Scan barcode
git_r_read's review
5.0
This is one of my favorite series. I love suspense and I would love to be an archeologist, so the combination of the two in a book is like addictive chocolate to me. And it's set in Ireland? Perfect.
The body of a long-missing celebrity of sorts is found in the trunk of his car buried in a peat bog near an artists' colony. No one is as they appear. Darkness abounds.
I like learning as I read my suspense/paranormal/dystopia/sci-fi and I learned more about the bogs of Ireland and the treasures that are found. Especially the ancient remains of people found in almost perfect condition due to the preserving bog ingredients.
The story is told via different voices, not just the two main characters. Leads are followed, decisions are made, all for better or worse.
Definite recommend.
The body of a long-missing celebrity of sorts is found in the trunk of his car buried in a peat bog near an artists' colony. No one is as they appear. Darkness abounds.
I like learning as I read my suspense/paranormal/dystopia/sci-fi and I learned more about the bogs of Ireland and the treasures that are found. Especially the ancient remains of people found in almost perfect condition due to the preserving bog ingredients.
The story is told via different voices, not just the two main characters. Leads are followed, decisions are made, all for better or worse.
Definite recommend.
alibi313's review
3.0
Oddly paced. While I’ve enjoyed the books in this series in part because of the specificity of Nora and Cormac’s professions, this one bogged down (pun intended) too much in the lore. The central murder story meandered for many, many pages, then all loose ends (as well as ends we didn’t even know existed!) were hurriedly tied up in the last few chapters.
lisaeirene's review
3.0
I enjoyed the concept of this book but it felt a little empty to me. There were a lot of storylines going on and a lot of characters. There were a few I couldn't keep track of and the "villain" revealed at the end seemed out of left field.
jo_in_bookland's review
4.0
This last installment in the Nora Gavin mystery/thriller series contains bog bodies, ancient manuscripts and characters with buried secrets (too many of this latter perhaps, but what the heck, it made for an interesting read).
After not caring for the third book, I'm glad that the series finished on a strong note.
The character development was quite strong and the short chapters made for a quick, compelling read. There are a few characters and events I would have liked more information about, but overall the story was well done.
After not caring for the third book, I'm glad that the series finished on a strong note.
The character development was quite strong and the short chapters made for a quick, compelling read. There are a few characters and events I would have liked more information about, but overall the story was well done.
lazygal's review
3.0
With most mystery series, you don't need to read them in order, and this one is no different. Hart's "detectives" are Amateur Sleuth, involved with antiquities - specifically, the bog people/items often found in Ireland's peat bogs. As usual, the story is based in some fact (the Bog Person here was a famous philosopher of the 9th century, Psalters have been found in bogs and some were preserved in shrines) mixed with a lot of supposal (there's no proof that eirugenia was murdered, much less in Ireland).
Intertwined with that is the modern day murder mystery (or, by the end, mysteries) and the question of who is really who, etc. The problem is that part isn't as well plotted - I could see the twists coming and while they weren't telegraphed, there were few surprises. Still, that's par for the course in this genre. And if you're a huge fan of mysteries set in Ireland, or the Amateur Sleuth, this series is definitely for you.
ARC provided by publisher.
Intertwined with that is the modern day murder mystery (or, by the end, mysteries) and the question of who is really who, etc. The problem is that part isn't as well plotted - I could see the twists coming and while they weren't telegraphed, there were few surprises. Still, that's par for the course in this genre. And if you're a huge fan of mysteries set in Ireland, or the Amateur Sleuth, this series is definitely for you.
ARC provided by publisher.
antithesis90's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting book; the main characters in the previous three books (Nora and Cormac) feature far less but the other characters were rich enough to keep my interest.
teenytinylibrary's review against another edition
4.0
When a body is found in a car boot in a bog, Cormac Maguire and Nora Gavin are called down to the scene to investigate. Maguire is an archaeologist, and Gavin a forensic pathologist. Maguire's expertise is needed because the body is from the ninth-century, preternaturally preserved in the bog. Unfortunately, underneath the bog man is another body, this one much more recent.
I really enjoyed this - a cross between the historical fiction of Susanna Kearsley and the contemporary mysteries of Tana French. The story took some twists that I didn't anticipate (). I did like the sense of place here. I had a good feel for Killowen, but not as much its inhabitants. I think Hart did a good job setting up each character with motives and as a suspect, but I think that she could've spent more time developing characters a bit more. That being said, I'll happily pick up the other three in the series.
I really enjoyed this - a cross between the historical fiction of Susanna Kearsley and the contemporary mysteries of Tana French. The story took some twists that I didn't anticipate (
Spoiler
and some I had a bit of a hard time believing - e.g. the ringjputzi's review against another edition
3.0
I've liked the other books in the series better--this one just had a bit too much going on--but I like these characters and love the focus on Irish history.
slbenz's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book very interesting because of my dual interests in mystery fiction and Irish history. The story is good and I like the interesting characters and their interactions. My only complaint is, unlike her previous books, there is no pronunciation guide for the Irish.