Thank you NetGalley and Canelo books for the ARC. All opinions on my own.

This is the second book on the series and while it could be read as a stand-alone, I wish that I had readthe first book prior. I felt like I was missing parts of the story.

The book was a fast read, yet thepacing was slow. That shock of suspense fell flat as I neared the end. This was definitely more of a character driven book than a high octane thriller.

'Quiet Bones' is a very dark and at times gruesome read that had areas of enjoyment for me. This is the second in a series, I have not read the first. I thought Ward was good at catching the reader up with some areas of the previous book but not others and there are areas of Carla's backstory that were important to know and could have been explained better.
This aside, I was quite enjoying the plot but as the book progressed, I was getting bogged down in the somewhat unnecessary detail. This book is too long and as a result there are tangents and extras that are not needed and it meant the pace was slowed down.
This was okay but not great.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy.

Carla James is an archaeological academic at a prestigious American College. She is drawn into a case of a dead baby found wrapped in a swan's wing and then into the discovery of another body during a dig. The town and College are very protective towards each other and there are various 'clubs' of a somewhat dubious nature (but then I don't understand Sororities and all that) and there's a missing student too. It's number 2 in a series and I certainly should have read No 1 first just to get background to the main characters. As a result it sometimes felt jumpy or disjointed or even what? why? Still the stories cam together in the end, the archaeological descriptions were fine and the forensics so so. An ok read but couldn't quite make it to 4* I'm afraid. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Professor Carla James, an archaeologist and anthropologist at Jericho College, New England. When a baby is found wrapped in a swan's wing in a rural location, Carla is called in to help find the true nature of the swan's wing and what is represents. Around the same time, a student has gone missing - why and how? Carla is intrigued and sets about discovering the mysteries of the baby and the young woman. Although, this is not the first missing female student to go missing. Det Baros and Det Perez are baffled. All the sub plots are brought together to a satisfying conclusion.

This is a very good sequel. I really enjoyed it. This is the kind of book I like to read. It's slow paced but in a good way. It builds up the tension a bit. I like the storyline and the characters are good. I didn't want to stop reading.
I received an advance review copy via Netgalley/Canelo and I’m leaving a voluntary and honest.

I found the story enjoyable. However my one word of caution there are many many British references, phrases and the like throughout the book although it was set in New England and I found that it was distracting. Also the spring early summer was described as if it was like the Deep South as far as humidity goes. I can’t help but say that a quick read by an American could have solved this problem or a bit more research or simply set it in Britain.
Referencing a date published in an American newspaper but dated in British style, flat instead of apartment, boot of the car instead of trunk and. 30 year male raised in LA referencing a British sitcom that aired in the early 80’s. There were just so many it was distracting and detracted from the story.
Again enjoyable read but enjoyed the first in the series better.
Thank you to Netgalley, Canelo Crime and Sarah Ward for providing and allowing me to read this ARC.

3.5* rounded up

I really enjoyed book one in the Carla James series - "Death Rites" and "Quiet Bones" follows hot on its heels with another mystery revolving around the history of Jericho and its odd inhabitants.

I get real Twin Peaks vibes about the setting for these thrillers, there's so many secrets waiting to be uncovered and I get a real sense of unease about the people and what is hidden beneath the surface.

Much like Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series i am really enjoying the archaeologist meets police set up and our main character, Carla James has good insights with the historical elements. She doesn't have good instincts though and makes so many rookie errors that you have to suspend belief a little but despite that I really enjoyed this one and will continue reading future instalments to the series.

Quiet Bones is the second book in Sarah Ward’s series, following Death Rites. I actually hadn’t read the first one, but it didn’t really matter- I was able to jump into this one without feeling lost.

The story follows Carla, a professor and archaeologist, who gets involved in a disturbing case: a baby’s body is found wrapped in a swan’s wing, and at the same time, a teenage girl has gone missing. It’s dark, mysterious, and full of eerie references to rituals and Norse mythology, which gave the whole thing a really atmospheric, slightly unsettling vibe.

Carla is determined to figure out what’s going on and whether the two cases are connected. There’s a lot happening, but it all ties together in an intriguing way. I found the plot really interesting, especially the mix of academic investigation and folklore- it’s not your typical crime novel.

That said, I do think reading the first book might have helped flesh out some of the character dynamics a bit more. Still, this one holds up well on its own, and it definitely made me want to go back and read Death Rites.

A dead child. An unusual burial. A missing student. And an idyllic setting where dark secrets stir just beneath the surface.

Archaeologist and academic Carla James finds herself involved in not one but two strange cases. The question is, are they linked, and if so, in what way?

This story is well paced, but requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Although part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. Overall, it was interesting enough but a little far-fetched for my taste.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this arc.
I went into this one not knowing it was part of a series, so this is definitely one that can be read as a stand alone.
Having read a lot of crime thrillers i found Quiet Bones slightly underwhelming.
The characters are good and the story has a lot of potential, it just wants one that I enjoyed all the way through.

Fast paced and edge of my seat thriller.... Twist, turns, and not sure if I was reading the truth or a lie! I did not read book 1 before, so I grabbed it up after reading this book. Great read and will read more by Sarah Ward.

This book was not for me. I found I was struggling to get through it but that said I can see that a lot of readers would enjoy it.

It is pacy and with more than few dead bodies it has a creepy feel I quite enjoyed the archeological setting, these things always excite me but I found the plot a little far fetched at times. I like reality in my stories, but this was just a tad far from it ..

little bit tired of knowing there is too much of a dark undertone to lots of institutions, many of which we are meant to have our trust. but its seemingly something of life nowadays. so it was gripping to read a thriller with those themes included and i like how Prof Carla was determined to find out just what was going on no matter how much others didnt want her to or how sinister it might get. because she is called in to assist in the finding of baby wrapped in a swans wing, a missing girl and then another missing person is unearthed. just what is going on in this town and is it all linked to something much darker than she thought. and who can she trust. even the people that brought her in are making her wonder. because the privilege that reeks a protective atmosphere of those who shouldnt possibly have that protection is starting to give Carla pause.
i liked Carla. she seems really clever and clearly knows her stuff. she seems determined and doesnt take crap from many people. but it also know how much this job must leach into a person so i felt for her many times too. especially as this work cant always mean she is safe.
this was my first book with this character and i felt that was fine but i also felt a little like the parts i wanted to know more of may have been given to me if i have read book one.

So good! Very creepy and addicting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

I went into this not knowing that this was the second book in a series. But I still think you can get away with reading it as a stand alone.

It was captivating and held my interest. It was a quick read that I really enjoyed

You can get through this book as a stand-alone, but my first recommendation is to READ the first book. It would be very helpful to have a better understanding of some of the characters and their development.
A dead baby is found. A student is missing. The body of a missing student from the past is found. All of this happened, but I am not sure I felt the connections, and I wasn't connected to the story due to the pace. However, we do have the ingredients to a great book!
I give this book 3.5 stars. I really wish we could do half ratings, because it just isn't quite a 4 for me.
This was my first Sarah Ward book, though, and I am happy to say that I would read her books again.
I enjoyed the fact that it is a quick read. That being said, it was a quick read that had pacing that was so slow, it made it feel much longer than it was.
I do think that the plot is written with great structure. It was just the pace that really threw me off. It made me not get that feeling of suspense that I love in books like this.
I did predict some of the things that happened throughout the twists and turns, so it was a bit predictable.
I did get more mystery/suspense vibes from the book. I know it is in the thriller genre, but it just fell a bit flat for a thriller in my book.
The characters were developed, but as I stated at the beginning of this review, I think I would have been more invested if I had read the first book.
I think after I finish the ARCs I committed to reading, I will go back and read book 1, and then come back to see if it changes my thoughts and opinions on this book. There is potential for this to be a 4-star book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Ward for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Happy Reading!

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5* rounded up.

Carla is a professor at Jericho College specializing in the archeology of emotion (yes really) who clearly got up to lots of exciting things in book 1 of this series, which I think it would have been better to have read first. Here she is peripherally involved in the discovery of a stillborn baby girl, a missing college student, and the discovery of a body at an archaeological dig site. She gets to the bottom of these mysteries with the help of some reluctant police officers and her pathologist friend Erin.

This moves reasonably fast and the variety of strands maintains interest. Some of it is a bit 'out there', but I found the mysteries intriguing and the solutions satisfactory. If I were Carla I would go home to the UK...

Did not know this was apart of a series but still relatively easy to jump into. May miss a reference or two but still easy to follow along. My main issue resides in the writing. It felt very stilted and impersonal. Significantly impacted my enjoyment.

Prof Carla James is an archeology academic who has taken a position at an American university following the death of her husband. This is the second book in the series: Carla has settled into her life in New Jericho but she finds the secret cliques of the town frustrating and sometimes sinister. In this book Carla is asked to consult on two graves one a young woman and one a mere babe. Carla’s sincerity is a foil to the disengenuous ways of the townsfolk. She finds herself compelled to solve these mysteries and the reader feels similarly compelled to share her journey to find the truth.

I wasn't aware this was a second book in a series so I think I would have benefitted from reading the first book before delving in.
The comparisons with Ellie Griffiths books are clearly due to the archaeologist similarities with Dr Ruth Galloway. This book I would agree is a lighter read and not as gripping as some thrillers I have read.
Having said that, it is an enjoyable read with some twists along the way.