Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to be part of the blog tour for The Hidden Bones
 |
| Allison&Busby 21st June 2018 Clare Hills #1 My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book and the invitation to be part of this blog tour |
What's it all about..
Following the recent death of her husband, Clare Hills is listless and unsure of her place in the world. When her former university friend Dr David Barbrook asks her to help him sift through the effects of deceased archaeologist Gerald Hart, she sees this as a useful distraction from her grief. During her search, Clare stumbles across the unpublished journals detailing Gerald’s most glittering dig. Hidden from view for decades and supposedly destroyed in an arson attack, she cannot believe her luck. Finding the Hungerbourne Barrows archive is every archaeologist’s dream. Determined to document Gerald’s career-defining find for the public, Clare and David delve into his meticulously kept records of the excavation.
But the dream suddenly becomes a nightmare as the pair unearth a disturbing discovery, putting them at the centre of a murder inquiry and in the path of a dangerous killer determined to bury the truth for ever.
What did I think about it..
The Hidden Bones is a new series
of novels which feature archaeologist, Clare Hills. Putting her expert knowledge of
archaeology and ancient archaeological site sites to good use the author has
written a fascinating multi-layered story about what happens when the past
comes back to haunt those who were once involved in the controversial Hungerbourne
Barrows archaeological dig. Even decades later the lure of this ancient site
continues to intrigue and when missing archive material is found the past is,
once again, opened up to question.
The story starts off slowly and then,
with careful consideration, each of the layers are stripped away to reveal a
dark mystery which, whilst caught up in the here and now, is also hauntingly linked
to the long buried secrets of the ancient landscape. However, the shadows of
past are not going to lie quietly, and Clare and the rest of the archaeology
team soon discover that someone, or something, is hell bent on trying to
prevent them from getting any closer to the truth. As with all new series there
is a certain amount of getting to know the characters involved and I especially
enjoyed the interaction between the lead archaeologist, Dr David Barbrook and
Clare, who have a certain amount of personal history between them, and quirky,
osteo-archaeologist, Jo Granski, who added a real sense of vibrancy and enthusiasm
to the team.
As the first book in a series, The Hidden
Bones works well and the author’s knowledge of the subject gives the story such
an authentic feel that I was soon involved in trying to piece together all the
clues. There are some clever twists and turns which I didn’t see coming and the
complex nature of the mystery at the heart of the novel is both entertaining
and intriguing.
There is certainly huge potential
for this series and I look forward to seeing where the archaeologists will go in
future stories.
Nicola Ford is the pen name for rcheologist Dr Nick Snashall, National Trust Archaeologist for the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage site. Through her day-job and now her writing, she's spent more time than most people thinking about the dead.
Twitter @nic_ford #TheHiddenBones
@AllisonandBusby
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to comment - Jaffareadstoo appreciates your interest.