Jonathan Vail's novel made him famous. His disappearance made him a legend. Thirty-five years ago the young writer embarked on a camping trip in Utah's Slickrock Canyon, never to be seen again. His journal vanished with him. Now, archivist Claire Reynier--preserver of Vail's legacy--finds herself drawn into literature's most elusive mystery. But separating fact from fiction proves to be a dangerous proposition. The search for the missing diary has led Claire to a case of cold-blooded murder committed in the shadow of Vail family secrets--and linked to a devoted fan determined to keep the mystery of Jonathan Vail's vanishing buried forever...