In this gripping follow-up to her sensational debut, Haunted Ground, Erin Hart delves into Ireland's mysterious peat bogs to create a stunning tale of deception and murder. Pathologist Nora Gavin arrives at a desolate industrial site in the Irish midlands, a place known as the Lake of Sorrows, where workers have just unearthed a long-buried body. But moments after her arrival a much more recent victim is discovered. Like the ancient body, the new corpse bears multiple wounds, suggesting the ritual sacrifice of Ireland's blood-soaked pagan past. Nora and archaeologist Cormac Maguire, caught up in a tumultuous love affair, must team up again professionally, and are soon enmeshed in the web of tangled desires and terrible secrets that surround this mysterious death. Illicit liaisons, rumors of ancient gold and vengeance fuel the mounting danger.
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"Another excellent mystery by Erin Hart. In this one the historic "bog body" gets sort of shoved to the sidelines, which is kind of a shame, but the modern mystery was interesting and the different characters well portrayed. (view spoiler)[We'll overlook the cliche of the dastardly villain pontificating at length about his actions and motives to the captive heroine (thereby giving her the chance she needed to escape) instead of simply dispatching her without further ado.....This rivals only the unrealistically convenient letter or journal entry in the category of overused mystery writing devices. Nevertheless, (hide spoiler)]I'm hooked, and eager to read the next in the series."
— Martha (4 out of 5 stars)
“Hart writes with a lovely eloquence.”
— New York Times Book Review“Personal detail and local history give Lake of Sorrows a heft and richness uncommon in contemporary suspense novels.”
— Minneapolis Star Tribune“Hart’s second literary thriller starring pathologist Nora Gavin…is an Irish breakfast of a book: a kidney here, a sausage there, undeniably rich and delicious…Every character is fascinating…Hart’s language sings, and the gothic atmosphere lingers the way peat clings to the skin of bog workers.”
— Publishers Weekly“Another detail-rich, character-centered mix of local history and tangled human relationships…Full of riches for readers who savor the multidimensionality of literary fiction.”
— Booklist" Very good book. It's a sequel to Haunted Ground by the same author and is also an archaeological mystery combining modern and past murders. "
— cassie, 2/16/2014" An engrossing mystery with a fascinating background of Irish folkore and ancient Celtic religion. Great characters. I hope she eventually lets the female lead be a little happier, because I liked her so much by the end of the story. "
— Barbara, 2/8/2014" Very slow moving-almost made me give up. It is a good storyline, and does have good plot points. Just be prepared for a lot of exploration of feelings and angst. "
— Rachel, 1/30/2014" Read by Jennifer McMahn "
— Pithee, 1/26/2014" This is the second book in a series, after Haunted Ground, featuring Irish-American pathologist Nora Gavin . I enjoyed listening to the audio version narrated by Jennifer McMahon, with her rich Irish accents. The intriguing story revolves around two bodies found in a bog, one an iron-age man and the second, a man wearing a wrist watch, but strangely killed in a similar way. Hart has done a lot of research on ancient Irish rituals and bog finds. Subplots about the detective working the case and Nora's relationship with Cormac Maguire add to the story along with a knowledge of beekeeping and Irish music. "
— Allison, 1/24/2014" AWESOME book! Going to start the last one in the series right now, The False Mermaid. It's her most recent book, I believe, but I hope not the last with these characters. I LOVED the first two!!! "
— Michele, 1/16/2014" Nora Gavin and Cormac Maguire work together again to solve mystery of another bog body. "
— Kitty, 1/16/2014" Great second novel. Enjoy reading the same characters. "
— Elizabeth, 1/15/2014" great book which is set in Ireland and against the backdrop of Ireland's rich archeological history. There is a lovely and haunting song Nora sings in Gaelic and the author definitely feels and interprets beautifully the spirituality of Ireland's holy wilderness "
— Rochelle, 1/14/2014" This was a pretty good book. It was one of those where I could catch on to a clue here or there, but didn't really solve the puzzle until the very end. Excellent. "
— Sarah, 1/14/2014" One of three books with a Minneapolis-Ireland connection and a good mystery story. "
— Sandy, 1/14/2014" Not quite as good as the first one, but still vivid & evocative. A good read for people who like Irish stuff. Or mysteries. Or anthropology. Or history. "
— Sarah, 1/4/2014" Bad. Just really really bad and boring. "
— Natasha, 1/2/2014" The second book by Erin Hart in a nice gothic suspense story. "
— Laura, 12/24/2013" very good second book, had trouble putting it down "
— Lori, 12/10/2013" Again, we are transported. What a fascinating look at bog people, forensic science, etc. I love her work. "
— Linda, 11/10/2013" Irish history , a bit of a love story and a good mystery. What more can you ask for? "
— Deb, 9/17/2013" This novel continues to follow the American pathologist, Nora Gavin, while she helps to solve mysteries in the bog country of Ireland. The setting is interesting, but the characters are less so. "
— Terry, 8/14/2013" Makes me want to go back to Ireland. "
— Emily, 7/17/2013" Ugh. I ended up skimming the second half of this book. I so wanted to slap the main character and/or shake some sense into her. Very predictable. "
— Amy, 11/18/2012" A very atmospheric story. "
— Mary, 10/3/2012" Not much character development and she tries to have too many stories happening at the same time. "
— Lwalling, 7/17/2012" Another good read from Erin Hart. "
— Maureen, 5/29/2012" Very interesting history aspect to her books plus a complicated mystery to solve. "
— Beth, 12/27/2011" I really liked the first book, too. "
— Lee, 7/25/2011" I really wish the author did a better job explaining archaeological excavations (realizing that she is not an archaeologist). Worst part: why must the female protagonist cry after intimacy? WHY? "
— Diana, 7/2/2011" Another excellent outing in the peat bogs with Erin Hart! "
— Judy, 5/18/2011" Beautifully written, great mystery and interesting setting. "
— Mary, 5/7/2011" Left me breathless! Builds slowly, but then I read the last half in one big gulp. <br/> "
— Mkotch, 3/21/2011" AWESOME book! Going to start the last one in the series right now, The False Mermaid. It's her most recent book, I believe, but I hope not the last with these characters. I LOVED the first two!!! "
— Michele, 3/17/2011" Erin Hart presented at the 2010 Book Festival and was very well received. I am sorry to have missed the presentation. The mystery is set in Ireland on the bogs and weaves folklore and music into the story. I will read more of her books. "
— Mary, 3/11/2011" Invulgar, o ambiente e a natureza também são personagens importantes nesta história! "
— Babete, 2/8/2011" I don't know why I find bog people so fascinating, but I do, and I really like the way Hart incorporated another ancient bog body with a modern one in this mystery. There were quite a few characters to keep track of, but overall I quite enjoyed the mystery/read. "
— Leilani, 1/29/2011" Again, we are transported. What a fascinating look at bog people, forensic science, etc. I love her work. "
— Linda, 1/18/2011" I take comfort in knowing she keeps getting better. I do like the way one story starts like the next day after the last one ended. "
— Jane, 12/29/2010" This novel continues to follow the American pathologist, Nora Gavin, while she helps to solve mysteries in the bog country of Ireland. The setting is interesting, but the characters are less so. "
— Terry, 11/20/2010" This one felt a little more disjointed than her previous book. I still liked the context of the story and it provided an engaging read. "
— Alicia, 10/19/2010" I enjoyed reading this installment of the Nora Gavin series. The story was a bit sad and it took me a while to read. I would actually give it 3 1/2 stars. I look forward to the next in the series. "
— Denise, 9/9/2010" Another quick read from my favorite new mystery author. There are lots of characters here, usually I'm annoyed by that, but each character was an individual with her/his own story and I was drawn in. I really enjoying the twists and turns of this story. Can't wait for the next one! "
— CJ, 8/15/2010Erin Hart is a theater critic and former administrator at the Minnesota State Arts Board. A lifelong interest in Irish traditional music led her to cofound Minnesota’s Irish Music and Dance Association. She and her husband, musician Paddy O’Brien, live in St. Paul, Minnesota, and frequently visit Ireland. She was nominated for the Agatha and Anthony Awards for her debut novel, Haunted Ground, and won the Friends of American Writers Award in 2004.
Jennifer McMahon is the author of eleven novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Promise Not to Tell and The Winter People. She graduated with a BA from Goddard College and then studied poetry for a year in the MFA in writing program at Vermont College. Visit her at Jennifer-McMahon.com or connect with her on Instagram @JenniferMcMahonWrites and Facebook @JenniferMcMahonBook