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Digger's Bones
Archaeologist Angie Cooper's colleague and friend, Tarek "Digger" Rashid, is murdered in front of her. But not before giving her cryptic photographic clues to a hidden tomb and the two thousand year old bones within. Angie must battle a ruthless hitman, hired by a U.S. senator with presidential aspirations, and a sociopathic religious zealot while overcoming severe acrophobia. Caught in a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal, she works to unravel the secret of Digger's bones. Bones that affect the lives of all they touch.
Digger's Bones is an action packed thriller that takes you from the churches and burial tombs of ancient Jerusalem to the harrowing cliffs of Bandelier National Monument and the glacier capped Zugspitze in Germany. Angie Cooper, her career in shambles, finds herself on the run from mercenaries, the Holy See, the FBI, and Interpol while trying to solve one of archaeology’s great mysteries. Yet some things are better left in the past.
What reviewers are saying about the book:
The book is fast paced and full of action. I feel the book was well written and very enjoyable. There are many plot twists that keep the reader guessing till the very end.
There is a kind of an "Indiana Jones" and "DaVinci Code" feeling to the book.
—Allen Cook, The Book Review
Paul Mansfield Keefe has written a thrilling book that takes you on a ride worthy of the big screen.
Angie is a very likable and interesting character, and you find yourself rooting for her. There are several unexpected twists and turns, and you're barely given time to catch your breath before Angie is off and running again.
I wanted to keep reading to discover what happened next. (…) the last few pages of the book are satisfying to the reader who has (read) the story the whole way through.
—Grace Krispy, MotherLode
In Digger’s Bones, Paul Mansfield Keefe has brought to life a possibility of epic proportions. Keefe has written a story that is well researched, and just unbelievable enough to be believable.
Digger’s Bones is a roller coaster of emotion; this story is full of surprises, and the ending is no different.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great adventure, (a) book club or reading group would find a great deal of different and interesting, and possibly controversial (reading).
—Leslie Wright, blogcritics.com
With a lot of suspense, action and an intelligent plot, Keefe’s work is promising—and will probably bother some religious people.
We get to see a lot of Jerusalem, DC and the Zugspitze in Germany throughout the story. If you like suspense novels with some history in them, this book is for you. It has a lot of details—result of an extensive research, I assume—that make the story believable, gripping.
—Mavea, Murphy’s Library
Digger's Bones is an action packed thriller that takes you from the churches and burial tombs of ancient Jerusalem to the harrowing cliffs of Bandelier National Monument and the glacier capped Zugspitze in Germany. Angie Cooper, her career in shambles, finds herself on the run from mercenaries, the Holy See, the FBI, and Interpol while trying to solve one of archaeology’s great mysteries. Yet some things are better left in the past.
What reviewers are saying about the book:
The book is fast paced and full of action. I feel the book was well written and very enjoyable. There are many plot twists that keep the reader guessing till the very end.
There is a kind of an "Indiana Jones" and "DaVinci Code" feeling to the book.
—Allen Cook, The Book Review
Paul Mansfield Keefe has written a thrilling book that takes you on a ride worthy of the big screen.
Angie is a very likable and interesting character, and you find yourself rooting for her. There are several unexpected twists and turns, and you're barely given time to catch your breath before Angie is off and running again.
I wanted to keep reading to discover what happened next. (…) the last few pages of the book are satisfying to the reader who has (read) the story the whole way through.
—Grace Krispy, MotherLode
In Digger’s Bones, Paul Mansfield Keefe has brought to life a possibility of epic proportions. Keefe has written a story that is well researched, and just unbelievable enough to be believable.
Digger’s Bones is a roller coaster of emotion; this story is full of surprises, and the ending is no different.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great adventure, (a) book club or reading group would find a great deal of different and interesting, and possibly controversial (reading).
—Leslie Wright, blogcritics.com
With a lot of suspense, action and an intelligent plot, Keefe’s work is promising—and will probably bother some religious people.
We get to see a lot of Jerusalem, DC and the Zugspitze in Germany throughout the story. If you like suspense novels with some history in them, this book is for you. It has a lot of details—result of an extensive research, I assume—that make the story believable, gripping.
—Mavea, Murphy’s Library
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2010
About the author
Paul Mansfield Keefe
1 book16 followersPaul Mansfield Keefe was born in Lowell, Massachusetts and grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire. He worked as a multimedia artist and programmer for non-profits and corporations creating websites and applications since the early years of the Internet. Music and animation led him to realize his story telling talents could best be put to use in writing novels. Digger’s Bones, the first book in the Angie Cooper Series, is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 26, 2011
A very impressive debut novel. Digger’s Bones is a thriller with substance. Angie Cooper is a failed archaeologist; having wanted nothing more than to pursue her lifelong dream to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an accomplished archaeologist, she destroys her career by being too impulsive and making a huge mistake.
We meet Angie at her lowest ebb, she has lost touch with her friends, her career has ended and she has also recently lost her mother. Her father died when she was a child and she still harbours feeling she associates with guilt over his death and experiences recurring nightmares.
Out of the blue, her old friend, Tarek ‘Digger’ Rashid, contacts her, asking her to meet him. At their meeting, in a restaurant, he advises her that a former colleague of theirs, Professor Rothschild, is dead. Then, a strange man joins them at the table, and kills Digger; taking away the Manila folder that Digger had brought with him.
Angie is left reeling; two of her colleagues are dead and someone is evidently keen to stop some information being disclosed. Professor Rothschild and Digger had obviously unearthed an important archaeological find. Digger’s last words to her were that she should revisit a place they had been together, Bandelier, New Mexico, and look in a hidey-hole. Angie knew that he must have left something there for her to find, something with implications so huge that people were prepared to kill to prevent the word getting out.
Digger was the only one who’d stood by Angie when her career was falling apart and had always been there for her. Even though she knows she will be risking her own life, she is determined to find out what Digger had wanted to tell her.
In the hidey-hole, Angie finds a flash drive containing photographs which appear to hold clues to the mystery. Angie knew that Professor Rothschild had a theory that Judas’s bones were somewhere in the holy land and he wanted to find them. Perhaps he had? Fans of Dan Brown’s books will find more religious controversy to whet their appetites within these pages.
We follow Angie on her travels to locate Digger’s bones. She is ruthlessly pursued by the strange man from the restaurant, who she now knows is called ‘Tek’. But he is not the only one who wants to stop her uncovering the secret. Many people associated with Digger’s bones are being killed. But who is the killer?
As she embarks on her search for the bones, Angie is reunited with her former lover, Reilly, and for a time it seems that her life may be getting back on track; perhaps if she discovers the bones, she could get back to her work as an archaeologist and be taken seriously again? But even Reilly is reluctant to help her in her search when the going gets tough.
There is a lot of edge-of-your-seat action in this book as Angie is forced to run for her life on more than a couple of occasions. The action scenes are well written and compulsive, and this complex story is crafted with skill. There is a lot of historical information in the book, showing that it was well-researched.
All the characters are believable, and I was especially impressed by the character of Angie Cooper whose emotions and thoughts were so realistic as those from a female perspective.
This book contains action, adventure, mystery and romance. Angie’s character is particularly well-developed as she tries to deal with her emotional baggage in regard to her father’s death. The subjects of regret, guilt and forgiveness are dealt with well by the author.
There are enough twists and turns and unexpected discoveries in this book to keep the reader enthralled to the end. A very enjoyable read.
Reviewed by Maria Savva as a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com
We meet Angie at her lowest ebb, she has lost touch with her friends, her career has ended and she has also recently lost her mother. Her father died when she was a child and she still harbours feeling she associates with guilt over his death and experiences recurring nightmares.
Out of the blue, her old friend, Tarek ‘Digger’ Rashid, contacts her, asking her to meet him. At their meeting, in a restaurant, he advises her that a former colleague of theirs, Professor Rothschild, is dead. Then, a strange man joins them at the table, and kills Digger; taking away the Manila folder that Digger had brought with him.
Angie is left reeling; two of her colleagues are dead and someone is evidently keen to stop some information being disclosed. Professor Rothschild and Digger had obviously unearthed an important archaeological find. Digger’s last words to her were that she should revisit a place they had been together, Bandelier, New Mexico, and look in a hidey-hole. Angie knew that he must have left something there for her to find, something with implications so huge that people were prepared to kill to prevent the word getting out.
Digger was the only one who’d stood by Angie when her career was falling apart and had always been there for her. Even though she knows she will be risking her own life, she is determined to find out what Digger had wanted to tell her.
In the hidey-hole, Angie finds a flash drive containing photographs which appear to hold clues to the mystery. Angie knew that Professor Rothschild had a theory that Judas’s bones were somewhere in the holy land and he wanted to find them. Perhaps he had? Fans of Dan Brown’s books will find more religious controversy to whet their appetites within these pages.
We follow Angie on her travels to locate Digger’s bones. She is ruthlessly pursued by the strange man from the restaurant, who she now knows is called ‘Tek’. But he is not the only one who wants to stop her uncovering the secret. Many people associated with Digger’s bones are being killed. But who is the killer?
As she embarks on her search for the bones, Angie is reunited with her former lover, Reilly, and for a time it seems that her life may be getting back on track; perhaps if she discovers the bones, she could get back to her work as an archaeologist and be taken seriously again? But even Reilly is reluctant to help her in her search when the going gets tough.
There is a lot of edge-of-your-seat action in this book as Angie is forced to run for her life on more than a couple of occasions. The action scenes are well written and compulsive, and this complex story is crafted with skill. There is a lot of historical information in the book, showing that it was well-researched.
All the characters are believable, and I was especially impressed by the character of Angie Cooper whose emotions and thoughts were so realistic as those from a female perspective.
This book contains action, adventure, mystery and romance. Angie’s character is particularly well-developed as she tries to deal with her emotional baggage in regard to her father’s death. The subjects of regret, guilt and forgiveness are dealt with well by the author.
There are enough twists and turns and unexpected discoveries in this book to keep the reader enthralled to the end. A very enjoyable read.
Reviewed by Maria Savva as a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com
September 18, 2011
Another great read worthy of recommending to other readers. Digger's Bones tells us the story of Angie and how she tries to uncovers the truth behind the reason why her colleague and friend Tarek Rashid (Digger) and Professor Rothschild, a famous archeologist, were murdered.
Digger and Profession Rothschild was killed because of the mystery that they have uncovered and Angie wants to know why. Together with her friend and mentor, Angie follows every clue that Digger left her before dying in front of her. In the middle of the adventure, Angie is being chased by a gunman who wants to acquire what Angie has discovered but later on the people involve that not only one person wants them dead but rather two! What Digger and Professor Rothschild uncovered was a matter of life and death and nothing will stop Angie from finding it out. In addition to Angie's burden, they later realize that someone is leaking information that's why her killer is always there to find her.
Digger's Bones was a thrilling adventure and great read. It was not as I was expecting it to end but some parts are predictable but that doesn't outweigh the fact that the book is a great read. The story was well research and represented that it almost seem as if the story was true. The characters were like-able combined with a plot which is awesome, Digger's Bones is part of my favorite read for this year. I really loved Angie's character who is trust worthy and can be dependable. The supporting characters were awesome and compliments the main character. The ending was not a disappointment and the epilogue added the cherry on top.Digger's BonesPaul Mansfield Keefe
Digger and Profession Rothschild was killed because of the mystery that they have uncovered and Angie wants to know why. Together with her friend and mentor, Angie follows every clue that Digger left her before dying in front of her. In the middle of the adventure, Angie is being chased by a gunman who wants to acquire what Angie has discovered but later on the people involve that not only one person wants them dead but rather two! What Digger and Professor Rothschild uncovered was a matter of life and death and nothing will stop Angie from finding it out. In addition to Angie's burden, they later realize that someone is leaking information that's why her killer is always there to find her.
Digger's Bones was a thrilling adventure and great read. It was not as I was expecting it to end but some parts are predictable but that doesn't outweigh the fact that the book is a great read. The story was well research and represented that it almost seem as if the story was true. The characters were like-able combined with a plot which is awesome, Digger's Bones is part of my favorite read for this year. I really loved Angie's character who is trust worthy and can be dependable. The supporting characters were awesome and compliments the main character. The ending was not a disappointment and the epilogue added the cherry on top.Digger's BonesPaul Mansfield Keefe
July 5, 2011
WebbWeaver Review of 'Digger's Bones' by Paul Mansfield Keefe (reviewed by SB Price)
Angie Cooper is down on herself for a mistake that cost her a bright future in the archaeological world. Just as she is feeling sorry for herself, the phone rings with a familiar voice from the past. Her best friend, ‘Digger’ as she calls him, needs her help and he needs it NOW. She isn’t sure what he needs her for but she doesn’t hesitate. Unfortunately, before he can tell her what is going on, he is murdered in front of her. Now she has to find out what he was trying to tell her and make sense of it all.
This book follows Angie all over the world looking for clues to what Digger was trying to show her. The twists and turns are everywhere and the action never stops. This book kept me on my toes throughout and Paul Mansfield Keefe keeps your attention the entire way through. Just when you think things have reached their worst, there’s more! Just when you think Angie is safe, something else happens. The plot thickens, twists and turns get exciting and then, the book gets REALLY good!
I absolutely LOVED this book. Keefe reminds me of Dan Brown, of whom, I am a big fan. Yet it is very different at the same time. Digger’s Bones is a mystery thriller for the ages. I would love to see it on the big screen and I want to read more books with ‘Angie Cooper'.
5 spiders from me for Paul Mansfield Keefe. If I could give more, I would. Digger’s Bones was simply FANTASTIC.
SB Price
Angie Cooper is down on herself for a mistake that cost her a bright future in the archaeological world. Just as she is feeling sorry for herself, the phone rings with a familiar voice from the past. Her best friend, ‘Digger’ as she calls him, needs her help and he needs it NOW. She isn’t sure what he needs her for but she doesn’t hesitate. Unfortunately, before he can tell her what is going on, he is murdered in front of her. Now she has to find out what he was trying to tell her and make sense of it all.
This book follows Angie all over the world looking for clues to what Digger was trying to show her. The twists and turns are everywhere and the action never stops. This book kept me on my toes throughout and Paul Mansfield Keefe keeps your attention the entire way through. Just when you think things have reached their worst, there’s more! Just when you think Angie is safe, something else happens. The plot thickens, twists and turns get exciting and then, the book gets REALLY good!
I absolutely LOVED this book. Keefe reminds me of Dan Brown, of whom, I am a big fan. Yet it is very different at the same time. Digger’s Bones is a mystery thriller for the ages. I would love to see it on the big screen and I want to read more books with ‘Angie Cooper'.
5 spiders from me for Paul Mansfield Keefe. If I could give more, I would. Digger’s Bones was simply FANTASTIC.
SB Price
January 8, 2011
If you loved The DaVinci Code you will want to read this amazing first novel by author Paul Keefe. Main character Angie Cooper, archeologist/detective extraordinaire, is one tough, stubborn and independent woman in this highly suspenseful action adventure story. Mr. Keefe has also centered the story around a plausible archeological find that could change world history and religious beliefs. Angie finds herself being pursued by a hit man working for a U.S. senator as well as a religious lunatic on a mission to save the Catholic church. She must outrun and outwit the two men as well as try to solve the mysterious clues to the archeological discovery her beloved friends were working on before being brutally murdered. She gets a little help from her friends along the way, resulting in a trip to Jerusalem, Germany and Washington, D.C. Mr. Keefe has included every story element one could wish for with suspense, intrigue, detective work, romance, surprising plot twists, scientific and religious historical background and well-developed characters. This is certainly a worthy debut for this new author and I hope we will see much more of Angie Cooper in upcoming novels.
August 15, 2022
I gave it 3 stars because it had an interesting plot and was fast-paced but I didn’t really enjoy the writing style. It felt like it was written to be a movie. I also didn’t connect with the main character.
October 16, 2010
Article first published as Book Review: Digger's Bones by Paul Mansfield Keefe on Blogcritics.
Tarek Rashid (Digger) is Angie’s best friend. He is the only one of her colleagues that stood by her in the aftermath of a career ending decision. Angie published her findings before completing all the work only to find that her information was incorrect Angie is shattered, her world has collapsed, and she leaves behind archeology, her life long dream.
While Angie Cooper is finishing her fluff piece for the paper, her new job, she receives a call unexpectedly from Digger. He is frantic and it is important that they meet.
As they sit across from each other, Angie notices that Digger is not himself, he continues to glance around frantically as he tells her that not only has one of her other colleagues, Professor Rothchild, been murdered, but he has what is the find of a life time. He will need her help. As he is talking, a well-dressed man in a business suit sits next to Digger at the table. The man, after asking him what he has told Angie so far, pulls out a gun and shoots Digger in the head.
Initially paralyzed with fear, Angie breaks away, running for her life, horrified at what she has just witnessed. The information that Digger has shared sounds unreal, and makes no sense. The Bones that he and Professor Rothchild have uncovered hold the clues to the murders of these two men. Angie makes a decision to follow up on Diggers clues and solve the mystery of the murder as well as the mystery of the bones.
Little does she know that the decision she has made will lead her into a past that will shake the very foundation of the religious world, as we know it. The information will lead her into a world of fear and death, betrayal and disbelief, but it will also heal a part of her that she thought bruised beyond all hope.
In Diggers Bones, Paul Mansfield Keefe has brought to life a possibility of epic proportions. Keefe has written a story that is well researched, and just unbelievable enough to be believable. As Angie and her friends find each of the clues, set up almost as an old-fashioned scavenger hunt, Angie herself appears to be the target of a maniac. She escapes death at every turn, and it appears that there are at least two different factions interested in keeping them from finding Digger Bones. She is a very flawed individual and yet she is endearing, she makes mistakes but has such a deep level of trust you really root for her, and yet you know that one of those closest to her is a betrayer. She will have to dig deep within herself to find the answers to every thing that has lead her to this pass. She will have to leave behind that past in order to move forward and we are there, through this book, for the journey.
Their adversaries seem to be able to track their every move, and they need to understand how this is happening. They have no idea in advance where the next clue will lead them. Is there a traitor in their midst?
As Angie struggles to bring the information to light, there are those just as determined to bury the truth. Angie struggles to find the correct way to make the truth known and what she finds is that not only has Digger left her the clues, but he has also left her the answers to the very heart of the discovery. Is it right to bring information into the world that could damage the very structure of what makes the governments of the world? Digger’s answer through his clues, offers the only solution viable.
Diggers Bones is a roller coaster of emotion, this story is full of surprises and the ending is no different. The epilogue was an exciting addition to the story and drew it all together. You will learn to love many of the characters, and take a personal stake in the outcome of their adventure.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great adventure, but I also believe that a book club or reading group would find a great deal of different and interesting, and possibly controversial information to talk about.
This book was received as a free e-book from the Author. All opinions expressed are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.
Tarek Rashid (Digger) is Angie’s best friend. He is the only one of her colleagues that stood by her in the aftermath of a career ending decision. Angie published her findings before completing all the work only to find that her information was incorrect Angie is shattered, her world has collapsed, and she leaves behind archeology, her life long dream.
While Angie Cooper is finishing her fluff piece for the paper, her new job, she receives a call unexpectedly from Digger. He is frantic and it is important that they meet.
As they sit across from each other, Angie notices that Digger is not himself, he continues to glance around frantically as he tells her that not only has one of her other colleagues, Professor Rothchild, been murdered, but he has what is the find of a life time. He will need her help. As he is talking, a well-dressed man in a business suit sits next to Digger at the table. The man, after asking him what he has told Angie so far, pulls out a gun and shoots Digger in the head.
Initially paralyzed with fear, Angie breaks away, running for her life, horrified at what she has just witnessed. The information that Digger has shared sounds unreal, and makes no sense. The Bones that he and Professor Rothchild have uncovered hold the clues to the murders of these two men. Angie makes a decision to follow up on Diggers clues and solve the mystery of the murder as well as the mystery of the bones.
Little does she know that the decision she has made will lead her into a past that will shake the very foundation of the religious world, as we know it. The information will lead her into a world of fear and death, betrayal and disbelief, but it will also heal a part of her that she thought bruised beyond all hope.
In Diggers Bones, Paul Mansfield Keefe has brought to life a possibility of epic proportions. Keefe has written a story that is well researched, and just unbelievable enough to be believable. As Angie and her friends find each of the clues, set up almost as an old-fashioned scavenger hunt, Angie herself appears to be the target of a maniac. She escapes death at every turn, and it appears that there are at least two different factions interested in keeping them from finding Digger Bones. She is a very flawed individual and yet she is endearing, she makes mistakes but has such a deep level of trust you really root for her, and yet you know that one of those closest to her is a betrayer. She will have to dig deep within herself to find the answers to every thing that has lead her to this pass. She will have to leave behind that past in order to move forward and we are there, through this book, for the journey.
Their adversaries seem to be able to track their every move, and they need to understand how this is happening. They have no idea in advance where the next clue will lead them. Is there a traitor in their midst?
As Angie struggles to bring the information to light, there are those just as determined to bury the truth. Angie struggles to find the correct way to make the truth known and what she finds is that not only has Digger left her the clues, but he has also left her the answers to the very heart of the discovery. Is it right to bring information into the world that could damage the very structure of what makes the governments of the world? Digger’s answer through his clues, offers the only solution viable.
Diggers Bones is a roller coaster of emotion, this story is full of surprises and the ending is no different. The epilogue was an exciting addition to the story and drew it all together. You will learn to love many of the characters, and take a personal stake in the outcome of their adventure.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great adventure, but I also believe that a book club or reading group would find a great deal of different and interesting, and possibly controversial information to talk about.
This book was received as a free e-book from the Author. All opinions expressed are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.
October 25, 2010
What if something you took for granted wasn't really true?
A phone call from an old friend throws Angie into a whirlwind of terror and discovery. A secret has been uncovered, a secret that will threaten one of the core beliefs of Christianity. Angie, an ordinary woman with a few significant regrets in her bag, is the only person who will be able to put the pieces together to find the truth. While doing this, she must looked to all her strength and knowledge to follow the clues while evading the powerful men who are determined to squelch this secret forever. Angie may be smart and resourceful, but she is just one woman, and these men will stop at nothing- even death- to stop her.
Paul Mansfield Keefe has written a thrilling book that takes you on a ride worthy of the big screen. Angie is a very likable and interesting character, and you find yourself rooting for her again and again. There are several unexpected twists and turns, and you're barely given time to catch your breath before Angie is off and running again. I wanted to keep reading to discover what happened next. Some of the secrets uncovered were surprising, and the last few pages of the book are satisfying to the reader who has followed the story the whole way through.
With all the excitement that builds up in the first half of the story, the last 60 pages or so involve some very confusing jumps. It seems as though the author wanted to finish the story, and compacted what may have been meant for more pages into fewer. There was one scene with Reilly (spelled Riley at one point) and Angie that seemed to repeat itself a few pages later in a different location, almost as if it had never happened in the first place. There was nothing in between to show a passage of time, so you are left with a generalized feeling of déjà vu. Several sections that ended with cliffhangers turn out to be letdowns as the next page shows the characters doing something completely different, leaving you confused as to what happened. I found myself turning back to reread passages on several occasions to see if I had missed something.
As is the case with several of the independent books I've reviewed, this book could use a thorough editing. The words "your" and "you're" are used interchangeably in many places throughout the book, and too many plurals incorrectly contain apostrophes. A sentence such as "German's love to concatenate words into larger words, until they are all but impossible to read" was first misinterpreted by me to be a sentence fragment, until I realized that the plural "Germans" was meant. Additionally, there are some homophone errors; I was surprised to learn-more than once in this story- that Jesus Christ was a "profit" and not a "prophet." There were also several typos; I was confused when I read that Angie's "mode" had lifted until I realized it was her "mood" that had lifted. The previous example with the Germans not counted, the book is also riddled with sentence fragments that are actually dependent clauses. Reading a few of these would not detract from the story to any great extent, but there were so many it really threw off the rhythm of the book. Determining what the noun or the verb should be in these clauses disrupted the pace of the story as you were considering the probable intended meaning. Changing the previous period to a comma, and using a lowercase letter at the start of the clause would have easily taken care of most of these errors.
A fun and exciting read, this book has the potential to be really good. The storyline is gripping, and some editing and revising would bring it to the next level.
A phone call from an old friend throws Angie into a whirlwind of terror and discovery. A secret has been uncovered, a secret that will threaten one of the core beliefs of Christianity. Angie, an ordinary woman with a few significant regrets in her bag, is the only person who will be able to put the pieces together to find the truth. While doing this, she must looked to all her strength and knowledge to follow the clues while evading the powerful men who are determined to squelch this secret forever. Angie may be smart and resourceful, but she is just one woman, and these men will stop at nothing- even death- to stop her.
Paul Mansfield Keefe has written a thrilling book that takes you on a ride worthy of the big screen. Angie is a very likable and interesting character, and you find yourself rooting for her again and again. There are several unexpected twists and turns, and you're barely given time to catch your breath before Angie is off and running again. I wanted to keep reading to discover what happened next. Some of the secrets uncovered were surprising, and the last few pages of the book are satisfying to the reader who has followed the story the whole way through.
With all the excitement that builds up in the first half of the story, the last 60 pages or so involve some very confusing jumps. It seems as though the author wanted to finish the story, and compacted what may have been meant for more pages into fewer. There was one scene with Reilly (spelled Riley at one point) and Angie that seemed to repeat itself a few pages later in a different location, almost as if it had never happened in the first place. There was nothing in between to show a passage of time, so you are left with a generalized feeling of déjà vu. Several sections that ended with cliffhangers turn out to be letdowns as the next page shows the characters doing something completely different, leaving you confused as to what happened. I found myself turning back to reread passages on several occasions to see if I had missed something.
As is the case with several of the independent books I've reviewed, this book could use a thorough editing. The words "your" and "you're" are used interchangeably in many places throughout the book, and too many plurals incorrectly contain apostrophes. A sentence such as "German's love to concatenate words into larger words, until they are all but impossible to read" was first misinterpreted by me to be a sentence fragment, until I realized that the plural "Germans" was meant. Additionally, there are some homophone errors; I was surprised to learn-more than once in this story- that Jesus Christ was a "profit" and not a "prophet." There were also several typos; I was confused when I read that Angie's "mode" had lifted until I realized it was her "mood" that had lifted. The previous example with the Germans not counted, the book is also riddled with sentence fragments that are actually dependent clauses. Reading a few of these would not detract from the story to any great extent, but there were so many it really threw off the rhythm of the book. Determining what the noun or the verb should be in these clauses disrupted the pace of the story as you were considering the probable intended meaning. Changing the previous period to a comma, and using a lowercase letter at the start of the clause would have easily taken care of most of these errors.
A fun and exciting read, this book has the potential to be really good. The storyline is gripping, and some editing and revising would bring it to the next level.
November 28, 2010
(from Murphy's Library - http://www.murphyslibrary.com/)
Angela Cooper’s always dreamed about becoming a renowned archeologist. She fells like she owns it to her father—and to herself. But things didn’t work out as she expected when she announced an important discovery, and her career was ruined. Nobody stood by her side, except for her dear friend Digger. He was the only one who didn’t judge her, who didn’t turn his back to her.
And years later, when Digger comes to ask for her help, she doesn’t think twice. Digger is her friend—her only friend—and she owns him. However, she couldn’t imagine how much trouble she was getting into when she took the flight to go to DC to talk to him: Digger was murdered in front of her, and whoever did this to him, is now coming after her.
Now she’s desperate to find out why her friend was killed—and it seems he left clues and she’s the only one who can understand. Clues that are going to lead her to an important discovery, something that many people have their own reasons to try and avoid it being brought to light.
With a lot of suspense, action and an intelligent plot, Keefe’s work is promising—and will probably bother some religious people. Digger’s Bones isn’t the kind of book that catchs my attention by its cover, but it did catch me by its title and summary. We get to see a lot of Jerusalem, DC and Zugspitze in Germany throughout the story. If you like suspenses with some history on it, this book is for you. It has a lot of details—result of an extensive research, I assume—that make the story believable, gripping.
The book could use some editing and revising—some parts of the story seemed a little bit confusing to me, and there’s also typos and some errors that a revision would fix—, but considering the fact that this is Keefe’s first work, I’m looking forward to reading more about Angie Cooper Series in the future.
Angela Cooper’s always dreamed about becoming a renowned archeologist. She fells like she owns it to her father—and to herself. But things didn’t work out as she expected when she announced an important discovery, and her career was ruined. Nobody stood by her side, except for her dear friend Digger. He was the only one who didn’t judge her, who didn’t turn his back to her.
And years later, when Digger comes to ask for her help, she doesn’t think twice. Digger is her friend—her only friend—and she owns him. However, she couldn’t imagine how much trouble she was getting into when she took the flight to go to DC to talk to him: Digger was murdered in front of her, and whoever did this to him, is now coming after her.
Now she’s desperate to find out why her friend was killed—and it seems he left clues and she’s the only one who can understand. Clues that are going to lead her to an important discovery, something that many people have their own reasons to try and avoid it being brought to light.
With a lot of suspense, action and an intelligent plot, Keefe’s work is promising—and will probably bother some religious people. Digger’s Bones isn’t the kind of book that catchs my attention by its cover, but it did catch me by its title and summary. We get to see a lot of Jerusalem, DC and Zugspitze in Germany throughout the story. If you like suspenses with some history on it, this book is for you. It has a lot of details—result of an extensive research, I assume—that make the story believable, gripping.
The book could use some editing and revising—some parts of the story seemed a little bit confusing to me, and there’s also typos and some errors that a revision would fix—, but considering the fact that this is Keefe’s first work, I’m looking forward to reading more about Angie Cooper Series in the future.
April 19, 2011
Some archeological finds can have an enormous impact on the world. Is there ever a time when those finds should be kept from the public? Angie Cooper is faced with this dilemma. Along the way, she is sucked into a world of conspiracy and deceit that threatens much of what she thought she knew about herself, her friends and the world.
Digger's Bones is a fast-paced adventure. The biblical and historical facts interspersed throughout are well-researched and give a realistic feel to the story.
This book has a fascinating premise and would be perfect for a reading/discussion group.
Digger's Bones is a fast-paced adventure. The biblical and historical facts interspersed throughout are well-researched and give a realistic feel to the story.
This book has a fascinating premise and would be perfect for a reading/discussion group.
March 6, 2011
WOW! This book is unlike the ones I've been reading. But I could not put it down. It was a nice change to actually have a smart book, one you have to think about but leaves you on the edge of your seat.
February 14, 2011
Well written, though I hated the main character for a long time. The saving grace was actually the contract killer...his character was way more developed than any others.
May 30, 2011
Great Mystery, I loved the complexity, and archaeology. Paul has certainly done some fabulous research and, became the architect of a fascinating story!
March 29, 2022
This was a really fun, fast-paced debut novel. PERFECT summer read!! If you are a fan of DaVinci Code type novels, this will scratch that itch. Not as fast paced, maybe not as complex, but still a VERY enjoyable page-turner. I am going to be recommending it to friends, for sure.
Most of the characters are investment worthy - I'd read more about them. Angie is a good heroine, Tek an excellent assassin, and the surrounding cast is interesting too. The research that was done for the book is evident.
I do think the editing could have been better - found a few obvious errors (the use of the word stocking vs. stalking, for instance) but other than that, nothing noteworthy to critique!
Most of the characters are investment worthy - I'd read more about them. Angie is a good heroine, Tek an excellent assassin, and the surrounding cast is interesting too. The research that was done for the book is evident.
I do think the editing could have been better - found a few obvious errors (the use of the word stocking vs. stalking, for instance) but other than that, nothing noteworthy to critique!
May 4, 2017
Not a bad plot but for it's length had too much intrigue. A good editor was need to correct grammatical erros.
April 17, 2012
3.5/5 stars
Paul Mansfield Keefe starts with a great premise: an archaeologist is murdered at his dig site, and his assistant has all of the clues that will help figure out why. Said assistant goes to a disgraced former student of the archaeologist ... and is murdered while providing her with the information she needs.
This is how the book begins. The plot is great, and the concept outstanding. We are taken to various sites throughout the Holy Land, Europe and the United States in the pages of this adventure, which has a very likeable heroine in the person of Angie Cooper.
I was very excited to read this story, but often found my experience interrupted by editorial errors, sudden shifts from past to present tense, third person to omniscient, and homophone errors. The story is great, but an updated edition that corrects these problems would be most welcomed.
I also saw the "whodunnit" coming for miles, but must give the caveat that I read a great many mysteries and it is hard to get one past me.
Recommended for mystery fans, with the above caveats well in mind.
Paul Mansfield Keefe starts with a great premise: an archaeologist is murdered at his dig site, and his assistant has all of the clues that will help figure out why. Said assistant goes to a disgraced former student of the archaeologist ... and is murdered while providing her with the information she needs.
This is how the book begins. The plot is great, and the concept outstanding. We are taken to various sites throughout the Holy Land, Europe and the United States in the pages of this adventure, which has a very likeable heroine in the person of Angie Cooper.
I was very excited to read this story, but often found my experience interrupted by editorial errors, sudden shifts from past to present tense, third person to omniscient, and homophone errors. The story is great, but an updated edition that corrects these problems would be most welcomed.
I also saw the "whodunnit" coming for miles, but must give the caveat that I read a great many mysteries and it is hard to get one past me.
Recommended for mystery fans, with the above caveats well in mind.
February 18, 2016
UGH. I read so many "good" reviews of this book but it was terrible. Honestly the main character, Angie, is so freaking annoying! I feel like this was trying to be a Da Vinci Code type of book and just utterly failed. The writing, characters and plot was just all around terrible. Words can't really express how much I hated reading this (and it was only 220 pages!)
January 16, 2016
UGH. I read so many "good" reviews of this book but it was terrible. Honestly the main character, Angie, is so freaking annoying! I feel like this was trying to be a Da Vinci Code type of book and just utterly failed. The writing, characters and plot was just all around terrible. Words can't really express how much I hated reading this (and it was only 220 pages!)
April 19, 2011
Probably a 2 1/2 star book. The story starts with two dead archeologists, and leads us on the chase through three continents with two sets of killers. The ending was kind of wimpy, I think this could have been handled better. The main character has self-esteem problems, which could have been presented just at the beginning, but are instead scattered throughout the book.
Read
March 18, 2013Didn't finish it. I just couldn't get into it.
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