Shirley McClintock Books in Order

Trying to help a wounded deer, rancher Shirley McClintock stumbles over a human skeleton in the autumn scrub. Another killing follows, and the smell of corruption hangs over both.

A family burial goes badly wrong when too many urns arrive and graves are disturbed. Soon Shirley McClintock is sorting through relatives, ashes, and murder much too close to home.

While traveling in New Mexico with J.Q., Allison, and a difficult teenage friend, Shirley is injured and the girl is murdered. A gold horse, a kidnapping, and stolen pottery make the puzzle wider still.

When a victim seems to have earned plenty of enemies, Shirley McClintock knows that only makes the truth harder to find. Ranch-country grudges and local hypocrisies make this a thorny case.

Another killing drops Shirley into a tangle of old resentments, local loyalties, and secrets people hoped had cooled with time. Tepper keeps the mystery rooted in place and personality.

When healer Shadow Dancer is found dead while preparing for a ceremony, Shirley McClintock starts asking unwelcome questions. The answers lie somewhere between spiritual show, fear, and plain human malice.

A celebration turns deadly, and Shirley has to pick her way through fresh lies and old tensions before the damage spreads. It is a fittingly sharp final outing for her.