In Depression-era Fort Smith, Arkansas, a part-Indian prosecutor becomes involved in stopping the mining and sale of artifacts from the Spiro Mounds, the Oklahoma site of an abandoned pre-Columbian civilization. Murder, racism, intimidation, and a basic lawlessness in the area, especially among the legal professions, are memorably portrayed in this literary mystery, which draws heavily on the actual history of the Mounds, which were largely stripped of their contents by licensed miners before the government stepped in with a preservation plan. Just as vividly drawn are the lives of people struggling to survive against sand storms, desperation, and hate. The main character, Tom Freshour, was featured in the author's earlier The Whipping Boy, which is set during Tom's teen years at an abusive Indian orphanage. This was a wonderful find and an inexpensive ebook (Amazon, B&N, etc.), but it is also available in physical formats. ( )