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What Lies Buried
' Shadow Man is a harrowing and horrific game of consequences' Val McDermid THE BRILLIANTLY COMPELLING SECOND NOVEL IN THE DI LUKAS MAHLER SERIES A missing child. A seventy-year-old murder. And a killer who's still on the loose. Ten year-old Erin is missing; taken in broad daylight during a friend's birthday party. With no witnesses and no leads, DI Lukas Mahler races against time to find her. But is it already too late for Erin - and will her abductor stop at one stolen child? And the discovery of human remains on a construction site near Inverness confronts Mahler's team with a cold case from the 1940s. Was Aeneas Grant's murder linked to a nearby POW camp, or is there an even darker story to be uncovered? With his team stretched to the limit, Mahler's hunt for Erin's abductor takes him from Inverness to the Lake District. And decades-old family secrets link both casesin a shocking final twist. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MARGARET KIRK'S DEBUT NOVEL SHADOW MAN : 'Gripping' 'Kept me on my toes right to the end' 'Another great detective is born' ' Shadow Man has a taut plot, maintains suspense cleverly and is crisply written' 'The city of Inverness is almost a character in its own right' 'A top-notch crime thriller, full of intricate twists with a disturbing insight into the mind of a cold blooded killer' 'Dark and atmospheric, I just couldn't put it down'
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2019
25 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Kirk
8 books60 followersMargaret Kirk writes ‘Highland Noir’ Scottish crime fiction, set in and around her home town of Inverness.
Her debut novel, Shadow Man, won the Good Housekeeping First Novel Competition in 2016. Described as ‘a harrowing and horrific game of consequences’ by Val McDermid, it was published in 2017 by Orion.
Margaret is also the writer of several award-winning short stories, including The Seal Singers, which has been published in translation in Germany, and Switzerland.
Her debut novel, Shadow Man, won the Good Housekeeping First Novel Competition in 2016. Described as ‘a harrowing and horrific game of consequences’ by Val McDermid, it was published in 2017 by Orion.
Margaret is also the writer of several award-winning short stories, including The Seal Singers, which has been published in translation in Germany, and Switzerland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 4, 2021
I couldn’t decide whether to give this book 2 stars or 3. So what I do in these circumstances is to wait for a few days and then then see what I feel about it.
After four days, I re-visited the book in my mind, and found that I couldn’t remember anything about the characters or the plot, only about the writing. I remembered that I had a very difficult time reading it, often reading paragraphs two or three times before I understood what was occurring.
Why did I persevere? Precisely because I couldn’t understand why I was having difficulty reading it. If a book is simply poorly written, one focused towards a Grade 9 level of reading, I’ll simply give it up. But that wasn’t true in this case. The writing was complex but just didn’t stick in my memory.
About two-thirds through the story, after many stops and retries, I got my answer. It was written in the first person present tense. You wouldn’t think that verb tense would make such a difference, but it does. The memory system doesn’t process it in the same way. Books are written in the past tense; plays are written in the present tense.
I did finish it after that but I really can’t remember anything about the ending either, except that I was glad the ordeal was over.
I’m giving it two stars even though it was a one-star read for me, because it would definitely suit an audiobook. Spoken language is processed differently than written language, and this book was definitely written to be spoken, not read.
So if you read via audiobooks, you might enjoy this one. If you read via the written word, like the majority of us, avoid it.
After four days, I re-visited the book in my mind, and found that I couldn’t remember anything about the characters or the plot, only about the writing. I remembered that I had a very difficult time reading it, often reading paragraphs two or three times before I understood what was occurring.
Why did I persevere? Precisely because I couldn’t understand why I was having difficulty reading it. If a book is simply poorly written, one focused towards a Grade 9 level of reading, I’ll simply give it up. But that wasn’t true in this case. The writing was complex but just didn’t stick in my memory.
About two-thirds through the story, after many stops and retries, I got my answer. It was written in the first person present tense. You wouldn’t think that verb tense would make such a difference, but it does. The memory system doesn’t process it in the same way. Books are written in the past tense; plays are written in the present tense.
I did finish it after that but I really can’t remember anything about the ending either, except that I was glad the ordeal was over.
I’m giving it two stars even though it was a one-star read for me, because it would definitely suit an audiobook. Spoken language is processed differently than written language, and this book was definitely written to be spoken, not read.
So if you read via audiobooks, you might enjoy this one. If you read via the written word, like the majority of us, avoid it.
August 9, 2019
Really enjoyed this! I hadn't read the first, which meant that I missed out on some of the finer details of what is going on behind the scenes with some of the characters, but it didn't affect my enjoyment at all. Really good mystery, fab storytelling, atmospheric and an intriguing bunch of detectives and I love the Highlands setting. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
June 24, 2019
Man this book is good. Part of my marathon reading session of three books in less than two days this past weekend, I tore through this book. It is a story which is compelling, borderline harrowing due to the story of the missing girl, and full of tension, fabulous characters and a brilliantly atmospheric back drop. It's the kind of book that just pulled me straight in and held me captive without my even realising it had done it.
Without a doubt, one of the big draws for me in this series, aside from the setting of Inverness and the Highlands which is a picturesque and underused part of Scotland as far as crime fiction goes, but one that comes with its own set of complexities and conflicts, is one hundred percent the characters. The stand outs in these books are without question DI Lukas Mahler, a slightly straight edged, brilliantly flawed and completely focused man with a high moral code, and his DS, Iain Ferguson, or Fergie as he is better known. He of the dodgy Audi and affable nature. They make a brilliant team, a stark contrast to the other DI at Burnett Road, Andy Black. Now there's a man you love to hate ...
Anyhoo, back to Mahler and Fergie. In this book they are faced with two very different, equally difficult cases but for two very polar reasons. Firstly, the whole squad are well into the investigation of the suspected abduction of a young girl from a birthday party. This is the hardest part of this book and although none of the story is dealt with graphically, the very nature of this storyline, especially when we are faced with a scene from the child's point of view, is tough to read about. The second case is a very, very cold case. Seventy years cold in which it is hard to know if they will ever get an ID on their victim, let alone trace any family who might be missing them. Mix in an as yet unsolved hit and run case which has been bubbling along since book one and you have a veritable mix which will both tax and rattle the investigative team.
This book is full of emotion, of all different kinds, both that of the frustrated and hard working police team, but also the families of the victims and, in some cases the victims themselves. But far from being tiring for me as a reader, the author has captured these emotions so well that while they spill from the page, they spur you on rather than wearing you down. You feel those moments when the teams spirits sag, but take the triumphs along with them when they come. It is a bumpy ride, full of peaks and troughs, but a ride I am very glad I have taken. I love the little colloquialisms, the references to places and areas I know, that just draw me in as a reader. Even the feeling of the city itself, the whole thing makes you want to be a part of it.
Due to the very nature of the cases being investigated, this is not a fast paced novel. The setting would dictate otherwise anyway as Inverness is hardly a hotbed of crime. But it works perfectly in this context and adds to the authenticity of the story. There are moments of tension and peril, just as there were in the first book, and they kept me on edge as a reader. Lukas Mahler is put through the wars in this book too, keeping the casualty department of the local hospital in business if nothing else. And it's not just his head that is taking a bit of a battering this time around as Anna Murray is back from San Diego, possibly for good, and that spark that exists between them is still very much there.
This is a brilliantly spun story, one which includes a hint of something, how shall I put it, otherworldly or pagan, which actually ties perfectly into the narrative and adds a spark of interest into the narrative. Full of interesting characters, some charming or at least intriguing, others very much less so, it is a book that, despite the tough subject matter, had me well and truly hooked from the start and which I tore through in no time at all. Definitely a book, and a series, I would recommend. I'm loving it.
Without a doubt, one of the big draws for me in this series, aside from the setting of Inverness and the Highlands which is a picturesque and underused part of Scotland as far as crime fiction goes, but one that comes with its own set of complexities and conflicts, is one hundred percent the characters. The stand outs in these books are without question DI Lukas Mahler, a slightly straight edged, brilliantly flawed and completely focused man with a high moral code, and his DS, Iain Ferguson, or Fergie as he is better known. He of the dodgy Audi and affable nature. They make a brilliant team, a stark contrast to the other DI at Burnett Road, Andy Black. Now there's a man you love to hate ...
Anyhoo, back to Mahler and Fergie. In this book they are faced with two very different, equally difficult cases but for two very polar reasons. Firstly, the whole squad are well into the investigation of the suspected abduction of a young girl from a birthday party. This is the hardest part of this book and although none of the story is dealt with graphically, the very nature of this storyline, especially when we are faced with a scene from the child's point of view, is tough to read about. The second case is a very, very cold case. Seventy years cold in which it is hard to know if they will ever get an ID on their victim, let alone trace any family who might be missing them. Mix in an as yet unsolved hit and run case which has been bubbling along since book one and you have a veritable mix which will both tax and rattle the investigative team.
This book is full of emotion, of all different kinds, both that of the frustrated and hard working police team, but also the families of the victims and, in some cases the victims themselves. But far from being tiring for me as a reader, the author has captured these emotions so well that while they spill from the page, they spur you on rather than wearing you down. You feel those moments when the teams spirits sag, but take the triumphs along with them when they come. It is a bumpy ride, full of peaks and troughs, but a ride I am very glad I have taken. I love the little colloquialisms, the references to places and areas I know, that just draw me in as a reader. Even the feeling of the city itself, the whole thing makes you want to be a part of it.
Due to the very nature of the cases being investigated, this is not a fast paced novel. The setting would dictate otherwise anyway as Inverness is hardly a hotbed of crime. But it works perfectly in this context and adds to the authenticity of the story. There are moments of tension and peril, just as there were in the first book, and they kept me on edge as a reader. Lukas Mahler is put through the wars in this book too, keeping the casualty department of the local hospital in business if nothing else. And it's not just his head that is taking a bit of a battering this time around as Anna Murray is back from San Diego, possibly for good, and that spark that exists between them is still very much there.
This is a brilliantly spun story, one which includes a hint of something, how shall I put it, otherworldly or pagan, which actually ties perfectly into the narrative and adds a spark of interest into the narrative. Full of interesting characters, some charming or at least intriguing, others very much less so, it is a book that, despite the tough subject matter, had me well and truly hooked from the start and which I tore through in no time at all. Definitely a book, and a series, I would recommend. I'm loving it.
August 23, 2020
On paper, I should have enjoyed this Scottish police procedural set in and around Inverness more than I did. The plot was decent, the central character - though a bit of a 'troubled loner detective' stereotype - was easy to get on board with, and the standard of writing was good - some evocative descriptions of a part of the country I used to be more familiar with than I am now.
But it had several aspects which irritated me. The opening thirty pages introduced three separate storylines and thirty or so different characters - too much for the reader to take in, IMHO, even before another thread is introduced that relies a bit much on knowledge of the preceding book in the series. Something about this meant that I only ever felt I 'got' three quarters of what was happening, and the relatively short 300 page length of the novel meant that it all felt a bit rushed setting up several strands, developing them, then wrapping them all up. The final fifty pages felt rather like the author had to have her characters explain what had happened and recap in a slightly unnatural manner.
I wonder whether had this novel been one or two hundred pages longer it might've had more time to introduce, embroider and resolve the plot. It felt curiously compressed.
But it had several aspects which irritated me. The opening thirty pages introduced three separate storylines and thirty or so different characters - too much for the reader to take in, IMHO, even before another thread is introduced that relies a bit much on knowledge of the preceding book in the series. Something about this meant that I only ever felt I 'got' three quarters of what was happening, and the relatively short 300 page length of the novel meant that it all felt a bit rushed setting up several strands, developing them, then wrapping them all up. The final fifty pages felt rather like the author had to have her characters explain what had happened and recap in a slightly unnatural manner.
I wonder whether had this novel been one or two hundred pages longer it might've had more time to introduce, embroider and resolve the plot. It felt curiously compressed.
September 23, 2020
Book 2 in a series.... that hasnt moved on enough to make me want to continue
There's nothing wrong with the writing or the story per se, its just too generic.
The only thing to set it apart from a 100 other crime series in a location is Inverness.
The lead detective Mahler has no distinguishing traits or foibles to carry a series - he slightly taciturn and that's that.
As often with crime novels - two parallel, seemingly unrelated crimes are investigated, come together and all get wrapped up in 300 pages. 400 is the norm for these types of book and I am grateful it wasn't stretched out further.
Crime 1 - the discovery of a bullet to the head body on a building site. Historical crime, shot with a luger, only thing identifiable on the corpse a set of German dog tags.
Crime 2 - a series of kidnapped girls and a body count that frankly, probably would have warranted the Army being called in. This one dominates the book, to the point that you wonder why Crime 1 was even mentioned.
Easy reading but nothing at all to make it stand out. There's so many other similar series that I am going to have to stop here.
There's nothing wrong with the writing or the story per se, its just too generic.
The only thing to set it apart from a 100 other crime series in a location is Inverness.
The lead detective Mahler has no distinguishing traits or foibles to carry a series - he slightly taciturn and that's that.
As often with crime novels - two parallel, seemingly unrelated crimes are investigated, come together and all get wrapped up in 300 pages. 400 is the norm for these types of book and I am grateful it wasn't stretched out further.
Crime 1 - the discovery of a bullet to the head body on a building site. Historical crime, shot with a luger, only thing identifiable on the corpse a set of German dog tags.
Crime 2 - a series of kidnapped girls and a body count that frankly, probably would have warranted the Army being called in. This one dominates the book, to the point that you wonder why Crime 1 was even mentioned.
Easy reading but nothing at all to make it stand out. There's so many other similar series that I am going to have to stop here.
December 9, 2019
DI Lukas Mahler and his team are dealing with an abducted 10 year old, a cold case and their own personal demons. This newish series set in Inverness is fast becoming one of my favourites with Kirk's stellar writing, characterisation and storylines. More please.
October 26, 2019
Not sure why but this fell a little short of 'Shadow Man'. In part because I hadn't remembered (and was not sufficiently reminded?) of what came before, but also because the pressure on Lukas wasn't so much felt as talked about.
Nevertheless, very readable.
Nevertheless, very readable.
July 5, 2019
This is Margaret Kirk’s second novel. Having enjoyed her first, “Shadow Man”, I was looking forward to meeting Mahler and his team again. I was not disappointed. “What Lies Buried” is a triumph. I was hooked from the start. Kirk handles the unsettling subject of the abduction of a child with sensitivity. We are often spared the horrific details but, through Kirk’s expert storytelling, we know what has happened. Each and every character comes alive. I hope that there will be a book three. I want to know what happens next.
June 9, 2023
"What lies buried" ist der zweite Band einer Trilogie. Leider sollte man eigentlich auch den ersten Teil gelesen haben, da der zweite doch ziemlich viel Bezug darauf nimmt. So was ist immer nervig und sollte eigentlich nicht sein; besser ist es, wenn man als Leser auch mittendrin einsteigen kann.
Das ist aber nicht der Grund, warum mir das Buch nicht zugesagt hat, denn es gibt eigentlich mehrere Probleme. Zum einen besteht die Krimihandlung eigentlich nur aus der Interaktion zwischen den Polizisten. Es gibt kaum Gespräche mit Zeugen oder Verdächtigen, wie man es von Krimis eigentlich kennt. Das sorgt nicht gerade für viel Abwechslung. Erst gegen Ende bessert sich das.
Leider gelingt es dem Buch auch nicht, sich gegen die Massen des eh schon übersättigten Krimigenres abzuheben. Die Handlung (entführtes Mädchen) hat man schon xmal gelesen, die Charaktere bleiben sehr flach und austauschbar. Im ersten Band hat man noch einen interessanten Einblick in das Privatleben und die Vorgeschichte des Protagonisten erhalten; diese Geschichte wird diesmal aber nicht weitergeführt.
Eher ein Krimi zum Vergessen!
Das ist aber nicht der Grund, warum mir das Buch nicht zugesagt hat, denn es gibt eigentlich mehrere Probleme. Zum einen besteht die Krimihandlung eigentlich nur aus der Interaktion zwischen den Polizisten. Es gibt kaum Gespräche mit Zeugen oder Verdächtigen, wie man es von Krimis eigentlich kennt. Das sorgt nicht gerade für viel Abwechslung. Erst gegen Ende bessert sich das.
Leider gelingt es dem Buch auch nicht, sich gegen die Massen des eh schon übersättigten Krimigenres abzuheben. Die Handlung (entführtes Mädchen) hat man schon xmal gelesen, die Charaktere bleiben sehr flach und austauschbar. Im ersten Band hat man noch einen interessanten Einblick in das Privatleben und die Vorgeschichte des Protagonisten erhalten; diese Geschichte wird diesmal aber nicht weitergeführt.
Eher ein Krimi zum Vergessen!
November 24, 2019
I knew I was in for a good read when the opening scene was a bog-standard corpse unearthed on a building site but so well written I actually read it twice.
The age of the body suggests a very cold case and the action soon switches to the urgent, on-going case of a missing child.
Lukas Mahler, an Inverness man recently returned to the local force from the Met, heads up the police team with dependable DS Fergie Ferguson, bright newcomer DC Nazreen Kahn and sailing-close-to-the-wind DI Andy Black.
It's fast-paced and in parts gruesome, with several lines of enquiry. A good, honest police procedural packed with Highland grit and humour.
Although it reads well as a standalone, some of the sub-plots continue from book one so I recommend starting there to get the full story arc. And, anyway, it's no hardship to spend more time in the company of Mahler and his colleagues.
The age of the body suggests a very cold case and the action soon switches to the urgent, on-going case of a missing child.
Lukas Mahler, an Inverness man recently returned to the local force from the Met, heads up the police team with dependable DS Fergie Ferguson, bright newcomer DC Nazreen Kahn and sailing-close-to-the-wind DI Andy Black.
It's fast-paced and in parts gruesome, with several lines of enquiry. A good, honest police procedural packed with Highland grit and humour.
Although it reads well as a standalone, some of the sub-plots continue from book one so I recommend starting there to get the full story arc. And, anyway, it's no hardship to spend more time in the company of Mahler and his colleagues.
May 3, 2021
The second in the Lukas Mahler series and we carry on where we left off but head into more murder and mayhem as Lukas and his team navigate internal politics, external criminal politics, and child abduction. We get to know more about Lukas and I was really delighted that Anna was still around! The characters we met in Shadow Man are developing and new ones being introduced who I feel may become more important as the series develops. Lovely to spend a couple of days in Inverness through this book.
July 29, 2019
This book has a great pace and sets the reader in the middle of the action from the outset. With a missing child and a body found at a construction site, the plot seamlessly weaves towards a breathless and action-packed ending. It's wonderful to meet Mahler and his team again and to read more from this fabulous author. I'm looking forward to book three.
December 28, 2019
the author really hammers the situation of what men do to women and children in the ages, and it continues.
I wish the detective had been able save the first girl that on his patch missing, but this whole event s unfolded turned up a huge ring and people finally captured also thank plucky old lady
I wish the detective had been able save the first girl that on his patch missing, but this whole event s unfolded turned up a huge ring and people finally captured also thank plucky old lady
August 29, 2022
I find this series hard to rate. Lukas Mahler is a good protagonist, the crime story is good enough, but as with the first book, non of the details of the characters or investigations stay with me for long. I enjoyed reading both books, but they don't seem to have anything memorable about them or any aspect that makes me long to get my hands on the next one. A good book for a rainy day though.
June 30, 2020
This was better than Shadow Man, the first book in this ‘Mahler’ series - characters were better developed and I wasn’t left feeling confused at the end.
Some odd plot points from the first book were cleared up in this one and makes me want to read the next.
Some odd plot points from the first book were cleared up in this one and makes me want to read the next.
June 24, 2021
A truly gripping and brilliantly written crime story, set in Inverness, with intriguing well-rounded characters and well thought out plot lines, sensitively handled. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am about to start the third book featuring Lukas Mahler.
November 17, 2022
A tense thriller based in a gloomy Inverness. The plot was really quite well crafted but I thought the dialogues were a bit simple. And I would have liked to get to know the characters a little bit better.
August 16, 2024
BRILLIANT
LOVED loved loved this book. The plot keeps twisting and turning up to the very last page. Great characters and setting mean you don't want to put the book down.
Margaret Kirk is now on my official favourite list..
LOVED loved loved this book. The plot keeps twisting and turning up to the very last page. Great characters and setting mean you don't want to put the book down.
Margaret Kirk is now on my official favourite list..
August 16, 2019
I loved this book, great follow on from Shadow Man and really getting to know the characters now
August 19, 2019
Second book featuring DI Mahler and this lays threads for the series to continue to impress. Marries the Police procedural with the personal in a satisfying manner
September 8, 2019
Another great crime story set in the Scottish Highland's. Great to see this second book from Margaret Kirk. I really enjoyed it.
January 2, 2020
A brilliant thriller based in the Inverness area which I know well. Great plot and sub plot and part of a series (I will need to catch the 1st that I have missed) - can't wait for the next book
August 16, 2020
Kirk's second outing with DI Mahler does not disappoint. I'm looking forward to book three.
August 4, 2021
An enthralling tale with many twist and turns and an exciting end.
A bit of a teaser for further storyline with Black taking a grave decision.
A bit of a teaser for further storyline with Black taking a grave decision.
August 12, 2021
Love this series and the development of all the different characters. showing us glimpses of their past to help us understand these beautiful characters was done well. A marvellous read.
May 7, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book although the subject matter was a bit harrowing at times. I didn't work out who was involved until the very end.
May 26, 2024
Didn't shy away from killing kids... Felt real and also tragic. The link to the old murder in the previous book felt realistic. The area descriptions also made it difficult - almost unnecessary.
August 8, 2024
A bit boring.
August 25, 2025
Tedious.
November 2, 2025
This was well written but I didn't soak up the story, not sure why, and by half way through, thought, why am I carrying on? I did carry on, but was glad it was over.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews