While her advisor agrees that April is a bit late to be funds hunting, he knows of someone willing to pay top dollar and all expenses at his Arizona ranch. The two flies in the ointment are that Hank Hunnicutt is even odder than most of the academics in the anthropology/archaeology fields and doesn't specify what the work will be, and he has already turned down several of the applications he has received.

Something in D.J.'s application appeals to Hunnicutt. He flies her out to Arizona, first-class, has her met at the airport in a Rolls-Royce, and insists that for the first few days, all her expects of her is for her to relax, enjoy herself, and acclimate to the area. Outspoken D.J., while amazed at her surroundings, is very anxious to get down to brass tacks, and is even a bit suspicious when Hank is so vague about the project. Nonetheless, D.J. enjoys the buffets and meets several of Hank's eccentric and bristly guests, several of whom she baits into arguing their less than scientific anthropological views.

The night before all is to be revealed, Hank disappears and Tom, his assistant, is found drugged with a large bump on his head. The local authorities disagree with D.J.'s assumption of foul play. D.J. is certain that both acts are connected to Hank's secret project and linked to the uppers someone put in her drink the first night on the ranch. As D.J. searches for Hank in the vast Arizona desert, she knows she will need help, but is unsure which of the odd assemblage she should trust to help and which will help her to her dusty grave.

Summer of the Dragon, originally published in 1979, is a fast, entertaining read for readers who have an interest in anthropology, or those interested in the Southwestern U.S., especially the history. Elizabeth Peters has created an eccentric grouping of people, each with an academic ego bigger than the next. None of these characters is explored and the kidnapper fairly easy to pick out.

D.J. is a very strong, outspoken feminist, something that may seem a little out of place to modern readers. Her insatiable appetite and constant worries about her weight may wear on readers quickly, but they will enjoy her spunk and perseverance. While readers may not guess Hank's true discovery, once it is revealed, the rest of the pieces fall quickly into place.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry