Bog Queen by Anna North
Past meets present in this fast-paced archaeological mystery. Forensic anthropologist Agnes is wrapping up her studies in England when she is asked to identify a long-buried body for the local police. What she finds is something far older and stranger: an Iron Age woman, perfectly preserved by the peat bog’s acidic moss.
The discovery launches Agnes and her colleagues into a race against time. Their archaeological dig is opposed by both peat miners and environmental activists who are fighting over the bog in court. Agnes just wants to know: who was this woman, and how did she die?
As the bog body reveals her secrets, the narrative jumps between Agnes and the Iron Age woman in the weeks before her death. Through the eyes of a young druid on a journey, North’s early Britain feels both familiar and fantastical, with just enough historical detail to feel intriguing. Throughout, interludes narrated by the moss itself—both surprisingly wise and lighthearted—imbue Bog Queen with natural magic.
Reviewed by Emma Radosevich, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive April 2026 issue.)