Grave Concerns

Drew Slocombe #2

by Rebecca Tope

With Peaceful Repose Cemetery, Drew Slocombe is determined to revolutionise the entire death industry and make ecologically sound burials a popular choice. Unfortunately, his gravedigger has just discovered that their cemetery has one too many corpses - that of an elderly woman. The police don't appear to be particularly concerned and seem to think it's that of a vagrant. But for Drew things don't add up: even if the woman died a natural death, someone was obviously responsible for burying her. When Genevieve Slater, a woman from Drew's past, turns up at his door, and asks him to help prove that the body is that of her missing mother, the mystery deepens. Why does Genevieve not go to the police with her concerns? All Drew's skills as an amateur detective will be needed if he is to get to the truth . . .

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Rebecca Tope is best known as the author of over twenty crime novels. She has also recently produced the e-book entitled 'The Indifference of Tumbleweed'. She has every intention of continuing with the murder stories, as well as a variety of other kinds of fiction.

She has experienced many different kinds of work in her time - running antenatal classes, counselling troubled couples and being an office girl for an undertaker, for example. There were also several years monitoring the output of dairy cows, as well as every sort of task associated with book publishing. In 1992, she founded Praxis Books, a small British press.

She lives surrounded by trees she has planted herself, tending her own sheep.

Reviews

[Ann Macdonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why I persevered with this book. The main character had endless witless conversations with himself and other vacuous characters, and there were several irritating proof-reading errors. I thought it couldn't get any worse, but the ending was risible.

[Maddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a slow, boring read but I kept at it until I got to the part where Drew felt aroused by seeing Genevieve give birth. That was so fucked up and gross and I feel like this author has some very weird attitudes about women

[Kirsty Darbyshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

My concerns when I read Dark Undertakings was that a series based around an undertaker was going to get a bit predictable and silly. I'm glad to say that this second in the series wasn't predictable or silly. The author has moved Drew Slocombe on and he now owns his own small business - a natural burial ground. I can see more milage in the series from here. Which is good because I like the characters and want to know what happens next. Rebecca Tope has a knack for creating characters who do the kind of things that make you think 'oh that would only work in a book' but who seem very realistic at the same time. Delightful really. I wish these books were easier to get hold of.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the series about Drew Slocombe, alternative undertaker and amateur sleuth, this finds Drew now having started his eco funeral business and struggling with getting custom. Business is not helped when a body is found buried in his field, and seems to have been buried there while he was still awaiting planning permission, as if someone had heard about it and decided it was a suitable place. The woman is in her 70s, with distinctive long white hair and dressed in a simple shift and an Egyptian necklace. The police are not very interested when she cannot be identified, but Drew is unable to rest and is drawn into investigating when a woman whom he has met before and found very attractive, turns up, several months pregnant and wanting him to establish whether or not it is her mother Gwen, a free spirit who travelled widely and was, in fact, a tour guide in Egypt at one point. She doesn't want to involve the police as she says she is concerned that her husband may have murdered Gwen, but Drew suspects - rightly, as it happens - other motives.

Thus a complicated interweave begins of hidden agendas and red herrings. Drew's difficulties are compounded because someone appears to be trying to sabotague his nascent business by leaving "black magic" memorabilia and dead animals in his field, and sending poison pen letters. Also, his wife Karen, far from being the keen and likeminded partner of old, is now, following the birth of their daughter (who is now ten months old), depressed and grouchy. Part of the novel deals with these personal difficulties and Drew's struggle to provide care for their daughter so that Karen can return to her teaching job - but they then discover she is pregnant again, only this time with a child neither of them wants. Having read some of the later books in the series, I can see that this is the beginning of the difficult situation Drew later finds himself in, including his inability to love his second child as much as the first.

Although there are no grisly murders, there is a rather graphic description of childbirth which may put some people off and a rather unfortunate comment about what happens to the bodies of people who die after chemotherapy which may be upsetting to anyone who has lost someone close after such treatment.

I enjoyed the story on the whole, but the main problem is that the end is rather rushed and the solving of the mystery seems pure dumb luck (although to be fair there were some pointers to the involvement of certain individuals). Therefore on the whole I can give this only 3 stars.

[Cidney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why I carried on reading this book, it certainly wasn't holding my attention. It's the tale of Andrew Slocombe who left one undertaker's business to set up his own eco burial business on a large parcel of land with a house, in the middle of nowhere but next to a railway line. A woman on a train with lighting problems, goes past his field in the dark and sees two people who seemed to have dug a grave and putting someone in it. She finally tells the police sometime after they were asking if anyone knew anything about it, because the Slocombe's gravedigger, a suspicious character if ever there was one, told them that they had a grave too many and this one was at the bottom of the field and not in the section where they were currently burying bodies.

The police turn up, appear indifferent, and go away with the body which Drew then gets back to bury in his field. Except up pops someone he used to know, Genevieve Slater, who thinks the body might be that of her mother Gwen as she matches the description. Now why don't these people leave things to the police? I mean if you think the police are sitting on their hands and not investigating the murder of a loved one then complain. Really. Anyway this story sets off with Andrew Slocombe, or Drew as he appears to be called, looking into the disappearance of Gwen and thinking yes indeed this is the body.

The story just lumbered along and I lumbered along with it. Heaven knows why, I had just finished reading another lumbering along book the day before, grief I hope I don't have a run of them.

This book finally ended up with the uncovering of the murdered lady, although we all knew who this was by the second chapter I think, and frankly don't want to read another book about this rather witless bloke who is probably working in the undertaking business with a good heart.

[Marie Cope · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can honestly say that this was my one and only Rebecca Tope novel, and I only gave it 2 stars because it was a great idea, it just could have been done so much better.

The story centres on a body that has been discovered in an alternative burial ground, a body that shouldn't be there. The burial ground belongs to undertaker come amateur sleuth, Drew Slocombe, who, together with his assistant, Maggs, sets about finding out who the body is and how she came to be there.

It is a very slow-paced and convoluted story that spends more time on Drew's weird obsession with Genevieve Slater, than with the actual mystery itself. It got very tiresome hearing of Drew's 'physical' stirrings at the mere thought of Genevieve, especially when Drew is supposed to be a happily married man, with a young daughter, and another on the way!

The meandering nature of the novel aside, I found the linkages between all the people involved a little too contrived and unbelievable. It just seemed a tad too convenient and was probably done to ensure a neat and tidy ending to the novel. I can't say any more than this as it would spoil it for anyone still choosing to read it.

The author's over-reliance on adverbs astounded me too. Most of them weren't necessary and conveyed, in my opinion, completely the wrong message.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book. A mystery, a murder and an insight into the funeral industry and in particular ecologically sound burials.

Drew, the trainee undertaker, now qualified and with his own business, a multi talented man, once a nurse, competent in the healing arts, an insightful amateur detective, as well as husband to Karen and father to Stephanie. Drew is tasked with discovering the identity of a dead body and looking for the murderer. All of which he does with aplomb.

A gripping read, one which starts slowly but builds up gradually with some exciting twists and turns. As the book reaches its climax it was impossible to put down. Very absorbing and to be recommended to readers of detective fiction with psychological insights.

[Sara Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good murder mystery with interesting characters and a plot that moves at a steady pace for the majority of the book. Unfortunately, I found the ending a little bit rushed and that spoilt the book slightly for me. This is the first Rebecca Tope book I have read, and I was interested enough in the book to consider reading more by this author. All-in-all, quite a good read.

[mrs madeline p peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good plot for a story , a body in a graveyard that shouldn’t be there and lots of characters and red herrings . But the ex nurse Drew turned detective is I felt becoming creepy . His feelings towards pregnant G are weird especially when his own wife is struggling . He does nothing to help Karen .
I felt the ending wrapped up too quick too!

[Sharon Gallup · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really refreshing to read a murder and mystery book that didn't contain alot of slaughter and sex. It held my interest all the way to the end with twists and mysteries within mysteries. a body found in a graveyard wrap with respect but yet showed murder and no one knew who it was.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given two of this books and read the this first which I found very slow, mundane & boring with no twists or turns to make a good mystery. The characters added nothing to the story.

I won't both to read the second book I was given.

[Vanessa Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Drew book and like all of Rebecca Topes other books I loved it. She brings characters to light and makes you of smile, feel frustrated with them and feel sad with them. I loved it and will keep meaning more Drew books before he meets Thea

[Marney · Rating 1 out of 5]

The characters are all thoroughly horrible people. The plot is overly complicated and extremely unlikely. I struggled to finish this book and would not recommend it to anyone. No more Rebecca Tope for me.

[Ewa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, but still disappointing. I don't like the main character, I couldnt "feel" the plot, it all seemed fake and shallow.

[Suzy Dominey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main character is very annoying

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brill

[chowchowgrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Riveting Story

I can’t put these down once I start! The characters, the plots, the main themes, the village culture, the red herrings.

So thought provoking, every book!

[Peter AvillEng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of her work. I shall definitely be recommending this author to members of my book club .

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book at all.

[Jane Holton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not enjoyable at first and hard going but about just over half way into the book it got more interesting and had to finish to find out what happened.

[Simon Fenwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but I didn't get on with the insanely long chapters some of which were two hours long with no breaks.

[Hugh Mullan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid diverting read. I enjoy crime fiction but they're mostly police procedurals, so I thought it would be interesting to read a novel concerning an amateur sleuth. Drew Slowcombe is the owner of a eco cemetery whereby people are buried as opposed to interred and they eventually contribute to the ecosystem of the area.
A body is found in the cemetery that is unaccounted for and Drew begins to investigate what happened. The story itself is quite good and who done it and why they did it makes sense. However Drew seems to work it out more by luck than design and an enjoyable part of reading mystery novels is marvelling at how the detective worked it out so that was a shame.
A greater problem is that roughly half the book is dedicated to Drew dealing with his martial problems, child care and the detailed workings of being and undertaker and owning a cemetery, natural burial versus modern day burial and so on; topics that just aren't very interesting sadly. 6/10

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. Drew Slocumbe is an undertaking and owner of Peaceful Repose Cemetary. One day, a body is discovered buried there, but Drew and his staff don't know who buried it, which leads Drew to investigate the mysterious body.

This book is very entertaining.

[Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns. Nice easy read.

[Irene Sauman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a number of Rebecca Tope's Cotswold series featuring house sitter Thea Osborne, and for the most part have enjoyed them. They are well written and plotted, but have an unsettling feel. This is probably because Thea is unsettled, being in a strange house and strange location, responsible often for animals as well as a house. The unsettled nature of her occupation is transferred to the reader, or at least this reader. I do recommend them as a good read, generally speaking though.
Drew Slocombe, the main character of this series, is Thea's love interest, so this particular series is a spin off. Drew is an undertaker, widowed with two children. He is attempting to set up natural burial sites in his part of Britain. The pros and cons, difficulties and sometimes local opposition to this approach tends to get tedious. After reading so much of it in the Thea Osborne series, I could not bring myself to finish this read from Drew's perspective. If I had read less of them it may have been all right.

[Karen wadey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very easy book to read although there are some errors in the writing. The story is easy to follow and it is an unusual settting for the body to be found in. Not very exciting or taxing.