1967, a small village in the Scottish Highlands, and a local woman, Felicity Goose, discovers Cordelia Hemlock, lying in an open grave. Cordelia is grieving for the loss of her son, but soon the two women begin to bond, primarily due to discovering a dead body. A lightning strike breaks open a mausoleum, revealing a fresh body inside. But when they tell a friend about it, not only does that friend die in a car crash, but the body vanishes to.

The truth behind the deaths reaches back to the War, to the atrocities committed in the name of patriotism. It seems that not all crimes were paid for in full. And some people have very long memories…

What’s that, I hear you cry? You’re desperate to know how The Creeping Jenny Mystery review ends? Well, so am I, but yesterday I was at the Third Section Regional Brass Band competition. Basically, each band plays the same ten-minute piece of music which to those with well-tuned musical ears is a fascinating experience, spotting the subtle errors (and some not-so-subtle) errors that each band commits. But to those with less well-tuned ears will need something to help pass the time, but a valuable near ninety-year old first edition is a bit tricky to sneak in. A Kindle, however, is a different matter…

You’ll recall David Mark as the author of the Aector McEvoy mysteries, but this is a standalone mystery. Actually, it might be the start of a series, as the book opens with a prologue with Cordelia and Felicity in the present day, and the epilogue of the same setting reveals that there have been significant changes in their lives. But this book stands perfectly well by itself.

It’s as one might expect if you’ve read the McEvoy mysteries, a deep and complex tale, full of twists that change the reader’s expectations of where the story is going. It’s a rewarding read, and while not a classic whodunit, is still full of surprises and, in addition, characters that you care about. Definitely well worth your time.

Availability: The Mausoleum is out now from Severn House in hardback and ebook format.