The Purloined Skull — Velda Brotherton

When dogs dig up a human skeleton, people in Cedarton, Arkansas learn that murder can happen even in a small town in the Ozarks. Dal Starr, the newly hired crime scene investigator balks at having local reporter Jessie Stone tag along on his investigation. Sparks fly between the two as they try to learn who was buried under a bluff and who killed him. The discovery of a lost skull threatens to reveal hidden secrets and end two careers.