Painted Truth

Getting ready for the summer crowds that she knows will descend on Jackson Hole, Wyoming - and hoping that they're in the mood to buy some of the fine art available for sale in her gallery on the Square - Alix takes some time to do a little white-water kayaking before settling in for business. Aside from a nasty dumping in the river, everything is as it should be until she gets back to town and discovers the fire that has destroyed her friend Eden's struggling gallery. What's worse is the discovery of the body in the ruins, tentatively identified as that of Ray Tantro. He'd had a brilliant career as an artist and was making a comeback with a show at Eden's gallery. Alix is asked to do an estimate of the value of the paintings for insurance purposes, but Eden may never collect. The fire was clearly arson, and that means Tantro's death is a murder. Picking through the charred remains of the gallery, Alix realizes that something is amiss, but she can't quite put her finger on it. And if a cunning and cold-blooded murderer has his way, Alix not only won't find the answers she's looking for, she won't live to see the beginning of Jackson's ski season.