Diana Ladd is the widow of a man believed to have killed an Indian girl seven years ago in the Arizona desert. The girl’s grand­moth­er, Rita Antone, is helping Diana rear her son in a remote house. Now the real killer, Andrew Carlisle, is out of jail, blaming Diana for his being put away for manslaugh­ter.

Jance weaves together several in­ter­est­ing characters, their back­sto­ries, and Indian myths to make a satisfying thriller.