In 1768, the Jesuits secretly buried a treasure called Santa Isabel in the Baja California Mountains shortly before they were banished to Spain. Two centuries later, an American named MJ Steele searches for a link between the death of her husband Rick Delgado and The Lost Mission of Santa Isabel. MJ soon discovers secrets from Rick's past, including a life insurance policy and hidden cash. MJ travels to the mountains above Cabo San Lucas, where she meets a curandera who tells her Rick was seeking the treasure-and he was murdered. And w she is in danger. Shadowing her every move is the heir to the Cortez dynasty, Don Hernando, and Wiley Crookson, a friend with his own agenda. Unsure of whom to trust, MJ visits the beloved centenarian Mama Estrada, needing answers about the map that Rick died trying to find. MJ is sent on a journey to the cliffs of Santa Juanico, moving closer and closer to The Mission of Santa Isabel, her life in the balance.
Writer and historian Joanie Candler lives on Cape Cod and in Baja California. The Lost Mission of Santa Isabel is the first book of a trilogy about Baja, inspired by the beauty and mystery of the land, as well as the fascinating tales of the women who've lived there.