This novel tells the story of Maria Brooks, also known as coyote. Her fiancé Jordan Kramer gave her that nickname when he met her in Provence in an earlier book. Maria was hiding in France accused of killing her husband. Jordan assures her it’s safe to return to Los Angeles but while attempting to go through customs Maria is arrested for the murder of her husband.

The author creates an interesting tale, weaving in the details of Maria’s time in jail and her trial. What makes the story even better is the private investigator, Slade Kelly. He is full of contradictions. He dresses shabbily and pretends not to be well educated, when in fact he has a Masters Degree in Criminology. Slade pretends to be just scraping by yet he collects art and glass worth a fortune. He leads two lives on purpose. This is a nice blend of mystery and romance with well-written characters and a compelling plot. Although this can be read as a stand-a-lone book, I suggest you get all three novels in the trilogy.