Three years have passed since Investigator Augusta (Gus) Monet’s partner, Howard Baylis, vanished during a family camping trip in Southern Ontario. Gus and Bly, her 13-year-old daughter, have searched for him tirelessly, pursuing leads and pressuring the police. Though she’s found no clues, Gus clings to the belief that Howard is still alive.
His parents have resigned themselves to the worst. A newspaper obituary announcing plans for a memorial service delivers a shock to both Gus and Bly. Faced with this grim reality, mother and daughter are compelled to return to Prince Edward County, where the service is due to take place and where Howard was last seen. Upon their arrival, they encounter hostility from both Howard’s parents and the local police. Gus was merely Howard’s partner, they never married, and Bly wasn’t his daughter.
Gus is fearless, especially when it comes to those she loves. She hasn’t had an easy life, having lost everyone close to her. At eight years old, she witnessed her mother’s murder, a case she investigated in Dark August, the first book in this series. In the days after Howard went missing, Gus acted as if he were just out running errands and would return any moment. She simply couldn’t bear the thought of losing another loved one and blamed herself for his disappearance – perhaps Howard would still be alive if he hadn’t met her.
But Howard, an investigative journalist, was working on a potentially groundbreaking story involving local entrepreneur Marcia Pike. Pike Enterprises was planning a wind park project on Lake Ontario, a plan that met with a great deal of resistance, especially from local naturalist Will Stenson. Howard left the campsite to follow up on a lead and meet a potential source. Clearly, he stumbled onto information someone didn’t want made public.
It’s up to Gus and Bly to follow the breadcrumbs and figure out who that was. They’ve barely arrived in Prince Edward County when, by chance, they hear that their camper van, which Howard used on the day he disappeared – has been found in a nearby wooded area. Both the police and Howard’s parents withheld this crucial information from Gus. Bly goes rogue and breaks into the camper van, finding Howard’s notes and phone in a hidden compartment only she knew about. On the phone is a video recording, and this new evidence is just the fuel needed to reignite their investigation. However, people are trying to stop them at every turn, and it’s impossible to be sure who to trust. Even the police seem to be against them.
Along the way, they are supported by new friends and allies: Police Officer Able and his father; Patience Perley and her family; and Hildy Flood, a journalist and archivist. With their assistance, Gus and Bly gain a clearer picture of what Howard unearthed. The author perfectly captures the claustrophobic and secretive nature of small-town life. She also creates a strong sense of them-and-us, so we sympathise with Gus and Bly for their losses, hardships and the unnecessary resistance they continue to face.
Bly tells their story, offering a different perspective. It’s clear through her fond memories of Howard that she adored him, even though he wasn’t her biological father. The story of how Gus and Howard met when she was pregnant with Bly is recounted in the previous novel, Poison Lilies. It’s also Bly who is responsible for finding the most useful clues. She’s a gatherer, picking up seemingly random objects, adding them to their murder board and connecting the threads. For a change, we don’t have a police officer at the helm of the investigation. Not even the adult investigator, Gus, seems able to crack the case, as she’s standing too close to it. Additionally, Gus is often erratic and emotional. She’s known as the woman who spent a year looking for her boyfriend, causing trouble and engaging in shouting matches at the local police station. Bly is the stable force keeping her mother intact.
The plot of Buried Road isn’t new, yet Katie Tallo puts a fresh spin on it. This can partly be attributed to Bly as narrator, but there’s also a strong sense of suspense and a story with interesting twists and turns. It’s an unexpectedly solid crime fiction read with two strong women at its centre, and one to add to your reading list.
Also see The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny, set in Quebec.
Harper Collins
Print/iBook
£16.88
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
