When Vicky moves back to Arapaho country from Denver, she's out of the moccasin telegraph, so learns about the shadow dancers, the hard way. Her ex husband Ben is murdered shortly after they've been seen quarreling in a local restaurant and he's stormed off in a temper. She's the obvious suspect. Father John O'Malley is involved in both investigations, as one of the grandmothers has a son who's disappeared into the shadow dancers, but it's Vicky who almost gets herself killed. Complicating matters is a new assistant to John, who seems to be on the side of the Jesuit team who come to determine if there's any role in the modern world for the Mission. The people it serves fill the hall and eloquently speak to their needs--often in Arapaho, which no one understands, since John has gone after Vicky; the committee relents, for now. John gets to Vicky in time. In spite of the sometimes over-the-top plot, this is one of the more satisfying of the series, as John and Vicky struggle to work out an honest relationship.