Most biologists believe the worst thing about field biology is watching everything else have sex except you. Robyn Devara is no exception. In the remote logging town of Marten Valley, Robyn knows she's not likely to win popularity contests, much less get any dates. After all, she's there to survey the old-growth forest for spotted owls, and, if she finds any of the endangered birds, it's going to mean big changes for the people of Marten Valley.
As it turns out, hostile locals and militant environmentalists are the least of Robyn's problems after she discovers a body in the forest; the body of a logging foreman, murdered by the well-aimed thrust of a tree spike. While angry townspeople point accusing fingers at the environmentalists, Robyn isn't sure what to think. Is the dead man's murder connected to the spotted owl controversy? His flirtations and unfaithful wife? A disgruntled employee? Or does the killing have something to do with a possibily illegal clearcut that Robyn and her attractive male colleague have discovered?
Robyn has a vested interest in finding out: somebody leaves a mutilated owl on her car; the dead man's wife turns out to be an old acquaintance; and she herself happens to be one of hte suspects and, potentially, another victim. Robyn must sort through all the clues to clear her name and find the killer...before she, too, becomes an endangered species.
