Skeleton Canyon by J.A. Jance

Briana O'Brien is a popular cheerleader at Bisbee High School.  However, one night at a football game against Douglas, her life changes forever.  The star running back from Douglas take a hard hit at the sideline where she is cheering.  She hears the bone crack, and sees the pain in the player's eyes.

She realizes at that moment that she knows this player.  They spent time together at a theater camp a summer or two ago, and they were cast as Romeo and Juliet in the camp's play.  She makes the decision to go to the hospital with him, disregarding her friends and her coach's warning that if she walks away, she will be kicked off the team.  She walks.

Fast forward to a year later as she and her boyfriend, who is of Mexican descent, are hiding their very serious relationship.  They spend weekends camping in Skeleton Canyon - and their parents and guardians are none the wiser.  This particular weekend, however, Nacio cannot get to their camping spot until the next morning.  Bree decides to go ahead and camp the night, then meet up with him the next morning.  She doesn't stay alive that long.

Joanna Brady is still trying to find her way after the unexpected death of her husband, Andy.  She is the sheriff of Bisbee, and is still trying to get her staff to respect her and her decisions.  When Bree, a popular cheerleader, is reported missing, Joanna finds that the missing girl's case falls within her jursidiction.

Joanna finds she has to deal with sexism, racism, and a ring of smugglers.  This book is one in a series of books written by J.A. Jance.  The books take place near Bisbee, Arizona.  This was a perfect read for me as I spent four days in the Tucson area.  There were so many familiar landmarks.

You don't have to visit Arizona to read this one!