The Mausoleum - (Cordelia Hemlock Novel) by David Mark (Hardcover)

About the Book

1967. Grieving the loss of her son, Cordelia Hemlock seeks out the company of the dead, taking comfort in the local churchyard. During a storm, she sees a corpse that doesn't belong among the crumbling bones. Cordelia begins to investigate, but there are those who believe the village's secrets should remain buried . . . whatever the cost.

Book Synopsis

When lightning strikes an ancient crypt, it exposes a devastating wartime secret in this compelling psychological thriller.

1967. In a quiet village in the wild lands of the Scottish borders, disgraced academic Cordelia Hemlock is trying to put her life back together. Grieving the loss of her son, she seeks out the company of the dead, taking comfort amid the ancient headstones and crypts of the local churchyard. When lightning strikes a tumbledown tomb, she glimpses a corpse that doesn't belong among the crumbling bones. But when the storm passes and the body vanishes, the authorities refuse to believe the claims of a hysterical 'outsider'.

Teaming up with a reluctant witness, local woman Felicity Goose, Cordelia's enquiries all lead back to a former POW camp that was set up in the village during the Second World War. But not all Gilsland's residents welcome the two young women's interference. There are those who believe the village's secrets should remain buried ... whatever the cost.

Review Quotes

'A quiet, unassuming crime novel, but it is one of my favourites so far this year.'-- " Jeff Popple, Deadly Pleasures magazine"

'Deft writing, a plot filled with strange and unexpected twists, vivid characters, and a constant feeling of foreboding make this a gripping and unusual read.'-- "Booklist

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'Exceptional... Mark is writing at the top of his game.'-- "Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

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'Sure to please fans of Catriona McPherson.'-- "Kirkus Reviews

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'This intricately plotted bleak story has a menacing tone.. a very British tale.'-- "Library Journal

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