Burner Off

A farewell flight becomes a search for a killer in this winter-set New Mexico cozy mystery.

Teo Lucero has promised to scatter pioneering balloonist Minnie Casauss ashes over the bosque she loved. Before the flight can take place, Teo arrives at Minnies home to collect the urn—and finds the woman who inherited the estate dead at the bottom of the cellar stairs.

The neighbors call it a terrible fall. They have less sympathy for the young home-health aide who, as far as they are concerned, walked away with a strangers fortune. Teo is not ready to let gossip stand as the last word on Anna Salass life.

A dark staircase, a house full of old papers, and smoke glimpsed from the air keep pulling her back. As she sorts through the possessions Minnie left behind, Teo discovers that being helpful is not the same as being honest—and that someone would prefer the estates records to stay unread.

With her crew, Ballast, and Wes Holcomb beside her, Teo must find what connects an unexpected inheritance to a death everyone is too willing to explain away.

Burner Off is Book 6 of The Rio Grande Balloon Mysteries, a story of loyalty, loss, and small-town secrets. Includes a feature on dawn ballooning and Tío Ramóns red chile posole recipe.

For readers who love:

• Inheritance puzzles and family histories hidden among everyday belongings

• A compassionate heroine who looks beyond a victims reputation

• Winter skies, New Mexico kitchens, and a close-knit supporting cast

• Patient clue gathering and a tender romance woven through the case