In her debut novel, The Cowboy Rides Away, Betsy Thornton amazed reviewers with her vivid description of Cochise County, AZ and the people who live there. Now five years later readers are taken back to the harshness of the desert and to Chloe Newcomb, a victim advocate with the Cochise County Attorney's Office.

Erica Hill, a flamboyant and independent woman, was once a friend of Chloe's beloved deceased brother. Chloe hadn't seen Erica in years until a few months earlier when Erica showed up at one of her volunteer training sessions. Full of guilt over not keeping in touch with Erica, Chloe embarks on an independent investigation. Her search involves Erica's teenage son, her jealous sister and a defense lawyer who seems to take an overly strong interest in the case. What Chloe discovers is a secret so dark that even after Erica's death it still has the power to damage the lives of everyone around her.

Author Biography: Betsy Thornton lives in Bisbee, Arizona, where she works for the Cochise County Attorney's Victim Witness Program as a victim compensation advocate and a victim advocate.

Genre: Mystery