I always find it difficult to review a book in a series, as I don’t want to give away events from earlier novels in case it spoils it for new readers. Where the Missing Gather is the second book in Sedgwick’s Burrowhead Mysteries series, and it’s one I’ve been desperately waiting for, the sequel to When the Dead Come Calling (GO. READ THAT BOOK.)


Calling the series “the Burrowhead Mysteries” makes it sound like a friendly, cosy little set of books, which is completely opposite of what awaits you when you first open the cover. Set in a northern coastal town, Burrowhead is a tight knit village that on the surface seems friendly enough, but is hiding secrets. The smallness of the community creates a claustrophobic tension that you can’t escape. Even living in the area for over two decades does not make you a local.

As well as the villagers, the village and the surrounding landscape become characters in themselves, beautifully written to evoke a sense of mystery and tension. Even the landand sea provoke a sense of immense disquiet. While the villagers have their secrets, the land holds mysteries too.

Superstitions are strong among the villagers. Throughout the book, there is a sense of the supernatural just within touching distance but never quite makes itself clear. And while Sedgwick creates this spooky atmosphere, it is made clear that the horrors are definitely human.

A horse is slaughtered in the woods, in what appears to be a ritual sacrifice. As if the area wasn’t unsettling enough. An ancient motte becomes the scene of an archaeological dig, revealing mysteries from previous millennia, and more recent bones are discovered in an unpopular farmer’s land. A care home resident outside of the town reports seeing a murder back in the 70s. The sequel to When the Dead Come Calling is affected by ripples from the events of the first novel while raising new questions for our protagonists, both professional and personal.

Information is hard to come by, making DI Georgie Strachan’s job even tougher than it should be. Seen as an “outsider”, she finds it hard to know who to trust, and is putting up her own walls around herself, to the detriment of her relationships, working and personal. She’s seen the racist abuse perpetrated by locals, been the target of it herself, and as a woman of colour, finds it hard to process the forgiveness being shown. If you don’t stand against it, you’re complicit. And this applies equally to her own husband,, Fergus. Fergus is fascinated by Burrowhead and it’s surroundings, the ancient standing stone, the mythology around the area. He wants to believe there’s good in everyone, making him a polar opposite to his wife, who has to dig around and uncover the dark secrets buried for years, decades.

Like an archaelogical dig, this exquisitely plotted novel carefully brushes away layers and layers of storylines and secrets, revealing fractions of detail, and it’s not until deep into the novel that you start to see events as a whole, how they weave together, to uncover the shocking truth.

This book is available now on Kindle – BUY NOW

The Paperback will be published on July 8th 2021.

I received an advance copy of this book for review from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.