This was my first Cavignano book and I’m sure I will read another one. A seasoned detective, Hanley, is tasked to find the missing niece of a police captain. He is introduced to a rookie, Martinez that has good instincts, but a distrust for men. A girl turns up dead in an open grave with her heart removed, and another is kidnapped on her way to work. The two detectives begin their investigation and find the cases are related which involve supernatural elements, demonic possession, black masses and witchcraft. As the body count rises, they become more and more invested in finding the truth about “Temple of Six”. Taking place in Salem and assuming something bad is going to happen on Halloween if they don’t find the suspects soon, the detectives and their crew know that time is not on their side.
I enjoyed the writing and the characters, who all had distinct personalities. The detectives are lead down a rabbit hole that they don’t want to face as the outcome could mean their lives or those of innocent young adults.

The beginning up to the last 1/4 of the book was pretty good. Then, things went off the rails! It felt like the story was trying way too hard to be supernatural when in the other 3/4's it was subtle. Either have it be supernatural or not. One thing that I did enjoy was the "big reveal" although I had a sneaking suspicion of who it might be. I wouldn't mind trying other books by this author.

Ray is trying his best to win back his wife, father his children and solve all the crimes. When a disappearance hits close to home, he is called in to help lead the case in Salem just prior to Halloween. When the occult jumps into the mix, Ray knows he's on borrowed time to close this case and save the girl.

Even though I DNFed this book at about 50%, I did not dislike it. The characters are great and the writing is good too. The case is interesting. I just don't care. Is that mean? The book is too long and pacing is definitely an issue. Many people may like the character development or the suspense. But for me, drawn-out thrillers kill the suspense and the characters don't have to be that deep. I need them to move move move and go go go. The faster the pace, the more suspense for me because I don't know when the junk is gonna hit the fan. But that count just be a me thing. I'm giving it 2⭐ and may come back to it at some point. But when I find myself thinking more about the books I want to read than the book I'm actually reading, I know it's time to move on.

Give me a book that takes place in Salem, that’s set around Halloween, with murders and mystery and I am one happy book reader!
This was another first author read and a book that is part of a series. I have not read anything previously by the author and this is another book that works as a standalone.
I enjoyed all of the characters we got to know, the team that worked together to solve the crimes, and the amazing storyline with history. The buildup of the story was wonderful. Mentioning several places in Salem had me feeling like I was there. There was good bit of occult in the book which I really enjoyed! Highly recommend!

Unfortunately I got to 22% and literally couldn't read any more. I really didn't like the writing style, it was so stilted and overly descriptive, it felt like an essay written for an English exam, The story is very slow to develop, to the point of borderline boring, and felt extremely unrealistic (in as much as a horror book can iykwim). Although I did like the dynamic between the two lead detectives. I love horror reads but this one failed to hit the mark for me.

Unfortunately, after multiple attempts I have been unable to get into this. I have chosen to DNF. I apologize.

I love it! The story is all about a detective trying to look for the Boston's police captain's niece which then turns out to be one heck of a bigger case than just a simple missing person. Drew me in and kept me interested throughout the whole story! It is a good detective novel


Thank you Netgalley and the publisher.

I really liked this book. It was a very fun read and the Author's Note at the end provided a lot of additional & thoughtful information which I loved.

This was my first Ray Handley novel, but I don’t think that mattered. Ray sets off to find a missing girl and determine whether her disappearance is connected to a recent murder in the Salem area. The occult, horror, and graphic scenes ensue, but I tore through it!

This novel was a perfect mixture of crime and horror with just the right amount of supernatural elements. The characters were well-written and the atmosphere and tension had you on edge, with the first chapter hooking you from the beginning. It begins by describing a crime, and as the detectives delve deeper into the investigation, more details about the case are revealed. Satanic information starts to surface within the community, and when the chief of police’s daughter disappears, the clock starts ticking. The detectives must unravel the mystery in this small community before more deaths occur. The author's extensive knowledge and research is evident and while I found the book slow at times, the depth of detail is impressive.

The Burying Point was my first Cavigniano book and I am a fan! It had been a while since I binge read a book as quickly as I did this one. It is a fast-paced crime thriller with an irresistible occult angle that kept me at the edge of my seat. Given that my all-time favourite series is Supernatural, the book was indeed right up my alley!

The supernatural occult element, despite being the epicentre of the plot, wasn’t so exaggerated that the entire plot seemed fantastical and ludicrous. The author has maintained a perfect balance and kept this book rooted firmly in reality. In fact, with all the Satanic cult details, you’d find it quite likely that this might be a case that could exist in real life. Which, in my opinion, was commendable!

The characters were hard-headed but rational and realistic. It was fun to read how their existing beliefs were challenged and they had to look beyond their lens of practicality and rationality to eventually be able to crack the case.

The Winccan culture was portrayed with applaudable depth, intensity and detail. The amount of research the author has put into this book is commendable and it shines through. In fact, this is what made the book a five-star read for me.

I would strongly recommend this book to every horror/occult fan who spends their free time bingeing shows like Dead Boy Detectives, Supernatural, and Grimm. This book will fit your genre choice like a glove.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book had me hooked from page 1. I love a good crime mystery, thriller, and supernatural elements so this was ticking all the boxes for me. Even with all of the above, the story and the characters still all felt believable.

Like others, I also didn’t realize this was part of a series and will definitely be checking out the first book!

What started as a simple detective case, turned into a deep dive into the world of dark and disturbing - all set in Salem. All of the characters are well written and take you right into the action giving the readers the perfect, atmospheric read, especially for those who have a history of occult.

This is book two in a series and for full disclosure, I did not read book one before this one. However, I will be going back to it to read. I don't feel like I missed too much and it certainly didn't take anything away from the story for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The Burying Point is available now.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC for an honest review.
My rating:
4 Stars
My Opinions:
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the setting, Salem two weeks before Halloween. There were a lot of characters but it never felt confusing or crowded. I love the magic and supernatural elements of this book. The book is a part of the series but also reads like a stand alone book. After reading this one, I am interested in reading the first book, The Art of Dying. I also enjoyed the point of view and how Cavignano builds the characters. The book almost set you up to believe that happened, but has several twists and kept you on your toes.

A perfect tale of modern day Salem. The Salem witch trials live on in everyone's minds, even in the 21st century. After all, the main player's descendants are alive and well. And there are others who wish for century's long revenge.
What starts as the bizarre discovery of a dead woman lying in a freshly dug empty grave turns to another woman's missing person's case turns into a kidnapping. But it doesn't end there. More and more people go missing. The history of Salem arises from under the ground and everyone is suspect. Everyone from the Wiccans to the people giving tours at the Witch Museum, to the kids running the haunted house. And Halloween is just around the corner. A sacred day full of anticipation for some.

This book is every witch loving bookworm's juicy story.

At this point, I have read 25 of 357 pages and I just cannot justify spending more time on this book. It reads as if the author used a "how to write a crime drama" book and a thesaurus. The characters are purely forumalic and there's no reason to invest in them.

This one was intriguing right from the start! The writing is good, with no frills and plenty of wit. This story includes mystery, murder, possession and a dark cult. 🫣

I loved that it took place in Salem Massachusetts! Famous for the witch trials, this was a great location for a spooky modern day detective story. To add to the fun atmosphere, the events of the book all lead up to Halloween night.

I hadn't realized this was the second book in a series and now I want to go back and read the previous one! It works fine as a stand alone read, but it was clear as I went that I was missing some background info from past stories that would help with character development. I also wish it had been a little shorter because the story is long one and could have been edited down a bit. Still a fun read, nonetheless.

If you're a fan of crime/mystery/horror then don't sleep on this! So glad I found a new-to-me author to enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Burying Point. This book would be a great halloween read, spooky and atmospheric. The story follows two detectives through through the search for a missing girl. As the detectives continue to search for her, they encounter many obstacles including possessions, Wiccan stores, and the occult. Only reason for 4 stars is the last chapter felt a little rushed....but over all a good read!

This had the potential to be a bit unbeliveable but once engaged this was a gripping read. The plot is intertwined between the satanic and "real" world crime with complex back story. Well worth a read

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!


The Burying Point by Derik Cavigniano is a gripping blend of horror, thriller and supernatural.

Two weeks before Halloween in the town of Salem, Cassie Barnes goes missing. Detective Ray Hanley is summoned to help solve the case, teaming up with Elena Martinez in a race against the clock to find the missing girl before the odds of her being found alive are too small to hope for a good outcome.

They say that the first 48 hours are critical to finding a missing person. But when Detective Hanley arrives in the town of Salem, those hours are already up. Can he find the missing girl and solve the case?

Whilst trying to solve the case, dark forces work against our two main detectives.
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This novel was a perfect mixture of crime and horror with just the perfect amount of supernatural elements.

The characters were well written, whether it be they drove you up the wall or not.

The atmosphere and tension had you on edge with the first chapter having you hooked from the beginning.

You can tell the author either knew a lot about about Wicca or did a lot of research for this book as it shows in the depth of detail the topic is explored in the book.

I feel the only reason it was rated a four star is I did find it rather slow at times.