Customer Reviews

A Rumor of Bones (Lindsay Chamberlain Mysteries, Vol. 1)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

What a pleasant surprise! I was expecting this little cute cozy story. This is not one of those. Don't get me wrong, I love the cozies too. Ms. Connor weaves a past story with a present event in great details. Using forensic anthropology to move the story along. But, not overburdening the reader with a lot of technical detail. Explaining the things that are happening in common terms. Lindsay Chamberlain is a strong, practical and smart protagonist. Lindsay is a person that you will root for and believe in. Ms. Connor has a very good understanding of the south and its culture. The author uses all the knowledge to develop good characters to complete her story. I highly recommend this book. After searching for several years to find it. I'm sad to say that most bookstores do not carry Beverly Connor's books. I'm glad that I did stay with the hunt, till I got the Internet. What a great read. Looking forward to enjoying the Lindsay Chamberlain series for years to come.

Beverly Connor's debut novel is a wonderful surprise. Forensic archaeologist Lindsay Chamberlain is in the town of Merry Claymoore, GA working with a group digging an old Indian site. Her work is briefly interrupted when the local town sheriff asks for Lindsay's expertise. The town recently uncovered the bones of a child and they needed to identify it. In order to promote good relations with the local townspeople Lindsay agrees to help. During the course of her novel the investigation will lead to a deep family secret kept hidden for several decades after the discovery of a more contemporary body.

What makes this book a joy to read is that Lindsay is not an amateur detective, she is an archaeologist. She is a professional who knows how to do her job and is able to see what others might overlook. She makes it look natural without going through any giant leaps in logic. She has a strong circle of friends that keep her grounded and the reader gets to see her day-by-day job at the archaeological site without making it seem boring. She knows how to keep it interesting by making it look like an ordinary thing.

Beverly Connor is probably one of the most overlooked mystery novelist around. Lindsay Chamberlain holds a lot of promise and hopefully her next novel will be just as enjoyable as this one.

I'm reading the Lindsay Chamberlain series backwards. I first read the most recent offering, "Skeleton Crew", and I'm trying to complete the series. Reading in reverse is very instructive--I can watch Ms. Connor's development as a writer and the development of Lindsay Chamberlain as a character.

"A Rumor of Bones" features an interesting plot and an unusual heroine. But this book feels somehow incomplete. For one thing, there are too many characters, and even the major people--Lindsay herself, Derrick, etc.--feel like characters sketches instead of fully-drawn individuals. By removing a few minor characters, Ms. Connor could have added much more depth to the story. Lindsay is almost too perfect--smart, beautiful, intelligent, resourceful, and possessed of almost god-like abilities. I found it difficult to feel much enthalpy for her, or for most of the other characters.

All in all, this is a rough, but promising, beginning to a new series.

Lindsay Chamberlain is a sympathetic and intelligent character who is drawn into a web of deceit because of her expertise in forensic archaeology. Unlike many of today's hard women p.i.s and sleuths, Lindsay is gentle and humane, but still dedicated to solving crimes which are victimizing the residents of Merry Claymoore and the archaeological site. Along the way, the reader is treated to an insider's understanding of the world of archaeology, specifically Southeastern Indian culture. A Rumor of Bones is a compelling mystery that examines the lives of the residents of Merry Claymoore, both ancient and modern, in fascinating detail. A terrific read

The story begins at a ancient Indian dig and the setting is very realistic. During the excavation, the archeologists discover a skeleton that is not one of the Indian burials. That's just the beginning. The sheriff in the nearby town discovers bones of a child believed to be the missing daughter of one of the residents. Lindsey Chamberlain, a forensic anthropologist as well as an archeologist agrees to identify them for the sheriff. She discovers that the bones are not that of the missing child, but of another child. As she is pulled into the mystery of the murdered children, she is also pulled into the intrigues of a very strange family. I enjoyed the mystery, but I particularly enjoyed the archeology. It was like being on the dig myself. I'm looking forward to the other books in the series.

Lindsey Chamberlain is a wonderful heroine, supremely self-confidant, self-assured, and intelligent. She's a forensic anthropologist and an archaeologist who specializes in bones. She's on a dig in Georgia when she discovers some bones that shouldn't be there -- too recent. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; I found it a fast, absorbing read, and I felt like I had learned something when I finished it.

I will admit that this is not my favorite novel in the series -- I feel that Ms. Connor is still discovering who this character is. I prefer the more recent novels, like "Skeleton Crew" and "Airtight Case" -- the author's voice seems more certain and sure.

But, even so, I still enjoyed this novel very much. I highly recommend it to any mystery lover!

Look out Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs. Beverly Connor's books are as good as anything written by the two reining queens of forensic science. Connor's heroine is a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones. Her books are fast paced and extremely entertaining. If you like archaeology or forensics, or if you just plain like a good mystery, give Beverly Connor's books a read. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

I had the opportunity to volunteer at an archaeological dig one summer 5 years ago and had a great time. This book was so much like that experience (except for the murders) that I had to laugh out loud at several of the passages.

I particularly enjoyed the use of archaeology to form the basis of the clues that Chamberlain saw at the murder scenes. Good read!

This series is a favorite of mine. I've read all the books in the reverse order of their publication---starting with Airtight Case (which is my favorite). I thoroughly enjoyed each one. I gave this one 4 stars instead of 5, because I thought Connor did a better job in the other books of defining the characters. That's not to say I didn't like this one, I liked it very much. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series. (Where is it, by the way?)

I had the pleasure of knowing Beverly when I lived in Athens and enrolled in a mystery writing course. I enjoyed listening to her read this book when it was still in the editing stages, and I can say that the end result is wonderful. I love mysteries and I think Beverly has a terrific sleuth in Lindsay Chamberlain. She's smart, strong, and very well-written.