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The Ardis Cole Series: Unmarked Grave (Book 2) Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

Ardis Cole travels to Scotland to do a facial reconstruction on a skull her friend Bruce McBrier has discovered in the woods outside his ancestral castle. Because of an ancient ax buried in the skull, Bruce presumes the skull to be a historical relic, possibly the remains of a medieval ancestor murdered in battle. When Ardis makes the shocking discovery that the remains are that of a more recent murder, Constable Mark Ridley asks her help in going ahead with the facial reconstruction in hopes the victim can be identified. But someone is willing to go to great lengths ... even murder ... to keep the skull's deadly secret.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton have effectively collaborated to present a series of superbly crafted and entertaining mystery adventures featuring Ardis Cole, a intelligent, fearless, and persevering young lady who finds herself in the midst of exciting and suspenseful mysteries set in a variety of different locales." --Midwest Book Review

About the Author

9 Hours in length, 8 CDs

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0093Q8GJE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rowe Publishing and Design (August 28, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 28, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 626 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 274 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

About the authors

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
14 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read with a good plot and interesting characters. They appreciate the wonderful setting of Scotland in the story.

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4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability.

"I loved the book! Scotland is a wonderful setting for a story. It is sad that Addis lost her fiance though...." Read more

"...The only character not implicated is Ardis Cole. Very good book." Read more

"...Figured it out just before the end . A good read." Read more

"great read..." Read more

4 customers mention "Story quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story's quality. They find the setting in Scotland wonderful and appreciate the good plot and interesting characters.

"I loved the book! Scotland is a wonderful setting for a story. It is sad that Addis lost her fiance though...." Read more

"Always enjoy Ardis Cole stories. Good plot, easy reading. Interesting characters. Had me guessing who the murder’s identity was...." Read more

"Excellent story Ardis does not disappoint" Read more

"Two sisters who know how to write a great story" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2020
    I loved the book! Scotland is a wonderful setting for a story. It is sad that Addis lost her fiance though. I like that there is no profanity or sex scenes in these books!
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2013
    The twists and turn of clues lead in almost every direction. The only character not implicated is Ardis Cole. Very good book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013
    Ahhhhhh, Scotland, land of intrigue, betrayal, murder and an ancient struggle with "the auld enemy, the English." In UNMARKED GRAVE, history lives in the McBrier and Lloyd families whose castles date back to 1295.

    Their age-old feud erupts again with Bruce McBrier's discovery of a skull he believes belonged to his long missing ancestor, Sir William, who would have been the fourth Lord of Venwell. The neighboring castle belongs to the Lloyds, who backed Henry VIII and fought for England. Sir William rode with James IV in defense of Scotland.

    Bruce wants Ardis Cole, an archaeologist from Chicago, to authenticate the skull by a facial reconstruction. He's writing a book to indict Sir Wendell, third Lord of Lloyd, as the brutal killer of his ancestor, Sir William. The final chapter of Bruce's book depends on authentication of the skull.

    Opening lines:"This is the place where I found the skull," Bruce McBrier said, pointing toward the narrow but deep river that wound through the valley toward the Firth of Tay. "It either washed ashore or was simply uncovered by the recent rains."

    On a tour of the castle garden, Bruce tells Ardis that Sir William has returned to keep Venwell from falling into the wrong hands.
    (Quote)
    "An odd expression appeared on his craggy face that Ardis could not quite interpret. He did not speak for a long time. "Strange things have been happening ever since I found Sir William's skull!"
    "Don't tell me. It's a haunted skull," Ardis joked. "And Sir William is trying to get it back."
    ...
    "Venwell Castle is still filled with sorrow," Bruce said, "just as it was then, centuries ago. And new sorrows attract old sorrows."
    (End Quote)

    There are sorrows aplenty at Venwell Castle. Ardis arrives in Scotland hoping a change of scenery will temper her grief over the death of her fiancé. Bruce's niece Gwynne is pursued by one of the Lloyds who wants to get his hands on Venwell property by marrying her. Gwynne's true love, the tavern keeper's son, has disappeared. Also missing is Bruce's nephew, who left home to get away from his domineering father, the current Lord Venwell. If the wisp of a figure lurking near the garden really is Sir William, his spirit showed up in the right place at the right time.

    But Ardis was hired to do a job. She takes her canvas bag of archaeology tools to the river bank to dig for remains and what she finds only adds to the mystery. The result of her facial reconstruction is shocking. Murders, assaults, theft, kidnapping and an old diary - the story is full of twists and turns right up until the end.

    I like Ardis Cole. The loss of her fiancé gives her compassion for those who mourn. Her work on dig sites in foreign locales reinforces her fearlessness, which at times makes her foolhardy. If she's in a hurry for a tool or piece of information she will jump in the car and take off down a dark and lonely road. She's lucky there are those who care enough to keep an eye on her.

    The title comes from a gravestone Ardis finds when she visits a nearby abbey. Dated 1608, the stone reads: "Good son, brave sailor/Lost at Sea/The world his unmarked grave."
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2020
    Always enjoy Ardis Cole stories. Good plot, easy reading. Interesting characters. Had me guessing who the murder’s identity was. Figured it out just before the end . A good read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2015
    Excellent story Ardis does not disappoint
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2016
    Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson’s “Unmarked Grave” transports readers to misty, mystical Scotland—complete with castles and romance.
    When Bruce McBrier finds a skull on his castle grounds, he believes he has found his ancestor and that the skull dates back to the 1500s. One proof is the ancient ax point embedded in the skull. He is so excited over this proof that Sir William returned to the castle after the Battle of Flodden that he sends for archaeologist and friend Ardis Cole.
    Cole, who is fleeing grief after losing her fiancé, runs head-on into danger including being stalked, threatened, kidnapped, and witnessing a modern version of the Lloyd-Venwell feud dating back through the centuries. The danger intensifies because when Cole finds missing teeth from the skull, she realizes she holds in her hand proof of a more recent murder – perhaps even one of the two people missing from the area.
    Using the measurements on the facial tissue chart, she cuts and glues small dots of eraser material in 32 strategic points around the skull, then fills them in with modeling clay and smoothes it to create the likeness of a human face. The result turns out to be terrifying! And she can trust no one, not even the attractive Chief Inspector Mark Ridley.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2013
    Ardis Cole is at it again in this new adventure, Unmarked Grave by Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton. In this new mystery, Ardis heads to Scotland to help a friend. Bruce McBrier has uncovered a skull in his backyard and wants Ardis to help him reconstruct it. This relic has distinctive features and Bruce believes its historical background could be of an ancestral battle.

    Ardis is on the job and soon finds out the skull Bruce has discovered is of a recently murdered victim. The more Ardis and Bruce dig into this mystery it becomes clear that someone wants the identity of the skull to stay hidden. Will Ardis find out who is behind the mystery before it is too late?

    Unmarked Grave takes readers on a journey of family secrets. The twists in the story were unsuspected and shocked me once I discovered the culprit's identity. I enjoyed this story because of its mysterious nature and also because I couldn't figure it out until the very end. It kept my attention and I enjoyed the characters. I recommend Unmarked Grave to others.

    This book was provided by the authors for review purposes.

    Teresa Beasley
    A&RBC Reviews
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2013
    this book like all of the others in this series builds to a climax so thast it is had to put down

Top reviews from other countries

  • Stephanie Parker McKean
    4.0 out of 5 stars Misty, Mystical Scottish Mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2016
    Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson’s “Unmarked Grave” transports readers to misty, mystical Scotland—complete with castles.
    When Bruce McBrier finds a skull on his castle grounds, he believes he has found his ancestor and that the skull dates back to the 1500s. One proof is the ancient ax point embedded in the skull. He is so excited over this proof that Sir William returned to the castle after the Battle of Flodden that he sends for archaeologist and friend Ardis Cole.
    Cole, who is fleeing grief after losing her fiancé, runs head-on into danger including being stalked, threatened, kidnapped, and witnessing a modern version of the Lloyd-Venwell feud dating back through the centuries. The danger intensifies because when Cole finds missing teeth from the skull, she realizes she holds in her hand proof of a more recent murder – perhaps even one of the two people missing from the area.
    Using the measurements on the facial tissue chart, she cuts and glues small dots of eraser material in 32 strategic points around the skull, then fills them in with modeling clay and smoothes it to create the likeness of a human face. The result turns out to be terrifying! Worse yet, she can trust no one - not even the attractive Chief Inspector Mark Ridley.

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