Buried In Cornwall is the third Cornwall mystery by English Author Jane Bolitho.
The previous two impressed me as reminiscent of another favourite author, Karin Fossum, for insightful characters in a unique setting. This third in the series was a disappointment, a 'cozy mystery' that only offered dull gossip and boring developments of the main characters and their friends. Leaning heavily into relationships, this had a forgettable murder of someone you don't know, who I had actually forgotten about until the end.
Rose and Inspector Jack Pearce have called off their romance, but there is the artist Nick Pascoe in the wings, inviting her to dinner. He has just broken up with Jenny, a flighty woman who does catering and sleeps rough. They are all friends with artists and gallery owners Stella and Daniel, who have their own relationship issues - Daniel also had an affair with Jenny. Maddy runs a craft shop, and knows them all, including Nick, who she has her eye on. If Nick and Rose fizzle, there is Peter, another artist waiting in the wings for a date with Rose - although he also had an affair with Jenny. Taking place in Cornwall, the action spills over into St. Ives and Penzance, so there is plenty of local scenery, and recommendations for Rose to paint along the coastline, just above an abandoned mine, where she hears the ghostly wail of a woman screaming. A police search turns up nothing, but a few days later, human remains are discovered deep in the mine shaft. Jenny has been missing for days now, but it's not her.
This series seemed a winner, I recommended the first two titles. This entry was pedantic. Rose was more occupied with relationships than 'mystery', yet even as character development it didn't hold my attention. The location is beautiful, there is a lot of wine to drink, and the characters interact cohesively, but the mystery is disappointing... and the explanation for the haunting screams echoing along the shoreline is just the most ridiculous. I was looking forward to continuing the series, but this is certainly not recommended.
1999 / Tradeback / 255 pages
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