Razing the Dead

Museum #5

by Sheila Connolly

Once again Nell Pratt has to dig into the past to solve a murder in the present… Between the challenges of her position as president of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society in Philadelphia and of taking her relationship with FBI agent James Morrison to the next level, Nell Pratt has got her hands full. Nevertheless, when a powerful developer approaches the Society to make sure the old dairy farm he wants to level is not hiding any archeological or historical surprises that could derail the project he’s planning, Nell decides to make time to personally accompany him to the proposed site. But when they get to the property, they stumble upon a startling discovery—a body floating facedown in a pond. The dead man turns out to be an amateur history enthusiast, who may have uncovered secrets about the farm that got him killed. Now it’s up to Nell and James to get to the bottom of things before there are more deadly developments…

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Amateur Sleuth

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2014

About the author

Sheila Connolly taught art history, structured and marketed municipal bonds for major cities, worked as a staff member on two statewide political campaigns, and served as a fundraiser for several non-profit organizations. She also managed her own consulting company providing genealogical research services.

She was a member of Sisters in Crime-New England (president 2011), the national Sisters in Crime, and the fabulous on-line SinC chapter, the Guppies. She also belonged to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.

Sheila was Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was also the grandchild of Irish immigrants. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loved restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling.

Reviews

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As President of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society in Philadelphia, Nell is one busy woman. When a request for help comes from a wealthy and powerful local developer, Nell sees an opportunity to raise some much needed funds for building repairs and improvements. Mitchell Wakeman is planning to build a multipurpose development in Chester County with condos, homes and shops. The huge tract of land he has purchased has been home to the same family for over 200 years and he wants to make certain that construction won't unearth historical sites or remains that will slow the project down. As Nell, Mitch and the young researcher who will be doing the historical background check are walking around the site they stumble upon a body floating in a pond. When the identity check reveals that the man was a local planning official and history enthusiast, they realize something is up. With this entry into the series we get to see the area and historical sites surrounding Philadelphia. This is a well plotted murder and mystery with many twists and turns before the surprise ending. We get to meet new characters as Nell adds to the employee roster and makes friends in other museums and historical societies. This is a must read series for history and cozy buffs alike!

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the dramatic ending to the previous book this one is a nice ease back into the world of history, Mr Wakeham (a developer) has bought a whole farm of 1,000 acres and he plans to build a whole community there, different size and styles of houses, a surgery, a bank, green areas and so forth.  Before he can start though he wants to make sure there is nothing historical about to come back to bite him and so he asks for the help of the Antiquity Society.  Nell hires Lissa (a graduate student) on a short term contract to do the donkey work for this.  Oh and James has a recommendation for another hire - meaning they should be fully staffed again.

The only flies in Nell's ointment are a fresh corpse at the farm site (oh and James ends up dealing with this!) and the fact that James wants more commitment and she is holding back.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been an enjoyable series. Being a central Pennsylvania girl, I know many of the places mentioned in this series, which makes the books even more fun. I'm glad to see I have 3 more to read at this point.

[William Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable book. Museum President Nell Pratt discovers a body on a farm that has a lot of history as does the surrounding area. When 2 more bodies turn up but dating back to the revolutionary war things begin to get really interesting. Nell and her boyfriend FBI agent James Morrison seem to start moving towards happier times together.
Love this series and all the history that is included in each book.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell, the main character, gets asked by a developer to a historical over view of a piece of land he has purchased. What follows was nothing anyone was expecting. The book was an easy read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. The story was a good blend of modern and historical events. It was especially fun since I read it on vacation and we were in the area where this took place. I also enjoyed getting more of Nell’s personal life. I really like her and James and enjoyed getting to see more of them as a couple.

[❂ Murder by Death · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the best work I've read by this author so far. Razing the Dead had me interested in the characters' lives; made me want to know how things work out between Nell and James. The mystery plot kept me interested with its ties to historical events in the area (although the plot twist was telegraphed early, so it wasn't a surprise). Overall just a very good cozy mystery that wasn't predictable or dull. More of this please.

Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/106861...

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Philadelphia history museum head Nell Pratt is asked by a wealthy developer to have the farm he just purchased checked out for areas of historical interest. He wants his project there to be as noncontroversial as possible. But when Nell visits the farm with him, they find a body floating in a pond. This murder leads to revelations about the history of the farm. The mystery is fairly cursory, and Nell is more concerned with her personal life with significant other FBI agent James, who wants to marry her.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story, but a little light on the any actual mystery. Most of the book was spent on the growing relationship with the heroine's beau. And in the end, the revelation of "whodunit" seemed more of a letdown. However, if museums, archeology, genealogy and history are of interest, then this book will fit the bill for a quick and enjoying summer read. In general, this is a good cozy mystery series, and I look forward to what adventures will occur in the next installment.

[Nancy Haddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm way behind on reading Sheila Connonlly books, but I plan to get back to them. Picked up Razing the Dead at a library sale, and had no trouble diving back into Nell's world. Super enjoyable read!

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

About on par with the rest of the series.

I didn't guess whodunit, but I don't think we had enough evidence until it was obvious. So, I was just going on character traits. I wish we'd gotten a peak at the final letter.

The Quaker part of the story was interesting to me because I have some Quakers along one branch of our family, and I could imagine the difficulties they would face in trying to remain nonviolent during the Revolutionary War.

In this book, Nell has become an unreliable narrator, and we discover that she's been keeping pertinent secrets from us, her readers. I always find that a little frustrating.

Although at one point, Nell seemed to realize that she is a poor judge of character, at least when it comes to hiring, she's at it again, going with her gut reflexes rather than calling references and really studying a person.

I don't like how Nell treats Latoya. Admittedly, there are still some hard feelings from Latoya in that she expected to get the promotion that Nell got, a point the author makes in every book. And in the last book, Nell did take Latoya's recommendation on a new hire, so I think Nell is trying.

But, even so, there are two grievances on how Nell treats her.

1) Nell has friendly lunches with her other department head, Shelby, but never even invites Latoya along. Invitation, inclusion, could go a long way to smoothing things over, even if Latoya declines.

2) Latoya has a legitimate complaint that Nell doesn't inform her of things until the last minute. It is true, as Nell says, that the reason she doesn't is because things happen so quickly. But she still could've given her more than 5 minutes' notice. Nell's told us (but not Latoya) that she doesn't want to disrupt Latoya at home, but she could send an email with a head's up that Latoya would see first thing in the morning, or at least something along the lines of, "I got big news tonight that I'll need to brief you on in the morning," if she didn't want to be more specific in email. My point is that Nell could keep Latoya in the loop better.

The reason that Nell gives us for not doing these things is because of Latoya's attitude, but since it's never been addressed with her and Nell's never taken steps to work through it or encourage her or include her, I imagine that Latoya might think it's because of her race.

Both Marty and Shelby encouraged Nell to live together with James, both saying that she would lose him if she didn't. If that would make her lose him, then he's not worth it, and would be better off lost.

I also think it's perfectly fine for Nell to be content living alone, or content in her singleness, etc. That didn't seem to be the issue here, because it was more mixed feelings, but it really is okay, and it is also okay to have mixed feelings.

"Criminals are not always smart people." The people I know who have come in contact with many of them would agree, and laugh about some of the things they've seen.

Others have complained that some of the books in this series seem too much like a description of work, and not enough description of the mystery. I can see that in this book more so than in some of the others.

SPOILER .... I liked the description of the house.

[Lali & Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the fifth book in the Museum Mystery series, we finally learn more about Nell's past. Her boyfriend, FBI agent James, has asked her to move in with him. Their relationship has deepened as she spent a month caring for him after he was stabbed during their last investigation. Nell loves James, but she is reluctant to take this next step. About half the book is her processing her feelings about James and analyzing the reasons for her reluctance. It is a relief when she finally explains to him how her past has impacted her. I found this interesting and was satisfied with the resolution of this hurdle in their relationship, but some readers might prefer more focus on the actual mystery.

Nell is the president of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society in Philadelphia and she has been approached by a powerful developer. He wants someone to do historical research on a piece of land where he plans to build. The land had been in the same family for centuries, but perhaps there are secrets buried there that could derail the project. Nell hires a researcher and they head out to the site only to discover a dead body floating in a pond. It turns out that the victim was a city government employee and also an avid amateur historian. When the FBI, including James, and local police investigate, they discover he was actually killed somewhere else on the farm--a location where they discover two more bodies, but these are centuries old.

One of the aspects of this series that I enjoy the most is how history is worked into the plots. This one is no exception. Nell and James work to discover if the recent death is related to the the two men buried centuries ago in a common grave. And who were these two men? Or is his death related to his government job or is it something more personal. In the end, it all hinges on a long-held secret. For me, why this would be such a secret strains credulity, but overall l enjoyed the book. Nell is her usual self, very plain spoken and sometimes verging on rudeness, but her nonemotional approach makes a nice change from the protagonists in many cozies I read. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this series for the most part, but I found myself annoyed by little things during this book. These books are nice, cozy mysteries but to be honest, they're not really well written from a standpoint of looking a simple basics. There is a lot of historical detail, which is nice enough I guess, but there's not a lot of attention to detail... if that makes sense. Maybe it's just me being nitpicky, but it definitely reduced my enjoyment of the book.

At one point, Nell and another character are having lunch, and he pauses to take a bite of his sandwich before resuming the dialogue... then the next page the waitress brings their sandwiches... huh? Isn't that something a decent editor should have caught? I found quite a few inconsistencies like that and it really took me out of the story. I was flipping pages back and forth to see if I really had read what I thought I did because I was doubting my recollection of details. Then there was the sentence where the word 'or' was used and after reading it a couple of times I realized that the word should have been 'of.' Again, something an editor should have caught. I was tempted to get out a red pencil and start making corrections... but then I remembered this was a library book. I'm glad I got the whole series from the library because I certainly have no intention of buying them now.

[Marty]

Although technically a “cozy mystery”, it is better written than normal cozys... This is the fifth book in the series, but it is not necessary to have read any of the others. The story starts after James, an FBI agent and Nell’s boyfriend, has just recovered from a serious injury. Nell had been living with him while he recovered ... now they must decide where their romance goes from here.. but that’s not the main story. – Nell is the director of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society. A major property developer has asked her help in researching a large property near Philadelphia that he is planning on turning into a model development. He wants to honor both the history and geography of the area, but does not want to be held up by a major historical find. The main property involved has been in the same family since before the Revolutionary War. This request could bring major (needed) funding to the Antiquarian Society. On the day Nell and her research assistant are being shown the property, a body is found, obviously murdered. Shortly thereafter two bodies, dating from the Revolutionary War are uncovered. ... Is there a connection? Will this tie up the plans for the property developer? This mystery is the major story of the book. A good book for people who like history and mystery combined!!

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed books by this author, and since I know there won't be more books coming, I've been spreading out the few books I have left to read. This particular series resonates with me because it's set in Pennsylvania, although in a part of the state that I'm not very familiar with.

I like Nell, the MC, and the friends and co-workers she has around her. Her job sounds fascinating, although like her, the paperwork and other administrative tasks would drive me nuts. We don't spend as much time in Philadelphia proper in this book as in earlier books in the series, so there's a lot of history to be learned from the actual location, an area about an hour's drive away.

There is a contemporary murder to be solved, but there are also some obviously very old bodies discovered during the investigation. Nell and Lissa, her research assistant, find several possible suspects for the first murder, but can't quite figure out how the older bodies ended up where they did. I was not able to figure out either puzzle, but when the solution was presented, it made sense.

I only have three books left to read in this series and with some of the things that happened at the end of this story, I'm eager to see what happens next, but I probably won't read the next book until sometime next year - I want to make the series last!

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend (AC) sent me a number of books from this series. Though I rated this one the same as book 4 of the series, I enjoyed this one just a tiny bit more than book 4. I do still miss the connection to the museum(s) that was present in the first 2-3 books. I'm also wondering how Nell can run her institution effectively when she's not there or not attending to Society business when she is there--but that's a common complaint of mine with these cozy mystery series so . . .

Razing--as in taking down existing buildings--but also a play on raising which is what happens when the Revolutionary War bodies are discovered--both literally in that the bodies are taken out of their grave, and figuratively in that the finding of them raises (or brings back) old emotions in the killer. I agree with another reviewer who said we don't really have enough information to solve this crime on our own.

I wonder if the final letter will eventually make its way to the historical society that has many of the family's papers? I don't know if that would be the surviving brother's call or the police's.

I hope that Ben works out as a registrar--I'm a bit tired of the registrar position changing so often. I hope the Lissa character returns at some point too.

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always amazed the web of details Sheila Connolly can weave together to keep you interested and the story rolling forward. The challenges Nell and James faced in this adventures felt a real but there reactions not genuine but more like how it would be in a perfect, well-adjusted utopia. But maybe that's me being cynical. And truly if history could be taught the way Sheila Connolly writes I would have paid more attention in history class. It's the connections that people remember. But I am always curious after reading some historical information in her stories to see if any of the events actually happened. But I don't want to look to closely for fear of ruining he story. Bottom line I truly enjoyed this addition to the series. And even if you aren't typically a cozy-mystery reader, and like history you will enjoy this book and probably this whole series.

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two mysteries here. One is who killed George Bowen on the site that Nell Pratt has been hired to research the history of (and what that murder has to do with two Revolutionary War era corpses he apparently found on the property). The other is: why is Nell having so much trouble committing to her handsome, loving, smart FBI agent who completely adores her? Is it because he's named James Morrison and she has a bad history with the Doors? (I made that up.)

The second mystery is more engrossing than the first, but if you're like me--grew up in PA, lived a year in Philly, taught out on the Main Line, did fundraising for nonprofit organizations, and married to a realtor--this book can't miss. Your mileage may vary. (Better to take the Paoli Line than drive, anyway.)

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Museum #5 is a great read, one of the best yet.
Nell and the Society are asked by a real estate developer to provide the historical information on a large, former dairy farm held by the same family since pre Revolutionary times. When he shows the property to Nell, and Lissa, hired short term to do the research, they discover a dead body in a shallow pond on the property. And that body leads to two more, though those are 200 years old. FBI is called in, Enter James, whom Nell has been seeing for months, but having trouble to committing to as he would like. It makes for great reading tying together Revolutionary era history in West Chester, PA, modern repercussions of old deeply hidden secrets, and a bit of romance.

[Jeanie Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nell and James continue to work together, with Nell's background in history and James FBI info.

When a body shows up in a pond, and then two more are found that are believed to be from the Revolutionary War, well, it certainly raises some difficult questions. It is also interfering in the construction of a new development.

It also means that towards the end of the book, Nell reveals why she is reluctant to commit to a relationship, which James finds totally understandable.

Great story and finish to this story.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this author's series of books, each (so far) about a courageous and competent woman undertaking a new challenge, from running an apple orchard to being suddenly promoted to the head of an institution.
This one includes some info about a Revolutionary war battle in the author's area. I also enjoy occasional mentions of the Brandywine River Museum of Art, which is indeed worth more than one visit. I remember it once featured painting by Andrew Wyeth that were later "revealed" to the public as headline news.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the beginning and ending of this fifth in the Museum series were fine, it lagged and became repetitive and even a bit annoying in the middle. That said, the underlying gist was well done. Basically, a wealthy Philadelphia contractor came to the Society asking them to research the background on a large parcel of land that he was wanting to develop. His motivation was that he didn't want any "surprises" once ground had been broken and progress on his project had been made. History did in fact bite in a way.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick-paced cozy mystery. Enjoyable despite a rather thin plot. When a developer ask Nell's help regarding the history of a large property he owns and plans to develop, she never expects to find a body there! But naturally she becomes involved in the investigation. At the same time, she and James, her FBI boyfriend, are discussing moving in together. The story is more character-driven than plot-driven. And much of it involves the history of the area, about which I'd like to know more.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The director of an historical society in Philadelphia is contending with a board member who wants all attention on "her" (family) collection, tension with some of her staff, moving to the next step in her relationship with a dashing FBI agent, and, oh yes, finding a dead body (new, and then two much older ones). Nell Pratt does it with style, and reminds us that historians do things a little bit differently, ask different questions, and see things that others might not.

[Karen Holman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cozy mystery presented a different take on the cozy aspect of the story. At times it was difficult for the reader to stay focused on the tale. This mystery had a different approach to solving the deed, the setting was the East Coast, and the ending was written so more books could follow the same characters.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series, I always learn something when I read a Sheila Connolly book , and that adds to the mystery for me. I love history so this adds even more. This book has Nell in a different place, as a consultant and not at the museum, but don't worry there is plenty of history and of course dead bodies!!!!!!

[Louise Clarke Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful characters and great historical bits

I believe it is important to read this series in order of publication. The characters gradually show personalities, weave their individual and joint stories. There are sad, interesting and wonderful chapters. I would love to work at The Society.

[Mary Corso · Rating 3 out of 5]

A definite departure

Way different from the previous books in the series. of course a lot of history; some interesting enough that I verified and researched on line. Much more about the romantic relationship between Nell and James. I'm fact, the denouement to the mystery was almost an aside to the story. Definitely no big moment at the end. But worth reading.

[Maureen Hetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series a
That always provides a unique murder to solve and thoroughly wraps it up in history lessons! There is a warm felling that is conveyed in all the interpersonal relationships that figure in the continuing story line. Well written with engaging language and people you just want to spend time with!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, So Fun!

This story moves along like Nell's train rides into the city, slowing down just enough to take in the flavor of the countryside and chat with the locals.

It's a great story; not as dramatic as the earlier books in the series, and I liked that just fine.

Highly recommend!