This is the Avon paperback edition of The Dark Wind published by Avon in 1983. The book designer is Susan Hull. The front cover illustration is similar to other Hillerman novels published by Avon, and features a pair of cowboy boots in the foreground, flanked by a nopal cactus and an open briefcase. A scorpion is positioned between the boots, and one of the boots has a red mark on the toe, perhaps meant to represent blood. In the background the tail of an airplane extends above the printed author name and book title, in front of a rocky outcropping. A mountain skyline bordered in orange below cloud cover completes the picture.
On the back cover, in pinkish-red printing on a purple background, is a synopsis of the novel, below which is a detail of the cowboy boots and scorpion from the front cover drawing. The bar code is at the bottom of the back cover.
