Which is worse, the guns of New York or the dangerous desert of New Mexico? In 1976, the best a black kid in Harlem can hope for is to work for the mob or pick up extra bucks as an informer. It may be too late for Rand to get out, but that won't stop him from trying to save his brother, Bo. When strangers appear on the streets of Harlem, Rand hatches a crazy plan to use them to send Bo to a place that is so desolate and removed from Harlem that no one will dare follow him. Once there, all Bo has to do is find a way to stay alive. Soul of the Desert was shortlisted in the CWA's Dagger Debut competition in 2003.