First published 1992
Stuart Haydon works Houston homicide, but his latest case takes him far from Texas. Lena Muller vanished three months ago after leaving to meet an old friend. The daughter of a prominent family never returned home. Word reaches Haydon that she has appeared in Guatemala, a country where people don't die but simply vanish without trace. He travels to Guatemala City to bring her back. The detective finds only fragments and shadows. Lena has disappeared again, along with her journalist lover and the private investigator who had tracked them both down. Haydon follows a trail through a war-torn landscape, discovering Lena's string of lovers and a series of savage killings. The missing woman has stumbled onto something dangerous, a secret that carries the stench of death. Violence and corruption surround Haydon as he navigates this foreign territory. Like Lena before him, he searches for truth buried beneath layers of deception.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Guatemala, Guatemala City, Houston, Texas
Period: contemporary
416 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday
Content warnings: violence