"A handsome young New York professor visiting Phoenix to research his new book is brutally murdered. Historian-turned-sheriff's deputy David Mapstone should not be investigating Jax Delgado's death. But Jax has been dating David's sister-in-law Robin, and now she's someone's target, too. Robin's sister Lindsey, strangely distant while working with an anti-cyber terror unit in DC, makes one demand of husband David: protect Robin. This won't be an easy job. City police are suspicious of Robin's role and are trying to pressure her. The Sheriff's Office is in turmoil since Mike Peralta lost reelection, making David even more of an outsider as he is set to give up his badge. And the gangsters are able to outgun and outspend law enforcement. The danger is real and growing. To save Robin, David must leave his stack of historic crimes and plunge into the modern world of smuggling--people, drugs, and guns. There are places in the Valley of the Sun that tourists never see..."--Dust cover flap.