Review - The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal

 

  

 

Title: The Burial Plot

Author: Elizabeth Macneal

Pages: 256

Publisher: Picador

Release Date: 6th June 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory, The Burial Plot is an unstoppable historical thriller about murder, manipulation, and a young woman trying to wrestle power from the hands of a dangerous man. But he’s always one step ahead . . .

London, 1839. Where the cemeteries are full and there is money to be made in death, Bonnie and Crawford lead a life of trickery, surviving off ill-gotten coin and nefarious schemes. But one hot evening, their luck runs out. A man lies in a pool of blood at Bonnie’s feet and now she needs to disappear.

Crawford secures her a position as lady’s maid in a grand house on the Thames, still deep in mourning for its late mistress. As Bonnie comes to understand this family – the eccentric Mr Moncrieff, obsessively drawing mausoleums grand enough for his dead wife, and their peculiar daughter Cissie, scribbling imaginary love letters to herself from the mysterious Lord Duggan – she begins to question what really happened to Mrs Moncrieff and whether her own presence here was planned from the beginning.

Because Crawford is watching, and perhaps he is plotting his greatest trick yet . . .

 

 

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan*

In 1839 London, Bonnie makes a living through different schemes with her partner, Crawford.

When one of these schemes goes wrong, Bonnie has blood on her hands and needs somewhere to hide.

Crawford finds Bonnie a position as a lady's maid in the house of Mr. Moncrieff, who is in mourning for his late wife.

As Bonnie tends for Mr. Moncrieff's daughter, Cissie, she wonders if there was more to Mrs Moncrieff's death, and comes to realise that she has been lied to by the person she loves most.

The blurb for this book intrigued me, and I was interested to find out what would happen to Bonnie.

Bonnie was a likeable and relatable protagonist. I felt sorry for her, because it seemed like things in her life were nearly always out of her control. I liked how Bonnie tried to help Cissie from their start, and the relationship Bonnie formed with her.

I really did not like Crawford and the way he treated people.

The setting of 1800's London was interesting, as was the cemetery that Bonnie suggested to Mr. Moncrieff - I don't know how much of the book was true in regards to there not being enough space in cemeteries, but it certainly seems like something that could have happened.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention throughout. There were events that surprised me, but I wasn't gripped or on the edge of my seat. However, I was rooting for Bonnie from the start, and I hoped that things would work out for her.

The writing style was easy to follow, and I have already read several books by this author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.