The Mystery of the Golden Talon

In the crisp air of Duck Creek Village, some secrets are best kept hidden. Leo has lived on Cedar Mountain his whole life, knowing its trails like the back of his hand. Cody, a visiting naturalist, prefers the hard data of his falcon-tracking charts. But when the forest's rarest peregrine falcons begin to vanish, the two must combine local lore with scientific precision to save the mountain's most majestic hunters.

Their journey leads them to The Lofty Nest, an antique shop where history isn't just for sale-it's alive. Drawn to an artifact once owned by a legendary explorer, Cody discovers a gift that allows him to see the world through the eyes of the birds he studies. As they track a clever poacher through the treacherous lava beds and limestone caves of the Dixie National Forest, they are shadowed by the legend of the Golden Talon-a giant spirit-bird said to protect the high ridges. In a world where the line between myth and reality is as thin as mountain air, can Leo and Cody solve the mystery of the missing falcons, or are some things better left to the legends of the Pink Cliffs?

Part of The Duck Creek Mysteries series.