Thin Air

A cozy mystery with a deadly score to settle—and a best friend taking the blame.

Teo Lucero enters Río Altos balloon competition expecting to argue with the scores. She does not expect Ballast to lead her to the chief scorers body beside the target cross.

The pilots have flight records. The field has witnesses. Yet beneath the cheerful spectacle, rankings and sponsorships give everyone something to lose—and the evidence soon points toward Teos chase-crew chief, Marisol.

Teo knows the woman who brings her home after every flight. Knowing her friend is innocent will not open a jail cell. To do that, she must untangle a morning of marker drops, landing sites, and claims that look convincing on paper. Repairman Wes Holcomb can help her read the equipment. Her own log can tell her what the air was doing. Somewhere between them lies a story that does not add up.

With Marisols freedom at stake, can Teo find the flaw in a killers account before the valley decides it has already found its culprit?

Thin Air is Book 5 of The Rio Grande Balloon Mysteries, pairing a fiercely loyal amateur sleuth with an intricate aviation whodunit and a deepening romance. Includes a feature on balloon competition scoring and Tío Ramóns stacked red chile enchiladas recipe.

For readers who love:

• A determined heroine fighting to clear her closest friend

• Competition rivalries, suspect alibis, and evidence worth puzzling over

• A loyal dog and friendships that hold firm under pressure

• New Mexico festival life and a romance that grows through trust