Mystery editor Taylor Browning is back with her cats and this time the "cantankerous cat" Oscar and new brother Cheddar get in on the action.

The president of the Santa Fe Wine and Crime book club takes a wrong turn. To her horror she finds herself on one of the most deadly roads in the area. She doesn't make her meeting and no one knows what has happened to her.

Taylor, an honorary member of the book club, becomes involved with the search for the club president. What she doesn't expect is going undercover as a delivery driver involved in chile trafficking. This is complicated by the disappearance of the restaurateur who uses the Mayan Death Pepper in his dishes.

Meanwhile back at the book publishing office, it's one crisis after another. One employee is fired by the highly flammable CEO Jessica Endicott. Her departure leaves the publisher in financial trouble threatening its very existence.

When Taylor and friend Jim Wells find themselves in jeopardy in the Pecos Wilderness, it's difficult to know who to trust. Det.Victor Sanchez races against time to rescue the two but there are jurisdiction issues. Can he uncover the mastermind before Taylor and Jim pay the price for their interference or will other forces step in?

This is a fun romp through New Mexico, its chile culture and the world of book publishing.