It began with a phone call about a phone call. For Lee Squires, this particular phone call couldn't have come at a better time. English professor, poet, and professional house-sitter, Lee is wallowing in the heat and humidity of a Washington, D.C., summer and in the self-pity and depression that have been shadowing her life for some time. It seems that a friend of hers has given her name to Pete Bonsecours, a Montana wilderness outfitter desperately in need of a replacement cook for an upcoming trail ride across the Continental Divide. Lee is more than ready for a change of pace, so it doesn't take much to convince her to sign on as the new cook. Within days Lee is on her way out to Montana and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Armed with everything from sleeping bag, long underwear, bathing suit, and sunscreen to her old cast-iron Dutch oven and a thermos filled with sourdough starter, Lee is ready for anything - anything but murder. Filled with the fascinating details of a full-blown trail ride and the gripping suspense of a taut murder mystery, Trail of Murder marks the impressive debut of talented newcomer Christine Andreae.