John Burley

Told in alternating time periods - present day and roughly twenty years prior during which several residents of the town mysteriously disappeared, one of whom was Erin's mother. Erin returns home because her father is ill. While he's in the hospital, a body is found buried on his property. Erin doesn't believe he is responsible and hopes it's not her mother.

The book started out fine, but then it got a bit slower. This is a true slow-burn mystery. Towards the end, it was a bit more interesting again but the very end involved some crazy action with one character suffering such severe injuries, I was surprised she could walk.… (more)

Surrender the Dead by John Burley can be added to the towering stack of contemporary thrillers that feature an unreliable female narrator who is dragged back to her childhood home. Erin Reese, Burley’s protagonist, returns to Wolf Point after learning her father has been hospitalized. Like those other damaged women in such novels, she had sworn she would never return. For Erin, the town is where her mother and others disappeared under suspicious circumstances. To her dismay, her father’s farm has recently become a crime scene since a body has been found on the property. The bereaved families of those victims from 20 years ago rise up to demand answers and obtain closure. Having borne the losses so long, they are quick to accuse Erin’s father who has a criminal record. While in town, Erin reconnects with Robbie, a childhood friend. She enlists his help to investigate and clear her father’s name. Just when his health begins to improve, another body is found on his land-thereby solidifying the case against him. Erin needs to rely on blocked memories from her past which are revealed slowly to the reader. Surrender the Dead is not particularly innovative, but its twisty ending will appeal to fans of the genre. There is a large selection of novels with similar plotlines available, and this one might be found in the lower part of the list.… (more)

Three young adults have been killed in a town south of Pittsburgh. Ben Stevenson is a pathologist that works for the Allegheny County Coroner's Office. He has the gruesome job of examining the bodies and then to report the findings. He notes: "People never look carefully at what's directly in front of them." Readers can probably guess who the killer is early on or half way through as the author gives hints along the way. While it flows well and is easy to read, the plot was on the slow side for me.… (more)