Retired detective Joe Leaphorn has solved almost every crime of his career—except his last one. Nine years after a priceless Navajo rug was lost in a fatal fire, a photograph of the tapestry surfaces in a magazine. When the man who alerted Leaphorn disappears, the retired lawman realizes he is dealing with an elusive killer who faked his own death. With newlyweds Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito off on their honeymoon, Leaphorn works solo to untangle a web of deception, greed, and ancient secrets before a cold-blooded murderer strikes again.