A wealthy industrialist and folk art collector is murdered in his home and left beneath where a painting had been hanging. But theft is not the motive. The artwork-a Navajo sandpainting-has been completely pulverized. And no blood was found at the scene. Assigned to the case is bulldog detective Vernon Moody-sent to Arizona to investigate. It's an unfamiliar environment for the born-and-bred southerner: dry air, altitude, and a booming economy spurred by high-tech manufacturing on the reservations. Still ancient superstitions linger, suggesting a motive for the crime. There is magic in traditional sandpaintings-a power that, when paired with technology, could unleash forces beyond human control.