Bones of the Buried

by David Roberts

Book Overview

She's a foreign correspondent for a British national newspaper. He's the scion to an English dukedom. It is 1936, and they're in Spain, Verity Browne because she is passionately committed to defending the Spanish republic against Franco's imminent fascist threat and Lord Edward Corinth because she summoned him. She is investigating the killing of a Communist Party worker in the hills outside Madrid, and she desperately needs Edward's help. The stakes for Verity in this murky murder case surpass the ideological, as the prime suspect--David Griffith-Jones, a senior figure in the Communist Party--also happens to be her lover. Against all odds and his personal inclinations, Edward saves his arch rival for Verity's affections from a firing squad. This new adventure in David Roberts's sophisticated mystery series set in the politically turbulent prewar thirties has, however, only just begun. It continues in London, where Edward becomes embroiled in the investigation of a second murder, the victim this time no Communist Party worker but rather a conservative banker. Unlikely though a connection between the two cases may be, Edward does find one. He discovers that both men attended Eton. So, Edward realizes, did another man who has recently died--on safari in Kenya, in what appears to be a shooting accident. An Etonian himself, Edward begins to suspect that more than the destiny of nations is determined on the playing fields of Eton. In their politically awkward, romantically charged alliance, the aristocratic Edward and Communist-sympathizer Verity together pursue the truth in a mystifying case that could endanger both their lives.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786709081
• ISBN13: 9780786709083
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.6" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

great reading

Here's a tip when reading "Bones of the Buried," have a piece of paper with all the characters names written down so that you don't start confusing one character with the other. This was especially true of the men in this mystery novel -- after a while, they all seem to be variations of a theme/mold. I'm usually rather good at being able to distinguish characters (and love novels that have lots of characters), but even I got confused a few times. Except for this small peeve, "Bones of the Buried" is a rather nifty and engrossing murder mystery, that is highly evocative of the period, and worth touting about as an excellent read.Lord Edward Corinth has barely unpacked his bags and accustomed himself to being in London again after having spent six months in New York, when a rather hysterical Verity Browne turns up at his doorstep demanding his help. The last time that the pair spoke, Verity was on her way to cover the Spanish Civil War and keeping company with a rather obnoxious fellow communist party member, David Griffiths-Jones. Now, Verity wants Lord Edward to help save Griffiths-Jones from a Spanish firing squad. Apparently, Griffiths-Jones has been found guilty of murdering another communist party member, and a fellow Brit, Godfrey Tilney (an old Etonian whom Lord Edward remembers as being a bit of a bully and fairly unpleasant). Verity is certain that Griffiths-Jones is innocent, in spite of the circumstantial evidence against him, and wants Lord Edward to help her. Lord Edward is not so sure if he can indeed do anything to help save Griffiths-Jones from execution, but he agrees to set off for Madrid with Verity. What he finds is a country in chaos and full opposing little factions. Working against time, Lord Edward and Verity must navigate their way through all the petty internal politics and confusion in order to discover the evidence they need to set Griffiths-Jones free. But will they be able to accomplish this feat? "Bones of the Buried" proved to be a highly engrossing read. I particularly liked that David Roberts took such care to get the feel of the period just right, and to explain the politics of the times in such detail. The mystery with all its little subplots that may or may not be interconnecting, was a brilliant brain teaser too. The character of Lord Edward seems to have matured a little since "Sweet Poison," however I really kept getting irritated and frustrated with the character of Verity Browne. In "Sweet Poison" she seemed to be on the path towards realising the difference between ideals and dogma, but in "Bones of the Buried" however, she seems to have lost her ability to face the unpleasant truth about the Communist party, and constantly lapses to mouthing the party line whenever something she'd rather not face surfaces. Verity Browne, in this novel, comes across as an insecure and unsure young woman when she was not passionately discussing world affairs. And I kept rooting for Lord Edward to snap out of this fascinati