Customer Reviews

Skeleton Crew (Lindsay Chamberlain Mysteries)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For years I searched for Ms. Connor's books. No book store seemed to stock them! I can't understand why? I finally got wired and found them. This is one of the best mystery series I've read. It was well worth the wait. This last installment is the best one. The way that Ms. Connor weaves the past and present together for a triple mystery is great. She ties up all the stories together very neat and nice. Lindsey is a great hero, very human. Her love life is always interesting, Ms. Connor gives you the pay off in this one that you hoped for in another book. Very nicely done, author's usually don't make you wait for the romance pay off.

I would suggest that you start at the beginning of this series. Ms. Connor does tie each book to the next and her development of one character may be in another book. But it is there, plus it is fun to watch an author develop over each book.

Now a word to the publisher, GET BEVERLY CONNOR'S BOOKS OUT TO THE PUBLIC! She is a great read and could made you a lot of money if people knew about her.

Skeleton Crew, Connor's fourth volume, is the best Lindsay Chamberlain forensics story yet. It benefits in focus by occurring on a small island 5 miles off the Georgia coast, where University of Georgia Athens has a luxurious archaeological project underway to raise a sunken Spanish supply galleon--in dangerous competition with lurking privateers who think it was a homeward bound treasure ship instead. The archaeology of the dig is realistic, with normal procedures and lab techniques actually contributing clues to the modern mystery of suspicious attacks, disappearances, or death. A set of maps helps make the excavation, as well as the adventure, intelligible. Lindsay's fascinating specialized contributions on bone analysis (given with a light touch) actually are focused on the intriguing parallel story of a newly discovered journal written by one of the sailors actually on that ill-fated galleon. That unusual old account, too, has its mysteries, ones gradually resolved during its translation while also becoming entwined with the solution to the modern puzzle. This plotting of two stories, one ancient one modern, each informing the other, is a happy device to animate dry archaeological detail that Connors first used in vol. 2, the memorable Questionable Remains, to equally great effect. And you get two stories for the price of one!

Still lighter in touch than Cornwell's Dr. Scarpetta, Connor's skeleton detective has a number of serious adventures, a spectacular hurricane danger, and many osteological discoveries recreating the lives of the departed. These are stories of character and Southern customs, as well as leisurely unfolding mysteries. It is wonderful to see Connors becoming a skilled writer. Her villains are still a bit obvious, but then again they are often red herrings! I am also so glad Lindsay has dropped her fading beau of the first three novels, Derrick. Their relationship was becoming an annoying distraction, a romance cliche, dysfunctional, and detracting from the image of Lindsay as an intelligent independent woman. Instead we now find Lindsay growing a mature relationship with a Native American antagonist from a previous book, and it is a real contribution to the development of the plot and our interest in these characters. In addition, Lindsay has a new boss--hopefully to become a series character--who adds his slightly devious and moneyed machinations to help speed the plot along. All in all these books are ever more fascinating reading.

In 1558, a storm off the coast of colonial Georgia sinks the Estrella de Espana of the Spanish Galleon. One individual survived the shipwreck. His diary has led to a modern day archeological excavation on the ocean floor. Georgia University sponsors the underwater dig led by Professor Francisco Lewis, chair of the schools Anthropology and Archeology Department.

Archeologist Dr. Lindsay "Angel of Death" Chamberlain specializes in bones found at sites. Soon after joining the team, she learns that they search for a second Spanish vessel that allegedly was loaded with treasures and reportedly sunk near the Estrella. Word leaks out about the sunken treasure, which leads to a rash of pirates, fortune hunters, tourists, and other unsavory types invading the area. The Estrella crew must watch their backs as someone wants the professionals removed anyway possible. Lindsay, who has experience in resolving criminal cases, begins to sleuth not realizing that she will soon move to the top of the list for eradication.

SKELETON CREW is one of the best amateur sleuth tales of the year. Observing Lindsay piece together what occurred on the Estrella from the diary's extracts is a fascinating glimpse at modern day solving of historical mysteries. Beverly Connor creatively alternates between the sixteenth century and the present era. That difficult technique succeeds as each exciting subplot supplements the other and ultimately adds leagues to the superb story line. The "Chamberlain" mysteries are all entertaining, but this one is the best.

Harriet Klausner

Having read the first five (hoping there will be more to come) Lindsay Chamberlain novels, I have to rate this one as my favorite. Connor had me imagining myself out there in the coffer dam with the crew! The intertwining of the two mysteries works better in this than in Connor's previous books, and I was hooked on both stories. The maps of the galleon and the dam were quite valuable in getting a sense of placement, but they did give away a little more than I would have liked to know going in to the story. Reading these books makes me consider changing my major from English to Anthropology! My only problem with Skeleton Crew was that it ended too soon!

I hope that Beverly Connor has more Lindsay stories to tell and that her publisher has the foresight to print and release them!

In 1558 a Spanish galleon headed for the New World with supplies for the Spanish colonies was damaged in a storm and sank off the coast of Georgia.

Lindsay Chamberlain, an archeologist from the University of Georgia, is called to help excavate the site believed site of the ship. They are excavating on the ocean floor inside one of the largest cofferdams ever built for archeology. A cofferdam is a round structure that keeps the ocean out of the excavation area.

Francisco Lewis ("Lewis") is the new head of the Division of Anthropology and Archeology at the University of Georgia. John West is a Native American and friend of Lindsay Chamberlain. His construction company designed and built the cofferdam.

A diary is discovered that is believed to belong to one of the passengers that survived to tell of the ship's voyage and destruction. Harper is translating the diary while the excavation is ongoing. As they discover skeletons in the shipwreck, Lindsay uses the translated diary to help identify each skeleton. She draws what she believes the person would have looked like from studying the skull.

Various accidents as well as 2 murders plague the archaeology project. Only a few select crew members are aware that they are also searching for a possible 2nd ship that was supposed to have sunk in this same area full of treasure. They especially have to try to keep this information from modern-day "pirates" also
searching the waters.

There is lots of tension between the archeologists and the biologists who were on the neighboring island and have been displaced due to this project.

Lewis asks Lindsay to help solve the murders so that the project won't be jeopardized.

I enjoyed this book. I've never read an archeological mystery before so I learned alot about archeology along with enjoying the mystery.

I found the charactes to be likeable and very real. Many times I felt as if I was there with them.

I look forward to reading additional books in this series.

Lindsay Chamberlain, in her 4th outing, is has been assigned by the new head of the division at the university of Georgia to assist in the excavation of a site on the ocean floor off the coast of Georgia. It is the site of a sunken Spanish galleon that was headed for the New World. John West, a friend of Lindsay's from a previous book, is risking his construction company on the safety of the cofferdam that encircles the site.
Lindsay's research reveals, from a diary found, a survivor. The diary is slowly translated, allowing the readers and the characters glimpses of the passage while they uncover the clues from the sixteenth century - of murder!
The diary reveals clues that provide Lindsay with suspects, which, of course, almost gets her killed - again - by modern-day pirates and natural disasters, as she tries to solve old & new murders.

This is another can't-put-it-down mystery from Beverly Connors. Her trademark has become the telling of a story within a story. In this case greed over a centuries old treasure leads to death. The moral; murderers may change, but the motives remain the same. Get this novel and you will find yourself voraciously reading the entire Lindsay Chamberlain series and begging for more.

I know it's a bit difficult to find, but it's worth the effort. This is a wonderful series, and this particular book is particlarly good. If you haven't read Lindsey Chamberlain than I suggest that you do. She's a wonderfully real and likeable heroine. In this book Ms. Connor melds the sixteenth century with the current century seamlessly. Lindsey is involved in an archeological dig of a sixteenth century Spanish ship that went down off the coast of Georgia. Her and her crew are challenged with the exciting job of unearthing an old, old story, and while they do that they unearth a sixteenth century murder. And it seems that murders are happening in around the site as well. Of course Lindsey cannot rest until she uncovers the truth. These books are real page-turners, and the archeological information that comes out is incredible. Ms. Connor is a professional archeologist, and her knowledge is very extensive.

This was the first of Ms. Connor's books I have read. I really enjoyed the premise and finding an that the main character is an archaeologist was a joy. It was something different from what I have read before. By giving her four stars instead of five, I don't want anyone to not read her books...they are good and well-written. However, she had so many subplots going on at the same time and so many characters that weren't fully developed, that I had difficulty keeping track of who was who. I realize this is a difficult part of writing mysteries, and that the plot is all important, but I always like more information about the characters, so that they become more 3 dimensional, and less like caricatures. I've read the Smithsonian and other science magazines about this new means of raising sunken ships, and obviously Connor knows her background information and does her research. I plan on reading more of her books in the future, and I hope she plans on continuing to write. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh,

Ms. Connor's books are very informative and entertaining. The plot of the stories will keep you engrossed the entire time. I started reading the books because Ms. Connor lives so close and I wanted to support her. It would have been my loss if I had not tried her books. I only wish she could write as fast as I can read them. I believe the books only get better as she goes. Lindsey Chamberlin is a exciting character and one with a brain and beauty. She is so independent it is a nice change.