Disturbing the Dead: A Rachel Goddard Mystery (Rachel Goddard Mysteries Book 2)

Tom Bridger, who is half Melungeon, thought he had escaped his mountain community's lingering prejudice against the mixed-race group when he left to work for the Richmond, Virginia Police Department. Tom was moving up the detective ranks when a family tragedy brought him back home and moved him into his fathers job as a county sheriff's deputy. Now the bones of a Melungeon woman who disappeared ten years ago have surfaced on a remote mountaintop, and all evidence points to murder. Violence escalates as the victim's poor family and the wealthy white family she married into scramble to protect their secrets from Toms probing. But as he probes into his father's investigation of the case, he finds his father was not the man he idolized. The woman Tom is falling in love with, veterinarian Rachel Goddard, is struggling to start over in a place that holds no memories for her. Rachel puts herself in danger when she befriends the dead Melungeon womans niece, Holly. As a child, the girl witnessed something that could implicate her aunt's killer, but she is too terrified to tell anyone what she knows. While Rachel is determined to keep Holly safe and help her piece together past events, the guilty are equally determined to silence the girl'and Rachel too, if necessary. Will this murder be Tom's and Rachel's undoing or will it free them to look into the future' Tom Bridger, who is half Melungeon, thought he had escaped his Virginia mountain community's lingering prejudice against the mixed-race group when he left to join the Richmond Police Department. Tom was moving up the detective ranks when a family tragedy brought him back home and moved him into his father's job as chief deputy in the Mason County Sheriff's Department. Now the bones of a Melungeon woman who disappeared ten years ago have surfaced on a remote mountaintop, and all evidence points to murder. Violence escalates as the victim's poor family and the wealthy white family she married into scramble to protect their secrets from Tom's scrutiny. As he probes into his father's investigation of the case, he finds his father was not the man he idolized. The woman Tom is falling in love with, Rachel Goddard, is struggling to start a new life in a place that holds no memories for her. She puts herself in danger when she befriends the dead Melungeon woman's teenage niece, Holly. As a child, the girl witnessed something that could implicate her aunt's killer, but she is too terrified to tell anyone what she knows. While Rachel is determined to keep Holly safe and help her piece together past events, the guilty are equally determined to silence the girl -- and Rachel too, if necessary. Will this murder investigation be Tom's and Rachel's undoing or will it free them to look to the future? Tom Bridger, who is half Melungeon, thought he had escaped his mountain community's lingering prejudice against the mixed-race group when he left to work for the Richmond, Virginia Police Department. Tom was moving up the detective ranks when a family tragedy brought him back home and moved him into his father's job as a county sheriff's deputy. Now the bones of a Melungeon woman have surfaced on a remote mountaintop, and all evidence points to murder. Violence escalates as the victim's poor family and the wealthy white family she married into scramble to protect their secrets from Toms probing. But as he probes into his father's investigation of the case, he finds his father is not the man he idolized. The woman Tom is falling in love with, veterinarian Rachel Goddard, is struggling to start over in a place that holds no memories for her. Rachel puts herself in danger when she befriends the dead Melungeon woman's niece, Holly. As a child, the girl witnessed something that could implicate her aunt's killer, but she is too terrified to tell anyone what she knows. While Rachel is determined to keep Holly safe and help her piece together past events, the guilty are equally determined to silence the girl—and Rachel too, if necessary. Will this murder be Tom's and Rachel's undoing or will it free them to look into the future? Faye Longchamp And Joe Wolf Mantooth Have Traveled To Neshoba County, Mississippi, To Help Excavate A Site Near Nanih Waiya, The Sacred Mound Where Tradition Says The Choctaw Nation Was Born.when Farmer Carroll Calhoun Refuses The Archaeologists’ Request To Investigate An Ancient Native American Mound, Faye And Her Colleagues Are Disappointed. But His Next Action Breaks Their Hearts: He Tries To Bulldoze The Huge Relic To The Ground. Faye And Joe Rush To Protect History With Their Bodies, If Necessary. The Situation Grows More Dangerous As Choctaws Arrive To Defend The Mound And The Farmer’s White And Black Neighbors Come To Defend His Property Rights. A Popular Young Sheriff Is Able To Defuse The Situation, But Tempers Are Short. That Night, Calhoun Is Found Dead, His Throat Sliced With A Handmade Stone Blade. Was He Killed By An Archaeologist Angered By His Wanton Destruction Of History? Did A Choctaw Take Up Arms To Defend An Embattled Heritage? Did Someone Decide To Even The Score With An Old Rival? The Sheriff Is Well-aware That Faye And Joe Were Near The Spot Where Calhoun’s Body Was Found. The Whole County Saw Their Confrontation With Him Over The Mound. And Their Combined Knowledge Of Stone Tools Is Impressive. They Had Motive, Means, And Opportunity—but So Did Almost Everyone In Neshoba County. Faye Longchamp and Joe Wolf Mantooth have traveled to Neshoba County, Mississippi, to help excavate a site near Nanih Waiya, the sacred mound where tradition says the Choctaw nation was born. When farmer Carroll Calhoun refuses the archaeologists' request to investigate an ancient Native American mound, Faye and her colleagues are disappointed. But his next action breaks their hearts: he tries to bulldoze the huge relic to the ground. Faye and Joe rush to protect history with their bodies, if necessary. The situation grows more dangerous as Choctaws arrive to defend the mound and the farmer's white and black neighbors come to defend his property rights. A popular young sheriff is able to defuse the situation, but tempers are short. That night, Calhoun is found dead, his throat sliced with a handmade stone blade. Was he killed by an archaeologist angered by his wanton destruction of history? Did a Choctaw take up arms to defend an embattled heritage? Did someone decide to even the score with an old rival?The sheriff is well-aware that Faye and Joe were near the spot where Calhoun's body was found. The whole county saw their confrontation with him over the mound. And their combined knowledge of stone tools is impressive. They had motive, means, and opportunity, but so did almost everyone in Neshoba County 2007 - Florida Book Award Bronze Medal Winner "As an archeological tour alone the book would be worth reading, but it's the fascinating and complex characters that give the story life and vibrancy." --Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author Faye Longchamp and Joe Wolf Mantooth have traveled to Neshoba County, Mississippi, to help excavate a site near Nanih Waiya, the sacred mound where tradition says the Choctaw nation was born. When farmer Carroll Calhoun refuses the archaeologists' request to investigate an ancient Native American mound, Faye and her colleagues are disappointed. But his next action breaks their hearts: he tries to bulldoze the huge relic to the ground. Later Calhoun is found dead, his throat sliced with a handmade stone blade. Was he killed by an archaeologist angered by his wanton destruction of history? Did a Choctaw take up arms to defend an embattled heritage? Did someone decide to even the score with an old rival? Tom Bridger, who is half Melungeon, left his small mountain community to escape the lingering prejudice against the mixed race group. Now, in the face of family tragedy, he has returned and taken on his father's job as a county sheriff's deputy. The bones of a Melungeon woman have surfaced and all evidence points to murder. The victim's poor family and the wealthy white family she married into scramble to protect their secrets from Tom's probing. Veterinarian Rachel Goddard, whom tom is falling in love with, puts herself in danger when she befriends the dead woman's niece "Faye Longchamp and Joe Wolf Mantooth have traveled to Neshoba County, Mississippi, to help excavate a site near Nanih Waiya, the sacared mound where tradition says the Choctaw nation was born. When farmer Carroll Calhoun refuses the archaeologists' request to investigate an ancient Native American mound, Faye and her colleagues are disappointed. But his next action breaks their hearts: he tries to bulldoze the huge relic to the ground"--Page 2 of cover