Glassblower Emmeline Dowell has made a home for herself among the artists of Tucson’s Warehouse District. Between teaching her craft and selling her wares, she has plenty to do—not to mention the occasional murder that shatters her routine... A nervous stranger has appeared at Emmeline’s glassblowing studio, begging to use her kiln for an experimental gem treatment. It’s a little odd, but it doesn’t seem like something to be alarmed about. But when a dead body found in the desert turns out to be a close friend of his, Em begins to wonder if there's more than meets the eye to his simple request. Soon Em finds herself following trails in the lawless land of the Arizona desert and the nearby Indian reservations, while her police chief boyfriend searches for a way to crack the case...

Allowing a nervous stranger to use her kiln for an experimental gem treatment, Tucson glassblower Em Dowell is horrified when a subsequent murder is tied to both the stranger and Em's missing brother.

Introduces snakes and provides information on their physical characteristics, how they hunt, and why some snakes are poisonous.