Death Of Dreams - Paperback

Until disaster turned his life upside down, Derek Webster was a rugged 40-year-old backcountry adventurer who was known for having explored nearly every canyon and mountain in the Four Corners region, both as a solo hiker and a popular group leader. An out-of-control 18-wheeler on an icy road smashed into his pickup truck at high speed, resulting in both of his feet being amputated. Without the use of his legs, he knows his hiking days are over. After being fitted with prosthetic feet, he moves in with his parents to try to adjust. But it's no use. He turns to alcohol and begins sliding toward depression.

Then one day, he comes across an article about drones and thinks maybe he can fit one with a video camera and resume exploring the canyons virtually. With technical help, he configures a drone and begins launching it into the canyons almost daily. The video images of the backcountry keep him connected to the wilderness and serve as a substitute for hiking, thereby lifting his spirits and saving his life. That is, until one day in the mountains, he's fatally shot in the back.

On the surface, it looks like a hunting accident, but Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera is assigned the case and suspects it was no accident at all.