The BONEYARD GULCH

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95,217 words

Unpublished - the manuscript is complete, but still needs to be edited

 

     This is a new genre for me, a mystery. I'm pretty excited about it, and I'll be getting it published as soon as I can. I'm working on getting Search and Rescue published first. This may follow, which is appropriate since it is the sequel to Search and Rescue. I used the same characters and the same timeline, but the storyline has nothing to do with the original story.

     In the Boneyard Gulch, Garrett and his fiancée, Misty, discover an untouched homestead site in the foothills of the Superstition Mountains in Arizona that dates back to the mid-1800s. It's not long before questions begin to arise. Why would the homesteaders live so far from civilization except maybe to mine gold? But there is no gold mine. The gulch is filled with weathered bones of livestock and horses. Why would the pioneers have abandoned their lifeline? They bring in state antiquities and historical preservation people to research the site. And the story gets even eerier. They discover numerous human remains. Remains that bear guns and spurs. Miners wouldn't wear spurs. It becomes apparent that they have stumbled upon the site of an ancient gun battle.

     Garrett is sure that there must be a gold mine nearby, and eventually does stumble upon a mine. And in that mine, he finds the remains of the miners and their families. But it is a lead mine, not a gold mine. And it is apparent that the miners were actively mining lead. Why? There is little value in lead, and they were 400 miles from Albuquerque, the nearest city. Taking a load of lead across a dangerous wagon trail doesn't make sense.

     The mystery deepens as they are being constantly watched by two Mexican nationals who are well armed and known by the authorities for their illegal mining activities. But they have a growing interest in the Boneyard Gulch that threatens to end the excavations. And suddenly, the historians are faced with legal challenges from some unknown entity that is also interested in the gulch. After 170 years of lying placidly out of the public's eye, the Boneyard Gulch is suddenly a hot property. Why?

      Garrett and Misty take a few months off to get married and go on their honeymoon, but when they return, the mystery beckons. Misty is the one who solves it, albeit accidentally. But even with the mystery solved, the two Mexicans must be confronted, and the legal challenges resolved.