The beloved author of the Rachel Murdock Mysteries introduces an amateur sleuth who knows murder is never academic - especially when it comes to love. Professor Pennyfeather is on his way to the desert town of Superstition to help a former student, now an army man. Tick Burrell is a charming troublemaker who's got himself in a bit of a bind. He's due to inherit a fortune when he marries, but until then, his aunt, Martha Andler, holds the purse strings in her iron grip. And now that Tick's engaged for the third time, he wants Pennyfeather to help him convince Martha his intentions - and his bride-to-be - are serious. But Superstition has become a hot destination for Tick's exes, both of whom want to win him back. One is a flighty gold digger; the other a striking and sharp-witted beauty. And his no-nonsense fiancee is in the Women's Army Corps. When Tick's aunt is found axe-murdered in her hotel room, Pennyfeather must decide who among them stands to benefit the most . . . Amidst the sage and cactus of the small army town, danger lurks, and Pennyfeather, who has Tick's best interests at heart, may be the next victim of a brutal and greedy killer.