In this eighth in the series, Beth Haldane is busy with her relationship with partner Harry, raising her teenage son and her job – and all is going well. Then while the construction crew is working on her new shoffice in the back garden, family dog Colin finds a human bone in a newly dug hole. Is it an ancient bone, an old bone, or is the person a victim of a recent crime?

Beth’s home is inundated by the police unit sent to investigate, but their progress is slow. Her partner Harry is a cop who is caught up in a very intense investigation of his own, so Beth feels it falls to her to figure out what has happened. Her investigation is complicated by the murder of a beloved community member…was she involved somehow?

As Beth pushes ahead with her investigation, she finds herself at serious risk. Can she figure out the clues before she’s the next victim?

I did find it a bit slow going in places and there were a few spots where an editor’s eye could have been useful. But the climax to the story and the reveal of the murderer made up for any slow going leading up to that.

Fans of the Beth Haldane series will doubtless be drawn into her newest adventure and enjoy it.   

3 stars