The Burying Ground

In this engaging fourth installment of Kellough’s (47 Sorrows) Thaddeus Lewis Mystery series, the crime and intrigue in pre-confederation Canada continues. In 1851 Thaddeus returns to work as a so-called saddlebag preacher, guiding his horse and cart through the rural area north of Toronto in an attempt to attract villagers to his beloved but dwindling Methodist Episcopal church. When off duty, Thaddeus reverts to his pastime as sleuth to help an old friend investigate a puzzle at a Strangers’ Burying Ground, where intruders have mysteriously unearthed a long-buried body. Aiding the investigation is Thaddeus’s son, Luke, a recently graduated medical doctor with a secret, who has just arrived in the village of Yorkville to take up a position as junior partner to an aging and eccentric doctor. When Luke rescues a beautiful young girl from the clutches of slave catchers, he is propelled into a dangerous world that has an unexpected connection to the graveyard investigation. Situating the exploits of these endearing and surprisingly deep characters against the volatile backdrop of 19th-century Upper Canada, Kellough weaves a tale that is almost as much a history lesson as it is a thrill ride. Agency: Robert Lecker Agency. (Aug.)