A Grave Opening: A Delia Ironfoot Mystery

by Jeane Harris

Archaeologist Delia Ironfoot is called back to her father's home, a place she has never been comfortable in, to investigate a Native American burial mound on her grandfather's land. But the long-dead... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932859047
• ISBN13: 9781932859041
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Bywater Books
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A nice mystery

Mystery likes to find Delia Ironfoot and usually not in her best interests. The novel opens with Delia "hiding out" in the Rocky Mountains acting as a wilderness guide and living with her mother's people when she receives a summons from her paternal grandfather to come to Arkansas to help him with a problem. When she arrives at her grandfather's farm she discovers that he has accidentally uncovered an ancient Native American burial mound and would like her to excavate it. Delia hasn't worked as an archaeologist since a scandal ruined her career, but she sees an opportunity to regain the profession she loves so much. There are other people who do not want the excavation to proceed however and their reasons seem to be tied to some recent murders in the area. Delia finds herself having to deal with hostility at the local university and real threats to her life and her family, first from someone who takes shots at them and then from a mysterious fire that burns down the family farmhouse. Delia does find allies in Kate Treadaway, a young archaeologist at the university, and Colleen Redfield, an internationally known bone expert who has chosen to withdraw to a rural area where she can practice herbal medicine and be the local "wise woman." Kate is brash, adventurous and sexually exciting, but Colleen taps into the mysticism in Delia's soul.....and is sexually attractive. Colleen will try to help Delia with the strange dreams she starts having that seem to be telling her the story of the mound people, but also eerily begin to relate to the modern situation. The question becomes if Delia can solve both the ancient and modern mysteries before someone else is killed. This is the third Delia Ironfoot mystery. There are some references to the previous stories, but it's not necessary to have read them to enjoy this book. It's a short and fast paced book, good for a night's read. There isn't a great deal of character and plot development and some of it seems a little rushed, but it's a pleasant story with just enough twists to keep you guessing. And there is a hook at the end that is totally unexpected. If you are looking for something to just lose your head in for a while, this would be a good choice.