What is meant as a fresh start in the English Lakes District begins to reek of buried secrets....

Oxford historian and TV personality Daniel Kind and his new lover, Miranda, both want to escape to a new life. On impulse they buy Tarn Cottage in Brackdale, an idyllic valley in the Lake District that Daniel knew as a boy. He is still fascinated by a place so remote that the dead had to be carried out over the peaks on pack animals along the ancient Coffin Trail. But though the couple hope to live the dream of downsizing, the past has a way of catching up.

Tarn Cottage was once home to Barrie Gilpin, an autistic youth suspected of a savage murder-what looks like the ritualistic killing of a young woman visitor to the valley. She was found laid out on the Sacrifice Stone, an ancient pagan site up on the fell. Barrie fell to his death near the crime scene before he could be questioned.

All these years later, Daniel retains his belief in Barrie's innocence and questions his own policeman father's handling of the case. When DCI Hannah Scarlett and her squad launch a cold case review, Brackdale's skeletons begin to rattle&. The wild geography of the Lakes District plays against local literary references, all backdrop to the lives of villagers and outsiders drawn to this beautiful spot - but for what reasons?

Reserved for my 21st Century Award Winners & Shortlisters Bookbox aka "Prize" bookbox - less of a mouthfull!

Nominated for the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year

Added to my "PRIZE WINNERS" Book box

Taken out of Book Box - love the Lake District so a murder set in the Lakes sounds like a good book to me.

Quite an enjoyable read indeed. I did like the setting in the Lake District, an area I do love myself (even though I don't think I could live there, do like city life too much). I liked the variety of characters and as the end suggests I am sure we will see more of Daniel and Hannah.

Going into KaleLewin'x Crime Bookbox

Taken from the Crime and Thriller bookbox.

I quickly got into this complex tale and really enjoyed it at first but then I felt it lost pace about half way through. However, I persevered and enjoyed the twist at the end.

Going into Flutterbies crime bookbox.

Taken from Flutterbies9's Crime/Mystery BookBox. Thanks to all.

I wasn't so sure at the beginning but soon settled in and enjoyed the tale.

Taking to a meet up with lunch.

Picked up over lunch.

Taking to the Loughborough meet.