Jacob's Ladder is a thoughtful follow up to Down by the Riverside, featuring a curious and spiritual sleuth.
When her husband left her for a younger woman, Rose Franklin bought a camper and started traveling. Eventually, she put down roots in Shady Grove, a campsite along the Mississippi River in West Memphis, Arkansas, where she has lived for six months now. Since she solved the murder of Lawrence Franklin, life has been quiet: she is enjoying her new friends, life next to the river, and a blossoming romance with neighbor Thomas Sawyer.
But when Rose discovers a mysterious camper from New Mexico dead in his trailer, she finds herself in the middle of another mystery. American Indian artifacts, an ancient cultural history, and a passage to grace are at stake as Rose unravels the murder, while at the same time comes to terms with a visit from her ex-husband and her father's declining health.