Haunted Ground

By: Erin Hart

Narrated by: Jennifer McMahon

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

When farmers cutting turf in an Irish peat bog make a grisly discovery, the perfectly intact body of a young woman with long red hair, archaeologist Cormac O'Callaghan and pathologist Nora Gavin are thrown together by their shared scientific interest in human remains. Because of the preservative effect of the bog, it is difficult to tell whether the body has lain there for two decades, two centuries, or two millennia. As they dig into the mystery of the red-haired girl, they are drawn into the two-year-old disappearance of a landowner's wife and young son. The story delves through the many layers of Ireland's turbulent past, tracing the still-visible footprints of fortified tower houses and ancient burial mounds, ever mindful of the eternal, subliminal connections between past and present.

©2003 Erin M. Hart (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc. Published by Arrangement with Random House Audio Publishing Group, A Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"In every way, this is a debut to remember." (Booklist)
"In addition to a complex, multilayered plot that involves both contemporary and historical crimes, Hart's novel is rich in local color." (Publishers Weekly)

Now here is a mystery writer

I never fell asleep,I never skipped ahead,I never guess the ending. Need I say more.

Good reading improves mediocre storyline

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The book was too long and the story not as interesting as I had hoped. The storyline took too many detours into the backgrounds of character's lives, to the detriment of advancing the plot. This was done to either make it as much a character study as a mystery, or, more likely, to set the stage for some of these characters to re-appear in sequels as a series. The audio book took up 10 CDs. My wife gave up after the 3rd CD. For me, this is one of those books that 2/3 of the way through when you realize it's not getting any more interesting, that you decide whether to give up reading more or you stick it out to the end just to feel that you've completed something. I stuck it out. Easily at least 25% could have been edited out without affecting the story lines, of which there were three: 1) an ancient and interesting mystery, 2) a current and uninteresting mystery, and 3) a background mystery to one of the characters that was irrelevant to the storyline.

Would you ever listen to anything by Erin Hart again?

No. But, I might consider buying a book because with a book you can skim over the boring parts, which you can't do when listening.

Which scene was your favorite?

The opening was good and descriptions of the countryside were good.

Did Haunted Ground inspire you to do anything?

No. Maybe be more careful in what I select to listen to.

Any additional comments?

Jennifer McMahon did a very nice job reading it; without her skills I would not have made it through the book. With some editing out of extraneous character detail and a better solution to the modern mystery this could have been a pretty good book. It started out well, but ultimately disappointed.

loved it

Loved it! The narration was amazing, could distinctly identify the characters. Can not wait to read the next.book!

Good. The narrator is brilliant.

Good. The narrator makes the book. A little hard to follow driving in traffic but you can always listen to it again.

Best Book I Have Read All Year

Would you consider the audio edition of Haunted Ground to be better than the print version?

While I have not read the print version, I feel certain that the audio presentation must be far better because the narrator moves seamlessly between Irish, English and American accents. Since in some ways Ireland itself is a character, hearing the native speech is crucial for the reader to feel the atmosphere of the country.

What did you like best about this story?

Erin Hart has wonderfully woven archeology and modern forensics to solve not one, but two mysteries, one centuries old and the other a recent cold case. As an historian with an interest in archeology, I have always found the "bog bodies" of Europe to be fascinating if unintentional time capsules. This novel clearly presents the character of Irish society from the 17th century to the present, all in the guise of a modern murder mystery.

What about Jennifer McMahon’s performance did you like?

Ms. McMahon's reading is beautiful, her accents for the various characters clear and compelling. She gracefully shifts from Irish to English to the US, from male to female, from young to old

Who was the most memorable character of Haunted Ground and why?

For me, the most memorable character is the murdered woman whose head is found in a peat bog at the opening of the book, a beautiful girl with masses of red hair. The investigation into her brutal death in the 17th century leads the local Gardai (Gaelic for "police") to reopen a more recent cold case. While this latter case forms the major plot of the novel, the story always returns to the Cailin Rua (Gaelic for "red haired girl") and does not leave the reader wanting for answers.

Any additional comments?

My only criticism of the format is the confusing lineup of books and chapters; these "books" each having 10-12 chapters in Audible.com's production. While I understand and accept the needs of audio production, it would have been better to inform the reader the exact location within the book (or books as the case might be) for the chapter list. I suggest readers use the installed bookmark system rather than rely solely on the cutoff place. This book is far too brilliant to leave complicated by audio formatting.

Over times story

The story itself and how story from long ago so readily impacted current time. Love the Irish cultural heritage influence.

Haunted Ground

This is the best audible book I have downloaded yet! The narration is the best part.

Another vote for the abridged version

The story at times just seemed to plod along. I never really felt any tension, the whole story long. It took longer than usual for me to complete this book and I actually fell asleep several times.

The characters were cliche I'm afraid, almost as if following a manual. I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 2 because I've been to the west of Ireland, seen peat bogs being cut by hand, been in many rural pubs where "trad" music was played, and so on. In this respect I was held just a bit more by this story (maybe) than if I didn't have those experiences.

The narration at times was almost comical. When the narrator (a woman) did the voices of the cop and the archaeologist she reminded me of a 5 year old Shirly Temple doing a man's voice.
This effect made them seem one dimensional and humorless.

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I particularly enjoyed the setting (Ireland) and the history in the story. Will look for more from this author.

Good but not great

First of all, the narration is EXCELLENT! The plot is interesting, as are the characters, but the pace is very slow. There is a lot of detail that doesn't advance the story. The story is told from too many points of view, and sometimes the transition is confusing. I wish I had chosen the abridged version.