Dug to Death by Adrian Praetzellis (***)
This mystery novel on archaeological method is the sequel to Death by Theory. I have to say this book did not impress me any more than did its predecessor. While there are some interesting characterisations, and it lays out practical archaeology fairly clearly, the mystery aspects were poorly constructed.
There is a ghostly presence for not apparent reason, the death in the second chapter is written off as accidental until the second to last chapter, and there are almost no clues leading up to the killer's confession -- nothing you can look back on and say "why didn't I see...?"
The killer's confession was really out of the blue as well. He sabotages the public presentation of the archaeological findings for no reason which I could discern, and then admits it all to his next potential victim before making a demand and threatening her kill her if she doesn't comply. He could as easily have refrained from pointless sabotage, made a request of his victim and then killed her if she failed to comply. He might even have gotten away with it, too.
I hate coming away from a book thinking I could have done better.
There is a ghostly presence for not apparent reason, the death in the second chapter is written off as accidental until the second to last chapter, and there are almost no clues leading up to the killer's confession -- nothing you can look back on and say "why didn't I see...?"
The killer's confession was really out of the blue as well. He sabotages the public presentation of the archaeological findings for no reason which I could discern, and then admits it all to his next potential victim before making a demand and threatening her kill her if she doesn't comply. He could as easily have refrained from pointless sabotage, made a request of his victim and then killed her if she failed to comply. He might even have gotten away with it, too.
I hate coming away from a book thinking I could have done better.