This is the second mystery featuring Nora Gavin, an American forensic pathol­o­gist living in Ireland. The body of a ritually murdered Iron Age man is found preserved in a bog, and Gavin is called in to examine the body. Shortly thereafter, another similarly murdered body is found in the bog, but this one is wearing a wristwatch.

Hart writes lean, clear prose, with believable characters, and a not-completely improbable plot. Her Irish characters sound and act like Irish people, rather than refugees from a Lucky Charms outtake.

My main complaint with this book and its pre­de­ces­sor, Haunted Ground, is that all of the characters are damaged, limping through life, struggling with depression or anger. There’s something wrong with a cheerful mystery, but these are a bit grim. This book ends on a positive note, however.