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.

Described as “perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs and Elly Griffiths”, I can’t disagree. The level of forensic detail and gore is on a par with Reichs, while there are undoubtedly echoes of Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series, not least in the fact that our protagonist - Carla - is an archaeologist and academic, but also in the generally more gentle pace that focuses on character over the frenetic pace and plotting that characterises most American crime thrillers of this type.

This is the second in the series but worked well as a standalone. I liked it so much I immediately bought the first (despite the mystery being ‘spoiled’ by this second novel) and will certainly add the series to my must-reads.

Unsettling..
The second in the Carla James Crime series finds the archeological professor being called to investigate an unusual burial and, simultaneously, she becomes concerned with a case of a missing student at Jericho College. As she digs deeper into both cases, secrets and corruption will out. With an unsettling and atmospheric plot populated with a credible cast of characters and firm sense of place, this is a worthy follow on to the first in the series.

I went into Quiet Bones not realizing it was the second book featuring the same main character — while it works as a standalone, I’d recommend reading Death Rites first to fully appreciate some of the backstory and references that felt a bit out of reach.

The book is a relatively quick read, though the pacing felt slow at times and the suspense didn’t always deliver the intensity I hoped for. That said, the writing is strong, and I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives of Carla and Erin — both well-drawn, relatable characters.

The twists were satisfying, though a bit predictable if you’re paying attention to the clues along the way. Overall, this one leans more toward a light mystery than a gripping thriller, and while it was enjoyable, it likely won’t stick with me the way some darker, more complex crime novels do.

Perfect for readers who prefer a thoughtful, character-driven mystery over a high-octane thriller.

A dead baby is found wrapped in a swan's wing. A student is missing, and it is not clear whether she is the baby's mother.
A body is found in a dig - also a student - but from a quarter of a century ago.

Are all of these connected? Carla has to unravel the clues.

I came to the party late on this series. I haven't read book 1.
Carla is a determined sleuth and the police call her in for assistance when they are stuck.
I enjoyed the book, but would have preferred to have read the first one before I dived into this page turner.
Twists and shock reveals........ and a warning. Do not trust anyone.

3.5/5 stars from me.

Quiet Bones is the second on the series featuring Prof Carla James, an English academic at New England's Jericho College. The archeology expert is again drawn into a murder investigation because of her professional expertise, and finds herself dealing with years of privilege and tradition in the college.

There are a lot of strands to this novel and Carla has to figure out which pieces fit and which are separate. Her dogged determination and intelligence see her working with the pathologist and police officers, although she's not certain who to trust.

This is a good novel with plenty of intrigue and it keeps the reader guessing. The characters are strong and Carla's struggles are well described.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I enjoyed this compelling mystery, and although I didn't race through it because I couldn't wait to see what happened, I found it intriguing and look forward to more from this talented author.

Slower paced than the majority of mystery and thriller books I read, this took me a while to get into the rhythm of.
Glad I did, it was intriguing.
A lot going on, and never sure if things were connected or not.
It had me asking questions almost to the end, which is always good.
Good central characters.
An enjoyable read overall.