls to tell him that Frank is dead in what the police are calling a suicide.

Van Loan travels to the so-called Inland Empire of Southern California to investigate and surmises at once that this was neither suicide nor accident. He sets out to unravel the mystery and quickly finds himself shadowed relentlessly by the mysterious Phantom's Phantom, who seems to anticipate his every move and delivers cryptic messages: "I know what you do," "I know where you go," and "I know what you do!" Crooked cops, whorehouse madams, gangsters, unethical doctors and even a hilarious and inadvertent visit to a nudist camp keep the plot jumping and the reader guessing to the end.

The original Phantom was little more than a killing machine who avoided all intimacy but Reginald has wisely fleshed out his character and added a romance with lovely associate Dastrie Underhill . Writing with tongue firmly in cheek, Reginald manages nevertheless to maintain the spirit of the originals, and along the way, he beautifully evokes a bygone era when people drove Studebakers to town, illegal gambling casinos still prevailed, and Marilyn Monroe was just soaring to stardom.

A bang up job. More, please!

The following reviews are all by Vero G. Caravette

Poison Pen
By Sheila Lowe

After a rather slow start, this mystery takes hold and never lets go. When flamboyant publicist Lindsey Alexander drowns in her L.A. penthouse apartment's hot tub at her associate Ivan Novak, hires handwriting analyst (and friend of Alexander) Claudia Rose to look into the authenticity of the block-printed “suicide” note left at the scene. He believes it was murder and that the note is phony. Alexander was a mean-spirited and malicious individual who managed to alienate all of her closest friends. Claudia is not surprised to find that Alexander's methods included blackmail, sexual escapades that would make a prostitute blush, and more. Claudia, a fiercely independent woman, is also clever and resourceful. But she also becomes a vulnerable target – someone doesn't want her getting to the bottom of the Alexander mystery and will kill to prevent that from happening. When Claudia finds Ivan near death in Alexander's penthouse, things take on a different dimension and even she believes that suicide was not the likely cause of death. Claudia becomes involved with a handsome and equally resourceful police officer who allows her to think about settling down again. Maybe. With high-powered clients and some rather low-life scum as suspects, Claudia gets to see all sorts of life forms in her search for the clues in Alexander's handwriting. This is a great read and one worth savoring.

Incidental Death
by Bob Iles

An attractive widow asks an off-duty sheriff's deputy to install a home security system but she has more in mind. No, it's not what you're thinking. She needs to keep track of the investigation into her wealthy husband's death. With only his skeletal remains having been found inside a car wreck, the insurance company wants to know more. There's a 3.4 million dollar insurance check on the line, and the wife will do whatever has to be done to make sure the case is closed quickly. If it means seducing the deputy installing the alarm in order to get information, then, she's all ready for that. She did make one mistake – she had her husband's remains cremated rather quickly. Which, of course, make everyone suspicious. The county prosecutor is urged to get involved but he is reluctant to pursue the case. However, when people connected to the investigation start dying, the authorities realize that there are bigger forces at work, bigger, more powerful, and more ruthless.

Who Framed Boris Karloff
by Dwight Kemper

Murder? In Hollywood ? Of course. And this is the Hollywood of 1938 where you'll find , on the set of Son of Frankenstein, a ready made group of characters that were legendary in Tinsel Town even while they lived. Who Framed Boris Karloff is a book that give the reader not only Boris, but also Bela Lugosi, and the inimitable Basil Rathbonebanded together to solve a mystery before Boris gets the axe. What better companion to have in solving a mystery than he who portrayed Sherlock Holmes? Rathbone is that fellow and does his Holmesian best to make sure justice is done. Bela Lugosi, a character on and off stage, lends a hand but also his wry point of view to the proceedings. Karloff is framed and the trio must get to the bottom of the case and unveil the true culprit. Stars, mobsters, and moguls are just some of the interesting characters who inhabit this mystery and make the Hollywood of the ‘30s come alive. The reader learns a lot not only about what goes on in that city of illusions but also about Karloff, Lugosi, and Rathbone. Each of them is a character that, in life, was unforgettable; and Kemper has managed to capture some of that old screen magic and make these men romp through this tale with glee in a way that will have the reader recalling some of their best performances. There is plenty of plot, lots of information, and Hollywood history aplenty. Any reader will find a good deal to keep them occupied in this book.

Retirement Homes are Murder
by by Mike Befeler

In a comic yet touching look at aging, Biefeler's work strikes the right balance between comedy, mystery, and sensitivity to issues. Paul Jacobson, living in a Hawaiian retirement home, suffers short term memory loss. But has a plan to defeat it – he keeps a journal each day, placing it so that he can find it each morning and refresh himself on what has gone on before. Lucky for him he has gotten into the habit because he finds a dead body in a trash chute and is promptly accused of the murder. Memory problems or not, Jacobson must solve the murder before he's the next victim. But the memory loss creates problems along the way and complications that readers will not expect. All the characters are enjoyable and sensitively drawn.

Unkindness of Ravens
by Kathleen Tracy

Samantha “Sam” Perry is a cynical, burnt-out crime reporter who moves to Palm Springs seeking a new start and the chance to explore her parts of herself she has ignored over the years. Ellen Konrad, a well-known actress, left Hollywood along with a lot of family secrets, but has decided to run for Mayor of Palm Springs. Restless in her new setting, Sam is assigned to cover the mysterious story of a body found in the desert, a body with no identity and which has been tortured to death. The murder brings Sam and Ellen together. A friend of Sam's, more interested in fashion than murder, gently pushes Sam and Ellen into more than a working relationship. But the search for the killer uncovers Konrad's long hidden secrets which must be confronted. Both women are also led to confront their erotic yearnings for one another. There are unexpected twists and both Sam and Ellen are changed by their experiences. Both the writing and editing are above average. This is a good read and should please even the most demanding.

Chicago Blues
edited by Libby Fischer Hellman

This is an anthology which, like some really fine liquor, you will want to savor a bit at a time. There will be an urge to gulp it down but take heed – sip do not guzzle this collection. There are some wonderfully crafted, beautifully written stories here. Some ooze like rich syrup, some drip like the sweat on a criminal's forehead. Some are like a jazz bad riffing along, some are a sad blues tune that will make you think. The stories are dark and have a depth which might surprise if not for the roster of writers whose talent makes this collection shine.

Twenty one stories from some of Chicago 's finest writers grace the pages of this book. You'll find familiar names like Paretsky and others. You'll find writers like Konrath and Nelscott, Hellman, andmany others. All are to be savored. To say that some stories stand out is difficult in such a stellar collection; and everyone will have their own list of favorites. Suffice to say that this is a collection you'll want to have on your shelf.

The Hayloft
By Alan Cook

Two weeks into his senior year in high school, Gary Blanchard is sent down to another school – the one where his cousin Ralph mysteriously died less than a year before. Stuck in the new school Gary decides to find out about his cousin's death and that's where the mystery begins. This is the 1950s and the world was a different place. This novel brings it all to life again in a convincing mystery. Family secrets, sexual goings on, a lost treasure, and possible murder. The picture painted of the fifties with its communist witch hunts and the shallow veneer of innocence in all things is convincing. The plot with all its twists and turns is complimented by a set of characters that you will follow with interest. An interesting read.

False Fortune
by Twist Phelan

Hanna Dain, newly returned to her father's law firm and trying her best to adjust to her estranged sister Shelby and the murderous Arizona desert, is finding herself plunked into the middle of another case and this time she faces even more complications. A newly discovered sister, a possible conspiracy involving tribal factions, unscrupulous businesses, the government, and more. But Dain is, as usual, up to the challenge. Though, for a sporty woman who has a lot of outdoor experience, she can be awfully naive at times. Maybe it's the desert sun, maybe it's her dizzy secretary who is most often asleep at the job, maybe it's something else. Whatever it is, she hans plenty of help in the way of the police, her sister's hunky boyfriend, and her own ingenuity. It's worth the reading time.