A double murder in New Mexico leads a forensic psychologist on a deadly trail of priceless buried secrets.

Forensic psychologist Jemimah Hodge and her boyfriend, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Romero, are juggling two murder cases. One has gone dead cold: loner Amy Griego, found strangled and shot to death outside Los Cerrillos near the legendary Ortiz Mine. The other is red hot: State archaeologist Gilda Humphreys, who has left behind a string of bitter lovers, disgruntled employees, and the kind of rotten reputation that could get a woman killed.

But it's a curious pastime of Gilda's that has piqued the interest of Jemimah and Rick. Gilda was engaged in a high-profile treasure hunt, complete with puzzling clues and tricky twists. The wild stunt has been orchestrated by Tim McCabe, a landowner wealthy enough to play such games with the public. Now it's time for Jemimah and Rick to follow the trail. But as their two investigations begin to converge, it's just the beginning of "a thrilling ride from start to finish" (Chris Rogers, author of the Dixie Flannigan series).