In this second Callum Lange mystery, the retired NYC detective is wondering who has been stealing his firewood from the 80 acres around his yurt on Sauk Mountain when he receives a call about a woman, missing from her home, on the nearby Rockport-Cascade Road. Once drawn into the investigation he learns about a series of petty thefts, the art of wildcrafting, some painted gourds, and the story of the man in the mud room. Plus he discovers who has been making off with his firewood.