I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

A very satisfying slow burn of a mystery, combining an intriguing plot with subtle, intelligent story telling. A great new crime series

This was a really good read and I think it had a decent writing style and story! Would recommend to anyone looking for next read

This is the second in Sarah Ward's promising series set in America and featuring Carla James, an archaeology professor and professional consultant currently working in Jericho College. A seemingly peaceful and respectable college and town are proven to be corrupt when a student goes missing and a baby is found wrapped in swan feathers. The writing is excellent, the setting well described and the characters fascinating. More please!

This is the second in the Carla James series but can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Archeologist Carla becomes involved in an active murder investigation when human remains are discovered during an archaeological dig carried out by one of her students. The police believe they belong to a student reported missing from Jericho university.

This book is perfect for fans of Kathy Reiches and mixes archeology with forensics and police procedural.

Often said, a second book is a harder one.
Well, author Sarah Ward is an established and accomplished author and this isn’t her first rodeo or series.

From the very start, it is clear professor Carla James is here to stay. She is an outsider in her new academic life at the college in Jericho. The problem for her is that “town and gown” are closed communities with long standing family allegiances and secrets buried deeper than his archeological expert can naturally delve and uncover.

Her attention again is drawn to the emotion of archeology when a preterm baby is found buried in a swan’s wing. When a local dig turns up a corpse of a recently buried student; a cold case the police department and local community didn’t want investigating to closely.
We are quickly involved in another riveting tale of academic life and the threat to students beyond exams.

Two separate stories of missing students collide and conflate, pointing to, perhaps exposing dark secrets into the societies and sorority groups that have historically captured students’ interest amid wild initiation rites.

As before the catalyst and main driving force into unravelling these mysteries is a college professor, Carla James an outsider with a bullish personality, who when she confronts a closed door just has to push.

Great reading experience, character driven with dark and sinister mysteries which bubble along and threaten Carla at every turn. Her persistence is the attraction of this novel and despite her natural intelligence and professional standards she finds herself too close to the murderous attentions of others.

While the mystery is deep, motives secretive and steeped in ancient traditions and ritual practices the story is advanced clearly with thrills and dark surprises. The writing and story telling holds the reader, and even if you can speculate and name the suspects early this doesn’t detract from the experience and enjoyment of this engaging novel.

A brilliant second book in the series of Carla James, leading to more action in Jericho. I enjoy the mix of the past with the present and referencing old rituals.

This fast-paced thriller kept me hooked, I hope there's more to come from this series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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.