Reviewed
by: Keith Nixon
Genre:
Crime / Thriller / Police Procedural
Approximate
word count: 75-80,000
words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes &
Noble, or Smashwords store
Author:
Mike Craven is
a native Cumbrian where all his writing is set. His sixteen years in
the probation service form a foundation for his work.
You can learn
more about the author at his website.
Description:
Detective
Inspector Avison Fluke is a man on the edge. He has committed a crime
to get back to work, concealed a debilitating illness, and is about
to be made homeless. Just as he thinks things can't get any worse,
the body of a young woman is found buried on a wet, Cumbrian building
site. Shot once in the back of the head, execution style, it is a
cold, calculated murder.
When
the post-mortem reveals she has gone to significant expense in
disguising her appearance, and the only clue to her identity is a
strange series of numbers, Fluke knows this is no ordinary murder.
With the help of a psychotic ex-Para, a gangland leader, and a woman
more interested in maggots than people, Fluke must find out who she
was and why she was murdered before he can even think about finding
her killer.
As the
body count rises and his investigation takes him from poverty
stricken estates to picture perfect Lake District villages, he
realizes his troubles are only just beginning. Because someone,
somewhere has a plan and if Fluke can't figure out what's happening,
he may just be next…
Appraisal:
Born
In A Burial Gown was
longlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger Award and it’s easy to see why.
This is a consummate police procedural and for several very good
reasons. First is the significant depth of detail into investigative
processes rarely seen elsewhere. If you’re into the whys and
wherefores, Burial Gown
has it, although Craven manages not to bog the reader down in detail.
Second
is the characterization, Fluke in particular is great. Suitably
damaged, suitably driven he pushes the already fast-paced story along
in his own way.
Third
is the setting. Cumbria (aka The Lake District) is a beautiful
(albeit wet) area in the North West of England more known for its
tourist attractions than criminal fraternity. Craven offsets the two
beautifully.
Finally
there’s the plot itself. The woman’s murder and the mystery that
ensues is compelling and Craven reveals just enough to keep pulling
the reader through to the very satisfying end.
Simply
superb.
FYI:
Nothing
major for a crime novel.
Format/Typo
Issues:
Nothing
worth a mention.
Rating: ***** Five Stars
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