Review: Skeleton Crew

Skeleton Crew Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Beverly Connor
Class/Genre: Mystery Forensics Archaeology
Series: Lindsay Chamberlain # 4
In 1558 a Spanish galleon headed for the New World with supplies for
the Spanish colonies was damaged in a storm and sank off the coast
of Georgia.

Lindsay Chamberlain is an archeologist from the University of Georgia. She is called to help excavate the site believed site of the ship. They are excavating on the ocean floor inside one of the largest cofferdams ever built for archeology. A cofferdam is a round structure that keeps the ocean out of the excavation area.

Francisco Lewis ("Lewis") is the new head of the Division of Anthropology and Archeology at the University of Georgia. John West is a Native American and friend of Lindsay Chamberlain. His construction company designed and built the cofferdam.

A diary is discovered that is believed to belong to one of the passengers that survived to tell of the ship's voyage and destruction. Harper is translating the diary while the excavation is ongoing. As they discover skeletons in the shipwreck, Lindsay uses the translated diary to help identify each skeleton. She takes the skull and draws what she believes the person would have looked like.

Various accidents as well as 2 murders plague the archaeology project. Only a few select crew members are aware that they are also searching for a possible 2nd ship that was supposed to have sunk in this same area full of treasure. They especially have to try to keep this information from modern-day "pirates" also searching the waters.

There is lots of tension between the archeologists and the biologists who were on the neighboring island and have been displaced due to this project.

Lewis asks Lindsay to help solve the murders so that the project won't be jeopardized.

I enjoyed this book. I've never read an archeological mystery before so I learned alot about archeology along with enjoying the mystery.

I found the charactes to be likeable and very real. Many times I felt as if I was there with them.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Dawn Dowdle

Book Review: Skeleton Crew