More Bitter Than Death (Emma Fielding Mysteries, No. 5)

More Bitter Than Death (Emma Fielding Mysteries, No. 5) by Cameron, Dana. mass_market edition. ISBN: 9780060554637.

Its a deadly winter for archaeologist Emma Fielding as she tracks a killer in an old New Hampshire hotel, in this fifth mystery from real-life archaeologist Dana Cameron. Archaeologist Emma Fielding should be on top of the world. Her teaching job secure and home life stable, she arrives at an archaeological conference at a famous old New Hampshire hotel, having outrun the winter storm thats paralysing the East Coast. A rising star in the field, shes in the midst of friends shes known all her life, celebrating the work of Professor Garrison, a venerable legend in the field. When Garrison is found dead on the iced-over lake outside the snow-bound hotel, however, Emma realizes that everyone has something to hide, including herself. While the police determine whether Garrisons death was an accident, suicide, or murder, Emmas intimate knowledge of her colleagues hasnt prepared her for what theyre concealing, even from themselves. Emma is also forced to face the fact that the dead man was no friend of hers (or her grandfather Oscar) and that everyone-colleagues, police, and herself included-wonders why her view of him is so very different. The presence of Emmas old flame Duncan brings up bitter memories shed rather were left buried deep in the past: Duncan wants something from her and Emma cant tell whether it is an opportunity to rekindle their relationship or a way to ensure her silence permanently. Professional jealousies and infighting would be enough added to Garrisons mysterious death, but a series of thefts and attacks in the isolated hotel make the stranded archaeologists ask whether a vengeful ghost has returned, practiced criminals are targeting the conference, or one of their own number has finally succumbed to an array of deadly temptations.