Indian Wood: A Mystery of the Lost Colony

by Richard Folsom

In 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh sent 116 men, women and children to Roanoke Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They were to plant the first English colony in the New World. By 1590, they had disappeared. The colony was lost, and it remains America's oldest unsolved mystery. Carl Bowden, a university history professor, has discovered a document that may prove an intriguing new theory of what may have happened to the colonists. He made one phone call to his graduate assistant, a Lumbee Indian. Three hours later he was found murdered under the rotunda of the library. Someone does not want the mystery of the Lost Colony to be solved and is wiling to kill to protect the secret. Luther Surles, Carl's oldest friend and publisher of a small town newspaper, is determined to help the police with the investigation. He eventually endangers himself as he unravels Carl's theory and solves the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.

214 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2008

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folsom took an academic's knowledge of a specialty topic and turned it into an enjoyable novel. I am interested in Native American history in Eastern NC and this made a sometimes dry and hard to research topic shine. Of particular interest to eastern North Carolinians due to local settings. Thanks for teaching me the theory of what happened to the Lost Colony and a sharp little novel.

[Thomas S. Calhoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice mix of history and who-done-it. Easy to read prose. Author gave the reader the flavor of eastern North Carolina. Highly recommended.

[Lynne Pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am one of those folks who reads everything I can get my hands on concerning the Lost Colony, so I have lots of means of comparison. Indian Wood is unique in the literature of the Lost Colony---a mystery within a mystery and a book within a book. The author posits a very real possibility for where the colonists went and the modern day mystery is a good whodunit. When I finished, I did some research to see what else was new and there is indeed an ongoing DNA project. I lived for a couple of years in Edenton, NC and have been intrigued by the archaeology going on near the Chowan River. Good book, quick read.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the way this novel moves back and forth between a present day murder mystery and the history of the Lost Colony. I particularly loved the way Folsom takes you back to the time when Native Americans lived on the rivers of eastern north carolina. Great read!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part modern murder mystery; part history

[Stephanie Gerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written from a pompous male perspective with randomly placed hints of sex that were not necessary to the story. It poses more questions and hypothesis than actual historical story.

[Blair Smith]

I absolutely loved the book! It kept me guessing until the end, I could hardly put it down!