The Burial Place: A Jake Jackson Mystery

Abell’s sterling third outing for ex-detective Jake Jackson (after Death in a Lonely Place) is a taut, atmospheric whodunit that revolves around an archaeological dig in England. Jackson has retired to a bucolic village, where, after a painful divorce, he’s built a new life. Nearby, archaeologists have uncovered a haul of “treasure, coins and weaponry” worth £3 million but, due to contested land ownership, may not be able to keep it. The archaeologists start receiving threatening letters signed “Wulfnoth,” a royal figure from the 11th century, which decry the desecration of the land and portend violence if it continues. A series of murders on the site ensue. While the first death is a tad unlikely—a reverend drinks hydrochloric acid, mistaking it for water—the subsequent killings are chillingly vicious. As Jackson investigates with the assistance of a team of insightful women sleuths, the potential motives he considers range from greed and revenge to ecological concern. The setting recalls Tana French’s In the Woods, but Abell’s prose is singularly searing and evocative. This will stun series fans and newcomers alike. Agent: Cathryn Summerhayes, Curtis Brown U.K. (Aug.)