Miraculous images begin appearing in the tiny town of La Cuenta, New Mexico, convincing many devout villagers that they are marks of God's favor. Albuquerque architect Gwen Callendar thinks the images are a cynical scam. All of them are wrong. The images bring crowds of pilgrims and reporters to La Cuenta, but the carnival turns dark when the town's most revered citizen, elderly santero Emilio Cordova, is found dead of gunshot wounds. La Cuenta police chief Ruben Lopez detains Gwen's lover, Mack Wilson, as a suspect, pulling Gwen into the investigation along with Elena Cordova, Emilio's beloved grandniece. Caught up in the investigation, Gwen, Elena and Ruben struggle through a maze of art, faith and kinship, of drugs and land conflicts set against the magnificent background of Northern New Mexico."