Drawing on her love of archaeology and the legends surrounding the Lost Colonists of Roanoke Island, author Deborah Dunn has woven a spell-binding murder mystery about a young archaeologist, Andrea Warren, who goes in search of why her father committed suicide as a young man while looking for the infamous coffins of Beechland, coffins the locals claim belong to remnants of the 117 men, women, and children who vanished without a trace in 1590. But what she discovers soon puts her life in danger. Who wants to stop her? And how far would they go to keep her from making one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time: What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island? Where did Virginia Dare go? Most archaeologists, including myself, rarely have the time or the inclination to read historical novels, particularly those whose themes are archaeology. There are so many errors in the research or the stories are so unrealistic that it is difficult to truly enjoy reading. But The Coffins was the exception. Not only is it a successful blend of historical research and local ethnography, it is a true page-turning crime thriller. Think Sue Grafton meets Ivor Noel Hume. It is historical fiction as it should be written. A great read! Dr. Charles Ewen, Director of the Phelps Archaeology Lab, Professor, East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina