The Cuchara Chronicles is a work of fiction set in and around the very real mountain village of Cuchara, Colorado. Cuchara is nestled in the magnificent Sangre de Cristo mountains on Highway 12 (the Highway of Legends) between LaVeta and Trinidad. It is the story of a journey; a journey that requires the main characters, Lane Curry and his son Steve, to face the family past before they can find their future. That past is ripe with tragedy and mystery. Lane lost his wife in a tragic accident. Both Steve and Lane are struggling in their separate ways to deal with the loss of the woman who was the center of their lives. Neither of them is able to share his feelings, hence they both suffer in silence. It takes a life-and-death search and rescue mission deep in the high country to shatter the silence but the price proves to be very high. Lane´s world is turned upside down when he meets Mary, a divorced artist who is also running from her past. They struggle with their emotions as their mutual attraction grows. When Lane discovers that his grandfather, Sven Curry, mysteriously disappeared almost 100 years ago and possible suffered a violent death, he embarks on a mission of discovery. The mystery becomes deeper and darker when Lane uncovers a long-lost letter written to Sven just before his disappearance. A simple inquiry about the letter triggers a chain of events that threatens to tear the Curry´s future apart. With the help of a private investigator Lane teeters on the precipice of breaking the law as they uncover the family´s secret. Steve´s imagination is fired by the stories about Sven´s disappearance and the talk of lost gold. He and his big dog, Sampson, hike to Chaparral Falls, Sven´s last reported location. There Steve and Sampson encounter a snarling horrific nightmare. They may have found the key to Sven´s mystery but will it be worth the price?

If you're a first-time reader of the Cuchara series, you might want to take a few minutes to read this short section and get caught up on the characters and their stories. Better yet, read The Cuchara Chronicles, the first novel of the series, and Out of Purgatory: the Chronicles Continue. If you're a faithful reader and just want to be reminded of who's who and their parts in the continuing story, I hope that the next few pages will whet your appetite for what comes next.