The New York Times–bestselling author creates “a fascinating amalgam of sf/detective fiction and Native American lore” (Library Journal).
A wealthy industrialist and folk art collector is murdered in his home and left beneath where a painting had been hanging. But theft is not the motive. The artwork—a Navajo sandpainting—has been completed pulverized. And no blood was found at the scene.
Assigned to the case is bulldog detective Vernon Moody—sent to Arizona to investigate. It’s an unfamiliar environment for the born-and-bred southerner: dry air, altitude, and a booming economy spurred by high-tech manufacturing on the reservations. Still ancient superstitions linger, suggesting a motive for the crime. There is magic in traditional sandpaintings—a power that, when paired with technology, could unleash forces beyond human control . . .
Praise for Alan Dean Foster
“A master storyteller.” —SF Site
“One of the most consistently and fertile writers of science fiction and fantasy.” —The Times (London)