Meet the Team Following the Victorio Peak Treasure Trail in Desert Gold: Romantic Suspense in the Southwest

A history professor, a helicopter pilot, a brilliant best friend, and one unforgettable orange cat make this desert adventure anything but ordinary in Desert Gold.

Erin: The scholar who refuses to back down

Erin is not the typical action heroine. She begins the story as a quiet history professor, someone more comfortable with research and evidence than with danger. When she discovers a clue connected to the lost Victorio Peak treasure, curiosity leads her toward adventure. Then a hit-and-run attack makes it clear that the treasure hunt is no academic exercise.

Erin’s greatest strength is her mind. She notices details, understands historical context, and approaches the mystery with intelligence. But courage is not the absence of fear. It is the decision to keep going after fear has made every step harder. Erin may be outmatched by the people hunting her, yet she refuses to surrender an important historical discovery without a fight.

Drew: Hero, suspect, or something in between?

Drew enters Erin’s life after finding her injured in a ditch. As a helicopter pilot, he has the skills and experience to help her navigate the rugged New Mexico wilderness. He is also handsome, capable, and just mysterious enough to make Erin question his motives.

That uncertainty fuels the romantic suspense at the heart of the novel. Their attraction develops alongside danger, which means trust has to grow under pressure. Every rescue, difficult decision, and shared risk becomes part of the question: can Erin rely on Drew when the people pursuing her will stop at nothing?

Camie and Tiger: The unforgettable supporting cast

Erin's best friend Camie brings brains, beauty, ingenuity, and a feisty spirit to the journey. She is the kind of friend who can make a dangerous situation more manageable—and more entertaining. 

Tiger is a huge orange cat with plenty of personality. In a story filled with legends, villains, storms, and hidden treasure, Tiger holds his own and may make you wish you had a friend like him. 

Together, Erin, Drew, Camie, and Tiger create a team readers will want to follow into the desert. By the time Erin cries, “I found it!” the discovery feels like the reward for loyalty, persistence, and the courage to trust.

If you like Indiana Jones-style adventure with a smart heroine, Southwest history, dangerous secrets, and a slow-burn romance, you’ll love Desert Gold. Erin and Drew’s treasure hunt leads deep into the New Mexico wilderness—and straight into danger.

Get six romantic suspense novels in one ebook “box set.” These are exclusive to Amazon for $12.99 (a $25 value) and free in Kindle Unlimited. Get it here! Or see each Romantic Suspense in the Southwest novel.

Readers say: “Fast, fun, romance and adventure.”

“…strong solid female characters in a rip-roaring mystery.”

“Kept me on the edge of my chair.”

“Great balance of history, romance, and adventure. Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel.”

Kris Bock writes mystery, suspense, and romance, often with smart, snarky heroines finding adventure (sometimes against their will) in the Southwest. She lives in New Mexico where she enjoys hiking with her spouse and playing with their ferrets.

In the Tales of a Reluctant Psychic mysteries, a quirky loner who can read the history of any object with her touch gets drawn into mysteries at the museum of oddities where she works. In the Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. 

The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series stars the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery. Who wouldn't want to be a billionaire? Turns out winning the lottery causes as many problems as it solves.

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie.

Kris’s romantic suspense novels include stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue. Readers have called these novels “Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel.”

Learn more at KrisBock.com. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter and get short stories from the Accidental Detective and the Reluctantly Psychic series, a cat café novella, a Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy story, and other freebies. Then every two weeks, you’ll get fun content about pets, announcements of new books, sales, and more.