Grave Intent: A gripping and atmospheric New England crime thriller

by Sarah Ward

Foul deeds lie buried under campus grounds…


Jericho College is closed for the sumer break. But professor Carla James is busy teaching a short course to a small group of archaeology enthusiasts.

Keen to get involved with local history, the newcomers become fixated on the three-hundred year old grave of Meg Woodthorpe. Killed for being a witch. A single stone sits on the burial site – supposedly to prevent her rising again.

And excavations reveal she may have. Meg’s body is no longer there. She has been replaced by a modern victim. With no one missing, Carla must work out who this is – and where Meg has gone.

A dark and atmospheric crime thriller. Perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Kathy Reichs.

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 9, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully crafted novel built upon the setting, themes and characters of the first two novels in this original series.

That said, this could easily be read as a standalone. It is set against the backdrop of a summer archeology course at Jericho College and has Carla front and centre of the drama.

Carla James is an archeologist and lecturer at Jericho College who has struggled to settle into the local community. Her trained and analytical mind with insightful understanding and theories around grave sites and burial rites has made her a valuable asset to the local police department. But this case, of the murder of one of her students for the summer school, is a little too close to home.

For me this book is probably the best yet.
Author Sarah Ward is comfortable with her characters and has proven her ability to write compelling series that get better as they progress.
I would suggest this novel as an authentic murder mystery. You will not get burdened and adrift in technical archeological processes. Rather you will be open to deep seated folk-lore, societies able to hold onto secrets and secret societies.
Legend and ancient beliefs are the focal points of this story but the wider message is one of tradition against progression.
This isn’t a dark or morbid story; yet it has its scary moments. It does embrace death and provides scope for self-reflection. How we view the end of life; the memorials we build and visit to respect those who have passed.

[Elizabeth Sirett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story opens in 1870 when Josiah is digging a grave for his wife Meg in their own grounds. The parson has refused burial in the cemetery.

Current day in New England, Professor Carla James is running a summer school at Jericho College, while the college is closed for the summer break. It is a week-long programme. Carla is archaeologist specialising in the study of burial. A group of 10 young enthusiasts are attending. Working with her is Professor Jack Caron. The first student to arrive is Riley Shawcross with a crate of beer and a case of wine. Carla is not too comfortable with this as two of the attending students are underage. He is quickly followed by Cai, a lawyer from Chicago, Trudy, Scott, Student’s Shawn and Lauren, clearly a couple, Ava and Tina, and Belle, grey haired with a no-nonsense manner. Only Melissa Wilson is a no show.

Carla checks into her room No 4 and finds on her wall a needlework in a heavy frame bearing the word, BEWARE.

On the first day Carla splits the group into three. Shawn was unhappy that he had been placed in a different group to his girlfriend. Carla tasks each group to find a piece of local Jerico history in the landscape they could use aa a case study for their week’s stay.

With still no sign of Melissa, Carla telephones the number on Melissa’s admission form. It transpires that she had left a few days ago to do a bit of sightseeing before she got to the college. Adele who shares her apartment with her said she was excited about the course, as she was fascinated by New England Folklore.

Keen to get involved with local history, the students become fixated on the century-old grave of Meg Woodthorpe. Killed for being a witch. A single stone sits on the burial site supposedly to prevent her rising again. And excavations reveal she may have. Although a body is discovered it is not Meg’s. She has been replaced by a modern victim. With no one missing, Carla must work out who this is and where is Meg.

The description of the body found in Meg’s grave is not for the faint hearted. Carla’s former mentor, pathologist Dr Erin Collins shows her the body that has been decimated by a claw hammer, which bears the words, ‘Anthology Department, Jericho College’. Oops, a bit too close for comfort.

Detective Baros is called to investigate, usually not someone Carla took to when she first met him, but he seems a lot nicer than she remembered.

Apart from the mystery of the missing body of Meg Woodthorpe, there is still no sign of Melissa.

This is a tantalising mystery with many twists as more of the past is revealed. Complex and clever this intriguing mystery will keep you turning the pages. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grave Intent has that deliciously eerie quality I always fall for—the sense that the past isn’t just lingering but actively reaching out, tugging at the present with cold fingers. From the quiet summer hush of Jericho College to the lonely grave of Meg Woodthorpe, the book builds its atmosphere with the patience of someone brushing dust from an artefact, revealing something darker beneath.

Carla James remains such an engaging lead precisely because she isn’t a detective; she’s an academic who can’t help but follow the threads history leaves behind. There’s a gentleness to her curiosity, but also a steeliness—an instinctive refusal to accept the easy explanation when something feels off. And in this case, everything feels off. A witch’s grave disturbed. A body missing. A modern victim lying where Meg should be. It’s the kind of mystery that hums with unease from the moment the soil is turned.

What gives the story its emotional weight is the way it honours the women persecuted as witches. Meg Woodthorpe isn’t treated as a footnote or a spooky legend; she becomes a presence, a question mark, a wound that never quite healed in the landscape. The book threads her story through the modern investigation with a quiet, simmering anger at the injustices she endured, and that resonance makes the contemporary crime feel even more chilling.

The pacing is wonderfully balanced—slow enough to savour the historical texture, sharp enough to keep the tension taut. The small group of archaeology enthusiasts adds a slightly claustrophobic, almost theatrical energy, as if everyone is standing just a little too close to the truth. And the reveal of the modern victim, with no one reported missing, gives the whole narrative a ghostly, disorienting quality that suits the theme perfectly.

Dark, atmospheric, and steeped in the kind of history that refuses to stay buried, Grave Intent is a clever blend of archaeology, folklore, and crime. It’s a story that digs into the earth and finds not just bones, but the echoes of women who were never allowed to tell their own stories—and a modern killer who’s counting on those echoes to stay silent.

With thanks to Sarah Ward, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Rebecca Holliman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid mystery in this series, Grave Intent features Carla James, a British archeologist/professor who has a summer tenure at Jericho College in the Massachusetts town of Jericho, a claustrophobic place where a nineteenth century witch buried on the grounds of the college and a secret feminist society dating back centuries tie into a couple of present-day murders. The ill-assorted group of adult students gathered for the summer course nurses its own secrets and hidden connections, and the suspense mounts as both homicides prove to be linked to the college and specifically to Carla's summer school course. Carla's relationships with two local police officers and the local pathologist are both strained and strengthened in the course of events, with some surprises in their development over the course of the story. The storyline carries the reader along at a satisfying pace, with enough twists and turns and succeeding revelations to keep the tension high. I look forward to the next Carla James novel!

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Professor Carla James is running a summer school at Jericho College on archaeology. On the College’s land is the burial place of Meg Woodthorpe who was rumoured to be a witch many years ago. James and her students visit the site and hear the story that still lives on in the minds’ of the townspeople. But Carla notices that the gravesite has been disturbed. The police are called and instead of finding a 300 year old body inside, they find a relatively fresh one just below the surface and an empty grave. And so the mystery begins.

I found this an intriguing tale that was well-paced and was full of some interesting characters. I did not guess the killer or the motive which is always a good thing. My only problem with it was that the twists and turns of the plot overshadowed the depth of the characters. Still an enjoyable read however although on the light side for my tastes.

Thanks to the publishers for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Siegrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been reading Sarah Ward’s Carla James series since the beginning and particularly enjoyed this new instalment. The world of the series feels established and the recurring characters, especially Erin and Perez, feel like old friends. Carla is established in her world too with allies and a clearer view of the hidden strangeness and prejudices of the university town. In Grave Intent two bodies are discovered at the commencement of a special summer school seminar Carla is teaching in the hope of attracting a move diverse student body. The burial site and murder weapon draw Carla into the investigation. It’s quite a twisty tale and the mystery keeps you guessing.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carla James is an academic archaeologist at Jericho College, and while her workplace is closed for the summer break, she is running small historical tours for selected folks interested in local history, including the treatment of alleged witches in the past.

However, when it is discovered that someone has been buried in the grave of a woman accused of witchcraft, the past collides with the present in a way that turns out to be very scary indeed...

This is an interesting and atmospheric read that will be appreciated by thriller readers. Worth checking out, it earns 3.5 stars.

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

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Grave Intent' by Sarah Ward, the third in the Carla James series is a dark and engaging mystery that balances strong atmosphere with an emotionally driven investigation. Ward does a great job of creating tension and unease, gradually peeling back layers of secrets and motivations as the story unfolds.

The mystery itself is compelling, with enough twists and intrigue to keep the pages turning, and the emotional undercurrents add depth to the procedural elements. The pacing occasionally slows in places, but overall it remains an immersive and thoughtful read.

I've been thoroughly enjoying this series and this addition is a solid and satisfying crime novel with a strong sense of mood and character and comes as a recommended read for fans of darker, character-focused mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for a digital review copy of "Grave Intent" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

[Carlie Viemann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley and Canelo for the Arc!

In the spirit of visibility, I did read this as a standalone because I totally did not realize it was a series! Maybe I would've liked it more if I had read the first two and I would def like to.

I love an atmospheric urban legend/historical crime and this def delivered. It felt a little slow at times though and then felt like it wrapped up very quickly.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another author who can do no wrong in my book. This series is set around a fictional American college but is full of Sarah’s trademark twisty plots and links to myth. A great series with an archeological puzzle 4.5* from me