Haunted Ground - Hardcover

Hart, Erin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0340827580 ISBN 13: 9780340827581

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 2003

Synopsis

When a red-haired girl's severed head is found in an ancient bog in southeast Galway, it may be an historical relic or the answer to a local mystery.

As archaeologist Cormac Maguire and pathologist Nora Gavin investigate, they reawaken an interest in the missing Mina Osborne, who vanished - with her young son - two years ago.

Why are the Osbornes of Bracklyn House so secretive? How are the strange lights in the old tower and the curious thefts from the local church connected to these riddles?

Somewhere there is a killer, who wants the dead to stay buried and the missing to remain undiscovered. And as Cormac and Nora get closer to the truth, answers from the past are leading to a murder in the future . . .

About this title

Review:

Refreshing in it's vital excitement, and being so wonderfully researched, reality merges from every page. This is a great new writer with the talent to tell a story with interest and commitment (Bangor Chronicle)

A fascinating mix of archaeology, forensics and local folklore (New Woman)

...an utterly beguiling mix of village mystery, Gothic suspense, and psychological thriller. ...Hart breathes life into local history the way Graham Swift did in Waterland; reinvents the Du Maurier formula for Gothic suspense; and brings new texture and psychological acuity to the usual suspects from the generic viallage mystery. In every way, this is a debut to remember. (Brett Ott, Booklist)

Erin Hart spins a dark tale of gothic suspense fused with modern forensics. This bright new talent
lays bare all the buried bones, in a murderous tale of intrigue and betrayal.

(Linda Fairstein, author of The Bone Vault)

Spooky and compelling. (Kirkus Reviews)

Classic crime (Livewire)

Haunted Ground is an intricate crime novel from a gifted first time author. Erin Hart has interwoven a gripping suspense tale with historical detail, archaeology and forensic science to create this altogether different and incredibly transfixing debut novel (The Irish World)

A fascinating book...she's certainly a talented writer. She does a wonderful job of creating a sense of atmosphere and menace. (Meg Gardiner)

This is a beautiful book. The seetings are perfect: sweetly sinister and intensely atmospheric. I was engrossed from the very start. The writing is rich, the pace excellent, and the story such a curious tangle of bits and pieces that you can't help getting caught up in it. And this makes it all the more satisfying when everything is eventually laid out at the end.

This is Hart's first novel. Her love of Ireland...shows in her writing - it is as unmissable as obviously her potent ability as a writer. This is a book to read and an author to watch."

(Luke Richardson, Crime File.)

Hart writes with a lovely eloquence (New York Times)

Book Description:

The thrilling debut from Erin Hart tells the story of one girl's untimely death centuries ago, and her connection to a very recent disappearance...

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0340827580
• ISBN 13: 9780340827581
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 432