Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: Based on the glowing reviews I read about this book, I was delighted to find a new (to me) mystery writer. However, after slogging through the book, I was extremely disappointed. I found the many storylines to be just patched together and the characters very one dimensional. One quirky gesture keeps reappearing in the book -- the number of times that somebody "runs his thumb over Lindsay's lips" or "touches her lips with his fingers" (usually right after digging up some skeleton part - ugh!). All in all, a very juvenile read. Too bad.
Rating: 
Summary: Great comfort read
Review: Beverly Connor's debut novel is a wonderful surprise. Forensic archaeologist Lindsay Chamberlain is in the town of Merry Claymoore, GA working with a group digging an old Indian site. Her work is briefly interrupted when the local town sheriff asks for Lindsay's expertise. The town recently uncovered the bones of a child and they needed to identify it. In order to promote good relations with the local townspeople Lindsay agrees to help. During the course of her novel the investigation will lead to a deep family secret kept hidden for several decades after the discovery of a more contemporary body.What makes this book a joy to read is that Lindsay is not an amateur detective, she is an archaeologist. She is a professional who knows how to do her job and is able to see what others might overlook. She makes it look natural without going through any giant leaps in logic. She has a strong circle of friends that keep her grounded and the reader gets to see her day-by-day job at the archaeological site without making it seem boring. She knows how to keep it interesting by making it look like an ordinary thing. Beverly Connor is probably one of the most overlooked mystery novelist around. Lindsay Chamberlain holds a lot of promise and hopefully her next novel will be just as enjoyable as this one.
Rating:
Summary: I had fun with this
Review: I had the opportunity to volunteer at an archaeological dig one summer 5 years ago and had a great time. This book was so much like that experience (except for the murders) that I had to laugh out loud at several of the passages. I particularly enjoyed the use of archaeology to form the basis of the clues that Chamberlain saw at the murder scenes. Good read!
Rating:
Summary: I knew her when...
Review: I had the pleasure of knowing Beverly when I lived in Athens and enrolled in a mystery writing course. I enjoyed listening to her read this book when it was still in the editing stages, and I can say that the end result is wonderful. I love mysteries and I think Beverly has a terrific sleuth in Lindsay Chamberlain. She's smart, strong, and very well-written.
Rating: 
Summary: Not in Depth
Review: I thought this book was great. It was very interesting, but it did not go in depth as much as I would have liked. This is the only Lindsay Chamberlain book I've read so far and I will keep reading thre series.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Series
Review: I was very disappointed in this book. Extremely shallow characters traipse in a straight line across an unbelievable plot of unlikely coincidences.
Even though this book leans on physical anthropology, it is insulting even to place it in the same category with the insightful, intricate, erudite works of Elkins and Cornwell.
Rating:
Summary: No comparison to Aaron Elkins or Patricia Cornwell
Review: I was very disappointed in this book. Extremely shallow characters traipse in a straight line across an unbelievable plot of unlikely coincidences.
Even though this book leans on physical anthropology, it is insulting even to place it in the same category with the insightful, intricate, erudite works of Elkins and Cornwell.
Rating: 
Summary: Promising start to the series--but needs more polish
Review: I'm reading the Lindsay Chamberlain series backwards. I first read the most recent offering, "Skeleton Crew", and I'm trying to complete the series. Reading in reverse is very instructive--I can watch Ms. Connor's development as a writer and the development of Lindsay Chamberlain as a character. "A Rumor of Bones" features an interesting plot and an unusual heroine. But this book feels somehow incomplete. For one thing, there are too many characters, and even the major people--Lindsay herself, Derrick, etc.--feel like characters sketches instead of fully-drawn individuals. By removing a few minor characters, Ms. Connor could have added much more depth to the story. Lindsay is almost too perfect--smart, beautiful, intelligent, resourceful, and possessed of almost god-like abilities. I found it difficult to feel much enthalpy for her, or for most of the other characters. All in all, this is a rough, but promising, beginning to a new series.
Rating: 
Summary: Nancy Drew in the bones section
Review: If you like Nancy Drew you'll love this book. It's young adult writing parading as a grown up book. Not those who like hard hitting mystery stories. The writing is rather sophomoric.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific. Interesting, challenging, intriguing.
Review: Lindsay Chamberlain is a sympathetic and intelligent character who is drawn into a web of deceit because of her expertise in forensic archaeology. Unlike many of today's hard women p.i.s and sleuths, Lindsay is gentle and humane, but still dedicated to solving crimes which are victimizing the residents of Merry Claymoore and the archaeological site. Along the way, the reader is treated to an insider's understanding of the world of archaeology, specifically Southeastern Indian culture. A Rumor of Bones is a compelling mystery that examines the lives of the residents of Merry Claymoore, both ancient and modern, in fascinating detail. A terrific read
| 
