Surprised by Death: A Novel of Arkansas in the 1840s Paperback – April 1, 2009

Book is very, very short, and anyone who has watched detective / forensics television shows will probably guess what happened, but you can tell this was a labor of love and some expert research work.

Growing up in the Batesville area, I heard about this story and the unusual tombstone that covers this young man's grave. This account give you a lot of the facts of the case along with imagined dialog and a little embellishment. It's very interesting and gives you a glimpse into a rural, southern town in the 1840's.