Desert Lost

While on stakeout, Scottsdale private investigator Lena Jones finds the body of a woman whose clothing and hairstyle indicate she's from the polygamist cult Second Zion. Lena has witnessed the sordid and abusive world of polygamists while working undercover, and she's worried this fundamentalist sect, rife with multiple wives, welfare fraud and child abuse, is reaching into Scottsdale.
With the help of a friend, an escaped "sister-wife" who recognizes the victim, Lena tries to help the dead woman's son. Jonah is one of the "lost boys" thrown away by the cult so other men can have multiple wives. He's living on the streets, addicted, turning tricks, and now he's been arrested for his mother's murder. Lena believes Jonah is innocent. To prove it, she follows the trail to the truth about who killed Celeste King and why—and in the process, discovers secrets both tragic and disturbing.