REVIEW: The Mausoleum

The Mausoleum
Author: David Marks

I have to admit...this book surprised me. I expected a flash-back style crime\murder mystery novel...but got something richer and much more interesting. This is a mystery novel with a touch of espionage, hidden war-time secrets, cover-ups, Nazis, POWs, traitors....and two old women still determined to learn The Truth. Great story!

It all starts when a storm damages a mausoleum in a cemetery in 1967 and Cordelia Hemlock sees a body that shouldn't be there -- the corpse of a man clad in a brown suit still clutching a satchel. The local Scottish police don't believe her story. They think she is just distraught over the recent death of her young son. Her new friend, Felicity Goose, believes her. And the two spend decades trying to find out the truth.

This is the first book by David Marks that I have read. The story caught my attention from the start and kept my attention clear to the end. Well-written and with a nice depth, The Mausoleum was a very enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading more by this author. The story progresses a bit slowly at first, but once the stage is set, the plot builds suspense and moves a bit more quickly. I wasn't quite sure what the women would find out in the end, but I just let the tale carry me along revealing facts in its own time.

The use of Nazis and World War II hidden secrets can be a bit tropey, but David Marks pulls it off with style. Enjoyable, well-written story!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Severn House. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**