Two bullets. One token. A lifetime of buried secrets.
Detective Maria Varela has spent her career proving she earned her badge, not inherited it. The daughter of a legendary—now retired—Las Vegas cop, she’s silenced the rumors with arrests, grit, and a hard-won reputation as one of the city’s top homicide detectives.
Then her brother is murdered.
The killer is a name the city hoped never to hear again: the Desert Saint—a serial murderer who stalked Las Vegas in the early 1980s before disappearing without a trace. Five victims. Two bullets each. One chilling calling card.
Now he’s back. And this time, he’s targeting Maria’s family.
Digging through decades-old case files and long-forgotten evidence, Maria uncovers a web of secrets binding past and present—and realizes her brother’s death may be only one piece of a far darker design.
To stop the killer, Maria must decide how much truth she’s willing to unearth. Because in Las Vegas, some crimes were buried for a reason.
Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, Tana French, and Lisa Gardner, The Desert Saint is a gritty, emotionally charged detective thriller set in the city’s darkest corners.
“Noirish, hard-edged, and unforgettable.” — BookLife
“An emotionally powerful, brilliantly written crime thriller.” — BestThrillers.com
The Desert Saint is a pulse-pounding mystery packed with shocking twists, complex characters, and a detective you’ll be rooting for until the final page.
★★★★★ “As gripping a page-turner as anything I’ve read in years.”
★★★★★ “Relentless pacing, nonstop action, and outstanding characters.”
★★★★★ “A rare and welcome surprise in the genre.”
