Bone Digger

"This Western thriller rolls . . .with ease and true grit." -- Kirkus Reviews

Eons past, an ancient creature the size of a bunkhouse lived out a solitary life and died all alone in a rugged canyon. Millennia later that canyon occupied an isolated corner of C. L. McSween's Rocking S Ranch. That's when McSween decided to dam up the canyon to provide water for his cattle...

Paleontology is a brand-new science in 1877, and when Samuel Cobsworth, a paleontologist from back east, discovers the cache of bones from this long-dead Jurassic monster, he realizes they are a priceless treasure trove. C. L. McSween and his daughter Libby don't see it that way. They're concerned only about ensuring the survival of their cattle. On top of that, McSween is a superstitious ex-mountain man. He considers the bone digger a grave robber and wants him off his ranch.

"Douglas Hirt has the rare ability to create human characters who we come to know well and deeply care about." --Frank Roderus