A scorched earth. A stolen future. To save innocent lives, Nick Drake must walk straight into the fire. The searing summer heat has turned the High Lonesome into a tinderbox. When a desperate Native American mother begs wildlife ranger Nick Drake to find her missing six-year-old twins, Nick plunges into the backcountry on a frantic search. But the wilderness is no longer just unyielding-it's on fire. A ruthless pyromaniac is tearing through the territory, weaponizing the dry desert winds to ignite a devastating inferno. As the smoke chokes the land and blocks out the sun, Nick realizes the fires aren't random. The arsonist is playing a calculated, deadly game, systematically targeting Nick's home, his friends, and the people he loves most. Outmaneuvered by a phantom predator and running out of breathable air, Nick must rely on the ancient tracking lore of his neighbors and his own lethal combat instincts. To save the children and stop a monster, he will have to fight fire with fire-even if it means walking straight into the flames. What readers are saying: "Smart, thrilling, beautifully written page-turners. A stunning love song to a remote land." "Prose that crackles like the unforgiving setting, building to a climax as powerful as a force of nature." "A masterful blend of high desert realism, historical tension, and deep respect for Native American culture, lore, and mysticism." "The storylines are absolutely riveting, keeping me up turning pages late into the night." "Nick Drake is wonderfully complex, gritty, and straight to the heart. A man to run the river of life with!"