Twentynine Palms — Daniel Pyne

Cracking in the desert heat, the sleepy town of Twentynine Palms sits outside the bright blankness that is the sprawl of Los Angeles. For someone on the run like Jack Baylor, who needs a quick exit out of L.A. after a steamy affair with his best friend's wife, Twentynine Palms is the perfect refuge.

Standing on the balcony of room 203 at Rancho del Dorotea, Jack plans to lay low for a few days, relax, and enjoy the high desert and the pool. But Jack's best friend, Tory, is already following his trail up Highway 61, and he wants nothing but revenge.

Before Jack has a chance to plan his next move, a family disappears from the motel, leaving behind the signs of a gruesome struggle. In the eyes of the Twentynine Palms police, Jack is the only logical suspect. Now Jack has to clear his name and escape his angry best friend. With the unexpected help of a 14â€"yearâ€"old girl, Jack desperately works to evade the police and Tory before his world comes entirely unhinged.

With feverish Southern California as the backdrop, Twentynine Palms is a sunâ€"soaked, skittering race toward a surprising truth.