My Lady of the Bog

April 14, 2014
Despite the subtitle, readers should be prepared for a mix of noir thriller, historical romance, and dark fantasy in this offbeat contemporary mystery from Hayes (The Feathered Serpent). Summoned when Dorset peat diggers uncover the naked, perfectly preserved, centuries-old body of a beautiful young woman, American anthropologist Xander filches a book from the treasure trove buried with her and sends it to his mentor, Jai Prasad, for translation. After Jai is hacked to death, Xander finds himself in possession of Jai's bewitching young widow, Vidya, and also increasingly possessed by the passionate tale found in the ancient book, which echoes and comments on his contemporary dilemma. The lovers flee the suspicious police, while Xander tries to decipher linguistic clues to the lady's identity. The story's parts seem to have been dumped in a bag and shaken together, but it's never dull. Agent: Kenneth Wapner, Literary Services