Review: Secrets can come back to haunt you
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 14, 2013
Title: Skeletons of BirkburyAuthor: Diana J FebryPublisher: Wings e-Press IncPublished: 5-11-2012Pages: 249ASIN: B0082PXOQMFrank Codrington, Farm Manager for the Rocksbridge Farm, is out checking fences and stock following a ferocious storm the night before. He finds an oak has been felled bringing down part of the fence and hedge. Going closer to inspect the damage he finds a skeleton trapped in the roots.He quickly returns to main house to get Graham Farley the Farm owner and let him handle the problem. Careful not to disturb his wife Frank dresses and goes down stairs to find out what Frank has awakened him for. Arrogant and snarly he tells Frank he will not call the police until he makes sure Frank is not imagining things.Detective Inspector Fiona Williams & Chief Inspector Peter Hatherhall arrive on the scene after the crime scene investigators have set up to inspect for any clues. Finding little information from Graham or his wife a strange acting woman who stared at the monitor that shows different scenes from around the farm all through their questioning. As they leave they overhear an argument between the Farleys that bring more questions than answers. Why does Mrs. Farley think she will be blamed for the body? They go to talk with Frank and wonder if the employees know they are under constant surveillance. Learning very little they return to the station to begin collecting information stopping to talk with Mark and Kim Farley Graham's parents and previous owners of the farm.Peter's friend Ross Phillips, the ME calls him to let him know his conjecture on the jewelry found on the skeleton was right. With cleaning the name Jennifer Turner and a quick check shows she disappeared May 25, 1991. Conclusively showing it had nothing to do with the 1960 feud between the Robin Bailey and Oscar Conley which had culminated in Bailey car bombing his wife's car for having an affair with Conley. Bailey died just before he was due to be released the year before. Then suddenly Frank is brought to the forefront of the suspect list by a prior arrest in Cheltenham, the same town the girl was from, for assault on a prostitute. Still not believing Frank is the murderer, Peter and Fiona continue the search. Will Jennifer and her family finally find justice. Time is ticking fast. Danger is lurking for the residents of Birkbury as the past is revisited and long buried secrets are brought out into the light of day for all to see. Will the killer strike again to cover up his or her sins?Follow Diane Febry as she leads you through the clues she has planted throughout the story. She has given us some sitting out in plain sight. While others are much more subtle and if your not careful you might miss them. I enjoyed this story from the moment I opened it. The characters are multidimensional especially the detectives as we are shown both their personal side and law enforcement side. Good points and flaws were shown so that the characters became believable. Ms. Febry grabs your attention from the first page as her words wrap themselves around you as you delve into the lives of the residents of Birkbury. You feel for young Jennifer who had so much promise whose life was cut so short. You will sway between many possible suspects up until the moment Ms. Febry is ready to let you into the secret she has hidden of who really is the killer and why did he kill Jenny? How was the murderer able to keep the disappearance and death a secret all these years?You will enjoy this fast moving novel greatly. Just remember to keep in mind no one is purely evil or good, but rather a combination of both. Some just happen to be killers with a pleasing face.