"Patrick Kane is a man haunted by his past. Bobby Redhead, a woman who stumbles into the path of his car, is a mysterious part of that past. They have come together at an archaeological dig in the village of Wytchlow. What has Patrick done that he cannot forgive? Why is Bobby so drawn to him? And how are both connected by the local folksong of a Saxon girl called the German Queen?

"To learn the answers, they must race to save the German Queen's long-buried secret before a developer can claim the land. Here, in a small English village where history is as alive as the nearest plowed field, three people -- one dead a thousand years but still very much alive -- meet on an unforgettably touching adventure through time that will lead to the very depths of the human heart ... Can the fragile bones of a royal matriarch heal the hearts of those who would dare free her?"
~~back cover

Another inappropriate back cover blurb. It's true as far as it goes, but it places a lot of emphasis on the emotional turmoil of the archaeological crew and completely ignores the intelligent presentation of the archaeology, which was the best I've ever read. Generally books that have an archaeologist turn into murder mysteries that the archaeologist must solve to save his or her own skin. This book went through the entire sequence of a dig, from removing the overburden to excavating the bones with a brush, dirt particle by dirt particle, and also gave a short but accurate of the cleaning and conservation of the artifacts found. It was wonderful, I could almost taste it all: the excitement when another find was made, the weariness but exhilaration at the end of the day, the camaraderie around the fire at night. And not a murder in sight!

I can't recommend this book enough, and am sad only because it doesn't seem to be one of a series. ( )

A great read. I originally discovered this book many years after reading Ferney and didn't immediately make the connection. It thoroughly absorbed me. I have read it twice more since, and I am still enthralled by the story.
The characters are flawed, in some cases damaged, by their pasts but they all come together seamlessly on a mission to preserve the German Queen. Loved it!

Back cover skewed my expectations of this one a bit, although I suppose only a fantasy reader like me would interpret literally the bit about the long-dead woman being still "very much alive". Not that I regret reading it; it was emotional and compelling.I was particularly caught by the underlying sense that the world really is full of genuinely nice people... CD, Dozer, Bobby, the German girl, the cameraman and the limo driver. Everyone was so ready to help Patrick, as soon as his shell cracked open enough to let them. Even Little and the Evil Music Company didn't take away from that. ( )