Murder at the Powderhorn Ranch — Jessica Fletcher; Donald Bain

A Deadly Dude Ranch:

Bestselling author Jessica Fletcher takes a break from her latest hobby -- flying lessons -- to accept an invitation to stay at an old friend's Colorado ranch. Also attending are the Morrison family -- an unpleasant bunch of land developers from Denver. Arriving late are Paul and Geraldine Molloy, a seemingly happy couple on vacation. The relaxed atmosphere of the ranch is short-lived, however, when Paul Molloy is found stabbed to death the next morning. The local law arrives to investigate, and asks for Jessica's help in capturing the killer. But before you can say "giddy-up," Geraldine Molloy disappears, only to be found dead on a remote island on the property.

Hooking up with a local reporter, Jessica starts to dig into the backgrounds of the guests and staff of the ranch. She discovers some suspicious connections between the Morrisons and the Molloys, and secrets that someone would kill to keep. With a murderer riding the range, Jessica races to round up the evidence that will reveal the killer -- before the killer decided to bury her under the lone prairie.