Keeping her fingers crossed that her hunch about a pilgrim settlement comes true, Emma fights the calendar to dig up something that will prove her right. Several things interfere with her work. First there’s the man’s body on the Maine coast, right under her work site. Secondly, a couple of her graduate students are being difficult. Third, her rival in the department is snooping around. And fourth, a strange man threatens her with a gun. It takes a real catastrophe to make Emma realize she has to save her reputation in a hurry if she wants to avoid jail and save her bid for tenure.

Site Unseen is a good read on many fronts. Emma and her husband and friends are likeable, hip people. Unlike many books that gloss over the day to day details, this one sticks with Emma like glue. You get a good idea of what an archaeologist’s daily grind is like. Third, there is actually a pleasant, cooperative working relationship with the local sheriff, another nice surprise.

The climax of the books is a few pages too long. It is amazing how much stamina the author, the editor and the character have - more than I do. I actually skipped a couple of pages when I should have been glued to the events. I wouldn’t let this stop you from reading Site Unseen.

--Diane Gotfryd