Emma Fielding is an archaeologist and a teacher at a university. She is married to a wonderful man named Brian. Everything in her life is going well, until her friends and family start receiving anonymous gifts from someone who is trying to ruin Emma's life. Emma thinks the anonymous stalker is a man named Tony Markham who is believed to be dead. Tony is a very dangerous man and Emma is in fear for her life.

The gifts start off to be harmless and nothing to be really scared of. But when Emma starts to wonder if someone has been going through her mail and has trespassed into her house, she starts to become frantic. She takes martial art classes which will hopefully help her if she finds herself face to face with Tony Markham.

Emma finds herself having trouble with who she can trust. Everyone starts to become a suspect. Is Tony Markham really alive and after Emma, or is it someone else? With a large cast of characters, ASHES AND BONES will leave the reader wondering who the perpetrator is.

ASHES AND BONES started off very slow and didn't hold my interest for the first 200 pages. After page 200, the book became more interesting. It's a shame that the author saved all the action for the end of the book. I personally prefer thrilling action in my mysteries throughout the entire book. The ending of the book was very exciting; I just wish some of that excitement could have been equally distributed throughout the book.

ASHES AND BONES is the sixth novel in the Emma Fielding series. I have not read any of the other books in the series before this one. Coming into this series, with this sixth book, and no prior knowledge of the storyline, I found myself confused trying to follow what was going on. I don't feel like the author gave enough information about past events for a new reader of this series to understand.

If you plan on reading this series, I suggest picking up the first book and reading them all in order, rather then starting with this book first. The first book in the series is Sight Unseen, followed by Grave Consequences, Past Malice, A Fugitive Truth, More Bitter Then Death, and then ASHES AND BONES. Overall, ASHES AND BONES is an intriguing mystery that will leave you guessing until you turn the last page.

Book Summary

Just when everything is going beautifully for archaeologist Emma Fielding -- a position at a respected university, a beautiful home in New England, and the warm love of a devoted husband -- her world starts to crumble. What begins as a series of seemingly innocent gestures -- the anonymous delivery of gifts and flowers to Emma's family and friends -- soon progresses to secret, sadistic acts designed to destroy her reputation, her character, and her career.

Someone has instituted a brilliantly insidious campaign of personal terror against Emma Fielding, and she is certain she knows who it is: a cunning and dangerous enemy whom everyone but she believes is dead. But with no proof, no clues, and no allies, Emma will have to fight alone in the dark to rescue a life being rapidly reduced to ashes . . . if she can survive long enough to do so.