Haunted Ground
By Erin HartPublished: Scribner, 2003
Pages: 328
Genre: Mystery
Amazon, Goodreads
Their beliefs, their ideals, their intentions are all present with these sodden old logs ... and these, ladies and gentlemen, are some of the only concrete clues we have as to what their whole society and way of life was like. I invite you to become the discoverers of what lies in this hallowed ground.
About this novel: When Irish farmers make a gruesome discovery - the preserved head of a young woman with bright red hair - Cormac Maguire, Irish archeologist, and Nora Gavin, American pathologist, team up in the case. The woman's head could have been buried at any time - even decades ago - due to how peat bog prevents decay. While Cormac and Nora investigate the young woman's remains, they find themselves in the middle of another mystery: the disappearance of Mina Osborne and her young son. As time starts to run out, Cormac and Nora must traverse through the mysteries surrounding them while also battling old wounds.
Haunted Ground is a decent debut novel that's an OK but not great read. The background and setting of this book - Ireland's bog lands - is captivating but the writing is a little dull at times. The plot is solid in generally but I felt like this book was almost about two different stories: the woman's head and Mina's disappearance. They aren't really connected, except towards the end (I don't reveal spoilers!) and even then I was a little disappointed. I also was able to guess who the "killer" was not that far into the novel, but I was never actually sure who it was until the end.
I did like the characters, though, and generally enjoyed reading the novel. I'd recommend it to those who love a decent mystery story.
RATING (out of five puppies):
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