Erin Hart's Haunted Ground is the first in a three-part series about forensic pathologist Nora Gavin. Nora travels to a small village in Ireland to study the remains of a red-headed girl found in a peat bog and is caught in an obsession to discover the girl's identity. She teams up with Irish archaeologist Cormac Maguire to uncover secrets long buried in Drumcleggan's past.
Hart's first novel is a fascinating blend of mystery, folklore and forensic science set against the backdrop of the lush Irish countryside.
The Red-Headed Girl and the Missing Wife
Haunted Ground is full of characters trying to bury the ghosts of their pasts only to have them all rise up out of a peat bog on a fateful spring day.
Brendan McGann isn't expecting to meet the red-headed girl in the bog. Like generations of farmers before him, he's intent on digging turf for fuel-- maybe for the last time, if landowner Hugh Osborne has his way. Lost in his thoughts, he doesn't know the patch of red hair poking through the dirt is from the flowing mane of a girl whose head was buried ages ago and preserved by the ancient soil.
Nora, an expert on bog bodies, arrives unaware she's about to collide with her past while digging side-by-side in the pit with old colleague Cormac. One look at the red-headed girl's pale skin and shock of vibrant hair reminds her of her sister, murdered at the hands of her husband. Only Nora could prove his guilt, and she failed.
This really hits home when Hugh Osborne pushes his way through the gathering crowd. He collapses at the edge of the site when he glimpses the decapitated head of the red-headed girl, apparently relieved that it isn't the remains of his missing wife. Mina went for a walk to town with their little boy, Christopher, and never returned. Seeing the husband of another missing wife, Nora can't help but wonder if there's a motive behind Hugh's reaction.
Brendan's sister, Una McGann gently leads Hugh away from site. She set Drumcleggan tongues wagging when she had a baby out-of-wedlock after months of being a little too friendly in public with the married man.
Cormac witnesses the whole scene and tries to see the best in a man so broken up over his wife and child. His own father abandoned him and his mother while he was just a boy. As a result, he finds it difficult to let his guard down and let anyone get too close. Can he and Nora help each other heal old wounds?
Bracklyn House
Inciting the ire of local farmers like the hot-tempered Brendan, Hugh plans on developing the land near the turf-digging sites and begins by asking Cormac to survey the area. Nora, eager for the chance to find out more about the red-headed girl - and the disappearance of Hugh's family - stays on to assist.
Staying in Hugh's crumbling estate only adds fuel to Nora's suspicions when she meets his icy cousin Lucy and her troubled son Jeremy. The longer they stay at Bracklyn house, the more Nora and Cormac feel their presence is unwanted.
Could Lucy and Jeremy know the truth behind Mina and Christopher's disappearance? Are they protecting Hugh, or themselves?
With the help of dogged local detective Garrett Devaney, Nora and Cormac are determined to find the answers.
One Too Many Secrets in Haunted Ground
Hart tells two mysteries in parallel throughout Haunted Ground. One is the discovery of a decapitated head of an anonymous girl, the other is the disappearance of Mina and Christopher Osborne. Both are fascinating stories and are well-developed through Hart's vivid, rich prose. Yet, they exist as two separate entities that don't seem to connect in any relevant way until being loosely tied together at the end.
Nevertheless, Hart's tale is a satisfying read with memorable characters and definitely warrants its sequels Lake of Sorrows and The False Mermaid.
Source:
Hart, Erin. Haunted Ground. Scribner, 2003 ISBN 0-7432-3505-3
Amanda Flinner - Amanda is a freelance writer who earned her Bachelor's degree in Writing from Geneva College in 2006. Although a variety of interests ...
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