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Secrets at Hanging Rock
On St Valentine's Day 1900 two girls and their teacher went missing on a picnic to Hanging Rock and speculation ran riot as to what might have happened. More than a hundred years later archaeologists who were investigating rock art in a shelter at the Rock discovered a previously unknown cavern containing skeletal remains. Traces of lace and a watch gave optimism that the remains were those of the girls, but confirmation could only come from DNA analyses. Could a forensic anthropologist uncover the truth?
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 8, 2014
I enjoyed this book. The story was engaging and for the most part, well written, with just enough technical detail provided about archaeology, DNA analysis, etc.
However, as the pages were running out, and the mystery of the skeletons discovered at Hanging Rock still hadn't been resolved, I wondered how it was all going to end. I was a little disappointed with the fact that it was all left up in the air. I would like to have seen an explanation for the girls' disappearance. I guess the author was leaving it to the reader to fill in the blanks and decide the outcome for themselves.
Obviously, the skeletons were the missing girls and their teacher, but the whole point of having the skeleton of the Scottish actor in there as well was a little lost on me.
However, as the pages were running out, and the mystery of the skeletons discovered at Hanging Rock still hadn't been resolved, I wondered how it was all going to end. I was a little disappointed with the fact that it was all left up in the air. I would like to have seen an explanation for the girls' disappearance. I guess the author was leaving it to the reader to fill in the blanks and decide the outcome for themselves.
Obviously, the skeletons were the missing girls and their teacher, but the whole point of having the skeleton of the Scottish actor in there as well was a little lost on me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2018
The book takes a dual approach. One thread concerns events right after the picnic. Michael unfortunately is a prime suspect and he has to sit through an interrogation while the police, and the jury, try to find out just what happened. This is very rough on him. Also, the records of the previous investigation were destroyed in a fire.
The second threat is about an archaeological did at the rock that uncovers an area that has skeletons in it. One of them is a female who was pregnant since the bones of the fetus are also found. Two other female skeletons are found and one male skeleton.
(This is a point where the book is somewhat confusing. How did all of them end up in the same place at the same time? Did the girls and Miss Mc Craw enter the same space, find the skeleton of the guy and then get trapped? Why did they go into that cave-like space anyhow?)
Mary Wade is the archaeologist and Jo is an assistant and also her lover. (That they were lovers is fine but I think the sex scenes are not really necessary in this particular book.)
There's a lot of trouble for them as the local aborigine group tries to stop the excavation, claiming that the skeletons are their people (Yet it is firmly established in articles, etc, that the native peoples of that area consider it taboo to climb the rock because there are evil spirits there.)
Also, the local group opposes the fact that females are on the rock.
The way the team excavates the area is explained rather well and helps one to understand just how much work is involved in archaeology.
There's a romantic problem for Mary and Jo and, again, I don't consider it germane to this particular story.
Also, Mary does something which is basically is unethical as far as archaeological work goes.
It seems very possible that the female skeletons are the missing people but it's left unclear whether they really are or not. (If they're not the missing people, though, then how did the skeletons end up there? Where did they come from and why do they just happen to be where the others had disappeared? It basically has to be them; there is no other reasonable explanation.)
The second threat is about an archaeological did at the rock that uncovers an area that has skeletons in it. One of them is a female who was pregnant since the bones of the fetus are also found. Two other female skeletons are found and one male skeleton.
(This is a point where the book is somewhat confusing. How did all of them end up in the same place at the same time? Did the girls and Miss Mc Craw enter the same space, find the skeleton of the guy and then get trapped? Why did they go into that cave-like space anyhow?)
Mary Wade is the archaeologist and Jo is an assistant and also her lover. (That they were lovers is fine but I think the sex scenes are not really necessary in this particular book.)
There's a lot of trouble for them as the local aborigine group tries to stop the excavation, claiming that the skeletons are their people (Yet it is firmly established in articles, etc, that the native peoples of that area consider it taboo to climb the rock because there are evil spirits there.)
Also, the local group opposes the fact that females are on the rock.
The way the team excavates the area is explained rather well and helps one to understand just how much work is involved in archaeology.
There's a romantic problem for Mary and Jo and, again, I don't consider it germane to this particular story.
Also, Mary does something which is basically is unethical as far as archaeological work goes.
It seems very possible that the female skeletons are the missing people but it's left unclear whether they really are or not. (If they're not the missing people, though, then how did the skeletons end up there? Where did they come from and why do they just happen to be where the others had disappeared? It basically has to be them; there is no other reasonable explanation.)
August 19, 2018
Oh dear....
I was really looking forward to reading this book but the modern day parts of it are so poorly written it ruined the whole thing.
The lead female characters are so emotionally and sexually incontinent that they would require extensive psychiatric help in real life and the supporting characters aren't much better.
They just aren't believable and I couldn't engage with them at all, except for frequently wanting to slap the neurotic Jo.
It was only the hope of a resolution which kept me going - and ultimately disappointed.
The chapters set in the past were written well but unfortunately make up a small percentage of the book.
I was really looking forward to reading this book but the modern day parts of it are so poorly written it ruined the whole thing.
The lead female characters are so emotionally and sexually incontinent that they would require extensive psychiatric help in real life and the supporting characters aren't much better.
They just aren't believable and I couldn't engage with them at all, except for frequently wanting to slap the neurotic Jo.
It was only the hope of a resolution which kept me going - and ultimately disappointed.
The chapters set in the past were written well but unfortunately make up a small percentage of the book.
August 3, 2018
Intriguing but not the original
Interesting approach, the book follows both an archeological team investigating human remains found at Hanging Rock in the present day as well as one of the characters from the original story dealing with the aftermath of the disappearance. I loved the unresolved plot from Picnic at Hanging Rock, and this book does an excellent job of expanding on that story without ruining the original mystery.
Interesting approach, the book follows both an archeological team investigating human remains found at Hanging Rock in the present day as well as one of the characters from the original story dealing with the aftermath of the disappearance. I loved the unresolved plot from Picnic at Hanging Rock, and this book does an excellent job of expanding on that story without ruining the original mystery.
April 19, 2019
Interesting imagining of the aftermath to "Picnic At hanging Rock". Unfortunately, not the best writing. Could have used a good editor.
July 31, 2019
Great story, moves quickly~ the plot isn't overly complex but is just enough to make you keep finding an excuse to keep reading
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews