Lost Graves by S.A. Dunphy - Book Review

Lost Graves by S.A. Dunphy

Boyle & Keneally Series- Book #2

Publication Date: 24th Jan 2022

Genre: Thriller; Irish 

4 Stars 

One Liner: A mix of various elements and interesting characters.  

*****

When Rufus, the pet dog of a Traveller father and son, digs up what looks like a burial site, it ends up opening the Pandora box of deaths and mysteries unsolved for years. 

Jessie Boyle and Seamus Keneally visit the village and learn that things are as dangerous as they can get. With no clues, DNA results, or any information to keep them going, Jessie knows it’ll be another almost-impossible case to tackle. 

The slightest of evidence takes them forward only to branch out into mysterious routes, and only one of them leads to the killer. The forest has safeguarded secrets for decades and has no intention of giving them up without a fight. Moreover, the Abhartach (a terror from the Irish legends) seems to have claimed the forests as his own. 

With ominous warnings from the local folk and pressure from the government, can Jessie get to the bottom of the case and stay alive? 

My Observations: 

• The book reads well as a standalone despite a few references to the past. 
• The pacing is steady. The story is neither wow nor bland. 
• The characters are cool and distinct. It’s easy to get into the flow and understand their voices. 
• Dawn Wilson is a kickass boss. I hope to see more of her in the coming books.
• Some of the Irish politics and military references went over my head. However, it didn’t stop me from getting the overall picture. 
• The character descriptions read like a police report. That was cheeky. ;) 
• Good balance between show and tell. 
• Enough action to keep readers interested. 
• No unexpected twists or ‘pull the rug’ moments. 

Side Note: 

The book discusses the legend of Abhartach, a short, dark, and terrifying man who is the earliest vampire in history. The legend claims that death didn’t stop Abhartach, no matter how many times he was killed. It took a Catholic Church priest to put Abhartach on an ash stake and prevent him from rising again. 

This caught my interest as I’ve been reading about colonization and conversion of heathens from pagan religions to Abrahamic religions. The legend fit right into the slot. Imagine a dead person who can be stopped only by a Christian priest. Somehow, none of the existing pagan rituals seem to help people. 

The book has interesting viewpoints about the legend, and one of them did get my attention. It equates the Abhartach with the Irish to show that no matter how much the Churches tried, the natives (and settlers) could rise and claim their heritage after being almost wiped out of existence. 

Since I actually felt sorry for the character equated with Abhartach, I do agree with the analysis. The pagans are rising again (in my country too, though we managed to retain our culture and heritage), and well, it’s time the world respected this. 

To sum up, Lost Graves is a steady thriller with a mix of various elements, from folklore to politics. It can be read as a standalone. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. A

#NetGalley #LostGraves