Before the sisters get to the mine, an SUV runs off the road, taking Hannah’s empty Subaru with it, over the edge of a cliff into a lake.  Without thought for her own safety, Hannah goes over the cliff and pulls the unconscious woman out of the lake.  Hannah also finds a note that makes her wonder if the accident was an accident or a suicide attempt, but she decides not to hand the note over to the police.

The next day, Hannah has to make Shelby’s court appearance at the last minute to finalize the settlement the tribe and the government have reached. She realizes that the members of the tribe are not satisfied with the agreement their liaison has worked out and finds herself as lead counsel for a case she knows nothing about.  Her relationship with Shelby is strained to begin with and is about to get more complicated.  On top of that, Hannah’s newly found half-sister Anuya, of whom Shelby knows nothing, arrives on Hannah’s door, ostensibly to interview for a local magnet high school.  

Anuya is fascinated with Hannah’s case and with a treasure map Hannah finds stuffed in a desk she purchases at an auction.  The two sisters bond, with the help of stranger Jerry Dan, over trips to the desert where they are shot at and stranded.  Hannah is dogged in her determination to learn who is poisoning these children and in her resolve to make someone pay.  

False Fortune is a strong Southwestern novel that takes full advantage of the desert as a character.  Hannah has lived around the desert for much of her life and has come to respect it, which ultimately allows her to survive and to help others.  The mystery is compelling and interesting, with several different aspects.  As Hannah follows one set of clues to a killer, Anuya and Jerry Dan follow another to what each hopes is a treasure. There are plenty of suspects, though readers are likely to guess who did it early on.   

Hannah’s complicated family life is the one downside to the mystery.  Her relationships with her sisters are complicated and readers new to the series may find themselves having to jot down a family tree to figure it out.  Not much about Shelby is revealed, so it is a little hard to understand her relationship with Hannah.  Readers who like mysteries set in the Southwest will enjoy this series, though they might want to start with an earlier entry to learn more about the characters.  

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry