A too-close encounter with murder in the desert turns a guide into a gumshoe. A survival test turns deadly for the property owner, and dangerous for the survivors. One is a killer. Gabe Ramsay left his position as a science professor under a shadow, one he swore to keep secret. He escapes to become co-owner of Adventure Calls, an eco-touring company. During a survival test for Gabe and five new guides, he finds the body of the landowner-a hated developer planning to build a huge new property over a fragile aquifer. Gabe recently decked the developer and the man's been stabbed with Gabe's skinning knife. Helped by the tour company's entrancing and determined chef, Gabe must discover which of the new guides-or Gabe's new partner--might be a murderer. All had reason to despise the dead man. Can Gabe find the killer before death again stalks the Sonoran desert? Dry humor, a drier desert, and a cast of quirky but believable characters heat up this new series for award-winning author McIntosh.