It’s 1839 and Bonnie Fairchild has just killed a man. She didn’t intend to do it, but it has still happened and now she needs to escape from London, quickly, before she is caught. Bonnie is no stranger to crime – since fleeing to London to avoid an arranged marriage, she and her lover Crawford have been making their living through theft and fraud. This is the first time something has gone wrong, but Crawford thinks he has found a solution: Bonnie will apply for the position of lady’s maid at Endellion House, a grand estate outside the city owned by the wealthy Mr Moncrieff. Nobody will ever think to look for her there!
Arriving at Endellion House, Bonnie finds her new employer to be a sad, subdued man who devotes his time to designing mausoleums for his dead wife who drowned several months earlier. Meanwhile, his teenage daughter, Cissie, seems to have retreated into a fantasy world, writing imaginary love letters to herself. Then, just as Bonnie is beginning to make sense of this eccentric, unhappy household, Crawford reappears with another great scheme in mind…
I enjoyed both of Elizabeth Macneal’s previous novels, The Doll Factory and Circus of Wonders, so I was expecting good things from this one and I wasn’t disappointed at all; I think it’s probably my favourite of the three. Although I correctly predicted some of the twists and turns of the plot, there were others I didn’t see coming at all. One of the things that is obvious from the beginning, at least to the reader, is that Crawford is a con man who is using and manipulating Bonnie for his own purposes – and even though Bonnie is at least partly aware of this, she has convinced herself that she’s in love with him and so finds it impossible to free herself of him. The relationship between Bonnie and Crawford is the driving force behind the novel and is what kept me turning the pages, anxious to see what plan Crawford would come up with next and whether Bonnie would ever escape his grip.
The Burial Plot also gives some insights into the Victorian fascination with the rituals of death and mourning. The mourning industry in the 19th century was huge, with large sums of money being spent on clothes, accessories and elaborate funerals. At the beginning of the novel, Crawford has a job managing several private burial grounds in London but these are quickly becoming overcrowded and insanitary, leading to the creation of large, modern cemeteries such as Highgate, further away from central London. When Bonnie arrives at Endellion House, she suggests to Mr Moncrieff that he should build a cemetery like Highgate on his land so that he can bury his wife in style and then make money from selling the other burial plots. This storyline forms an important part of the novel and adds another layer of interest.
I loved this and am already looking forward to Elizabeth Macneal’s next book, whatever and whenever that may be!
Thanks to Picador for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
Book 22/50 for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2024
This is book 4/20 of my 20 Books of Summer 2024.
She Reads Novels 
It does sound interesting. I read and enjoyed The Doll Factory but havenāt got around to Circus of Wonders yet though I have it on my shelf!
I hope you enjoy Circus of Wonders. I didn’t like it quite as much as this one and The Doll Factory, but all three are very good.
I definitely have ‘The Doll Factory’ and *think* I might have ‘Circus of Wonders’ so its good to know that she’s consistently a good read. Adding this to my ‘Interest List’.
Yes, she hasn’t disappointed me yet! I hope you enjoy The Doll Factory, whenever you get round to reading it.
This does sound like a very interesting and fun series. But don’t you ever get frustrated that Bonnie doesn’t break away from Crawford if you know he’s just using her for his own gains?
It is quite frustrating, but I suppose a lot of women stay in unequal or abusive relationships for various reasons. I loved the book anyway, though!
OK, I put this one on my list.
I hope you like it.
š
Added to my ‘wish list’ š
I think you might enjoy it.
This sounds very intriguing! I clearly missed your reviews of her previous books but my library system has them (including a copy in German – maybe that was a donation as it is not a language I ever hear requested). I wonder which I should request first?
They are both very good – it just depends on whether you prefer a circus setting or a more traditional Victorian London setting. I recommend either or both!
This sounds interesting, I have seen this author but never picked up her books. I might seek this one out, as I do like Victorian England as a backdrop for novels.
Her books all have interesting settings and plots. I think this one is her best, but I’ve really enjoyed all three.