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The Purloined
Skull-#1 A Twist of Poe Mysteries
Blurb: The bones
waited in eerie silence, sad remnants of someone’s life. They made no sound,
put off no stench, nor were they impatient to be identified. Just a pile of
bones, that’s all.
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.
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Excerpt:
Along the road that
curled out of Cedarton, a speeding white car
left a trail of dust
in its wake, its roof reflecting bright shards of light.
Sheriff Mac headed
for the crime scene, and as usual he was flying
low, lights flashing,
siren silent so as not to stir up the cattle grazing
on both sides of the
road. The curious animals raised their heads,
jaws moving, and
stared at the interloper.
She rose and waved
both arms over her head.
The patrol car went
into a skid that put its front wheels on the
narrow lane to Kyle’s
place. Out of the ford of the creek, another wild
slide and the SUV
rocked to a stop near her Jeep, bumper dripping
water. You’d have
thought she’d reported a shoot-out in progress.
For a moment a dust
cloud obscured the cruiser. Out of that settling
debris two men
appeared like aliens off a mist-shrouded spaceship.
Just like in the
movies. She expected to see men in black with
dark glasses,
outrageous weapons in their hands, perhaps even a little
green monster or two.
Instead, there appeared the lanky sheriff in
his gray Stetson, a
roll of crime scene tape dangling from one hand,
and beside him a
stranger. Tall, well built, with skin like tarnished
copper. A black tee
shirt showed off wide shoulders and a flat belly,
tight jeans hugged
some fine equipment and long muscular legs carried
him toward her with
the mere vestige of a limp.
Sometimes God was
good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Velda Brotherton has always loved to read mysteries, but
in her long writing career, she has just recently had the first in A Twist of
Poe series published, featuring Deputy Dallas Starr and reporter Jessie West.
The Purloined Skull title she twisted from Poe's The Purloined Letter. She
writes from an office in the home she shares with her husband. Located on ten
acres of land that borders against the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas, she
often goes for days without seeing another human being. Visitors include herds
of deer, red foxes, bobcats and occasionally a shy black bear, along with all
the tiny critters that live in7 the Ozarks. Since 1988 she has been multiply
published in historical nonfiction and fiction, as well as short stories and
articles.
Velda is the co-chair of a large critique group, she
mentors young writers, holds workshops and speaks at conferences.
Personal Links:
Wonderfully inviting. Makes a person want to order it and move it to the top of the stack.
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