First published 2025
FBI Agent Corrie Swanson discovers a woman's remains in the New Mexico badlands. The victim had wandered into the desert, removing her clothing piece by piece before dying from heat and dehydration. Her skeletal fingers grip two lightning stones, sacred artifacts the Chaco people once used in rituals to call upon their gods. Swanson partners with archaeologist Nora Kelly to determine whether they're investigating a suicide or something far more sinister. When they uncover a second body displaying identical circumstances, both women realize they face a case that reaches beyond conventional crime. Their pursuit leads them through isolated canyons and ancient ruins where old ceremonies once took place. As they dig deeper into forgotten practices and sacred sites, Swanson and Kelly awaken something that has remained dormant for centuries, something that demands a terrible payment for the disturbance.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, crime, archaeology, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, partners
Setting: New Mexico, Badlands
Period: Contemporary
355 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: death, violence