The Sound of Rubber on Stone: A Maya Pok-ta-Pok Mystery

In a city where gods once played for rain and men now play for pride, one keeper of counts must learn how to read the truth in stone.

When a body is found near the sacred ballcourt, Ix Ch’elel, investigator and ritual keeper, is drawn into a mystery that threatens her city’s order. Every mark on the court - every grain of ash, every breath of rubber - tells a story. But some stories are dangerous to hear.

As drought looms and priests call for sacrifice, Ix must navigate rivalries among players, merchants, and gods, following a trail of chalk and deceit through smokehouses and temples right back to the heart of the court itself.

Set in a vividly imagined Maya metropolis, The Sound of Rubber on Stone is both a detective story and a meditation on precision, ritual, truth... and the cost of counting honestly.