Grave Undertaking

Buryin' Barry Mystery #2

by Mark de Castrique

"[A] first-rate installment in an excellent series." ― Booklist Barry Clayton has left the Charlotte police force to manage his ailing father's funeral home in the peace and quiet of the Appalachian mountains. But Buryin' Barry is an undertaker with a problem he keeps finding unwanted business. Moving a grave on a snowy mountainside should be routine. No funeral, no procession, no grieving widow to console. Routine until Barry unearths an unexpected intruder, a skeleton lying atop the original occupant. A bullet hole in the skull piques his ex-cop curiosity; the photograph of his girlfriend Susan Miller in the murdered man's wallet makes the case very personal. Suddenly, Barry's life is turned upside down, as Susan becomes the prime suspect. Joining forces with his pal Sheriff Tommy Lee Wadkins, Barry sets out to find the real killer. But a terrible secret had been buried in that mountain grave and one murder is only the down payment someone is willing to pay to keep it hidden. Barry is torn between discovering the solution to the crime and uncovering a part of Susan's past that could destroy their relationship. When the killer strikes again, Barry learns that even more is at stake. In a duel of deceit and misdirection, one thing becomes crystal clear. Barry's grave undertaking could very well lead to his own funeral.

Genres: Mystery

272 pages, Paperback

Published December 31, 2011

About the author

Mark de Castrique is an author, playwright, public speaker, and television producer living in Charlotte.

Through his company MARK et al., he writes, shoots, and edits projects for a variety of clients.

His work has earned CLIO, TELLY, and EMMY awards.

Mark has scripted stories aired on PBS and commercial network affiliates, as well as created video presentations for major corporations.

Reviews

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

GRAVE UNDERTAKING (Amateur Sleuth/Former Policeman) – VG
Mark de Castrique – 2nd in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2004 – Hardcover
Former policeman Barry Clayton now manages the family funeral parlor, in a small North Carolina town, for his father with Alzheimer’s. But when he oversees the moving of a grave and finds an extra body with a bullet hole in it’s head, a gun by it’s feet and the photograph of Barry’s girlfriend in it’s pocket, he employees the skills of his former career to find out why.
*** This is a very good series. Barry is a fully dimensional character with strong family ties and good friends. The sense of place is wonderfully done and dialogue is very true. He provides an interesting look into the human side of the funeral business, which I very much enjoyed. And, it’s still a tight mystery with very good suspense. If you’ve not discovered this series, I definitely recommend giving it a try.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grave Undertaking is heartwarming and will keep you reading. Mark de Castrique deserves a larger audience.

[Mendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Barry Clayton and his family's funeral home.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the run-up to Christmas, the Clayton funeral home has to move a body to a different grave. Unfortunately, they find a second body in the open grave. Even more unfortunately, the body has a picture of Barry Clayton's girlfriend Dr. Susan Miller in a wallet, and a gun owned by Susan's father buried with it. Former cop Barry and his pal, local sheriff Tommy Lee, investigate, although the cemetery is in an adjoining county and out of Tommy Lee's territory. An offer for the family business from a chain of funeral homes also confuses Barry's life.

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry named his puppy Democrat... :-)

I have decided that Gainsborough is the stand-in for Hendersonville... But Hendersonville is now larger and more commercial. There are at least 2 funeral homes now. One previously family owned for a couple of generations that is now corporate owned. I enjoyed this story immensely. Barry is a trouble magnet.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author's books and his characters! In this one I was a little bit disappointed that I readily thought of a place that should be searched and both the good guys and the bad guys overlooked. (But then there wouldn't be a story, would there?)

[Bill Lents · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart tugging tale....

The story pulled at my heart as I followed Barry through his surprising attempt to bring about a change in his family's future. The solution was as expected, due to his character. Great time spent reading this delightful tale.

[MaryAlice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quote from "Grave Undertaking (Buryin' Barry" by Mark de Castrique:

...people always overlook the obvious...

I do not know when I read this mystery novel, so just adding a date.

[Karen Glazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was better than the first one.

[Lars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story line

[Jan C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually 3 1/2 ★.

Like a dope I was up all night reading this book. One of the good things about retirement is that if you want to stay up all night reading you can.

Here, Barry is moving a grave when another body turns up. The other body turns out to be an ex-boyfriend of Barry's girlfriend. And he is found holding her/her dad's gun. So Barry is sucked into finding out what is going on and clearing her and her dad's names.

What I like about this series is that it takes place near Asheville, NC, near where my Mom lives, so I know these places and stores. They go to Etowah - I know where that is. They go to Ingles and Belks. I know those stores. Matter of fact, I was just in them at Christmas.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2nd book in the series, I really like the characters, even though the plot of this book didn't hold together that well in my opinion. There are too many characters to try to keep straight, although the person I picked in the middle of the book to be the bad guy actually was not. Main character is an undertaker who has left a job in the police department in a city to help his mother and uncle run the funeral home in a small town when his father's Alzheimers renders him unable to run the business.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 in the Buryin' Barry series. Barry Clayton returns to his family funeral home in Gainsville, NC from his Charlotte PD job after his father is stricken with Alzheimer's.

Barry Clayton is disinterring one corpse when another is found on top of the vault. The body is that of a NYC PI who had once had an affair with Barry's current lover, Dr Susan Miller. Barry and Sheriff Tommy Lee Wadkins search for the killer and suspicions mount that he may be a member of the Sheriff's department of a neighboring county.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likable, believable, ordinary characters that manage not to be boring. That may not sound like much of an endorsement, but it is meant to be. The mysteries are well-crafted: difficult to put together until the end, but not because the author has been intentionally (or unintentionally) obscure or secretive. I like it when mystery authors play fair, as Mark de Castrique does.

[Ollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of Buryin' Barry is the 2nd in the series. I love Barry's devotion to his family and how he supports his Mother as she tends to his Father who is suffering from early onset of Alzheimer's. The discovery of a skeleton buried on top of another grave begins the road to a long undiscovered murder. It will keep you guessing.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sounds like I might want to read again....

[Ch J Loveall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Romance tauted as mystery - shame-on-you.

[Mandy Huot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little confusing and understimulating in some places, but it is still better than some books i've read.

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barry Clayton #2