In San Geronimo, New Mexico, the rich and famous mingle with the down and out—and the secrets of the past collide with the crimes of the present . . .

Shortly after private eye Howard Moon Deer decides to settle down with his latest lady love, he accepts a new case that takes him away from the homefront—and introduces him to the dangerous passions that drive San Geronimo's thriving art scene . . .

Howard and ex–police commander Jack Wilder have been hired to investigate Sherman Stone, a man notorious for his torrid liaisons and low-life friends. Rumor has it that he's planning to have his wealthy wife killed. But before Howard can separate fact from fiction, a local hobo is murdered—and then Sherman himself meets an untimely end. Now Howard and Jack must follow a sinister trail of clues that leads them into the past—to the night when a precious painting was stolen and a murderous legacy was born . . .