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The Haunted Ranch Mysteries #6
Death Waits at Dead Rock
A wine tasting. A viral treasure hunt. A body at the base of Dead Rock.
Claire Caldwell thought she’d seen every kind of weird the desert could throw at her. Ghosts in her kitchen, omens from a spirit fox, and the occasional town scandal that required a very large cup of coffee. What she did not expect was a swarm of influencers descending on Perdido Springs for a luxury “Desert Vines Weekend,” complete with ring lights, sponsored smiles, and a limited edition bottle of Red Rock Reserve.
The big gimmick is supposed to be harmless fun. Collect the special labels, piece together the artwork, and you get a treasure map to a legendary stash hidden near Dead Rock. Content gold. Tourist bait. Everyone wants in.
Then the weekend’s headliner turns up dead at sunrise, the sheriff calls it a tragic accident, and the one bottle that completes the map disappears.
Claire would love to let law enforcement handle it, but Buster is... Buster. Rosa’s ghost has opinions, Rusty is tracking something no living person can smell, and the closer Claire gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes that the “treasure” isn’t just old wine and a cute story. Someone in town has been protecting what Dead Rock is hiding for a long time, and they’ll do anything to keep it buried.
Now Claire has to sift through secrets, suspects, and a trail of clues disguised as a party favor, before the killer strikes again… and the next toast becomes a death sentence.
Claire Caldwell thought she’d seen every kind of weird the desert could throw at her. Ghosts in her kitchen, omens from a spirit fox, and the occasional town scandal that required a very large cup of coffee. What she did not expect was a swarm of influencers descending on Perdido Springs for a luxury “Desert Vines Weekend,” complete with ring lights, sponsored smiles, and a limited edition bottle of Red Rock Reserve.
The big gimmick is supposed to be harmless fun. Collect the special labels, piece together the artwork, and you get a treasure map to a legendary stash hidden near Dead Rock. Content gold. Tourist bait. Everyone wants in.
Then the weekend’s headliner turns up dead at sunrise, the sheriff calls it a tragic accident, and the one bottle that completes the map disappears.
Claire would love to let law enforcement handle it, but Buster is... Buster. Rosa’s ghost has opinions, Rusty is tracking something no living person can smell, and the closer Claire gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes that the “treasure” isn’t just old wine and a cute story. Someone in town has been protecting what Dead Rock is hiding for a long time, and they’ll do anything to keep it buried.
Now Claire has to sift through secrets, suspects, and a trail of clues disguised as a party favor, before the killer strikes again… and the next toast becomes a death sentence.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2026
About the author
Sara Bourgeois
363 books385 followersSara Bourgeois is a Midwesterner through and through. She spends her time writing, reading, herding cats, and standing in her driveway during tornado warnings. (You can't see them from the basement.)
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 4, 2026
Sentinel Rock Is Now Dead Rock
A Vineyard Weekend for influencers starts out tense, then settles into waiting and watching. The desert waited, the guests watched, drank wine, and posted content. And finally, someone went a step too far.
The treasure hunt was meant as a promotion gimmick, but the event planner was careless about her research of the area. A deadly combination where secrets can be worth more than anything else.
Claire (ranch owner, being courted as an influencer) and Rusty (the "fox") have many puzzles to sort through to find the killer this time.
This story was more laid-back; not urgent like many of the others, and not as dark as some. Surrounded by the bright green vines and the old established vineyard buildings, a semi-resort had been built to make it into a destination. Guest cabins, a tasting room, patio dining, meeting rooms, luxury that should be relaxing, but felt a little off.
I enjoyed meeting some of the characters, and the time spent with the land. It wasn't slow, but it was more reflective. Plenty of intrigue and tension. More emotion.
5 of 5 Stars A great read!
A Vineyard Weekend for influencers starts out tense, then settles into waiting and watching. The desert waited, the guests watched, drank wine, and posted content. And finally, someone went a step too far.
The treasure hunt was meant as a promotion gimmick, but the event planner was careless about her research of the area. A deadly combination where secrets can be worth more than anything else.
Claire (ranch owner, being courted as an influencer) and Rusty (the "fox") have many puzzles to sort through to find the killer this time.
This story was more laid-back; not urgent like many of the others, and not as dark as some. Surrounded by the bright green vines and the old established vineyard buildings, a semi-resort had been built to make it into a destination. Guest cabins, a tasting room, patio dining, meeting rooms, luxury that should be relaxing, but felt a little off.
I enjoyed meeting some of the characters, and the time spent with the land. It wasn't slow, but it was more reflective. Plenty of intrigue and tension. More emotion.
5 of 5 Stars A great read!
March 16, 2026
4.5. I do enjoy this series and each book seems to get a little bit better. One thing that is still a bit frustrating is the way Claire just continually has to face the presumed killer alone and flat out ask them if they did the murder. Or explain how she knows they did it. She's done it in every book. Why she hasn't been killed yet is still a mystery. So a solid TSTL for that aspect. Otherwise I like the writing style and the build of the mystery - both the murder and usually a secondary associated problem. The ranch and the animals, with their TikTok following are just adorable. Margaret and Bernadette - even Pepper - were marvelous. We all need our tribe/herd/peeps. I look forward to book 7.
May 15, 2026
loving the numbers
Dead Rock what a name, I mean who wants to be dead there. So we have Sam, and Claire living the ranch life with Luis bringing them into the Social Media Era. Claire gets invited into a Social Media retreat where things turn deadly.
I like that Claire takes control of the situation. She knows there is something going on but she doesn’t know what until she starts to get into it. The thing that makes me love her is that she doesn’t make assumptions or impulsive decisions.
I can’t wait to see what happens next with the ranch.
Dead Rock what a name, I mean who wants to be dead there. So we have Sam, and Claire living the ranch life with Luis bringing them into the Social Media Era. Claire gets invited into a Social Media retreat where things turn deadly.
I like that Claire takes control of the situation. She knows there is something going on but she doesn’t know what until she starts to get into it. The thing that makes me love her is that she doesn’t make assumptions or impulsive decisions.
I can’t wait to see what happens next with the ranch.
March 4, 2026
A lovely Series to read.
This is the 6th book in the Series and it is just getting better and better. This Series is different in that is set in Arizona, where life is slower, there are ghosts around. Claire owns an Animal Sanctuary Ranch with a few quirky animals.
My favourite is Pepper a donkey who thinks he’s a dog. He’ll even give you his paw to shake!
This is the 6th book in the Series and it is just getting better and better. This Series is different in that is set in Arizona, where life is slower, there are ghosts around. Claire owns an Animal Sanctuary Ranch with a few quirky animals.
My favourite is Pepper a donkey who thinks he’s a dog. He’ll even give you his paw to shake!
March 16, 2026
I knew
I guessed the killer and this time I got it right!! I loved the cow and its need to be near a human. Looking forward to the next book to see “ what’s out there” that Claire keeps seeing
I guessed the killer and this time I got it right!! I loved the cow and its need to be near a human. Looking forward to the next book to see “ what’s out there” that Claire keeps seeing
May 3, 2026
The story of this series is good enough to keep reading, but the conflicting small details and repetitive literary phrases are really annoying. These books were definitely rushed in a way that makes it frustrating to read at times.
May 5, 2026
Loving this series.
I grew up in Arizona and I am loving this series. Everything that happens reminds me Of the rumors, The legends and the stories That I heard when I was a child.
Makes me miss the sunsets, the saguaros,
and the beautiful desert!
I grew up in Arizona and I am loving this series. Everything that happens reminds me Of the rumors, The legends and the stories That I heard when I was a child.
Makes me miss the sunsets, the saguaros,
and the beautiful desert!
September 3, 2026
Claire is invited to a nearby vineyard
There she meets several wine promoters. The next day she learns that one had been murdered. She investigates. She also gets a cow for the ranch.
There she meets several wine promoters. The next day she learns that one had been murdered. She investigates. She also gets a cow for the ranch.
March 3, 2026
This is such an awesome series! The wrong person died in this, otherwise this was a great story. I LOVED the part about the cows and the donkey!
March 6, 2026
A Lovely Series
This series has turned into one of my favorite series. Love the characters, the animals, and the stories. I am looking forward to the next book.
This series has turned into one of my favorite series. Love the characters, the animals, and the stories. I am looking forward to the next book.
March 12, 2026
Fantastic series.
March 17, 2026
Good book
Claire is investigating the murder of a woman she met at the Desert Vines Weekend event for influencers. She discovers a motive for murder with deep ties to the past.
Claire is investigating the murder of a woman she met at the Desert Vines Weekend event for influencers. She discovers a motive for murder with deep ties to the past.
March 22, 2026
Great book
Living in Arizona I can see the plot lines happening in real life. It would be great to be able to see ghosts. Water is such a precious resource.
Living in Arizona I can see the plot lines happening in real life. It would be great to be able to see ghosts. Water is such a precious resource.
March 25, 2026
Totally enjoyed it! This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!
April 6, 2026
EXCELLENT read!
Read this Series, gobble it up like Thanksgiving Turkey! Enjoy the writing but stay for the story. It is worth it!
Read this Series, gobble it up like Thanksgiving Turkey! Enjoy the writing but stay for the story. It is worth it!
April 19, 2026
Still good
There were new characters but very little of the towns usual suspects. New is good but not having the regulars made it seem like a different series.
There were new characters but very little of the towns usual suspects. New is good but not having the regulars made it seem like a different series.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews