Archaeologist Emma Fielding finds murder in Massachusetts

books:


	• Past Malice (Emma Fielding Mysteries, No. 3) Dana Cameron Avon, 2003 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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Left me hanging.

First I'd like to say that the archaeological information was refreshingly correct and that I enjoyed some of the insights into how it feels to have the general public misunderstand the profession. As a professional archaeologist, I've often experienced many similar emotions in response to public comments but Ms. Cameron presents them in an amusing way that doesn't come across as condescending.

I thought that the book was well written, engaging, and that the main characters were well developed. However, the book left me hanging on too many threads of the story line at the end. First of all, the 18th mysteries were more interesting to me than the modern day murders and there is no resolution to those. Now I realize that's not how real archaeology works. Rarely do we get definitive answers in a span of time as brief as that covered in this book. However, I read fictional mysteries about archaeology to escape the sometimes mundane realities of the field. If I want real life archaeology where the end result usually reveals more questions than answers, I'll read a professional journal.

Finally, I felt that the motive for the murders wasn't adequately explained. In the end we know why the victim was blackmailing almost everyone in town except for the murderer. I'll probably, read another in the series. Ms. Cameron is an engaging writer and perhaps the resolution to the next book will be more satisfying.

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ARtificially legthening the story...

Like most of the reviewers of these books and this series, I will most probably go back and read these books again.I wanted to give the author a fair chance to see what level of skill her writing is on. One book is not enough to base my opinions on usually, and since there were no other glaring problems that needed to be fixed, I want to try Cameron again. In a different field that usually seen in books like this mystery, Cameron's sleuth is a woman who literally digs up the past. She doesn't just dig up the body which would be mostly skelaton if in open, adicoper...she digs up the evidence left by a civilization. When a body is found on the site of an older dig that is being excavated for scientic reason, enough evidence is left to indicate this more recent death is due to more sinister reasons than given, and for more recent reasons.

Emma's family and her 'kids' who are there to work with her on this excavaction are dragged into this work from the time they find the first body. By the time they find the find the second body Emma is starting to wonder whether the 'bodies' are dead because of Emma or because of what she is finding under the ground. That leaves her in a predicament, because she just cannot up and leave when ever she feels like it.

Cameron uses a lot of stunts to lengthen the story like inserting her own opinion about the material she is finding.I find that annoying and hope this is just a one-time thing. The writing isn't that bad, but I feel that this author has more in them to give.

Karen Sadler

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Archaeologist Emma Fielding finds murder in Massachusetts

Archaeologist Emma Fielding and her student crew are working on a dig at the eighteenth century Chandler House in Massachusetts. Neighbors are not very happy about the dig, especially when they find two separate murders. These aren't old bones from past murders, these are freshly slain corpses.

Emma's students are staying with her and her husband at their home not too far from the dig. This can prove interesting with so many people in one house. Plus Emma's sister has come to visit. Another complication.

Emma gets herself into some scary situations in her attempts to figure out whether the deaths are related to the museum or the dig. There are lots of interesting characters in the town and plenty of dark forces to keep the mystery going.

While I liked the archeological information and the many characters, for some reason I feel this book was a slow read. It wasn't something I kept picking up to finish. Not really sure why. I like Emma and the other characters. I think this was a good story. Just something about the flow.

I recommend this book.

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Excavation

The Chandler House is an object of interest. It is an archaeological dig and a property of the historical society. The chief character here is Emma Fielding, a professor at a college in Maine. The location of the story is the Massachusetts coast.

The manager of the Chandler site is Aden Fiske. Emma's sister Bucky is to spend a vacation with Emma and her husband, Brian Chang. Archaeology demands early hours. Emma discovers a body at the site, the young watchman, Justin. Emma instructs her students, Joe, Meg, Dian, and Rob to remain in their cars while she summons the police. After a two-day hiatus, work at the dig resumes.

One of the guides explains to Emma that the historical society is window dressing covering a lack of achievement, a loss of face, a loss of family funds and prestige for the members. Looking for a missing tarp, Emma discovers yet another body, that of Aden Fiske. It is learned that Aden Fiske used blackmail against many of the members of the society and the townspeople.

Emma climbs up to the roof of the house via scaffolding to take pictures of the holes of the dig. The scaffolding is removed by someone, indicating that someone wants to harm her. The book is intelligent, revealing. Old names, history make quite a stew.

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reviews: page 1, 2

What bones are buried in the shadows of the past?

Asked to join in a dig at the site of the eighteenth?century Chandler House, archaeologist Emma Fielding and her student crew have descended upon Stone Harbor, Massachusetts. But certain residents of the tiny coastal community are none too happy about Emma's arrival -- especially when her excavation uncovers a pair of freshly slain corpses. There are dark forces at play in this dangerously divided town, where a distrust of strangers wars with a desire for tourist dollars. And when a young local's life is snuffed out, Emma is determined to get to the twisted roots of the strange secrets buried in this killing ground. But a mystery that lies among the tumbled ruins of a once grand manor could change Stone Harbor forever. And for some murderous someone, one more death -- Emma's -- would be a small price to pay to keep it hidden.

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