Burial of the Dead

by Michael Hogan

Book Overview

A powerful and thrilling literary mystery that plays out like a symphony of several movements A wealthy woman is dead in Hartford, Connecticut, and the cause of death is anyone's guess. Was it suicide? Murder? Natural causes? The cause will determine the payout of her estate, and there are as many possibilities as there are suspects. Motives abound---greed, envy, anger, lust, pride---but who really had the means to pull it off? Could it have been the woman's estranged niece? Her driver? Or was it the young Matthew Wyman? Equally devoted to a racing plot and stunning craft, Burial of the Dead features the unfolding of the mind and world of the likable but troubled Matthew as he struggles for sanity and redemption in a world where falsehood and betrayal assault the innocence and curious workings of a challenged and gifted psyche.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312367295
• ISBN13: 9780312367299
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 417 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Burial of the Dead was great

This was one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time. Hogan's writing makes you really "get" the characters, and the plot unfolds in ways I didn't see coming. Recommend to anyone looking for a really great read.

complicated somewhat convoluted mystery

Just before she died, wealthy Emma Kost O'Neal sent a note to her grand-niece Manny informing her that she was leaving her large estate to her; she also warns Manny to avoid troubled Matt Wyman. Sometime after the elderly woman dies, Manny and Matt living together argue over Emma's alleged suicide. Matt believes Emma odious avaricious lawyer Sullivan killed her. He demands Manny assist him in proving his assertion. Later Matt using the name Levon resides in an asylum where he plans to escape and return to Manny. Meanwhile she feels she has found her soulmate paralegal Ann Dillon; ironically she is as obsessed as Matt is to prove Sullivan killed Emma. Even the police who first investigated the case, detectives Mark Moraski and David Talmadge argue over Emma's death, but they look at Matt as a possible killer if a homicide occurred. This is a complicated somewhat convoluted mystery as the audience wonders whether Emma was murdered or committed suicide. Throughout the superb but Byzantine story line are legal depositions and other evidence that may be facts, interpretations to fit assumptions or red herrings. Fans who want a straightforward investigative thriller need to pass, but those who appreciate a multifaceted thriller will enjoy BURIAL OF THE DEAD because Michael Hogan's powerful support characters make this tale work. Harriet Klausner