The Clovis Dig

by Teri Fink, Robb Grindstaff (Editor)

When a shocking discovery is found among ancient artifacts during an archaeological dig in an orchard, an investigation of a different kind begins. Orchardist Claire Courtney must decide who to trust as she desperately tries to salvage what's left of her livelihood and her life. "Given the sheer volume of literature produced each year, it can sometimes be hard to find true works of such striking excellence as this tiny gem of a book... The voices that spring out of every page seem to come from the mist of time and the furthest reaches of the human experience... The book has some of the most creative and fully fleshed-out characters in modern fiction." US Review of Books, RECOMMENDED Amidst the beauty of the Wenatchee Valley at the feet of the Cascade Mountains, apple orchardist Claire Courtney struggles to make a living. When strange and ancient artifacts are discovered beneath her land, Claire wonders whether the ensuing archaeological dig will save her, or be the final blow in her struggle to hang onto her home and livelihood. To make matters worse, conflict between the archaeologists on the dig-Joe Running from the west, and Spencer Grant from the east-threatens the entire project. This multicultural novel brings together Native Americans, Latinos, and migrant workers from the American South to grapple over ownership of what lies beneath the earth. "Fink has impressive command over the many swirling elements of her well-plotted novel... The characterizations are strong, but the author has the ability to make the unique setting as important as the people. Archaeology and murder mix in this smart, picturesque novel that's steeped in local culture." Kirkus Reviews (Our GET IT) EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a literary fiction piece from the award-winning author of "Invisible by Day."

Genres: Fiction

246 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2021

About the author

Teri grew up amidst the apple orchards of Wenatchee, Washington. Her career has taken her from librarian, to corporate writer and communications officer before becoming a novelist. Her writing has won literary awards for both fiction and nonfiction. She’s a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and Write on the River. Teri and her husband live on beautiful Lake Chelan in central Washington State.

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in central Washington, where I grew up, the idea of this book is based in fact; in 1987 about two dozen Clovis Points, ancient Native American tools, were found in an orchard when an irrigation line was being installed. That's the history. This mystery takes off from the unearthing of the artifacts. Claire runs an orchard she inherited from her parents, but financially she is in trouble. When the Clovis Points are uncovered, she knows she needs to have them professionally examined, knowing that it could be the end of her orchard. Initially calling on her alma mater, Washington State University, to conduct the examination, Dr. Joe Running understands the significance of the find. But Dr. Spencer Grant, an expert on Clovis Points from the east coast, shows up to convince Claire to let him take over the dig. Tensions rise between the two archaeologists, and matters get complicated when the Colville Indian tribe gets involved. With tensions high, things deteriorate when there is a murder in the orchard, and artifacts disappear. This mystery has a little bit of everything - history, romance, and a decent resolution. Good characters make the story move along, and this was a satisfying story to read.

[Hannah cali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this at the bookstore and had to pick it up, just because I study archaeology and can’t resist an academic murder mystery. What a lovely mix of perspectives and cultures, told without bias. The plot really hooked me and I couldn’t put it down. Captured a lot of the issues and nuance of archaeology, especially paleo-native sites, which are still relevant today. I kind of want to write an archaeology novel now too.

[Mary E Trimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Clovis Dig, a novel by Teri Fink and Robb Grindstaff, is both entertaining and educational. The contemporary story takes place in Eastern Washington.

Orchardist Claire Courtney is shocked when a chiseled, three-dimensional arrow-shaped rock, about ten inches long, is found while digging a new irrigation trench in her East Wenatchee, Washington orchard. Believing it must be ancient, Claire feels obligated to call her alma mater, Washington State University, and report the finding to their archaeology department.

When Native American Joe Running, Associate Professor of Archaeology at WSU learns about the find, his interest is piqued. After he visits the site, an official dig is organized, initially with Joe together with two students.

Once word spreads about the find, the Courtney Orchard is inundated with archaeologists, students, the press and onlookers. Claire’s once peaceful life is shattered. You can’t run an orchard with people milling about. In addition to the confusion, local tribal leaders come to the site, fearful that an ancient burial site will be disturbed.

But then a body is found. Not an ancient body, a relatively recent one. So now law enforcement people are swarming the area and an investigation of a different kind begins.

The Clovis Dig characters ring true and the situation believable with elements of mystery, suspense, and romance. The novel was inspired by a true archaeological find. The word “Clovis” is what archaeologists call the oldest widespread archaeological complex in North America.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous story of a woman struggling to hang on to her land and her livelihood in an especially precarious time while also trying to figure out who to trust and which direction to go. Teri Fink has created fascinating characters living in an especially beautiful part of the country and its heritage as home to Native Americans, Latinos, and Southern migrants. Even though it is set in the 1980s, its themes of racism, sexism, greed, and reinvention deeply resonate today.

The story of the Wenatchee Valley is an epic one and Teri captures the sweep of history through this small town portrait using mystery, suspense, and romance. Her respect for all sides of this crisis are both inspiring and illuminating. Like all good authors, Teri has made herself an expert on a wide range of topics including operating a fruit orchard, examining a cadaver, carbon dating a bone, selling illegal drugs, and the natural history of the region. I loved learning so much in one book. And she made me miss the irresistible landscape of an agricultural valley.

I loved the swift but engaging pace of this novel and the attention paid to each character, large and small. Teri can make you cringe at the blatant racist cruelty of a small town sheriff, shudder at the avarice and manipulation of the greedy, and smile at the recognition of both Joe and Claire's search for home.

Read it...you will LOVE it.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Clovis Dig
Author: Teri Fink

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 2/5

Of the 16 readers:
16 would read another book by this author.
6 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
16 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
16 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“I loved the cultural aspects of this novel. It was also skilfully plotted with a relatable, female protagonist.” Male reader, aged 43
“With a simple and easy to follow writing style, the author keeps things moving all the way till the end. There´s a lot of suspense, particularly in the second half of the novel. All in all, a compelling read with well-defined characters and natural sounding dialogue.” Female reader, aged 35
“A little archaeology, a little mystery, and plenty of suspense, what a fab novel! You´ll even learn a bit about orchards!” Female reader, aged 29
“It´s the setting which brings this story jumping off the page. The author´s knowledge of this part of the world and its history is very impressive, adding layer upon layer to this exciting mystery.” Female reader, aged 67

To Sum It Up:
‘A compelling, cleverly plotted mystery with a strong sense of place. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[J.F. Collen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Plot
I like books with a little bit of history and interesting characters and ‘The Clovis Dig’ delivers a pitch right down the center! Wrap a great plot around two engagingly developed main protagonists and you have a home run. I cheered for both as they gamely went to bat against the curve balls thrown in the midst of a life already filled with daily struggles.
The twin passions of archeology and baseball at the heart of one of the characters clash with the other’s life’s work in her family’s apple orchard. Throw in a murder and a narcissistic competitor and you get a well written compelling read. I highly recommend this book.

[Kris Kassady · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Clovis Dig: A Great 5 Star Read.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting, a six hour flight to Maui.

Each character was well presented and interesting. The hero and heroine were likeable and I was rooting for them the whole way.

Three love stories played a lesser role in this fascinating mystery involving very real cultural and historical issues. Many twists and turns kept you guessing, and I was completely caught up with the story to the last page.

Very well written and easy to follow.

Highly recommended.
Kris Kassady
Goodreads Author

[Richard Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent and enjoyable read. I loved Teri's first book, and was looking forward to the second one, and it did not disappoint. The characters were interesting, relatable, and real. I learned a great deal about Native American culture and archaeology, and read the book in two sessions. I highly recommend this excellent book.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked what Teri did with this novel. The characters were all well built, but I enjoyed the treatment of the local area as a character in the novel. It was really well done.

[Karen B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it is the mood I was in when I read this, but I thought this book was simply "ok." It was a tad slow out of the gate and it loped along to the end. I enjoyed the archaeology aspect and that the story was set in an area of my home state I know well. The romance parts were not well developed so when they happened, it was surprising and seemed out of nowhere. I liked the book fine. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy murder mysteries or archaeology.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather disappointed as I would have liked this book to be more about the actual Clovis dig rather than a murder mystery, romance novel.

[Claudia Trexler · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK! Loved it and I especially liked the idea that I knew all the areas that were referred to in the book! I’m looking forward to reading the other 2 books this author has written!

[Jette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read with great descriptions and character development. I learned much about Clovis and was quite swept up in the drama that surrounded the dig.

[Randy Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good intrigue; a little short for the amount of storyline (in my opinion). Characters were quite believable, likeable if appropriate and rather suspicious when appropriate as well. Good read.

[Erica Bogenpohl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly interesting but ultimately didn’t keep my attention

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoy very much, and loved learning about the Clovis people of Eastern Washington...fascinating!

[Alyson Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't feel like anything fit together well. The murder mystery that didn't really feel like much of a mystery and was touched on for a bit but then they shifted gears at the end and still the story felt odd to me. There was all this strange conflict with some sort of love triangle. None of it felt right. I was confused and lost in certain areas because of the POV. Overall pretty bummed, i just kept hoping it would get better.