Iris Lanier is an anthropologist - an independent woman with a mission for uncovering history. She's in the jungles of Guatemala when somehow a telegram gets to her that her father is in the hospital in New York. She hurries to his side to find him in a coma. She has no idea why he is even in New York as he rarely ever leaves his California orchard. Her history problem solving skills are only partially useful as she starts digging into what happened to her father. This is the second Darian North I have read. While it wasn't quite as good as the first, it was still way excellent. And, I still know nothing about this author and don't even have a guess as to whether she's a she or a he. But, no matter, I'm off to find another Darian North. ( )

Iris Lanier is in Guatemala on an archelogical dig, when she receives a telegram to return to New York, that her father is gravely ill. Iris, who is estranged from her father returns to find her father in a coma. What was he doing in New York? He never leaves his orchards in California. Does this have something to do with her mother, who disappeared when Iris was 8?
This is a wonderful page turner, I could hardly put it down. ( )