Reviews

Haunted Ground by Erin Hart

amn028's review

2.0

The book was an okay vacation read. I could put it down to go off and explore, then pick it up later in the evening. The book doesn't seem to know whether it wants to focus on/solve the present day or past mystery. As a result, both story lines suffer. The present day mystery seems rushed and is resolved in a mediocre fashion. The past mystery never really gets all that interesting or intriguing. The main characters aren't fully engaging. The whole book seems more of a gloss over as it tries to do too much and never really gets meaty.

dmsreader09's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

git_r_read's review against another edition

5.0

This was an amazing debut book. It is a keeper. I emailed the author and she emailed a great reply. I do hope to read more of her work.
What I learned from this book is to love and live for each day. Time is precious.

leavingsealevel's review

2.0

This seemed to contain a lot of Cliches About Ireland for American readers who are susceptible to that sort of thing. I feel one part annoyed, and one part catered to.

emmacarrasco20's review

I just felt like I couldn't understand the words and it didn't make sense of what was happening. As I continued to read I didn't remember anything I had just read

sjj169's review

4.0

I enjoyed this book. Interesting subject matter with a touch of forensics. Gothic setting. :)

abeth_parker's review

2.0

I love mysteries and books set in England, Ireland and Scotland. This book had great potential, but the only exciting parts were the beginning and the end. Although clues and answers were found during the middle of the book, it was only small pieces and it wasn't enough to keep the flow of the story moving well. I realize that novels and movies and television shows have given us an unrealistic view of how police work actually goes, but it is partly because we need the story to keep moving forward. This novel is one that seemed to only skim along the surface of a story that could have been deeper and more complex.

bet27's review

2.0

(more 2.5 stars)

lilac93's review

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

menfrommarrs's review

4.0

In books with historical content, I need to trust that the author has done the research. I did look up a few things, but trusted [a:Erin Hart|145171|Erin Hart|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1358984626p2/145171.jpg] on several points. Being educated about Bog People and their preservation was really interesting. Considering the destruction of the peat bog in favor of a fuel source for personal use and profit versus the environmental impact of the harvesting of an un-renewable resource was also a thought provoking topic. I’m surprised more was not said about the flora and fauna. (Where would the Hound of the Baskervilles be without the moor?)☻

I really enjoy archaeological and anthropological mysteries, even hokey ones. The combination of forensics and folklore was appealing in [b:Haunted Ground|905451|Haunted Ground (Nora Gavin, #1)|Erin Hart|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412217096s/905451.jpg|240718].

I wasn’t very invested in the modern mystery. The character of the husband , Hugh Osborne, didn't make me very empathetic,

Spoiler

and I guess he had to remain that way, since I was supposed to suspect him.

Jeremy, Lucy's son, appears to be vile.

Spoiler

so much so, that even though I am later given excuses for his psychosis, I don’t care.

I didn’t worry too much about the missing wife and child either, they were not drawn in a sympathetic palette..

Spoiler

Really, I neither remember one endearing trait described about the wife, nor one curling plump little pinkie on the child. Even the sister called them “The Wife and The Child, instead of by personal or pet names, which was appropriate for her character, but I think that I should have cared more.

I know, I know, I’m hard-hearted.

Spoiler

and didn’t I just know that the perpetrator was the twisted wicked sister, Lucy?

.

I wouldn’t mind traveling again with Nora and Cormac, they can verge on the bedside if they like, didn’t make a difference to me. But hey! I do need a scientist and an emotional educator to keep introducing plot points. I’d also like to again hear from homicide detective, Garrett Devaney; need his tenacity and humanity.

So now that I have managed to put thought to paper, I have decided that everyone was just how they were supposed to be! All characters, whether I liked it or not, belonged in this tale!

The mysteries of the "Cailin Rua" and the red-headed pate, now that was very intriguing. I cared about her reason for being bodiless in the bog

Spoiler

and for her lover and inant.

Loved how each piece, which was gathered from folklore and music, fit into the puzzle, even though the puzzle piece was often times not in the same box and sometimes had to have an edge shaved in order to snuggle it in!