The second in the Royce Madison mystery series concerns the intrigue of a small Colorado murder. As if finding out who really killed tabloid gossip monger Sandra Holt weren't challenging enough, Timber County's acting sheriff Royce Madison also has to deal with a drifter stalking her girlfriend and an election opponent who's ready to fight dirty. With the Family Morals Coalition pumping big bucks into her opponent's campaign and everybody in town anxious for her to make an arrest, Royce has to dig deep. As for the columnist's death: everybody has a motive, and (almost) everybody had an alibi. Only another murder could make the case more complex.