Oxford historian Daniel Kind and his partner Miranda both want to escape to a new life. On impulse they buy a cottage in Brackdale, an idyllic valley in the Lake District. But though they hope to live the dream, the past soon catches up with them.
Tarn Cottage was once home to Barrie Gilpin, suspected of a savage murder. A young woman's body was found on the Sacrifice Stone, an ancient pagan site up on the fell, but Barrie died before he could be arrested. Daniel has personal reasons for becoming fascinated by the case and for believing in Barrie's innocence. When the police launch a cold case review, Brackdale's skeletons begin to rattle and the lives of Daniel and DCI Hannah Scarlett become strangely entwined. Daniel and Hannah each find themselves risking their lives as they search for a ruthless murderer who is prepared to kill again to hide a shocking secret.
3.5 stars. I liked it, but didn't love it. The characters and the setting were rich in details and the plot had a lot of twists and turns. So why didn't I love it? It got bogged down with a lot of dialogue between characters that detracted from the flow of the book. I also didn't like switching between 2 characters. Overall, not a bad book for the first in a series, but could use some editing.
Reading updates
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2 June, 2014:
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2 June, 2014:
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