On a parched plain, encircled by a dry embrace of willow bones, the ritual begins. Here, there is searing heat, bleeding feet, unimaginable thirst This is the Sun Dance.

Author James D. Doss blends spinetingling mystery with Native American mysticism as no one else can. Through his expert and justifiably acclaimed storytelling abilities, two very different worlds come together: the modern world, where human greed, anger, and jealousies can drive mortal men and women to commit terrible crimes; and the spirit world of dreams and omens, and a Power older than civilization. The former is the realm of tribal policeman Charlie Moon and his sometime associate Granite Creek, Colorado, Police Chief Scott Parris. The latter is the province of Charlie's aunt Daisy Perika, Ute elder and shaman.

For the Ute of Southern Colorado, the annual Sun Dance is among the most solemn and sacred of rituals. But too often recently Death has been an uninvited guest at the hallowed ceremony. None of the deceased has sustained visible, life-ending injuries, so Charlie Moon is reluctant to call it murder. Yet he knows there was nothing "natural" about the unexplained deaths of young and strong dancers, like the blue-armed Shoshone, Joseph Sparrow.

Daisy Perika is also aware of the events unfolding around her, but unlike her skeptical policeman nephew, she trusts the rumors of sorcery that travel like smoke on the wind. For there is much the eyes cannot see and the hands cannot touch; and the spirits have sent her words and signs warning there is great evil in her midst. . .and that there are many more corpses to follow.

The return of a childhood friend--a beautiful Ute woman back from college to write a newspaper story revealing who, or what, is stealing men's lives--has raised the stakes in Charlie Moon's investigation. With those he cares for deeply suddenly in harm's way, perhaps he should heed his friend Parris's suggestion that he look beyond the rational for a