Forbidden Ground

Cold Creek #2

by Karen Harper

Let the dead stay dead…

Despite a traumatic childhood in Cold Creek, Ohio, the Lockwood sisters have reunited there for the wedding of youngest sister Tess to the town's sheriff. Maid of honor Kate Lockwood is determined to break through best man Grant Mason's defences. An anthropologist, Kate makes her living studying the dead. She is particularly interested in the prehistoric Adena civilization that once called the area home. A large burial mound sits on Mason family land, and Kate wants permission to excavate. But Grant refuses and tells Kate to stay away from the mound.

Kate respects Grant's desire to honor his grandfather's belief that the dead should not be disturbed. However, the more she researches the more it becomes clear that Grant is hiding something. When one of Grant's friends is killed—and the sheriff is away on his honeymoon—the couple joins forces to assist the deputy in the investigation.

When Kate comes under attack she is certain it is connected to the burial mound. Grant seems concerned for Kate's safety, but despite their explosive attraction she can't help but be suspicious of his motives. Can Kate trust the man she's come to love, or will the wrong decision be her final act?

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor

Reviews

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 2 out of 5]

After enjoying the first book in the Cold Creek series, this was a definite disappointment. I didn't like either of the two MCs and the long drawn out suspense was boring until a quick final info dump wrap up. Although the writing is sound, it doesn't create an interesting story.

Kate is two timing her mentor/maybe boyfriend with Grant in hopes of getting to study a burial site on his property. She seems very selfish and dishonest and it's hard to support her. There's a lot of tragedy happening to Grant and in the middle of every thing she keeps badgering him to excavate his property. She eats, thinks and drinks the Adena culture which means so does the reader. For me a lot should have been edited out as I had to skim to finish the book. I've read other archaeology type books that were really interesting, but the repetitious elements that were presented in this book came off BORING. If done differently???

Grant is not an interesting person and I never really felt a spark between the couple so the romance element fell flat. This was an insta lust/love that happened in the time frame of the honeymoon of the couple from Book 1. Although the main mystery of this book was resolved, there are elements of this story that are left open - probably to wrap up in Book 3. The book left a not quite finished feel when I was done.

I'll read the third book book in this series as I already checked it out from the library, but I'm hoping it's a more enjoyable read.

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would enjoy the second book in this series, I actually really liked Tessa and Gabe's sootry. But this one felt wrong somehow. I didnt like the main characters - and I really didnt care for the male lead. He lied and didnt trust our heroine - more than once. I just didnt buy either the intrigue or the romance.

[Donna Mcnab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Cold Creek trilogy and I would suggest that it is a good idea to read these in order. An interesting and quite exciting book in places, with a good plot

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kate Lockwood returns home to her small town for her sister’s wedding. While she is there, she plans to research the local prehistorical burial mounds owned by her sister’s friend Grant. Grant is intrigued by Kate, but does not want her anywhere near the burial site for personal reasons. As the two grow closer, a murder is on the loose.

This was my first Karen Harper book, and unfortunately it was not interesting enough to motivate me to read others by her. I had heard really good things about her stories being intriguing and full of mystery, so I was excited to give it a go. Based on other people’s reviews, I think I must have started with the wrong one because I did not find this book to be compelling at all. I was so inundated with historical facts that I could barely stay afloat with the plot. Instead of this reading like a mystery, at times it felt like a history text book with a few sentences of modern day thrown in. I found myself zoning out and then I started to skim the pages for actual relevant story. I understand that one of the main characters loves history, but I don’t. This did not even put a new spin on the regurgitation of facts to make it moderately appealing to me.

Let’s talk about the characters for a minute. Kate is a scientist through and through and approaches everything as a task to be analyzed or fixed. I am a scientist also, but man I hope I am not as cold and calculating as she came off as. She currently has a sort of boyfriend (mentor/advisor/boss), which seems more like a relationship of convenience than anything else, and she casts it aside as soon as she meets Grant. Wow, that is kind of cold. But then at the same time, she has instant feelings towards Grant and sporadic thought about spending her life with him even while she is calculating how to use his relationship to her advantage. Oh and by the way, the current boyfriend is pushing her into Grant’s arms with his nefarious suggestions while talking about how the two of them make a perfect couple. Huh? Kate is one hot mess of an emotional danger zone. And can I mention how she continuously try to be a detective by pointing out to Grant how his close friends are the likely suspects of criminal acts? Way to tip toe around his feelings. And really, Grant is no better. He likes her, he doesn’t trust her, he desires her, he thinks she is using him. These two appear to have their lives together but internally have serious issues that I really couldn’t (or want to) keep up with. Right at the end of the book, Grant believes that Kate was lying to him/using him and seems fine with it a second later when he learns the truth. If you honestly think your partner has nefarious plans against you, maybe rethink the relationship?

I will say that the side characters were all very interesting, more so than I found the main characters to be. I also liked the fact that there is a creepy cult, and that to me was the most intriguing part of the book that was unfortunately not very important to the plot. I am not very excited to try another book by this author anytime soon, but maybe someday.

I received this title from the author in exchange for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog: http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let the dead stay dead…

Despite a traumatic childhood in Cold Creek, Ohio, the Lockwood sisters have reunited there for the wedding of youngest sister Tess to the town's sheriff. Maid of honor Kate Lockwood is determined to break through best man Grant Mason's defences. An anthropologist, Kate makes her living studying the dead. She is particularly interested in the prehistoric Adena civilization that once called the area home. A large burial mound sits on Mason family land, and Kate wants permission to excavate. But Grant refuses and tells Kate to stay away from the mound.

Kate respects Grant's desire to honor his grandfather's belief that the dead should not be disturbed. However, the more she researches the more it becomes clear that Grant is hiding something. When one of Grant's friends is killed—and the sheriff is away on his honeymoon—the couple joins forces to assist the deputy in the investigation.

When Kate comes under attack she is certain it is connected to the burial mound. Grant seems concerned for Kate's safety, but despite their explosive attraction she can't help but be suspicious of his motives. Can Kate trust the man she's come to love, or will the wrong decision be her final act?

What did I think:
4 stars
Ok so this is the first time I've ever read any thing by this author and even though its book 2 I loved the story there was somethings or I should say someone that just made it a 4 star rating and not a 4.5 or 5 star rating for me:
So what was the parts that give it points:
1: the history of the Adena people
2: some of the characters
3: the story it self
4: how the author brings to life the places she writes about in her book
5: it pulled me in and kept me hooked

What did I think of the main character Grant Mason : loved him, loved everything about him

What did I think of Kate Lockwood ( ok so here's were she get's half points and then it goods down from there)
1: got points : for been there for her kid sister's wedding ( because with me its family comes first)
2: got points: not causing trouble when she found out that their father and his 2nf family was coming to the wedding:
Now here is where it goes down hill:
No points : disliked her ( there was times in the book that it went from disliking her to plain out loathing her, she seemed to only care about one thing after and before her sister's wedding and that was all about the Mason Burial Mound, there was times that she thought she could just go out there with even telling him about what she had done until later and that it would be ok, though out the story I kept hoping I would find something to make me like her, so while it finally did go from loathing her to dislike liking her, I still can't stand her at all.
With that said I will be getting when I can books 1 and 3 ,

[A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Chaos

Review notes:

-Didn't see that coming but was still right!.
-Wordy
-Not a good thing to read from dusk to dawn(literally put my heart into overdrive)
-So deliciously good!!!!!!
-Bright Star is creepier than ever!!.

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't blown away by it. Found some (not all) parts boring and caught myself scanning the dialogue more than once.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't care for this second book in the series. Still looking forward to reading the third. Did enjoy the character, Kate.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoying this series!!

[Jamie Arledge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring, Big Disappointment after 1st Book, Robotic Narrator, No Romance...

I borrowed the audio version of this book through my library. This is the 2nd book in the Cold Creek series. I read the first book and enjoyed it quite a bit so I was excited to read this book although the description didn't sound great. I thought I'd enjoy it nonetheless but unfortunately it was pretty boring and the audio version sure didn't help. The narrator of this book sounded very robotic. It sounded like a machine reading words rather than a person. I got used to it after a while but it was still pretty bad.

As stated above, the story was pretty boring. Not exciting in the least. I made it through 20 of the 30 chapters and decided to call it quits. There was practically no romance. The mystery (if you want to call it that) was uninteresting and may have went the paranormal/sci-fi route which i absolutely HATE. I know some people enjoy that sort of thing and that's fine but I don't and would like to know up front if that's something I'm getting into. Even if it didn't go that route, the characters sure seemed to think it was possible so even that is too much for me.

The characters were dull and boring themselves. Not much personality in my opinion. I don't believe I even got a laugh at any point in the book. It just didn't nothing for me.

I haven't decided if I'll read the 3rd book in this series but I certainly wouldn't recommend this book. I was highly disappointed after enjoying the first book so much.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slower than the last but still enjoyed the story. Not much of an archaeology fan so got a little tired of her obsession. Actually wanted to give it a 3.5.

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kate Lockwood, anthropologist, returns home from England for her younger sister’s wedding. While there she meets the groom’s best friends and is attracted to one of them, Grant Mason, as a man and definitely to the Adena mound historical site behind his home. Grant’s family has forbidden excavation of the site, but Kate is sure, as an unexplored site, there may be evidence that the Celts she studies may have come to the Americas and established the civilization known as the Adena. Finding evidence of her theory is a compulsion.

Grant and his friends have a secret. As teens they accessed the mound and each removed something from it. It is illegal to take or add anything to one of the historical mounds and illegal to possess them. At the wedding, Kate went outside and heard two of Grant’s friends (Todd and Paul) arguing about something and needing money. A few days later, Paul is found dead. Accident or murder, even though his home was searched, is unclear.

There are lots of motivations among the characters. There is another accident; Todd could have been killed and may be crippled for years if not forever. There are tree thieves. Kate’s mentor is constantly pressing her to gain access to the mound. There is revenge, academic theft, and a couple of Svengali types. Sadly, the two main characters Kate and Grant never develop any magic or reality. They bounce between wanting the other for life and then not trusting the other to be honest. There is no convincing love or passion. I almost stopped reading because the characters had so little appeal, separately or together. Disappointing.

Readalikes:
Jayne Ann Krentz – Copper Beach; Annie Solomon – One Deadly Sin; Patricia Bradley – Standoff; Karen Robards – The Last Victim; Kay Hooper – Blood Dreams; Nora Roberts – Carolina Moon; Janet Dailey – Trust; Lisa Jackson – The Night Before; Charlaine Harris – Grave Sight.

Pace: Slow
Characters: Not too involving or believable
Storyline: Plot-driven
Writing style: Compelling; Unconvincing
Tone: Suspenseful
Frame: Southern Ohio; Contemporary
Theme: Race against time

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part two in this triligy.. It was well written, but not as enthralling as book one. I did like Grant, and Kate. His brother Brad was immature, and the deputy in charge of the town was out of his depth. The story is about the one sister of Tess' s than can stay a few days to do research in the area of Ohio, her little sister calls home. She is interested in the mounds that were left, by a rare tribe of people, she hopes to link to the Celts. She meets a man who is Gabe, her brother in laws best friend, at the wedding named Grant. He does not want the mound on his property disturbed. I think the book would have been better with out her retelling history, to everyone she met. The synopsis of the people, and what she thought was in the mound, told once was fine, Kate was determined to get in the mound ,so she explained it over, and over. Grant was more patient than I would have been, and quite often he told her to stop, or change the subject. She brought it up each time they were together, which got old. The murder was a loss of a close friend to Grant, and the near death of a man was another. There was logging thieves, and people trying to kill them. His ex-wife even came back to the town ,she could not stand. The deputy shows up after the fact, at nearly ever crime. The murderer, and who all was involved, was a surprise. The last several chapters were great, as the book came together. I realize the mounds are interesting. I am from Ohio and learned about them, and saw them on field trips, but a little goes a long way. I gave it a three because I did want Kate, and Grant to work out, and the murder, and the mystery put to rest, but it did drag. The author did use a mask, and scary sounds, and frightening family history, to boost the story which helped.

[Sandra Kay Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line but the relationship between the hero and heroine was hot and cold at best. They “loved” each other but couldn’t quit lying to each other and therefore didn’t trust each other. I didn’t realize love could be that strong - loving someone who lies to you and doesn’t trust you doesn’t seem like a good foundation to me. Bit what do I know? I’m not married!

A heck of a lot of things - major events - occur in the two weeks Tess and Gabe are away on honeymoon. It would have been more believable if it was at least stretched out to a month!

[mkm_bookloverarchivistreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden Ground by Karen Harper is book two in Cold Creek trilogy. This tells the story of the oldest sister, Kate as FMC. While MMC grant owns his family’s Mill. This is a complicated story of strangers to lovers, very different from Tess and Gabe’s store. Anthropology is a part of Kate’s background. If a reader likes romantic suspense I would recommend this series by Karen Harper. This is a story while Kate and Tess’s story are different there is an undertone of mystery which moves from book one into Forbidden Grounds.

[David Burnworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lies, love, murder, and breaking trust are all part of this never ending action packed mystery thriller.
Set in the fictitious city in Ohio named Cold Creek, all Kate Lockwood wants to do is excavate a mound found on Grant Mason's property. The story brings the two together in more ways than one, and as they both fight their feelings for each other, they find themselves in a survival from death thanks to those they both trusted. Can either survive? Will Kate get her wish?

[Amy N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from Karen Harper! I can't believe how well she researched the archeological side of this book and with such great detail a history nerd like myself was captivated throughout this book. Amazing story line and great characters, I can't wait to read the next book! Wonder which sister will be my favorite... up next Char!

[Johnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good mystery in which I learned about a tribe of lesser known native "americans". I had never heard of this group, but the way it was woven into the story, I couldnt help but be fascinated. Wonderful story!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Ground was an exciting read. It was about a woman who returns to Cold Creek
after finishing college, earning a Ph.D in Archaeology. She returns home to discover that
an old Indian Mound exists near the Mason home. She is determined to excavate this mound
but the Mason owners refuse to give her permission. The say "let the dead bury the dead".
Of course during this time she is romantically involved with one of the sons living there....

[Charlene A. Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Archeological History

What does our past tell us about our present? Can it tell us about our long gone relatives? If so, what can we do to change our present or future, if needed?

Excellent book.

[Mrs A. J. Turbfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, very informative and fast paced. Can't wait to read the final installment in this trilogy

I be loved this is my second time reading these but they are just enthralling.

I Wonder what delights are waiting.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greed is a Sin

Greed is a hugely horrible way to live a life.oddly enough this isa sweet romance also. However things regarding professors and their students are reality at some universities.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read filled with suspense and greed. The topic of burial mounds and masks and things didn't appeal to me but the book was a good read. I think I enjoyed the first one in this seriest much more.

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished the first book but I'm dnfing the second and I'm not going to try the third. The couples don't have any passion for each other. They meet and all of a sudden they're in a relationship but with no passion. They barely even kiss each other.

[Marilyn Buehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read. Plot is interesting, characters are okay. As they say these day, a good beach read, or as I do, a good read in the garden.

[Mrs Maureen A Folarin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing

Lots of historical information woven in to an excellent storyline. And an unexpected twist . Can't wait to read the next episode

[Pam Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, wish I had looked that it was number 2 in a series before I started it though.

[Karen Medlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Karen Harper's mix of thriller and romance but I must admit I figured out who dunnit in this one.

[Joan Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent mystery novel.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book started a little slow but it got better and I really enjoyed it. This is the first ok I have red by Karen Harper. I will read more