In Dead Man's Alley — Dorothy R. Kliewer

The crumbling California ghost town of North Ledge becomes the site of an exciting--and dangerous--mix of dinosaur bones and murder. Reporter Deedra Masefield packs her sleeping bag and camping gear and heads into the story, lured by the news that the prime suspect is an old flame accused of stabbing a fellow archaeologist with a hunting knife.

Deedra soon discovers the site holds as many secrets as fossils when another member of the twelve-party team is found knifed in the back. Behind the denials and accusations, she finds motives as dark as greed and hatred and as vindictive as jealousy and unrequited love. Deedra's instincts lead her to uncover the real secret behind the bloodshed, while a desperate killer races to ensure that both Deedra and her story bite the dust.