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Burial
Can your guiltiest secret ever be buried?
Nathan has never been able to forget the worst night of his the party that led to the sudden, shocking death of a young woman. Only he and Bob, an untrustworthy old acquaintance, know what really happened and they have resolved to keep it that way. But one rainy night, years later, Bob appears at Nathan's door with terrifying news, and old wounds are suddenly reopened, threatening to tear Nathan's whole world apart. Because Nathan has his own secrets now. Secrets that could destroy everything he has fought to build. And maybe Bob doesn't realise just how far Nathan will go to protect them…
Nathan has never been able to forget the worst night of his the party that led to the sudden, shocking death of a young woman. Only he and Bob, an untrustworthy old acquaintance, know what really happened and they have resolved to keep it that way. But one rainy night, years later, Bob appears at Nathan's door with terrifying news, and old wounds are suddenly reopened, threatening to tear Nathan's whole world apart. Because Nathan has his own secrets now. Secrets that could destroy everything he has fought to build. And maybe Bob doesn't realise just how far Nathan will go to protect them…
291 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
32 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Neil Cross
36 books213 followersNeil was born in Bristol in 1969. He lived in Edinburgh, Brighton, Leeds and London before settling down. He is the author of several novels including Always the Sun, Burial and Captured as well as the bestselling memoir Heartland. He was lead scriptwriter for the acclaimed series 6 and series 7 of the BBC spy drama series Spooks and is the creator of the forthcoming BBC crime thriller Luther, which is scheduled to appear on BBC1 in 2010, starring Idris Elba. Following the British publication of Captured in January 2010, he is working on his next novel and continues to write for the screen. He lives in New Zealand with his wife and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
March 22, 2017
Secrets are just that, only when you know they are about to be revealed, you will do all you can to stop them from destroying you and those close to you. Nathan knows exactly how this feels as he made a mistake years ago and kept it hidden, but Nathan's world is about to be turned upside down and there isn't a thing he can do to stop it.
Burial by Neil Cross was an enjoyable read, but It wasn't as good as I imagined it was going to be. Yes, it had the mystery and suspense, but I simply felt it was missing something and I'm not quite sure what it was. In saying that I still think it is well worth reading.
Burial by Neil Cross was an enjoyable read, but It wasn't as good as I imagined it was going to be. Yes, it had the mystery and suspense, but I simply felt it was missing something and I'm not quite sure what it was. In saying that I still think it is well worth reading.
December 29, 2013
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. I liked it, for the most part, but there's just something missing from it that keeps it from getting any more than 3 stars. It's well-written and it kept me interested in how the story would end. Plus, there is a revelation towards the end from one of the characters about what happened with the dead girl Elise that I found rather unique. However, other than that, there isn't a whole lot original about the plot and the actions of the protagonist, Nathan, in the second half of the book in trying to hide the truth didn't really make sense and left me frustrated with the direction Cross went with him. Plus, I just didn't buy the ending and it left me feeling unsatisfied. It's good but it could have, and should have, been much better. Not in the same class as Cross's Luther book.
June 17, 2013
As with all the Neil Cross I've read so far, I couldn't put this book down. A punchy story, distasteful main characters and plenty of suspense. Great stuff.
January 31, 2009
This is not the type of book I usually pick up, and after coming across the rather odd line "Nathan looked at the receiver as if it was firm and warm and damp, like a semi-erect penis." (p. 74), I wasn't sure I'd be able to let myself like it. But I couldn't put it down... I just kept wanting to read more and more. Now that I've finished it, I have to say that for all the oddness and general creepiness of the plot, I really enjoyed the story.
One of the things that made the story so compelling was the evenness of the plot. There wasn't any significant suspense -- instead, everything seemed to flow evenly. First one thing happened, and then something else, and then something else. It was a lot more like real life that way, I think, than other suspense novels I've read. Sure, wacky things happen in life, and some of them are particularly creepy, but you wake up the next day and life just goes on.
The book's exploration of psychology is quite stunning, and rather more profound than I would have expected of such a book. Nathan, the novel's protagonist, is complicit in an unforgivable act but is nevertheless able to build a life for himself in its aftermath -- a tidy, happy life he would not likely have had if he hadn't performed the hideous act in the first place. How Nathan comes to live with himself and his happiness is interesting indeed.
Also, creepy Bob turns out to be a much deeper, far more three-dimensional character than he may originally have seemed, and his actions take on new meaning in light of what we come to learn, toward the very end, of his background. While the revelation of this back story is a little contrived, it does casue one to pause and reflect on people's hidden motives and hidden selves.
The element of the paranormal that Cross introduced was also very well written. I won't say much on this point, because I don't want to risk spoiling the plot, but Cross manages to include the paranormal in the narrative without being preachy on the one hand or cheesy on the other. He makes no assumptions, and leaves it to the reader to decide for him/herself. This is as good writing should be.
Overall, I'm quite impressed with the story, and would look forward to reading more from this author. His prose isn't always the cleanest, but his narrative is very well crafted.
I can't get over the British spelling of "kerb." :)
One of the things that made the story so compelling was the evenness of the plot. There wasn't any significant suspense -- instead, everything seemed to flow evenly. First one thing happened, and then something else, and then something else. It was a lot more like real life that way, I think, than other suspense novels I've read. Sure, wacky things happen in life, and some of them are particularly creepy, but you wake up the next day and life just goes on.
The book's exploration of psychology is quite stunning, and rather more profound than I would have expected of such a book. Nathan, the novel's protagonist, is complicit in an unforgivable act but is nevertheless able to build a life for himself in its aftermath -- a tidy, happy life he would not likely have had if he hadn't performed the hideous act in the first place. How Nathan comes to live with himself and his happiness is interesting indeed.
Also, creepy Bob turns out to be a much deeper, far more three-dimensional character than he may originally have seemed, and his actions take on new meaning in light of what we come to learn, toward the very end, of his background. While the revelation of this back story is a little contrived, it does casue one to pause and reflect on people's hidden motives and hidden selves.
The element of the paranormal that Cross introduced was also very well written. I won't say much on this point, because I don't want to risk spoiling the plot, but Cross manages to include the paranormal in the narrative without being preachy on the one hand or cheesy on the other. He makes no assumptions, and leaves it to the reader to decide for him/herself. This is as good writing should be.
Overall, I'm quite impressed with the story, and would look forward to reading more from this author. His prose isn't always the cleanest, but his narrative is very well crafted.
I can't get over the British spelling of "kerb." :)
May 15, 2013
When I started Burial after I got home from work, I thought had a made a bad choice on that night's reading selection. The opening is almost all dialogue and the prose is typical, all tough-guy crime novel terse. I sighed, thinking it was going to read like a lengthy screen treatment.
I was wrong.
After the knock on the Nathan's door, Cross takes us back to the beginning of the psychological hell and shows us the writing chops that make Luther one of the best shows on television: the prose style becomes focused and poetic, the dialogue spot-on, and the tension very real--growing not out of increasing violent confrontations or Bruckheimer showdowns, but understandable mistakes stemming from a fully-realized human being in awful circumstances. It was incredibly refreshing to read crime fiction that was character driven and about normal people, not cops and criminals or hitmen and junkies.
Cross easily stood the time test and is now one of my go-to authors. You should give him a chance, maybe while you're waiting for the third and final series of Luther.
I was wrong.
After the knock on the Nathan's door, Cross takes us back to the beginning of the psychological hell and shows us the writing chops that make Luther one of the best shows on television: the prose style becomes focused and poetic, the dialogue spot-on, and the tension very real--growing not out of increasing violent confrontations or Bruckheimer showdowns, but understandable mistakes stemming from a fully-realized human being in awful circumstances. It was incredibly refreshing to read crime fiction that was character driven and about normal people, not cops and criminals or hitmen and junkies.
Cross easily stood the time test and is now one of my go-to authors. You should give him a chance, maybe while you're waiting for the third and final series of Luther.
August 7, 2025
Not only one of the least read books on my bookshelf but also one of the lowest rated, but I actually enjoyed this. Can I see why people don't - absolutely. This isn't a story where everyone gets what they deserve lets put it that way, and it's a little convenient towards the end.
However, I can't deny that this book hand me hooked and kept me hooked until the last second. It wasn't fluffy or over described, it was too the point and brutal. I will say if you're sensitive to any kind of abuse, sexual, mental or psychical please avoid this. As a horror reader although this book did have brutality it wasn't anything I hadn't read before.
The characters were underdeveloped, but I think Neil Cross was plot focused, so it didn't bother me too much.
However, I can't deny that this book hand me hooked and kept me hooked until the last second. It wasn't fluffy or over described, it was too the point and brutal. I will say if you're sensitive to any kind of abuse, sexual, mental or psychical please avoid this. As a horror reader although this book did have brutality it wasn't anything I hadn't read before.
The characters were underdeveloped, but I think Neil Cross was plot focused, so it didn't bother me too much.
January 27, 2009
Burial begins like the opening suspense sequence of any number of hit TV crime shows before the theme song starts playing: a mysterious acquaintance arrives on a rainy evening at the doorstep of protagonist Nathan’s English home. Nathan is frozen in fear and, according to stranger, there’s something odd and twisted about the photos he has hanging in his front room.
What follows is an account of memory--flashbacks to the moment Nathan and Bob (the mysterious acquaintance) first met. College: a time for experimentation and making friends with sundry folk who may or may not come in handy in the future. Enter Bob, a PhD candidate researching, of all things, ghosts. An odd fellow, he nevertheless leaves little to no impression on Nathan until they meet again at a party hosted by Nathan’s boss, a washed-out entertainer riding out the last trickles of celebrity and fame.
The only explanation I can give for what happens next is alcohol and cocaine. Lots and lots of alcohol and cocaine--and a dramatic excuse to create a cheap psychological suspense thriller. After the drinking and the snorting, Bob takes Nathan and new female friend, 19-year-old Elise Fox, into the woods for a bit of backseat fun. After mutual sex in Bob’s car with Nathan (in which Bob pretends not to watch), Elise is accosted by Bob and Nathan, not as voyeuristic as Bob, exits the vehicle to relieve his bladder. Hearing what he thinks are cries of sexual ecstasy and passion, Nathan gets a little jealous, but goes about his business. What he discovers upon his return is a nightmare: Elise, post-coital, dead in Bob’s lap.
Confused, wasted, and completely out of his element, Nathan helps Bob bury the body by a river and promptly tries to get on with his life. But he’s haunted by his guilt. Nathan loses his job, his girlfriend, and his apartment in the whirlwind investigation that follows Elise’s disappearance.
Burial reads like a television suspense thriller with, I’m sad to say, shallow characters and ankle-deep convictions. Think an episode of “CSI” that went on for just a bit too long. There’s a couple of twists in the novel that keep it interesting, but do far from save it: Nathan, so plagued by the way he helped destroy the Fox family makes it his duty to bring happiness to Elise’s parents and sister, Holly. How he accomplishes this is marrying Holly and chumming up to the folks.
We’re never really given privileged access inside Nathan’s thought-process enough to follow his weird logic and can only assume he draws comfort from this relationship as their happiness and ability to get on with life eases his own guilt. I would have much rather have preferred to understand why or how Nathan so easily became enamored of Holly, or, if it was only a desire to clear his conscience that prodded along the relationship.
Jacki, Holly’s best friend and one of the investigators of Elise’s case, was such a disappointment. Her character seemed flimsy and unrealistic. She’s an investigator and yet she buys the pack of bull Nathan feeds her about the events of that fateful night. She’s too easy to believe in the goodness of Nathan by proxy of Holly and lacks the intuition to root out the truth. And Jacki’s promise to Holly, at the end, turns trite--she may have finally caught the real killer, but Nathan’s involvement remains ludicrously a secret.
Bob, on the other hand, was by far the most interesting out of the bunch. By the end we find out his obsession with ghosts--and his long since rejected PhD proposal--blew open the doors wide to welcome any and all avenues as conduits for the discovery of irrefutable and tangible fact on the existence of ghosts. His mother died at a young age and, tender boy that he was, never dealt quite well with the event. In a gruesome revelation with an impish, wicked grin, Bob tells Nathan he killed Elise on purpose, near water, to see if he could create a haunting. Of course, the plan backfired.
Bob is more than a little messed up, and the “twist” ending wasn’t a surprise--Cross was quite obvious and not-so-subtle with his narrative, mystery-making, but it was, sad to say, the better part of this novel.
The only character I found myself sympathizing with was Holly. I’m only sorry her and Nathan got on so well at the end. I kept hoping she’d discover the truth about Nathan’s cover-up even though Cross set up both eventualities with crappy, soul-crushing outcomes. As Nathan trots off happily to greet his new family, I imagined a score of creepy, I-know-what-you-did music playing in the background.
This book was an easy, quick read with little satisfaction to ease my tastes. I’m sure a lot of people would be thrilled at the drama and suspense; it would probably make a good made-for-TV movie or episode of “CSI”, “Cold Case”, or any one of those types of detective/crime dramas, but I wouldn’t watch it. It ran too long and could have either been a lot shorter or more in depth. Cross also needs to take a look at the conventions he over-uses. Hands can do more than flutter, but I guess old habits die hard.
Just because I didn’t like this one, doesn’t mean someone else would, too! If you’re interested, I’d try checking this out at your local library, if you can find it. I have the UK edition and unfortunately could not find the US version. The good thing is, if you want to buy Burial, it’s already out in paperback!
What follows is an account of memory--flashbacks to the moment Nathan and Bob (the mysterious acquaintance) first met. College: a time for experimentation and making friends with sundry folk who may or may not come in handy in the future. Enter Bob, a PhD candidate researching, of all things, ghosts. An odd fellow, he nevertheless leaves little to no impression on Nathan until they meet again at a party hosted by Nathan’s boss, a washed-out entertainer riding out the last trickles of celebrity and fame.
The only explanation I can give for what happens next is alcohol and cocaine. Lots and lots of alcohol and cocaine--and a dramatic excuse to create a cheap psychological suspense thriller. After the drinking and the snorting, Bob takes Nathan and new female friend, 19-year-old Elise Fox, into the woods for a bit of backseat fun. After mutual sex in Bob’s car with Nathan (in which Bob pretends not to watch), Elise is accosted by Bob and Nathan, not as voyeuristic as Bob, exits the vehicle to relieve his bladder. Hearing what he thinks are cries of sexual ecstasy and passion, Nathan gets a little jealous, but goes about his business. What he discovers upon his return is a nightmare: Elise, post-coital, dead in Bob’s lap.
Confused, wasted, and completely out of his element, Nathan helps Bob bury the body by a river and promptly tries to get on with his life. But he’s haunted by his guilt. Nathan loses his job, his girlfriend, and his apartment in the whirlwind investigation that follows Elise’s disappearance.
Burial reads like a television suspense thriller with, I’m sad to say, shallow characters and ankle-deep convictions. Think an episode of “CSI” that went on for just a bit too long. There’s a couple of twists in the novel that keep it interesting, but do far from save it: Nathan, so plagued by the way he helped destroy the Fox family makes it his duty to bring happiness to Elise’s parents and sister, Holly. How he accomplishes this is marrying Holly and chumming up to the folks.
We’re never really given privileged access inside Nathan’s thought-process enough to follow his weird logic and can only assume he draws comfort from this relationship as their happiness and ability to get on with life eases his own guilt. I would have much rather have preferred to understand why or how Nathan so easily became enamored of Holly, or, if it was only a desire to clear his conscience that prodded along the relationship.
Jacki, Holly’s best friend and one of the investigators of Elise’s case, was such a disappointment. Her character seemed flimsy and unrealistic. She’s an investigator and yet she buys the pack of bull Nathan feeds her about the events of that fateful night. She’s too easy to believe in the goodness of Nathan by proxy of Holly and lacks the intuition to root out the truth. And Jacki’s promise to Holly, at the end, turns trite--she may have finally caught the real killer, but Nathan’s involvement remains ludicrously a secret.
Bob, on the other hand, was by far the most interesting out of the bunch. By the end we find out his obsession with ghosts--and his long since rejected PhD proposal--blew open the doors wide to welcome any and all avenues as conduits for the discovery of irrefutable and tangible fact on the existence of ghosts. His mother died at a young age and, tender boy that he was, never dealt quite well with the event. In a gruesome revelation with an impish, wicked grin, Bob tells Nathan he killed Elise on purpose, near water, to see if he could create a haunting. Of course, the plan backfired.
Bob is more than a little messed up, and the “twist” ending wasn’t a surprise--Cross was quite obvious and not-so-subtle with his narrative, mystery-making, but it was, sad to say, the better part of this novel.
The only character I found myself sympathizing with was Holly. I’m only sorry her and Nathan got on so well at the end. I kept hoping she’d discover the truth about Nathan’s cover-up even though Cross set up both eventualities with crappy, soul-crushing outcomes. As Nathan trots off happily to greet his new family, I imagined a score of creepy, I-know-what-you-did music playing in the background.
This book was an easy, quick read with little satisfaction to ease my tastes. I’m sure a lot of people would be thrilled at the drama and suspense; it would probably make a good made-for-TV movie or episode of “CSI”, “Cold Case”, or any one of those types of detective/crime dramas, but I wouldn’t watch it. It ran too long and could have either been a lot shorter or more in depth. Cross also needs to take a look at the conventions he over-uses. Hands can do more than flutter, but I guess old habits die hard.
Just because I didn’t like this one, doesn’t mean someone else would, too! If you’re interested, I’d try checking this out at your local library, if you can find it. I have the UK edition and unfortunately could not find the US version. The good thing is, if you want to buy Burial, it’s already out in paperback!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2020
Va a menos.
January 1, 2016
This story was so thrilling I actually felt my heart speed up at times, which is unusual for me.
It starts in the present day when two men meet up and discuss a "situation" that had occurred 10 years previously which entailed them burying the body of a young girl.
It then jumps to that time and the story starts to unfold.
Nathan (our "hero") is in a job he hates, living with a girl he is about to dump, when he is invited to a party at his bosses' house and takes the girlfriend as a way of easing her out of the relationship.
When they arrive at the party he almost immediately deserts her, to mingle, leaving her to fend for herself. It is while he is roaming around the house he happens upon John. Nathan and John decide to go into a room to get high and then start to indulge in playing with a home made Ouija board.
It upsets Nathan as he is a non-believer and John appears to be an expert and a bit crazy to boot.
A bit later Nathan meets up with Elise and together with John they drive away from the party to have sex and drugs (as it turns out). It is while they are in John's car that something strange happens and Elise is killed. John and Nathan panic, as you would, but decide it is best to bury her in the woods and never contact each other again. That is until John comes to Nathan's house 10 years later to tell him that property developers are going to dig up the woods and they must move the body.
We learn that John is now pretty much down and out and even more crazier than 10 years ago. That Nathan has got a sensible (boring) job a wife and a lovely house- but he is afraid of the dark. It is also very interesting to know who Nathan's wife is.
My only reservation about giving this 5 stars is that at times Nathan's actions seem to be at odds with the situation. It is as if he didn't think ahead to consider the consequences of some of his actions and that he could have saved himself a lot of angst if on occasions he told the truth before the omission escalated out of control.
A gripping read from beginning to end. The narrator, Paul Thornley,is exceptional
It starts in the present day when two men meet up and discuss a "situation" that had occurred 10 years previously which entailed them burying the body of a young girl.
It then jumps to that time and the story starts to unfold.
Nathan (our "hero") is in a job he hates, living with a girl he is about to dump, when he is invited to a party at his bosses' house and takes the girlfriend as a way of easing her out of the relationship.
When they arrive at the party he almost immediately deserts her, to mingle, leaving her to fend for herself. It is while he is roaming around the house he happens upon John. Nathan and John decide to go into a room to get high and then start to indulge in playing with a home made Ouija board.
It upsets Nathan as he is a non-believer and John appears to be an expert and a bit crazy to boot.
A bit later Nathan meets up with Elise and together with John they drive away from the party to have sex and drugs (as it turns out). It is while they are in John's car that something strange happens and Elise is killed. John and Nathan panic, as you would, but decide it is best to bury her in the woods and never contact each other again. That is until John comes to Nathan's house 10 years later to tell him that property developers are going to dig up the woods and they must move the body.
We learn that John is now pretty much down and out and even more crazier than 10 years ago. That Nathan has got a sensible (boring) job a wife and a lovely house- but he is afraid of the dark. It is also very interesting to know who Nathan's wife is.
My only reservation about giving this 5 stars is that at times Nathan's actions seem to be at odds with the situation. It is as if he didn't think ahead to consider the consequences of some of his actions and that he could have saved himself a lot of angst if on occasions he told the truth before the omission escalated out of control.
A gripping read from beginning to end. The narrator, Paul Thornley,is exceptional
August 18, 2009
Neil Cross really knows how to put together a story. More importantly, in BURIAL, his second crime fiction novel, he's absolutely not afraid to write a very morally ambiguous central character.
When Nathan meets up with journalist Bob again at a drug fuelled party at his bosses house, he did something incredibly stupid. He was young and restless but just maybe he wasn't the one that killed a young girl that night. Maybe she wasn't actually killed but just died in very wrong circumstances. He certainly had a part in covering up her death. Somehow that isn't the worst thing he's ever done, not when you consider the circumstances of his marriage. But then, what pathetic little Nathan has made of his life is badly threatened when Bob returns with some devastating news about that night.
Either way, BURIAL takes the reader into a world that's populated by some pretty unpleasant people. Nathan's boss - the washed up radio DJ who is, well tacky. The journalist Bob, just a bit off, or maybe a whole lot worse than that. Nathan - on the one hand easily led, a loser who spends his life compensating for one night where he was too pathetic to do the right thing. And now it's almost impossible to do the right thing, and keep his life comfortable, and happy and the way he wants it to be. Maybe a job as a greeting card salesman is as close to retribution as he's ever going to get, it's hard to tell, Nathan's internal dialogue is pretty good at convincing him that there's nothing wrong with his life and he's not a loser, despite the distinct undertone that he thinks he probably really is.
The interesting thing about BURIAL is that the pace simply never lets up, and whilst it's just not easy to sympathise with Nathan, it's very very easy to want to know what happens to him, where he goes with his life, how is he going to make things normal or right. You also can't help but care about some of the people around Nathan - his wife, her parents.
Neil Cross is undoubtedly a very accomplished writer. You're not likely to enjoy the ride with BURIAL, you're probably going to end up disliking just about everybody and everything in this book. For all of that I couldn't put it down, and I simply can't forget. If you haven't read his first crime fiction novel - NATURAL HISTORY - then BURIAL is an option as they aren't part of a series (having said that no reason why you shouldn't read NATURAL HISTORY as well as BURIAL!).
When Nathan meets up with journalist Bob again at a drug fuelled party at his bosses house, he did something incredibly stupid. He was young and restless but just maybe he wasn't the one that killed a young girl that night. Maybe she wasn't actually killed but just died in very wrong circumstances. He certainly had a part in covering up her death. Somehow that isn't the worst thing he's ever done, not when you consider the circumstances of his marriage. But then, what pathetic little Nathan has made of his life is badly threatened when Bob returns with some devastating news about that night.
Either way, BURIAL takes the reader into a world that's populated by some pretty unpleasant people. Nathan's boss - the washed up radio DJ who is, well tacky. The journalist Bob, just a bit off, or maybe a whole lot worse than that. Nathan - on the one hand easily led, a loser who spends his life compensating for one night where he was too pathetic to do the right thing. And now it's almost impossible to do the right thing, and keep his life comfortable, and happy and the way he wants it to be. Maybe a job as a greeting card salesman is as close to retribution as he's ever going to get, it's hard to tell, Nathan's internal dialogue is pretty good at convincing him that there's nothing wrong with his life and he's not a loser, despite the distinct undertone that he thinks he probably really is.
The interesting thing about BURIAL is that the pace simply never lets up, and whilst it's just not easy to sympathise with Nathan, it's very very easy to want to know what happens to him, where he goes with his life, how is he going to make things normal or right. You also can't help but care about some of the people around Nathan - his wife, her parents.
Neil Cross is undoubtedly a very accomplished writer. You're not likely to enjoy the ride with BURIAL, you're probably going to end up disliking just about everybody and everything in this book. For all of that I couldn't put it down, and I simply can't forget. If you haven't read his first crime fiction novel - NATURAL HISTORY - then BURIAL is an option as they aren't part of a series (having said that no reason why you shouldn't read NATURAL HISTORY as well as BURIAL!).
June 2, 2015
Burial by Neil Cross is a perfect example of a wayward crime novel. This surpasses all cliches and expected events and characters and conclusions. This is a work of a courageous author who hopes to break barriers about this genre. It's not one you'll instantly like, I cannot guarantee that; but it's one which instantly takes your interest. It's a very dark and depressing novel that surpasses several known moral codes.
It's great!
Synopsis:
Nathan is at the end of his rope. His career is falling apart and his relationship with his girlfriend is running cold he's certain she would break up with him anytime now. He attends a party organized by his boss and things take an interesting turn when he meets Bob, a paranormal investigator he met several years back. Certain that things can't be worse anymore, he makes out with a girl he met at the party, Elise, and takes her to the woods with Bob on their tail. Drugs and booze together, things go wrong and Elise dies. They bury her body in a panic, and go back to the party, agreeing that they'll never talk about it again. Years later, Nathan's life is finally in order when Bob knocks on his door bearing terrible news. Has the past they thought they buried finally caught up with them?
Again, it's not your everyday thriller; it's rather darker and more disturbing than most. Neil Cross was able to create the excellent environment for this novel; the tone was, well, creepy even from the start, like you know something bad was going to happen halfway through. The bold use of profanity even helped define the setting of the story. Alongside the choice of words was the vivid descriptions. The use of graphic words painted the whole picture for the readers that it almost felt as if I was reading a graphic novel.
The setting helped in extracting the emotions from the readers. As dark as the setting was, it extracted a complimenting emotion/reaction from the reader. What also helped is the good character development. Here, it was not the past tragedies (death of loved ones, traumatic experiences from childhood, etc) that defined the characters; they were defined by the present itself and by the actions they chose to undertake given the choices and situations they were currently in.
The psychology of the main characters were also explored in depth. Not only will the reader be able to understand the behavior and decisions of the character but also get to sympathize with them due to these explanations. Even when the character was being stupid or being evil, you will understand the motivation behind their action thus creating a stronger development.
Not least of all is the excellent plot of the story. Good setting, check. Well-defined characters, check. Emotions, check. Psychology, check. Now, it wouldn't have been a great read all in all if it wasn't for the plot. A man on the brink of destruction goes to a party, meets a girl, meets an odd person from the past, and the three of them go for a ride to the woods to engage in sexual activity. Only two walk out alive with dark secrets. It gets even more interesting, the kind of interesting that will make you squirm on your seat just to see what would happen next -- is when And what made up for all the built up excitement throughout is the masterful ending. Gripping and suspenseful, that after reading it will leave you thinking about several what-ifs and could've-beens.
A thoroughly disturbing story of a man whose life is put at the mercy of a secret he thought he had buried but at last caught up with him, in the worst possible time.
It's a great read for crime lovers who are looking for a different taste in the genre. I personally recommend it, but it's not for weak hearts!
It's great!
Synopsis:
Nathan is at the end of his rope. His career is falling apart and his relationship with his girlfriend is running cold he's certain she would break up with him anytime now. He attends a party organized by his boss and things take an interesting turn when he meets Bob, a paranormal investigator he met several years back. Certain that things can't be worse anymore, he makes out with a girl he met at the party, Elise, and takes her to the woods with Bob on their tail. Drugs and booze together, things go wrong and Elise dies. They bury her body in a panic, and go back to the party, agreeing that they'll never talk about it again. Years later, Nathan's life is finally in order when Bob knocks on his door bearing terrible news. Has the past they thought they buried finally caught up with them?
Again, it's not your everyday thriller; it's rather darker and more disturbing than most. Neil Cross was able to create the excellent environment for this novel; the tone was, well, creepy even from the start, like you know something bad was going to happen halfway through. The bold use of profanity even helped define the setting of the story. Alongside the choice of words was the vivid descriptions. The use of graphic words painted the whole picture for the readers that it almost felt as if I was reading a graphic novel.
The setting helped in extracting the emotions from the readers. As dark as the setting was, it extracted a complimenting emotion/reaction from the reader. What also helped is the good character development. Here, it was not the past tragedies (death of loved ones, traumatic experiences from childhood, etc) that defined the characters; they were defined by the present itself and by the actions they chose to undertake given the choices and situations they were currently in.
The psychology of the main characters were also explored in depth. Not only will the reader be able to understand the behavior and decisions of the character but also get to sympathize with them due to these explanations. Even when the character was being stupid or being evil, you will understand the motivation behind their action thus creating a stronger development.
Not least of all is the excellent plot of the story. Good setting, check. Well-defined characters, check. Emotions, check. Psychology, check. Now, it wouldn't have been a great read all in all if it wasn't for the plot. A man on the brink of destruction goes to a party, meets a girl, meets an odd person from the past, and the three of them go for a ride to the woods to engage in sexual activity. Only two walk out alive with dark secrets. It gets even more interesting, the kind of interesting that will make you squirm on your seat just to see what would happen next -- is when And what made up for all the built up excitement throughout is the masterful ending. Gripping and suspenseful, that after reading it will leave you thinking about several what-ifs and could've-beens.
A thoroughly disturbing story of a man whose life is put at the mercy of a secret he thought he had buried but at last caught up with him, in the worst possible time.
It's a great read for crime lovers who are looking for a different taste in the genre. I personally recommend it, but it's not for weak hearts!
November 26, 2012
Vergraben ist ein Buch, auf das ich zum einen wegen dem Cover aufmerksam wurde. Ich finde, das Cover sehr eindringlich und mir war sofort klar, dass ich dieses Buch einfach lesen möchte. Zum anderen wurde der Thriller von Neil Cross geschrieben, der ebenfalls der Verfasser von Luther. Die Drohung ist. Das Buch habe ich zwar noch nicht gelesen, es wurde mir aber schon empfohlen, so dass ich auch neugierig auf den Autor war. Gleich vorne weg möchte ich sagen, dass ich nach der Lektüre beschlossen habe, weitere Bücher von Neil Cross zu lesen. Ich bin sehr gespannt, ob er seinen Stil auch im oben genannten und dem kommenden Buch (Gefangen) beibehält.
Anhand des Klappentextes hatte ich erwartet, dass die Geschichte an der Stelle einsetzt, an der Bob wieder vor Nathans Tür steht (siehe Klappentext) und hier eine spannende Situation entsteht. Insgesamt war das durchaus der Fall, aber knapp 2/3 des Buches handelten von Nathans Lebensweg, der zu dieser Situation führt. Man begleitet Nathan in einer langen Rückblende, in der berichtet wird, wie er Bob kennen lernte, was auf der Party geschehen und wie es Nathan danach ergangen ist. Das Buch war also völlig anders als erwartet, aber dennoch wirklich gut. Es war schnell klar, dass ich keine rasante Handlung erwarten durfte, aber Spannung kam meiner Meinung nach dennoch auf. Gefesselt war ich dann vor allem wegen den interessanten Charakteren und wie sie mit ihrer Schuld oder der Ungewissheit leben konnten.
Besonders gelungen finde ich die Auswirkung des Todes der jungen Frau auf den Protagonisten. Man kann sehr gut verfolgen, wie Nathan (nicht) mit der Situation zurecht kommt. Es gibt viele Einblicke in sein Seelenleben und mir kam mehr als einmal der Gedanke, ob er sich selbst bestrafen möchte. Ab und an stellte ich mir auch die Frage, wie ich in seiner Situation reagieren würde. Vergraben wird aus Nathans Sicht geschildert und ist daher natürlich von seinem Schuldgefühl eingefärbt. Das macht die Lektüre zu einer interessanten Einsicht in menschliche Abgründe, die ich bei dem Buch gar nicht erwartet hätte. Nathan ist auch nicht der typische Held, den man so häufig in Thrillern findet. Er hat Ecken und Kanten, was ihn mir deutlich näher brachte, da er einfach greifbarer war.
Auch die anderen Charaktere - Bob, Elise, Holly - waren interessant gestaltet. Man muss sich bei dem Buch darauf einlassen, dass der Fokus nicht auf rasante Handlungen ausgelegt ist, sondern eben "echte" Charaktere gezeigt werden, die mit dem plötzlichen Verlust zurecht kommen müssen. Das gestaltet sich oftmals schwierig und wurde wirklich gut vom Autor aufgezeigt.
Nachdem ich Vergraben zugeklappt hatte, musste ich einen Moment inne halten und überlegen, was ich gerade gelesen habe. Ist es ein Thriller oder doch eher ein Krimi oder vielleicht gar ein Drama? Ich denke, man findet aus allen drei Genres etwas in diesem Buch. Ich habe erst nach der Lektüre erfahren, dass der Autor auch Drehbücher (z.B. das der Serie Luther) schreibt. Das merkt man der Geschichte auch an, da sehr viele Dialoge geführt werden und der Großteil der Geschichte als Rückblende erzählt wird. Mir hat dieser Stil allerdings gut gefallen, da er das Buch spannender und dynamischer machte. Ich würde es als Psychothriller bezeichnen.
Bewertung
Vergraben ist ein außergewöhnlicher Thriller, der von seinen Dialogen und dem Blick in die menschlichen Abgründe lebt. Der Fokus liegt klar auf den ausgereiften Charakteren und ihrem Leben nach dem Tod der jungen Frau. Rasante Action sollte man also nicht erwarten. Vergraben war daher ganz anders, als ich es erwartet hätte und konnte mich dennoch überzeugen.
Anhand des Klappentextes hatte ich erwartet, dass die Geschichte an der Stelle einsetzt, an der Bob wieder vor Nathans Tür steht (siehe Klappentext) und hier eine spannende Situation entsteht. Insgesamt war das durchaus der Fall, aber knapp 2/3 des Buches handelten von Nathans Lebensweg, der zu dieser Situation führt. Man begleitet Nathan in einer langen Rückblende, in der berichtet wird, wie er Bob kennen lernte, was auf der Party geschehen und wie es Nathan danach ergangen ist. Das Buch war also völlig anders als erwartet, aber dennoch wirklich gut. Es war schnell klar, dass ich keine rasante Handlung erwarten durfte, aber Spannung kam meiner Meinung nach dennoch auf. Gefesselt war ich dann vor allem wegen den interessanten Charakteren und wie sie mit ihrer Schuld oder der Ungewissheit leben konnten.
Besonders gelungen finde ich die Auswirkung des Todes der jungen Frau auf den Protagonisten. Man kann sehr gut verfolgen, wie Nathan (nicht) mit der Situation zurecht kommt. Es gibt viele Einblicke in sein Seelenleben und mir kam mehr als einmal der Gedanke, ob er sich selbst bestrafen möchte. Ab und an stellte ich mir auch die Frage, wie ich in seiner Situation reagieren würde. Vergraben wird aus Nathans Sicht geschildert und ist daher natürlich von seinem Schuldgefühl eingefärbt. Das macht die Lektüre zu einer interessanten Einsicht in menschliche Abgründe, die ich bei dem Buch gar nicht erwartet hätte. Nathan ist auch nicht der typische Held, den man so häufig in Thrillern findet. Er hat Ecken und Kanten, was ihn mir deutlich näher brachte, da er einfach greifbarer war.
Auch die anderen Charaktere - Bob, Elise, Holly - waren interessant gestaltet. Man muss sich bei dem Buch darauf einlassen, dass der Fokus nicht auf rasante Handlungen ausgelegt ist, sondern eben "echte" Charaktere gezeigt werden, die mit dem plötzlichen Verlust zurecht kommen müssen. Das gestaltet sich oftmals schwierig und wurde wirklich gut vom Autor aufgezeigt.
Nachdem ich Vergraben zugeklappt hatte, musste ich einen Moment inne halten und überlegen, was ich gerade gelesen habe. Ist es ein Thriller oder doch eher ein Krimi oder vielleicht gar ein Drama? Ich denke, man findet aus allen drei Genres etwas in diesem Buch. Ich habe erst nach der Lektüre erfahren, dass der Autor auch Drehbücher (z.B. das der Serie Luther) schreibt. Das merkt man der Geschichte auch an, da sehr viele Dialoge geführt werden und der Großteil der Geschichte als Rückblende erzählt wird. Mir hat dieser Stil allerdings gut gefallen, da er das Buch spannender und dynamischer machte. Ich würde es als Psychothriller bezeichnen.
Bewertung
Vergraben ist ein außergewöhnlicher Thriller, der von seinen Dialogen und dem Blick in die menschlichen Abgründe lebt. Der Fokus liegt klar auf den ausgereiften Charakteren und ihrem Leben nach dem Tod der jungen Frau. Rasante Action sollte man also nicht erwarten. Vergraben war daher ganz anders, als ich es erwartet hätte und konnte mich dennoch überzeugen.
August 17, 2021
This was made into a series titled “The Sister.” Both are satisfyingly creepy.
May 30, 2015
Burial is a crime-thriller-cum-horror written by the man behind the hit TV series, Luther.
The story kicks off when Nathan, an employee of a famous radio DJ, attends his boss’s house party. From there, everything goes wrong. First he argues with his girlfriend in front of everyone, making a fool of himself. Then, drunkenly, he swings for his boss. And finally, he meets a girl and decides to drive out to a forest with her (alongside another guy he met at the party: Bob) and have sex with her. Bob also has sex with her, and during this twisted backyard swap-session, the girl dies. The two men bury her and conspire to cover up her death. To be on the safe side, they cut all ties and part ways.
Nathan gradually gets his life back on track, and in a misguided attempt to assuage his guilt, he hunts down the sister of the deceased. To complicate things further, he falls in love with her. Then, ten years down the line, with that horrible night far back in his rearview mirror, and everything falling into place for the first time in forever, Bob turns up at his house and tells him they need to dig up the dead girl.
The story speeds towards its conclusion from there.
It’s a gripping premise, one that draws the reader in instantly, and the story, for the most part, delivers on it. As a whole, the book’s quick-moving, atmospheric, and realistic, with one major set piece (the death of the girl) and everything else just a long, winding, emotional aftermath. The finale is a little too neat and easy, but the novel is still worth reading for the journey to get there. The book almost feels like a novella in some respects; something that was stretched into a novel. But if that’s so, Neil Cross stretches it with skill.
It’s not a story that will linger in the memory for years to come, but it will help pass a boring weekend.
Check it out.
The story kicks off when Nathan, an employee of a famous radio DJ, attends his boss’s house party. From there, everything goes wrong. First he argues with his girlfriend in front of everyone, making a fool of himself. Then, drunkenly, he swings for his boss. And finally, he meets a girl and decides to drive out to a forest with her (alongside another guy he met at the party: Bob) and have sex with her. Bob also has sex with her, and during this twisted backyard swap-session, the girl dies. The two men bury her and conspire to cover up her death. To be on the safe side, they cut all ties and part ways.
Nathan gradually gets his life back on track, and in a misguided attempt to assuage his guilt, he hunts down the sister of the deceased. To complicate things further, he falls in love with her. Then, ten years down the line, with that horrible night far back in his rearview mirror, and everything falling into place for the first time in forever, Bob turns up at his house and tells him they need to dig up the dead girl.
The story speeds towards its conclusion from there.
It’s a gripping premise, one that draws the reader in instantly, and the story, for the most part, delivers on it. As a whole, the book’s quick-moving, atmospheric, and realistic, with one major set piece (the death of the girl) and everything else just a long, winding, emotional aftermath. The finale is a little too neat and easy, but the novel is still worth reading for the journey to get there. The book almost feels like a novella in some respects; something that was stretched into a novel. But if that’s so, Neil Cross stretches it with skill.
It’s not a story that will linger in the memory for years to come, but it will help pass a boring weekend.
Check it out.
May 1, 2013
Nathan und Bob lernen auf einer Party die junge Emily kennen. Völlig zugedröhnt und betrunken fahren sie mit ihr in einen kleinen Wald, um ein bisschen Spaß zu haben. Doch dort stirbt das junge Mädchen, Nathan und Bob beschließen, darüber Stillschweigen zu wahren – erst Jahre später scheint die Vergangenheit die beiden einzuholen…
Es geht in diesem Buch gar nicht so sehr darum, einen Mörder zu finden oder Ermittlungen zu führen. Es ist eher ein Psychodrama, eine Charakterstudie: was hat Nathan veranlasst, beim Tod Emilys so zu handeln, wie er es tat und was hat ihr Tod dann mit Nathan gemacht, wie sein Leben beeinflusst und seine Handlungen bestimmt. Dabei schreibt der Autor sehr eindringlich und schonungslos, lässt Einblicke in die Seele Nathans zu. Manchmal konnte ich ihn verstehen, manchmal aber auch nicht. Er hat in mir zum Teil Verständnis ausgelöst, manchmal Unbehagen und häufig Erschrecken. Auch die anderen Charaktere sind gut gezeichnet, sie sind glaubhaft und authentisch. Bildgewaltig beschreibt Neil Cross auch die Umgebung, in der die Geschichte spielt, so eindringlich, dass ich alles genau vor Augen hatte, vor allem der Wald mit seiner Dunkelheit war sehr einprägend für mich. Auch wenn in diesem Buch gar nicht so viel passiert, hat es einen eigenen Spannungsbogen, ich musste einfach wissen, wie es weitergeht. Das Ende bleibt dann ein bisschen offen: kann Nathan mit seiner Schuld weiterleben?
Wenn man nicht von einem klassischen Thriller ausgeht, sondern sich einlässt auf ein interessantes Psychodrama, dann wird man nicht enttäuscht werden. Ich jedenfalls wurde gut unterhalten und vergebe 4 Sterne!
Es geht in diesem Buch gar nicht so sehr darum, einen Mörder zu finden oder Ermittlungen zu führen. Es ist eher ein Psychodrama, eine Charakterstudie: was hat Nathan veranlasst, beim Tod Emilys so zu handeln, wie er es tat und was hat ihr Tod dann mit Nathan gemacht, wie sein Leben beeinflusst und seine Handlungen bestimmt. Dabei schreibt der Autor sehr eindringlich und schonungslos, lässt Einblicke in die Seele Nathans zu. Manchmal konnte ich ihn verstehen, manchmal aber auch nicht. Er hat in mir zum Teil Verständnis ausgelöst, manchmal Unbehagen und häufig Erschrecken. Auch die anderen Charaktere sind gut gezeichnet, sie sind glaubhaft und authentisch. Bildgewaltig beschreibt Neil Cross auch die Umgebung, in der die Geschichte spielt, so eindringlich, dass ich alles genau vor Augen hatte, vor allem der Wald mit seiner Dunkelheit war sehr einprägend für mich. Auch wenn in diesem Buch gar nicht so viel passiert, hat es einen eigenen Spannungsbogen, ich musste einfach wissen, wie es weitergeht. Das Ende bleibt dann ein bisschen offen: kann Nathan mit seiner Schuld weiterleben?
Wenn man nicht von einem klassischen Thriller ausgeht, sondern sich einlässt auf ein interessantes Psychodrama, dann wird man nicht enttäuscht werden. Ich jedenfalls wurde gut unterhalten und vergebe 4 Sterne!
November 18, 2012
One of the best thrillers that I have read in a long time. A genuine page turner of simple pleasures.
Starts off with Nathan - working for some crappy washed up DJ who kind of reminded me of DLT, but that may have been thre recent news stories. He goes along to a party at the DJ house, meets an ex student friend (Bob) who is dicking around with a Oujia Board. In a bid to escape Nathan's girlfriend, Bob, Nathan and a 19 year old girl, escape off in a car. Things develop and the girl is loose with her affections and like all girls like this in any horror story, winds up dead.
Nathan and Bob panic and bury the girl and seemingly get away with things, with all fingers pointing at the hairy cornflake.
Life moves on but Nathan cannot shake off the guilt and tries to get close to the family of the girl, meeting her sister. They fall in love and Nathan is accepted into the family, with this dark secret hanging over him.
Then Bob turns up.... with bad news.
The book plays out very well, there are no cliches here and a genuinely surprising ending which works well. The darkness of the story also plays out well and if it was filmed, it could be made quite scary - with Bob's interest in the paranormal.
You are never too sure where the story is going and this is to its credit - its unusual in genre fiction to not know the result.
Fair play to Neil Cross. I will be reading more of his work.
Starts off with Nathan - working for some crappy washed up DJ who kind of reminded me of DLT, but that may have been thre recent news stories. He goes along to a party at the DJ house, meets an ex student friend (Bob) who is dicking around with a Oujia Board. In a bid to escape Nathan's girlfriend, Bob, Nathan and a 19 year old girl, escape off in a car. Things develop and the girl is loose with her affections and like all girls like this in any horror story, winds up dead.
Nathan and Bob panic and bury the girl and seemingly get away with things, with all fingers pointing at the hairy cornflake.
Life moves on but Nathan cannot shake off the guilt and tries to get close to the family of the girl, meeting her sister. They fall in love and Nathan is accepted into the family, with this dark secret hanging over him.
Then Bob turns up.... with bad news.
The book plays out very well, there are no cliches here and a genuinely surprising ending which works well. The darkness of the story also plays out well and if it was filmed, it could be made quite scary - with Bob's interest in the paranormal.
You are never too sure where the story is going and this is to its credit - its unusual in genre fiction to not know the result.
Fair play to Neil Cross. I will be reading more of his work.
March 1, 2019
My first time at his place, I walked around the room trying to feel a little more at home. I glance through the endearing family photos and souvenirs, bearing stories I looked forward to learning but were not a part of. My eyes settled on a tall bookshelf, and my heart beat a little faster in anticipation. It was packed to the brim with books! His dad was an avid crime fiction reader. I remembered that then, staring at the countless crime fiction novels loosely organised on the shelves. A dozen romance and historical fiction novels stood out, presumably part of his mother’s collection. I perused through some of the titles, my fingers running along the spines tenderly.
I selected this novel, for no particular reason. I hadn’t read much crime fiction up till then, and was looking forward to getting a taste. And what a sweet bloody disturbing taste it was.
I found the plot suspenseful and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the focus on the psychology of the protagonist, Nathan, as he struggles to deal with a situation which leads to the death of a young woman named Elise. I liked this book’s creepy twists and turns and thought the ending was more than satisfactory.
I will certainly be reading more of Cross’ work, and am grateful to have read it (partly because it will serve as a nice conversation starter with his father).
I selected this novel, for no particular reason. I hadn’t read much crime fiction up till then, and was looking forward to getting a taste. And what a sweet bloody disturbing taste it was.
I found the plot suspenseful and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the focus on the psychology of the protagonist, Nathan, as he struggles to deal with a situation which leads to the death of a young woman named Elise. I liked this book’s creepy twists and turns and thought the ending was more than satisfactory.
I will certainly be reading more of Cross’ work, and am grateful to have read it (partly because it will serve as a nice conversation starter with his father).
March 13, 2012
Nathan und Bob kennen sich nur flüchtig und trotzdem ist ihrer beider Leben untrennbar miteinander verbunden. Bei einer Party starb ein junges Mädchen und die Beiden vergruben gemeinsam ihre Leiche in einem Wald. Nun, zehn Jahre später, soll der Wald abgeholzt werden und einem neuen Wohngebiet Platz machen. Und die Geister der Vergangenheit stehen wieder auf. Geister im wörtlichen Sinn, denn der unheimliche Bob beschäftigt sich mit dem Erforschen von Geistererscheinungen.
Neil Cross schreibt neben Romanen auch Drehbücher für die Fernsehserien Luther und Spooks. Und dies merkt man auch seinem Psychothriller Burial (Vergraben) an, besteht er doch überwiegend aus Dialogen. Nach dem ersten Kapitel, der erneuten Begegnung Nathans und Bobs, folgt eine Rückblende über ihr Kennenlernen, die fürchterliche Party und wie das Leben danach weitergeht aus Nathans Sicht. Die Schuld und Verdrängung sind sehr beklemmend dargestellt. Gegen Ende nimmt das Buch jedoch eine Wendung, die zwar durchaus stimmig aufgrund der Charakterentwicklung ist, aber auch auf zu vielen Zufällen basiert. Und zum Schluss kann ich nur in der britischen Redewendung sagen: Das ist nicht fair!
Neil Cross schreibt neben Romanen auch Drehbücher für die Fernsehserien Luther und Spooks. Und dies merkt man auch seinem Psychothriller Burial (Vergraben) an, besteht er doch überwiegend aus Dialogen. Nach dem ersten Kapitel, der erneuten Begegnung Nathans und Bobs, folgt eine Rückblende über ihr Kennenlernen, die fürchterliche Party und wie das Leben danach weitergeht aus Nathans Sicht. Die Schuld und Verdrängung sind sehr beklemmend dargestellt. Gegen Ende nimmt das Buch jedoch eine Wendung, die zwar durchaus stimmig aufgrund der Charakterentwicklung ist, aber auch auf zu vielen Zufällen basiert. Und zum Schluss kann ich nur in der britischen Redewendung sagen: Das ist nicht fair!
January 28, 2009
It’s certainly a page turner.
A claustrophobic thriller about a death that literally haunts a young and relatively innocent young man and his hideous friend, a PhD student and paranormal investigator. Nathan, the protagonist, deals with what’s happened and makes a life despite everything – in fact, he makes a rather good life, a life that, if the death had never happened, would not have come about. Can he deal with the implications of that knowledge?
I could see how the paranormal shades would come to colour the book, in fact, I was expecting rather more of it than we got but the twist at end came as a real surprise to me - maybe that’s because I don’t read or watch many thrillers. It certainly read as though the author had the TV market in mind.
The quality of the writing is often a little shaky with repetition and a goodly number of clichés, but if a darn good plot is all you need, then this is a darn good plot reasonably well executed and will keep you turning the pages for sure.
A claustrophobic thriller about a death that literally haunts a young and relatively innocent young man and his hideous friend, a PhD student and paranormal investigator. Nathan, the protagonist, deals with what’s happened and makes a life despite everything – in fact, he makes a rather good life, a life that, if the death had never happened, would not have come about. Can he deal with the implications of that knowledge?
I could see how the paranormal shades would come to colour the book, in fact, I was expecting rather more of it than we got but the twist at end came as a real surprise to me - maybe that’s because I don’t read or watch many thrillers. It certainly read as though the author had the TV market in mind.
The quality of the writing is often a little shaky with repetition and a goodly number of clichés, but if a darn good plot is all you need, then this is a darn good plot reasonably well executed and will keep you turning the pages for sure.
September 5, 2011
Burial contains thematic echoes of Cross' previous work: bleak yet menacing settings, flawed characters forced into emotional and psychological maelstroms, and occasional literary flourishes.
Nathan, the protagonist, is no murderer. But he is a drunken, coked-up witness to the sudden death of 19-year-old Elise, who expires while entangled with Nathan's strange friend, Bob. Panicked, the pair hastily bury Elise in the woods, and for years don't speak. Then, one day, Bob arrives on Nathan's doorstep, convinced Elise is speaking to him from beyond the grave, and threatening to upturn Nathan's carefully constructed new life.
Cross eschews police procedurals or forensic investigators to instead provide the reader with something more "real" - an engrossing window into the mind of a man battling with the long-buried consequences of a moment of youthful madness.
Nathan, the protagonist, is no murderer. But he is a drunken, coked-up witness to the sudden death of 19-year-old Elise, who expires while entangled with Nathan's strange friend, Bob. Panicked, the pair hastily bury Elise in the woods, and for years don't speak. Then, one day, Bob arrives on Nathan's doorstep, convinced Elise is speaking to him from beyond the grave, and threatening to upturn Nathan's carefully constructed new life.
Cross eschews police procedurals or forensic investigators to instead provide the reader with something more "real" - an engrossing window into the mind of a man battling with the long-buried consequences of a moment of youthful madness.
May 4, 2010
My first encounter with this author, and hopefully not my last. Burial tells the story of the devastation caused following the disappearance of a young woman, both to the family and to those involved in the disappearance.
Nathan is stuck in a dull job and a dull relationship. He goes to a party and bumps into Bob, a man he met once, long ago. The drugsd and drink are flowing freely at the party and, angered because his girlfriend is flirting with someone else, Nathan and Bob drive off with Elise, a pretty girl. Events conspire against them and end with Elise dead, and buried in a hurry. The story continues with Nathan trying but failing to forget what happened that night ...
This book is really intriguing because it has lots of twists and turns and plenty of surprises along the way. highly recommended.
Nathan is stuck in a dull job and a dull relationship. He goes to a party and bumps into Bob, a man he met once, long ago. The drugsd and drink are flowing freely at the party and, angered because his girlfriend is flirting with someone else, Nathan and Bob drive off with Elise, a pretty girl. Events conspire against them and end with Elise dead, and buried in a hurry. The story continues with Nathan trying but failing to forget what happened that night ...
This book is really intriguing because it has lots of twists and turns and plenty of surprises along the way. highly recommended.
July 24, 2011
This book captured my attention right from the start and had me hooked right to the end as the premise of the book was intriguing.
Nathan has not been able to forget the one mistake that he made earlier in his life. As much as he tries to forget, years go by and then one day his demons come knocking. Bob, an acquaintance from years earlier, was there with him on the tragic night a young girl disappeared and he has just showed up at his front door.
The author gives us clear insight of Nathan. We not only witness how his guilt eats away at him, physically and emotionally, and how it affects his personal and professional life but also how he tries to hold onto the life he has built with his wife and what lengths he will go to to keep it.
Nathan has not been able to forget the one mistake that he made earlier in his life. As much as he tries to forget, years go by and then one day his demons come knocking. Bob, an acquaintance from years earlier, was there with him on the tragic night a young girl disappeared and he has just showed up at his front door.
The author gives us clear insight of Nathan. We not only witness how his guilt eats away at him, physically and emotionally, and how it affects his personal and professional life but also how he tries to hold onto the life he has built with his wife and what lengths he will go to to keep it.
January 1, 2009
A masterful thriller from the lead writer of BBC's 'Spooks' (MI5 in USA). I won't say too much about the plot because it really needs to be encountered without spoilers.
An ordinary man is caught up into a nightmare situation when a young woman dies in his and another man's company. The other chap talks him into burying the body. He is haunted by the secret as the years pass and then he learns that the woods are to be developed for housing.
Just about to be published in UK in Jan 2009. 4.5 stars for sure.
March 5, 2014
Not the most plausible story I have read, and a predictable ending, but a good 4 hour book.
May 11, 2014
3.5stars
September 17, 2025
#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads # Horror #Dark Oddities / Hard-to-Classify Nightmares
You read it the way you’d listen to someone confess in a pub where the music has stopped but the ice still clinks in glasses, and you realise the person across from you isn’t telling you a story; they’re opening a trapdoor. Burial never feels like a thriller in the old sense, with no puzzle to be solved and no detectives at the edges; it’s an atmosphere, a long, disorienting hangover of a single night.
Nathan, the narrator, remembers a party and a girl and something terrible that happened after it, but the memory is smudged, feverish, and unreliable. Neil Cross writes it as if guilt itself were a room with bad wallpaper you can’t leave. The book’s structure mimics recollection: looping, backtracking, telling you too much and then retracting, making you complicit in your own curiosity. It’s not about the crime; it’s about the aftertaste, the corrosive residue of something you wish hadn’t happened but did.
Cross uses everyday British settings—the nondescript flat, the suburban garden—as psychic traps. Everything is slightly off, too brightly lit or too dim. The prose is spare but warped, like the narrator’s conscience is bleeding into the furniture. You think of David Lynch, but without the surrealism: just ordinary people whose banality makes them terrifying. The book is a “psychological thriller” only if you define “psychological” as “people swallowing their own minds.” What seems at first like a straightforward confession spirals into obsession and paranoia. The return of the past—literally in the form of the body, figuratively in the form of the repressed memory—is handled not as revelation but as contagion. Everyone who touches the story is infected by it. That’s why reading it feels a little dirty, as if you’ve been handling something you shouldn’t.
The novel’s timeline fractures. You’re in the past at the party; you’re in the present with Nathan, years later, a successful TV producer whose life is built over a secret grave; you’re in an imagined future he fears will arrive any minute. Cross cuts between them like bad jump cuts in a documentary—his narrator trying to edit the footage of his own mind but failing. That’s the “difficult” pleasure of Burial: it denies you a clean narrative arc. You don’t get catharsis; you get immersion in a man’s corrosive guilt. The tension isn’t “Will he get caught?” But “how much longer can he live with himself?”
This is also a book about the performance of normality. Nathan, like Cross’s own characters in Luther, wears a mask of affability, competence, and media-savvy charm. Underneath: panic, shame, desire. Cross is brilliant at showing how the rituals of middle-class British life—commutes, cups of tea, awkward networking dinners—become ways of covering over rot. Even the language is self-consciously bland at times, a kind of camouflage. When the mask slips, the prose sharpens and becomes hallucinatory, as if guilt has its own syntax. The “burial” of the title isn’t just the literal act of hiding a body; it’s the burial of a self, a life spent pretending one night didn’t happen.
Reading Burial feels like being trapped in a fast-spinning merry-go-round car with someone who keeps saying, “I’m fine, it’s nothing,” while gripping the railings until their knuckles go white. It’s not horror in the supernatural sense but in the existential one: what happens to a person when they become the custodian of their own crime, when they live for years inside the wrong story?
Cross doesn’t offer absolution or easy moralising. He leaves you with the taste of metal in your mouth, a reminder that guilt, like soil, gets under the fingernails and stays there long after you’ve washed your hands.
Read it if you dare. Most recommended, though.
You read it the way you’d listen to someone confess in a pub where the music has stopped but the ice still clinks in glasses, and you realise the person across from you isn’t telling you a story; they’re opening a trapdoor. Burial never feels like a thriller in the old sense, with no puzzle to be solved and no detectives at the edges; it’s an atmosphere, a long, disorienting hangover of a single night.
Nathan, the narrator, remembers a party and a girl and something terrible that happened after it, but the memory is smudged, feverish, and unreliable. Neil Cross writes it as if guilt itself were a room with bad wallpaper you can’t leave. The book’s structure mimics recollection: looping, backtracking, telling you too much and then retracting, making you complicit in your own curiosity. It’s not about the crime; it’s about the aftertaste, the corrosive residue of something you wish hadn’t happened but did.
Cross uses everyday British settings—the nondescript flat, the suburban garden—as psychic traps. Everything is slightly off, too brightly lit or too dim. The prose is spare but warped, like the narrator’s conscience is bleeding into the furniture. You think of David Lynch, but without the surrealism: just ordinary people whose banality makes them terrifying. The book is a “psychological thriller” only if you define “psychological” as “people swallowing their own minds.” What seems at first like a straightforward confession spirals into obsession and paranoia. The return of the past—literally in the form of the body, figuratively in the form of the repressed memory—is handled not as revelation but as contagion. Everyone who touches the story is infected by it. That’s why reading it feels a little dirty, as if you’ve been handling something you shouldn’t.
The novel’s timeline fractures. You’re in the past at the party; you’re in the present with Nathan, years later, a successful TV producer whose life is built over a secret grave; you’re in an imagined future he fears will arrive any minute. Cross cuts between them like bad jump cuts in a documentary—his narrator trying to edit the footage of his own mind but failing. That’s the “difficult” pleasure of Burial: it denies you a clean narrative arc. You don’t get catharsis; you get immersion in a man’s corrosive guilt. The tension isn’t “Will he get caught?” But “how much longer can he live with himself?”
This is also a book about the performance of normality. Nathan, like Cross’s own characters in Luther, wears a mask of affability, competence, and media-savvy charm. Underneath: panic, shame, desire. Cross is brilliant at showing how the rituals of middle-class British life—commutes, cups of tea, awkward networking dinners—become ways of covering over rot. Even the language is self-consciously bland at times, a kind of camouflage. When the mask slips, the prose sharpens and becomes hallucinatory, as if guilt has its own syntax. The “burial” of the title isn’t just the literal act of hiding a body; it’s the burial of a self, a life spent pretending one night didn’t happen.
Reading Burial feels like being trapped in a fast-spinning merry-go-round car with someone who keeps saying, “I’m fine, it’s nothing,” while gripping the railings until their knuckles go white. It’s not horror in the supernatural sense but in the existential one: what happens to a person when they become the custodian of their own crime, when they live for years inside the wrong story?
Cross doesn’t offer absolution or easy moralising. He leaves you with the taste of metal in your mouth, a reminder that guilt, like soil, gets under the fingernails and stays there long after you’ve washed your hands.
Read it if you dare. Most recommended, though.
October 24, 2018
Cross, Neil. Verzwegen. Amsterdam : De Boekerij 2009
Ik heb het boek Verzwegen gelezen, geschreven door Neil Cross, en het was een geweldig boek. Ik ben zeer enthousiast over de manier waarop de schrijver het verhaal neerpende. Hij wist het verhaal te beginnen met een cliffhanger zodat de lezer meteen al geneigd was om verder te lezen. Na deze spanningsmethode begon hij het verhaal bij nul en kregen we een duidelijke inleiding van de personages. Er kwamen tijdssprongen zoals flashbacks en terugverwijzingen voor en telkens wanneer je dacht dat je mee was in het verhaal, kwam er één of ander geheim naar boven dat de lezer weer helemaal in de war maakte. De personages waren mooi uitgewerkt en ze maakten een verandering mee door het verhaal.
Het verhaal gaat over Nathan, een jongen die in zijn jonge jaren één grote fout maakte en dat was namelijk een onbekende Bob vertrouwen. Die avond wanneer ze elkaar voor de tweede keer ontmoetten, leidde tot de dood van een onschuldig meisje. Bob zegt alles onder controle te hebben, maar Nathan kan de schuld niet verdragen. Ze dumpen het lichaam van de negentienjarige Elise in het bos en zweren om hier nooit meer over te praten en om elkaar nooit meer te zien. Vijftien jaar later neemt Bob weer contact op met Nathan. Nathan die net uit de kuil aan het stappen was en erin slaagde om zichzelf niets meer te verwijten, ergert zich hier dood aan. Zijn leven was juist zo goed. Hij had een goede baan, verdiende goed, een mooi huis, een lieve vrouw, een gelukkig seksleven…alles waar hij van had gedroomd had hij eindelijk kunnen waarmaken en nu stond die Bob weer voor de deur met het nieuws dat ze het bos waar Elise in lag, gingen open graven.
Door het verhaal heen volg je eigenlijk steeds Nathans doen en laten. We kennen enkel zijn gedachten en gevoelens en hebben daarom te maken met een personele hij-verteller. Ik vond de afwisseling van spanning en romantiek zeer fijn. We zagen Nathans moeilijkheden en angsten, maar daarnaast ook de liefde die hij voelde voor zijn vrouw, Elises zus. Nathan wou niets te maken hebben met Bob, maar uit angst om zijn vrouw Holly te verliezen stemde hij in met Bobs plan om de lichamelijke overschotten van Elise op te graven zodat hij niet in de problemen zou kunnen geraken. Telkens wanneer Nathan in een dipje zat vanwege de risico’s die hij en Bob namen om Elise van hun af te schudden, zag je dat Holly zeer bezorgd om hem was. Ze bleef maar vragen waarom hij zo gestresseerd was, waarom hij niet praatte, wat hij verborg en telkens weer antwoordde Nathan met “Ik ben in orde. Ik kan het je niet vertellen. Het spijt me zo”. Holly troostte Nathan en het enige wat in zijn hoofd omging was de angst om haar te verliezen. Ik vond de liefde die ze met elkaar deelden zeer mooi.
Het boek is zeker een aanrader voor iemand die van romantiek, maar ook van spanning houdt. Er waren echt momenten waar ik op het puntje van mijn stoel zat en dat het kippenvel mijn armen totaal bedekte. Verzwegen is een literaire thriller, toegankelijk voor iedereen die wilt.
Geschreven door Anuriet-Kaur Chatrath
Ik heb het boek Verzwegen gelezen, geschreven door Neil Cross, en het was een geweldig boek. Ik ben zeer enthousiast over de manier waarop de schrijver het verhaal neerpende. Hij wist het verhaal te beginnen met een cliffhanger zodat de lezer meteen al geneigd was om verder te lezen. Na deze spanningsmethode begon hij het verhaal bij nul en kregen we een duidelijke inleiding van de personages. Er kwamen tijdssprongen zoals flashbacks en terugverwijzingen voor en telkens wanneer je dacht dat je mee was in het verhaal, kwam er één of ander geheim naar boven dat de lezer weer helemaal in de war maakte. De personages waren mooi uitgewerkt en ze maakten een verandering mee door het verhaal.
Het verhaal gaat over Nathan, een jongen die in zijn jonge jaren één grote fout maakte en dat was namelijk een onbekende Bob vertrouwen. Die avond wanneer ze elkaar voor de tweede keer ontmoetten, leidde tot de dood van een onschuldig meisje. Bob zegt alles onder controle te hebben, maar Nathan kan de schuld niet verdragen. Ze dumpen het lichaam van de negentienjarige Elise in het bos en zweren om hier nooit meer over te praten en om elkaar nooit meer te zien. Vijftien jaar later neemt Bob weer contact op met Nathan. Nathan die net uit de kuil aan het stappen was en erin slaagde om zichzelf niets meer te verwijten, ergert zich hier dood aan. Zijn leven was juist zo goed. Hij had een goede baan, verdiende goed, een mooi huis, een lieve vrouw, een gelukkig seksleven…alles waar hij van had gedroomd had hij eindelijk kunnen waarmaken en nu stond die Bob weer voor de deur met het nieuws dat ze het bos waar Elise in lag, gingen open graven.
Door het verhaal heen volg je eigenlijk steeds Nathans doen en laten. We kennen enkel zijn gedachten en gevoelens en hebben daarom te maken met een personele hij-verteller. Ik vond de afwisseling van spanning en romantiek zeer fijn. We zagen Nathans moeilijkheden en angsten, maar daarnaast ook de liefde die hij voelde voor zijn vrouw, Elises zus. Nathan wou niets te maken hebben met Bob, maar uit angst om zijn vrouw Holly te verliezen stemde hij in met Bobs plan om de lichamelijke overschotten van Elise op te graven zodat hij niet in de problemen zou kunnen geraken. Telkens wanneer Nathan in een dipje zat vanwege de risico’s die hij en Bob namen om Elise van hun af te schudden, zag je dat Holly zeer bezorgd om hem was. Ze bleef maar vragen waarom hij zo gestresseerd was, waarom hij niet praatte, wat hij verborg en telkens weer antwoordde Nathan met “Ik ben in orde. Ik kan het je niet vertellen. Het spijt me zo”. Holly troostte Nathan en het enige wat in zijn hoofd omging was de angst om haar te verliezen. Ik vond de liefde die ze met elkaar deelden zeer mooi.
Het boek is zeker een aanrader voor iemand die van romantiek, maar ook van spanning houdt. Er waren echt momenten waar ik op het puntje van mijn stoel zat en dat het kippenvel mijn armen totaal bedekte. Verzwegen is een literaire thriller, toegankelijk voor iedereen die wilt.
Geschreven door Anuriet-Kaur Chatrath
September 9, 2018
I really enjoyed this book and it was a very easy read. It was compelling and I found myself wanting to read it at all times of the day. The story is relatable, everyone has had a secret that has eaten away at them, thankfully most not as serious as Nathans. There were some good twists in this book and, as it spans a period of time, you really feel as though you know the characters and sympathise with them. This is one of those stories which, when it started, I had no idea where it was going and I was pleasantly surprised at the use of the anti-heroes to move the plot forward. It is a lesson to us all that an incident which can take mere minutes to unfold, can have profound effects on the rest of our lives.
June 8, 2021
This book was kind of a slow burn.
I'm reading it in anticipation of watching the TV series version "The Sister."
The author spent quite a lot of time in the "interim years", but it was never boring. Well, mostly never boring. The author kept putting in little bits and pieces of how the burial affected the main characters life in these interim years.
When he got close to the dead girl's parents (if you've seen the copious previews for the show, this is not a spoiler), and was thinking Elise thoughts... that was gutting. Over and over and over.
The last 100 pages really ramped up and had a very satisfying, if a somewhat Hollywood-happy, ending.
I'll definitely be reading more from this author.
I'm reading it in anticipation of watching the TV series version "The Sister."
The author spent quite a lot of time in the "interim years", but it was never boring. Well, mostly never boring. The author kept putting in little bits and pieces of how the burial affected the main characters life in these interim years.
When he got close to the dead girl's parents (if you've seen the copious previews for the show, this is not a spoiler), and was thinking Elise thoughts... that was gutting. Over and over and over.
The last 100 pages really ramped up and had a very satisfying, if a somewhat Hollywood-happy, ending.
I'll definitely be reading more from this author.
October 20, 2020
A fantastic read
I saw a write up for the upcoming BBC adaptation based on this book which is how I found it. From the moment you start reading Neil's writing just pulls you in and invites you to experience the terror, anxiety, grief, sadness to name a few of the emotions the characters experience. You really don't know how things will work out right until the end. Neil's characters are all so real, interesting and flawed, the story is good and really well plotted. I have never read a Neil Cross book before but will be looking for more from now because I really enjoyed this one, thank you Neil Cross
I saw a write up for the upcoming BBC adaptation based on this book which is how I found it. From the moment you start reading Neil's writing just pulls you in and invites you to experience the terror, anxiety, grief, sadness to name a few of the emotions the characters experience. You really don't know how things will work out right until the end. Neil's characters are all so real, interesting and flawed, the story is good and really well plotted. I have never read a Neil Cross book before but will be looking for more from now because I really enjoyed this one, thank you Neil Cross
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