Laura has been working as tech support for PI Miguel Zepeda, who, like Laura, keeps to himself. Laura takes a lot of precautions, mostly paranoid, when working with a new client. The day she meets Ana Maria Juarez, she has someone follow, taking pictures. Laura is glad she has taken the extra precautions because Ana Maria arrives with a companion, a sign interpreter she claims (Ana Maria is deaf), but when Laura inspects their ID's she realizes that they are all phony.

Ana Maria is a pharmacist who has come to Laura and Miguel because she suspects that someone is committing insurance fraud on a very large scale. She has been getting threatening e-mails, making her think someone knows what she suspects.

Laura agrees to do some investigating, but something in her gut makes her proceed with caution. She also realizes that she hasn't seen or heard from Miguel in several days. When a strange man named Rey shows up, saying he also works for Miguel and is concerned for Miguel's and Laura's safety, Laura is thrown for a loop and decides to trust Rey. The two begin investigating Ana Maria's accusations while searching for clues to what happened to Miguel. All the while, Laura realizes she is getting in deeper and deeper and fighting the feelings she has to flee.

The Killing Maze is the second novel featuring Laura Winslow and a rich southwest setting, full of Native American lore and flora native to the American Southwest. Readers will see Laura slowly change, as she slowly begins to trust people, though her resolve to locate her young adult daughter is stronger than ever.

The mystery is full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the end. Some of the technical talk will throw less computer-savvy readers off a bit, but they will be able to quickly pick-up the threads of the plot. The Killing Maze is an engrossing mystery, set against the rich background of the southwest. Its engaging heroine will keep readers rooting for Laura and awaiting her return.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry