Not this publication but a Readers Digest abridged story. Good read.

The Calling of the Grave opens eight years earlier when forensic anthropologist David Hunter's wife and daughter were still alive. He is requested to attend a grave of a body buried on Dartmoor. Police believe it may belong to one of the victims of Jerome Monk who was jailed for the murder of four young women. Even though Monk has confessed he refuses to reveal where the other three girls are buried. Hunter get to Dartmoor where he joins the investigation. One of the team, a young BIA investigator named Sophie Keller, establishes a rapport with Monk. The investigators determine the body in the grave is one of Monk's victims and try to persuade him to help them find the other bodies but Monk escapes, is recaptured, and the search comes to an end. David returns to London where his wife and daughter are soon killed in a car accident.

The book now picks up at present day where David is contacted by Sophie who asks for his help as she is clearly frightened of something. When Hunter arrives at the pub she's selected, Sophie does not turn up so he drives to her house to find she's been attacked. Added to that comes the news that Monk has escaped again. David stays with Sophie while she recuperates and she becomes obsessed with the old case. The constantly annoying Sophie is obviously hiding a secret and David sticks along for the ride.

The book is well researched and the plot is fast paced but I didn't like it as much as the prior books in the series. David is a smart man but he makes so many bad decisions it's hard to root for him. However, Beckett really knows how to capture the reader's attention and I look forward to more books in this particular series.
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In this tale we finally find out what happened to Dr. David Hunter's wife and daughter while we are taken on a trip down memory land. We also get to take part in the search for a violent killer who has escaped police custody during a search for the victims' bodies that were never found at the time of the defendant's trial. However, all is not as it seems, and secrets held by many lead finally to the truth, although it is too late for some. It was another interesting story in this series. ( )

Das Gute an diesem Buch ist: Es ist nicht ganz so eklig wie die letzten. Was an sich etwas schade ist, man erwartet es bei diesem Auto gerade zu.

Der Autor fährt nach dem gleichen Schema fort wie sonst: David Hunter fährt in eine isolierte Kleinstadt, trifft alte Bekannte, es knistert zwischen ihm und einer Figur, und einer von dem man es nicht denkt ist der Mörder.
Die Auflösung, dass das Monster gar keines ist ist zwar hübsch, aber auch nicht neu.

Das Buch unterhält, mehr aber auch nicht. ( )

From Amazon:

When DI Terry Connor turns up on David Hunter's doorstep, it's an unwelcome reminder of the past in more ways than one. The two used to be friends before Connor's behavior caused a bitter rift. And the news the policeman brings is even less welcome: the psychotic rapist and murderer Jerome Monk has escaped from high security prison. Monk's is a name all too familiar to Hunter. Eight years before he'd part of an ill-fated Body Recovery team assembled to try and find the graves of Monk's teenage victims on the bleak expanse of Dartmoor. Only one of the missing girls' bodies was ever found, and Monk's own controversial involvement in the search led to more failure and a violent denouement. And now Monk is on the loose - and seems to be targeting anyone involved with the original search. Then Hunter receives a mysterious appeal for help from Sophie Keller, a young woman who also worked on the operation, he suddenly finds that the past is far from dead and buried. Neither the events unfolding now, nor those from all those years ago, are quite as they seem. And as the maniac's bloody trail edges ever closer, Hunter is forced to question who he can really trust. Especially when his own life depends on it.

My Thoughts:

What can I say about the seemingly last book in this great series? The writing style is vivid, and the author manages to bring to life the locations the books take place in in a way that's memorable and unique. This helps maintain a heightened sense of dread and tension throughout. The main reason I love the Dr. Hunter series is because Beckett always goes into very fine detail regarding the remains and forensic techniques that David uses. This book, however, was a lot more plot driven and had less to do with any actual forensic work. Still, the book was a very enjoyable read. The ending of this book certainly left an opening for yet another book...hope Simon Becket follows up on it.
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