The Hart Of The Matter

I’ve always thought that an archaeologist makes for a neat kind of metaphorical private investigator, and it makes even more sense in a setting like Ireland, with its layers upon layers of history laid down over thousands of years. Erin Hart’s latest exercise in excavating secrets, THE BOOK OF KILLOWEN (Scribner), is her fourth novel in the series, about which the blurb elves have been wibbling thusly:

After a year away from working in the field, archaeologist Cormac Maguire and pathologist Nora Gavin are back in the bogs, investigating a ninth-century body found buried in the trunk of a car. They discover that the ancient corpse is not alone—pinned beneath it is the body of Benedict Kavanagh, missing for mere months and familiar to television viewers as a philosopher who enjoyed destroying his opponents in debate. Both men were viciously murdered, but centuries apart—so how did they end up buried together in the bog?
  While on the case, Cormac and Nora lodge at Killowen, a nearby artists’ colony and organic farm and sanctuary for eccentric souls. Digging deeper into the older crime, they become entangled in high-stakes intrigue encompassing Kavanagh’s death while surrounded by suspects in his ghastly murder. It seems that everyone at Killowen has some secret to protect.
  Set in modern-day Ireland, THE BOOK OF KILLOWEN delves deep into the mysteries of the past, revealing a new twist on the power of language—and on the eternal mysteries of good and evil.

  The book isn’t officially published until March 5th, but the early word is very good indeed. To wit:

“Hart’s foray into soggy Killowen has a rock-solid foundation of musical language and deft plotting.” (Kirkus)

“Hart combines powerful insights into human nature and pristine prose with history and archaeology in her stellar fourth crime novel … [The Book of Killowen] offers food for thought that persists beyond the immediate thrill of a well-told tale.” (Publishers Weekly)

  Erin Hart’s website can be found here.