From J. A. Jances New York Times bestselling Brady and Walker novels, federal investigator Dan Pardee, Brandon Walkers son-in-law, crosses paths with Sheriff Joanna Brady as he traces the bloody path of a merciless serial killer across the Southwest in this intense thriller.

Driven by a compulsion that challenges his self-control, the man calling himself Charles Milton prowls the rodeo circuit, hunting young women. He chooses those he believes are the most vulnerable, wandering alone and distracted, before he strikes. For years, he has been meticulous in his methods, abducting, murdering, and disposing of his victims while leaving no evidence of his crimesor their identitiesbehind. Indigenous women have become his target of choice, knowing law enforcements history of ignoring their disappearances.

A cold case has just been assigned to Dan Pardee, a field officer with the newly formed Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Task Force. Rosa Rios, a young woman of Apache descent and one-time rodeo star, vanished three years ago. Human remains, a homicide victim burned beyond recognition, were discovered in Cochise County around the time she went missing. They have finally been confirmed to be Rosa. With Sheriff Joanna Bradys help, Dan is determined to reopen the case and bring long-awaited justice to Rosas family. As the orphaned son of a murdered indigenous woman, he feels an even greater, personal obligation to capture this killer.

Joannas daughter Jennifer is also taking a personal interest in this case, having known Rosa from her own amateur rodeo days. Now a criminal justice major, shes unofficially joining the investigation. And as it becomes clear that Rosa was just one victim of a serial killer, both Jennifer and Dan know theyre running out of time to catch an elusive predator whos proven capable of getting away with murder.