Burial of Ghosts

Format:	Paperback 352 pages

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Synopsis

Twenty-five-year-old Lizzie Bartholomew has had more than her fair share of troubles. Abandoned as a baby, she spent her childhood moving between foster homes. Now she is running away from her past ...For Lizzie, a holiday in Morocco seems to be the perfect escape. Especially when she meets Philip, a fellow tourist who is also travelling to fulfil his dreams. After a brief affair, Lizzie returns to England, distracted by thoughts of her mysterious lover. Then suddenly she receives a letter from a firm of solicitors. Philip Samson has died. In his will, he has left Lizzie a gift of GBP15,000. But there are conditions attached to this unexpected legacy that will soon force Lizzie to confront terrifying ghosts from her own past...

Book details

Published
20/02/2004

Publisher
Pan Books

ISBN
9780330411752

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UK Kirkus review

Lizzie Bartholomew's career in social services would appear to be effectively over. She has stabbed a young homeless man with scissors because he reminded her of the youth who held her at knifepoint in a care home. Lizzie decides to get away from her problems with a trip to Morocco, where a brief liaison with a stranger brings momentary respite. Soon after her return home, Lizzie receives word from a solicitor that the man, a celebrity gardener, has finally succumbed to cancer, and that he has left her some money. The gift is on condition that she track down the man's secret son and passes on his inheritance. It soon becomes clear that this apparently straightforward task will lead Lizzie into some very dangerous situations, including murder, but her obsessive nature will not allow her to walk away until she has followed the trail to its conclusion. Ann Cleeves is a prolific author with over 15 novels to her name, including a couple of well-received series. This latest one touches on some very contemporary topics, including the British countryside debate, but still finds plenty of room for the timeless subjects of murder, duplicity and greed. Lizzie Bartholomew is an interesting character, damaged by a childhood in care and by her subsequent career in the caring professions. The medication that she takes occasionally leaves her wondering whether she is imagining her life; not a desirable position to be in if you are investigating a crime for which the police consider you a suspect. The grey setting of the North of England contrasts sharply with the sunshine and colour of Morocco, emphasizing the brevity of the happy interlude Lizzie enjoyed on vacation. The rest of the cast of characters are well suited to their surroundings, some of them operating in some very dubious ways, grateful for the shadows. The explanation for murder may strike the reader as fairly mundane, but in the context it is perfectly believable and its very banality makes it even more chilling. (Kirkus UK)