When his wife finally left him and filed for divorce, Rick Fallon put his house up for sale and took the last two weeks of his vacation. Then he loaded his Jeep and drove straight to Death Valley, the one place he truly belonged. On his third day in Death Valley, Fallon comes upon a deserted car, and soon thereafter, the almost-dead body of Casey Dunbar. Having rescued her, Fallon soon learns what had driven her to give up on life and—his own life on hold—he resolves to unravel the twisted and dangerous strands of hers, a quest that leads him to the glitter-dome of Las Vegas among other destinations.

Bill Pronzini has published sixty novels, including three in collaboration with his wife, novelist Marcia Muller, and twenty-nine in his popular "Nameless Detective" series. Pronzini has received three Shamus Awards, and six nominations for the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. His work has been translated into eighteen languages and published in nearly thirty countries.