I've had an itch to read mystery novels lately, and was hoping this series would scratch that. I've had to conclude that it will not. Elizabeth is a strangely vague character for a series lead; she doesn't have enough personality to carry a series, let alone an individual novel, and the rest of the story elements here (plot, writing, setting, etc) aren't enough to make up for that.

I haven't read any McCrumb for awhile, aside from the lovely posts on FB about the raccoons & various animals she feeds on her porch--mostly because I've read the majority of her books, though they are very worthy of being re-read, but I could never find enough of her Elizabeth MacPherson books. I have remedied that lack & read this #2 book of the series & remembered why I enjoy her books so much. She writes with such humor and such history which makes reading her a pleasure. In this adventure, Elizabeth expresses an interest in joining an archaeology dig to her brother's roommate, an anthropology assistant at the college. Elizabeth herself is taking a course on plants & herbs & their history & uses. Milo just so happens to be going on a dig with his professor to unearth the bodies in a graveyard in the isolated valley in the mountains where a purported Indian tribe is trying to get federal permission to retain the land on which they've lived for generations by proving their status as Native Americans. A strip-mining company wants to obtain the land to work it & wants to buy out the valley which would force the tribe to vacate. The professor & his crew will do studies on the ancestral bones to gather proof that the Cullowhees are indeed Indians & have a right to their land. All starts out well. Elizabeth is doubly thrilled to join them as one of the tribe members is a famous herbalist wise woman which will give her an opportunity to gather information for her plant course. But personal issues soon disrupt the dig--the professor is having a temporary fling with his attractive graduate assistant & his wife has discovered this fact; one of the dig members is an obnoxious braggart constantly demanding attention by telling lies about his accomplishments & doing little work; Elizabeth has developed a romantic interest in Milo who, though he feels the same, has difficulty relating to living people; the faction interested in selling their land to the strip-mining company aren't happy about the dig. Soon there are acts of vandalism meant to disrupt the dig & discourage the crew from completing the study . . . and then murder. This was a very good book which I really enjoyed & am looking forward to reading more in the series.

First time for this series and I liked it...the characters are great, I like forensic anthropology...will try another one

Un misterioso asesinato dentro de una excavación en un pueblo indígena, donde nuestros protagonistas son arqueólogos que limpian huesos y quieren ayudar a una comunidad indígena...peor a mi nadie me ayudo. La sinopsis de la contraportada lo mostraba como una comedia, y la portada de una calavera atravesada por un tomahawk ayudo a vender mela, pero para ser un libro tan corto, se demora en arrancar, muchos personajes son muy unidimensionales y el misterio es muy simple,muy traído de los cabellos, destacando las observaciones en primera persona, y en unos diálogos cómicos y dinámicos, pero el libro no se salva.

I was really disappointed in this book. I've read one of McCrumb's Ballad series and found it to be an enjoyable read, and my husband, a big fan of hers, handed me this book with an earnest expression on his face and said "I think you'll like it." I wanted to like it, but wanting does not make it so.

First of all, as another reviewer noted, this book comes off as a little dated. It was written in 1985, and technology has advanced in leaps and bounds since then. While the outdated equipment doesn't have a major effect on the storyline, it does jar the reader when it appears. I certainly felt like rolling my eyes a time or two.

Secondly, I found the characters one-dimensional. Perhaps their transparency is somewhat a function of the novel's short length, but I've read short stories that created characters with more depth than these. Elizabeth "Elle" MacPherson, the main character, is just plain "blah," and the other characters hardly move beyond the first impressions you get of them.

And lastly, I was very disappointed in the story's resolution. I think the reader is supposed to sympathize with the guilty party, but I find it difficult to forgive someone who committed a cold-blooded murder, and certainly not one committed for the reasons given in the storyline. The whole thing left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and I felt like throwing the book into the air with disgust.

As a resident of the Appalachian region, I did enjoy the local lore the book provided--the references to local flora and the region's history--, but I still can't really recommend this title. A reviewer on Amazon indicated that this was the weakest book in this series, but based on what I've seen here, it would take a lot to redeem the other titles. Think I'll pass on the rest of the Elle MacPherson books, but I may read another one from the Ballad series.

An enjoyable mystery starring Elizabeth MacPherson at an archaeological dig in North Carolina.

Interesting mystery. Poor editing.

Elizabeth MacPherson is invited to go along with Milo (her brother Bill's roommate) on an archaeological dig in the Appalachians to help prove that some people living in a small valley belong to an Indian tribe so they can lay legal claim to their land and save it from being strip-mined. She has developed an interest in herbal healing after taking a college course in it. One of the experts happens to be a member of the Cullowhees tribe who the anthropologists are assisting. When she gets some time away from measuring skulls, Elizabeth hikes up the mountain to meet the "wise woman". The dig is almost called off when a member of their group is found murdered. People in the community have strong feelings both for and against the possible strip-mining coming to their area. But who would go so far as to commit murder?

I loved this book and could hardly put it down. It was fun, exciting, and informative. McCrumb always throws in some tidbits of Southern history, trivia, and spices things up with local sayings and customs. This was no exception, and I can highly recommend it!

The butler didn't do it.

Barely 3 stars

The Elizabeth MacPherson series, am reading them again from several years ago. They don't get old.