Book Review: Burial by Neil Cross

Burial by Neil Cross

291 pages

Tor Forge

This British author lives in New Zealand and writes about England, now this is my first Cross novel, who I discovered from his TV work. He created and wrote every first season episode of the BBC drama starring Idris Elba Luther. The first 6 episodes all written by Cross are brutal, powerful and amazingly plotted horror, weird crime dramas. I LOVED the show, yep ALL CAPS LOVE the show. Enough that when I learned Cross had written novels I got on my library website and reserved the first book I found – Burial.

Now, if you have watched Luther, or you trust my opinion at all you are best off reading this book as blind as possible. Don’t read my plot summery, don’t read the book jacket. Just trust me this is a creepy and unsettling novel that produces an uncomfortable fear that is like an untuned guitar string being strummed. It is a story about guilt, pure and simple.

Last warning plot description coming…

Nathan made a horrible mistake. He and his odd friend Bob hook up with a young woman and leave a party to do drugs and have sex. Both men have sex with her but while Nathan is out of the car leaving Bob alone, the young woman dies. In a panic they bury the body. For years it looks like they got away it. 10 years later a knock on the door brings that horrible night past to Nathan.

It is impossible to explain why Burial is so good with out spoilers, but by the end you just don’t know how to feel about Nathan. Cross plots the novel with excellent skill and creates a wonderful grey area for the characters.