The Ones Who Are Buried by Kerry Wilkinson

13^th August 2023.

This is third novel in the wonderful Whitecliff Bay series, featuring Millie Westlake and Guy Rushden. Having solved a couple of mysteries, they’re approached by a killer who’s still in prison. He wants to reveal where the bodies of the children he murdered are buried. Only, he’s wants something before he reveals the location.

Millie and Guy talk to the families of the victims and try to work out where the killer may have hidden the bodies. It’s an emotional journey, heightened by her own struggles with her former husband, the affair that broke up their marriage, and the death of her own parents.

The story swings between the mystery and the personal issues, with tension building to a head for both as the story progresses. The characters are terrific and you’re drawn into their worlds and problems, holding your breath at times when the conflicts reach a crunch point.

It’s all beautifully written, taking you on an emotional ride that keeps you turning the pages. There are moments that are charming, uplifting and sometimes desperate, but never dull as you become fully immersed in the lives of Millie, her son and those around her.

If you’re looking for a character driven mystery that will tug at your emotions as well as your desire to solve the puzzle, look no further. But start at the beginning of the series to fully enjoy and get the most from the characters and backstory.

Description

Up on the desolate moor, she tightens her coat against the bitter wind. The man she followed here points to a rock embedded in the mossy earth. ‘This is the place.’ But when they dig, what will they find?

Everyone in the small seaside town of Whitecliff knows the name Kevin Ashworth. Two boys disappeared thirty years ago – and although local teacher Kevin never admitted to knowing where their bodies are, he’s been in prison ever since.

Now, Kevin is finally ready to talk: but only to amateur sleuth Millie Westlake and journalist Guy Rushden. With the families of the boys desperate for answers, Guy and Millie are led to a lonely spot on the moors above Whitecliff. They’re on the moors expecting to find bodies… but what if they find something even more terrifying?

Reeling from their discovery, as Millie scours the local countryside and speaks to heartbroken families what she discovers changes everything she believes about Whitecliff and the people who live here. With rumours about her own dark past still haunting Millie, can she ever get justice for a decades-old wrong? Or as she gets closer to finding out who else Kevin has hurt, will she learn that some secrets are destined to stay buried?