The Salt Maiden — Colleen Thompson

Deep beneath the desert lies a woman's body, mummified by salt, abandoned by those who ought to seek her. With her rests a secret that someone will kill to keep buried.

Devil's Claw. It's a barren wasteland, the dead center of nowhere, and the last place Dana Vanover wants to be. But it's also the last known address of her missing sister. Determined to locate Angie, Dana won't be deterred by suspicious rednecks, snakebite, or even the grim prognosis of Sheriff Jay Eversole: no woman could survive more than a week alone in the burning heat of Rimrock County. But the endless sands aren't the only thing hotter than the chili served up in the Broken Spur cafe. Despite small-town dirty politics, a deadly car chase and a dangerous paternity search, Dana and Jay can't keep their hands off each other. In the least populated area of the country they've managed to find love. Now all they have to do is stay alive long enough to uncover...The Salt Maiden.