Quiet Bones

Carla James Crime Thrillers #2

by Sarah Ward

A dead child. A missing student. A darkness at the heart of Jericho College. When the body of a baby is found wrapped in a swan’s wing deep in the woods, archaeology professor and expert consultant Carla James is brought in to assist on the case. The unusual burial must signify something, but what exactly is unclear.

Meanwhile, a student from Jericho College has gone missing. Police say she left of her own accord, but this doesn’t seem right to Carla. The young woman didn’t tell anyone she was leaving. No one has heard from her since. And she’s not the first student to disappear.

As Carla delves further into both cases, she finds a rotten history beneath both the college’s and the town’s facade, perpetuated by lies and cover-ups. How deep does the corruption go?

A gripping and unsettling crime thriller about privilege and the dark underbelly of institutions we so easily trust. Perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs and Elly Griffiths.

Genres: Crime

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 10, 2026

Reviews

[Heather Coffee_Kindle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release Date: 5th June 2025

A brilliant second book in the series of Carla James, leading to more action in Jericho. I enjoy the mix of the past with the present and referencing old rituals.

This fast-paced thriller kept me hooked, I hope there's more to come from this series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up

I really enjoyed book one in the Carla James series - "Death Rites" and "Quiet Bones" follows hot on its heels with another mystery revolving around the history of Jericho and its odd inhabitants.

I get real Twin Peaks vibes about the setting for these thrillers, there's so many secrets waiting to be uncovered and I get a real sense of unease about the people and what is hidden beneath the surface.

Much like Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series i am really enjoying the archaeologist meets police set up and our main character, Carla James has good insights with the historical elements. She doesn't have good instincts though and makes so many rookie errors that you have to suspend belief a little but despite that I really enjoyed this one and will continue reading future instalments to the series.

[Elizabeth Sirett · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Quiet Bones’ is the second novel in Sarah Ward’s series featuring Carla James, a professor of archaeology who has relocated from Oxford to take a post at Jericho, a prestigious college in New England. As with the first in the series (Death Rites) Carla is called in by the local police to help with an investigation and ends up by solving the case.

The body of a baby wrapped in a swan’s wing is found in woods. Discussions take place as to whether this unusual attempt at burial is significant. At the same time Lucie Tandy, a student at Jericho College, has disappeared. The police believe she went of her own accord, but Carla is not so sure as the young woman told nobody she intended leaving and there have been no communications from her.

Following an overnight stake-out, another body is found during excavations on a nearby farm. There are a number of interesting points about the burial, amongst them the fact that the body was face down and a beaker was found next to it. Connections are made with rites other than those usually associated with New England burial practices. When the deceased (Frederika Brown) is found to be related to local detective Baros (who, in Carla’s words ‘had proved a royal pain in the arse’ during her previous case), matters rapidly develop. Before long a policeman, Jeb French, is murdered in a particularly brutal manner, Carla’s home is ransacked and later she is nearly killed.

There are thus four apparently unconnected investigations going on. Who was the mother of the baby, what has happened to Lucie Tandy, who killed Frederika Brown, who murdered Jeb French – and are the cases linked? As previously, Carla is supported by Erin Collins, the state medical examiner.

The novel ranges through a number of themes which will come as no surprise to those who have read Death Rites. Student life is examined, as are society rituals such as initiations (hazing is a matter of particular concern). Local families come into focus. The closed world of influential people in Jericho, which Carla has previously faced, is a dominating thread, particularly in the guise of a society called the Norseman. The shadow of local businessman James Franklin, prominent in Death Rites, again hovers over everything and everybody.

I commented when reviewing Death Rites that it left plenty of scope for further novels. Quiet Bones lives up to that. I wondered then if after successfully solving her first case Carla might be more readily accepted by the Jericho community. You will have to decide. As with its predecessor, Quiet Bones has a plot that keeps you reading and is thoroughly enjoyable.
------
David Whittle
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often said, a second book is a harder one.
Well, author Sarah Ward is an established and accomplished author and this isn’t her first rodeo or series.

From the very start, it is clear professor Carla James is here to stay. She is an outsider in her new academic life at the college in Jericho. The problem for her is that “town and gown” are closed communities with long standing family allegiances and secrets buried deeper than his archeological expert can naturally delve and uncover.

Her attention again is drawn to the emotion of archeology when a preterm baby is found buried in a swan’s wing. When a local dig turns up a corpse of a recently buried student; a cold case the police department and local community didn’t want investigating to closely.
We are quickly involved in another riveting tale of academic life and the threat to students beyond exams.

Two separate stories of missing students collide and conflate, pointing to, perhaps exposing dark secrets into the societies and sorority groups that have historically captured students’ interest amid wild initiation rites.

As before the catalyst and main driving force into unravelling these mysteries is a college professor, Carla James an outsider with a bullish personality, who when she confronts a closed door just has to push.

Great reading experience, character driven with dark and sinister mysteries which bubble along and threaten Carla at every turn. Her persistence is the attraction of this novel and despite her natural intelligence and professional standards she finds herself too close to the murderous attentions of others.

While the mystery is deep, motives secretive and steeped in ancient traditions and ritual practices the story is advanced clearly with thrills and dark surprises. The writing and story telling holds the reader, and even if you can speculate and name the suspects early this doesn’t detract from the experience and enjoyment of this engaging novel.

[Mandy Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can get through this book as a stand-alone, but my first recommendation is to READ the first book. It would be very helpful to have a better understanding of some of the characters and their development.
A dead baby is found. A student is missing. The body of a missing student from the past is found. All of this happened, but I am not sure I felt the connections, and I wasn't connected to the story due to the pace. However, we do have the ingredients to a great book!
I give this book 3.5 stars. I really wish we could do half ratings, because it just isn't quite a 4 for me.
This was my first Sarah Ward book, though, and I am happy to say that I would read her books again.
I enjoyed the fact that it is a quick read. That being said, it was a quick read that had pacing that was so slow, it made it feel much longer than it was.
I do think that the plot is written with great structure. It was just the pace that really threw me off. It made me not get that feeling of suspense that I love in books like this.
I did predict some of the things that happened throughout the twists and turns, so it was a bit predictable.
I did get more mystery/suspense vibes from the book. I know it is in the thriller genre, but it just fell a bit flat for a thriller in my book.
The characters were developed, but as I stated at the beginning of this review, I think I would have been more invested if I had read the first book.
I think after I finish the ARCs I committed to reading, I will go back and read book 1, and then come back to see if it changes my thoughts and opinions on this book. There is potential for this to be a 4-star book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Ward for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Happy Reading!

[janine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I jumped straight into this one without realising it was the second in a series and all honesty, I think it would would have been best if I'd read the first to understand more about the characters, backstory and references! So, my review will be based on that fact.

Whilst quite slow paced at times, it didn’t feel sluggish and was an easy enough book to get through. For me, the intensity that I was hoping for wasn't really there, but the twists, while slightly predictable, were good enough for me to keep on reading.

Told through dual perspectives of Carla and Erin, they were both really well executed and relatable/likeable, which was a big plus, in my opinion. I love being able to connect in some way to a character/s, and these were easy to do so.

I thoroughly enjoyed the more dark and gruesome parts of the storyline, I'm a sucker for a bit of gore but I did find myself skim reading some areas that, to me, were filled with unnecessary detail.

As previously mentioned, I'd definitely recommend reading the first novel to be able to get a full grip on this one, but I don't personally feel that magnetic pull that you can get to go back to fill in the blanks.

I think this would be great for those who prefer more of a 'light' thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC.

[Hasina Begum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet Bones is the second book in Sarah Ward’s series, following Death Rites. I actually hadn’t read the first one, but it didn’t really matter- I was able to jump into this one without feeling lost.

The story follows Carla, a professor and archaeologist, who gets involved in a disturbing case: a baby’s body is found wrapped in a swan’s wing, and at the same time, a teenage girl has gone missing. It’s dark, mysterious, and full of eerie references to rituals and Norse mythology, which gave the whole thing a really atmospheric, slightly unsettling vibe.

Carla is determined to figure out what’s going on and whether the two cases are connected. There’s a lot happening, but it all ties together in an intriguing way. I found the plot really interesting, especially the mix of academic investigation and folklore- it’s not your typical crime novel.

That said, I do think reading the first book might have helped flesh out some of the character dynamics a bit more. Still, this one holds up well on its own, and it definitely made me want to go back and read Death Rites.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 rounded up*
I, like a few others in the reviews, didn’t realise this was a second in a series but it still stood alone.
That probably erased a bit of the enjoyment for me as I didn’t feel as connected to the characters or the relationships Carla had already built with them.
I enjoyed the story, I really don’t read a lot of crime/thriller at all and I was captivated enough to read fairly quickly for me, completing the book in 10 days.
I enjoyed the science/pathology/archaeology elements and from my fairly limited but I (hope) more than the average reader (thanks Drs Sue Black and Richard Shepherd) I think they were fairly accurate.
What’s taken the stars off for me is that the plot was a bit slow at times then, I feel, would speed up at the exciting bits.
Also I feel the 1st degree relative incest plot was a bit odd and unnecessary. It was very rushed over too- I’m not sure if this is something that is developed in the next book?
I may read the others in this series (pre and post) but not in a rush to.

Staying in the bookshelf: No but would pass on to friends/family

[Sydney Mastalerz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into Quiet Bones not realizing it was the second book featuring the same main character — while it works as a standalone, I’d recommend reading Death Rites first to fully appreciate some of the backstory and references that felt a bit out of reach.

The book is a relatively quick read, though the pacing felt slow at times and the suspense didn’t always deliver the intensity I hoped for. That said, the writing is strong, and I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives of Carla and Erin — both well-drawn, relatable characters.

The twists were satisfying, though a bit predictable if you’re paying attention to the clues along the way. Overall, this one leans more toward a light mystery than a gripping thriller, and while it was enjoyable, it likely won’t stick with me the way some darker, more complex crime novels do.

Perfect for readers who prefer a thoughtful, character-driven mystery over a high-octane thriller.

[Pgchuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5* rounded up.

Carla is a professor at Jericho College specializing in the archeology of emotion (yes really) who clearly got up to lots of exciting things in book 1 of this series, which I think it would have been better to have read first. Here she is peripherally involved in the discovery of a stillborn baby girl, a missing college student, and the discovery of a body at an archaeological dig site. She gets to the bottom of these mysteries with the help of some reluctant police officers and her pathologist friend Erin.

This moves reasonably fast and the variety of strands maintains interest. Some of it is a bit 'out there', but I found the mysteries intriguing and the solutions satisfactory. If I were Carla I would go home to the UK...

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet Bones is the second on the series featuring Prof Carla James, an English academic at New England's Jericho College. The archeology expert is again drawn into a murder investigation because of her professional expertise, and finds herself dealing with years of privilege and tradition in the college.

There are a lot of strands to this novel and Carla has to figure out which pieces fit and which are separate. Her dogged determination and intelligence see her working with the pathologist and police officers, although she's not certain who to trust.

This is a good novel with plenty of intrigue and it keeps the reader guessing. The characters are strong and Carla's struggles are well described.

[Megan Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Quiet Bones' is a very dark and at times gruesome read that had areas of enjoyment for me. This is the second in a series, I have not read the first. I thought Ward was good at catching the reader up with some areas of the previous book but not others and there are areas of Carla's backstory that were important to know and could have been explained better.
This aside, I was quite enjoying the plot but as the book progressed, I was getting bogged down in the somewhat unnecessary detail. This book is too long and as a result there are tangents and extras that are not needed and it meant the pace was slowed down.
This was okay but not great.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dead baby is found wrapped in a swan's wing. A student is missing, and it is not clear whether she is the baby's mother.
A body is found in a dig - also a student - but from a quarter of a century ago.

Are all of these connected? Carla has to unravel the clues.

I came to the party late on this series. I haven't read book 1.
Carla is a determined sleuth and the police call her in for assistance when they are stuck.
I enjoyed the book, but would have preferred to have read the first one before I dived into this page turner.
Twists and shock reveals........ and a warning. Do not trust anyone.

3.5/5 stars from me.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dead child. An unusual burial. A missing student. And an idyllic setting where dark secrets stir just beneath the surface.

Archaeologist and academic Carla James finds herself involved in not one but two strange cases. The question is, are they linked, and if so, in what way?

This story is well paced, but requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Although part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. Overall, it was interesting enough but a little far-fetched for me.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Sarah B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professor Carla James, an archaeologist and anthropologist at Jericho College, New England. When a baby is found wrapped in a swan's wing in a rural location, Carla is called in to help find the true nature of the swan's wing and what is represents. Around the same time, a student has gone missing - why and how? Carla is intrigued and sets about discovering the mysteries of the baby and the young woman. Although, this is not the first missing female student to go missing. Det Baros and Det Perez are baffled. All the sub plots are brought together to a satisfying conclusion.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Canelo books for the ARC. All opinions on my own.

This is the second book on the series and while it could be read as a stand-alone, I wish that I had readthe first book prior. I felt like I was missing parts of the story.

The book was a fast read, yet thepacing was slow. That shock of suspense fell flat as I neared the end. This was definitely more of a character driven book than a high octane thriller.

[Chris Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in Sarah Ward's promising series set in America and featuring Carla James, an archaeology professor and professional consultant currently working in Jericho College. A seemingly peaceful and respectable college and town are proven to be corrupt when a student goes missing and a baby is found wrapped in swan feathers. The writing is excellent, the setting well described and the characters fascinating. More please!

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5) I had not realised that this book was the second in a series and whilst it mostly read fine as a standalone, I found I didn’t engage with any of the main characters so perhaps that is why.
Four murders and sinister initiation rites in university societies. One of the murders is particularly gruesome so not for the faint hearted
A bit of a slow burn. Will I go back and read the first in the series or indeed any further ones?….probably not.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slower paced than the majority of mystery and thriller books I read, this took me a while to get into the rhythm of.
Glad I did, it was intriguing.
A lot going on, and never sure if things were connected or not.
It had me asking questions almost to the end, which is always good.
Good central characters.
An enjoyable read overall.

[Charlene Podgorski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story enjoyable. However my one word of caution there are many many British references, phrases and the like throughout the book although it was set in New England and I found that it was distracting. Also the spring early summer was described as if it was like the Deep South as far as humidity goes.
Again enjoyable read but enjoyed the first in the series better.

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good sequel. I really enjoyed it. This is the kind of book I like to read. It's slow paced but in a good way. It builds up the tension a bit. I like the storyline and the characters are good. I didn't want to stop reading.
I received an advance review copy via Netgalley/Canelo and I’m leaving a voluntary and honest.

[Melanie Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second in the Carla James series but can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Archeologist Carla becomes involved in an active murder investigation when human remains are discovered during an archaeological dig carried out by one of her students. The police believe they belong to a student reported missing from Jericho university.

This book is perfect for fans of Kathy Reiches and mixes archeology with forensics and police procedural.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo crime for the advanced copy.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I enjoyed this compelling mystery, and although I didn't race through it because I couldn't wait to see what happened, I found it intriguing and look forward to more from this talented author.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

an intriguing new series, set partly in the world of academia within a prestigious college as well written and intriguing as all of Sarahs writing this is a great read although not one for the fainthearted 4.5* from me

[Sadlam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of references to the first book in this series (which I haven’t read)
Not my favourite read of the year.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable, interesting.