A great start to a new series. Lynda la Plante is at the top of her game with this 5*read. I have no hesitation in recommending it. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

In the aftermath of a fire breaking out at a remote house near Aylesbury, a badly burned and blackened body is found. However, it is definitely not the previous owner of the place as she has unfortunately just passed away. Perhaps it was a vagrant trying to stay warm and enjoy a night or two with a roof over their head.
Until eight months ago, Rose Cottage had been leased to Norma Walker. Norma was a highly regarded ex-mounted copper who sadly passed away after a prolonged fight with cancer. With her death came the order to demolish the house and it was due to be knocked down in the near future.

For those investigating the fire, however, it was not so much the body that caught their attention, but rather, the remains of something in the fireplace.

Amongst all the debris partial £5 notes were found clearly still with the bank teller’s bands around them. The problem was, these bands dated back to 1995 and were linked to an old, but still a very open case.
In 1995, the biggest train robbery the country had ever seen took place just down the road from here. Whoever was involved got away and to this day there is still no hard evidence linking anyone to the crime or where the ill-gotten £27 million ended up.

Is this the first clue that could help the team solve a cold case dating more than 20 years old?

The striking DC Jack Warr has just moved to the Met from Totnes but is struggling to find his passion for the job. In truth, he moved because his girlfriend Maggie wanted to progress with her own career as a doctor. He would have been quite happy plodding along back home. Now, however, he needs to make a decision. His boss is watching him closely. He either needs to step up and do the job, becoming the policeman DCI Simon Ridley believes he can be or take a back seat.

There is something about this particular case finally that seems to have gripped Jack. He is all-consumed by finding out what really happened not just now, but back then as well. He is desperate to find out who stole the money and he has a funny feeling it could be the least likely of suspects – a group of female ex-cons living at The Grange nearby.

The leader of this group back in 1995 was Dolly Rawlins, who murdered her husband Harry. Alongside her were Ester Freeman, a madam who use to run a brothel from The Grange, Julia Lawson, a doctor once imprisoned for prescription fraud, Gloria Radford, Kathleen O’Reilly and Connie Stevens who had all been mixed up in both drugs and prostitution. However, they were never looked into back then. No-one believed that a group of women would be able to commit such a crime and get away with it.

As Jack delves further into the case, hoping, at the same time, to solve the crime of the century, it seems he may uncover more than he could have ever bargained for.

Perhaps it’s true what some people say, some things really should remain buried.

Buried; a crime thriller to get lost in

So I began reading Lynda La Plante’s new crime thriller Buried just before lockdown set in – a time when my own anxiety at what’s happening at the moment was at its peak. Yes, initially my concentration was all over the place but because of La Plante’s legendary, fast paced writing, it wasn’t long before I was hooked.

If you’re a fan of crime fiction, I definitely recommend that you read Buried – you will be engrossed. Only published yesterday (Thursday 2nd April), this is a fantastic lockdown read for you.

It is actually the first novel in the new Detective Jack Warr crime series. Although Jack is a new, fresh character, the plot has La Plante’s twisted trademarks that skilfully alludes back to some of her most famous books – the legendary Dolly Rawlins and gang who were the focus of the Widows’ crime series. However please don’t worry if like me you haven’t read these previous novels as Buried is an exciting, stand alone treat. If anything, this new novel has just wet my appetite to read Widows.

Detective Constable Jack Warr is an attractive, complex character who has, it is fair to say, lost his drive and passion for policing – if it was ever there in the first place. It is only when a dead, burned body is discovered in the aftermath of a fire in an isolated cottage alongside millions of stolen, charred bank notes, that Jack’s drive begins to awaken.

Bored and resentful of police procedure, Jack starts to follow his gut instinct that enables him to easily navigate himself around the criminal world. When he is shocked to discover a very personal truth, even though it jeopardises all he holds dear, his intrigue and excitement further ignites, blurring his boundaries between the law and the criminal world.

Buried has everything we’ve come to expect from La Plante; twisted, flawed, complex characters and a healthy dose of dark humour. This is especially shown through the character of Jack’s hapless colleague DC Anik Joshi who is competing with Jack for a promotion.

Full of gritty twists that had me questioning Jack’s integrity, you can understand why Lynda La Plante is known as the queen of crime fiction. I really feel that in this novel, she has planted dark, gripping plot hooks that are going to be explosive as the series develops. I’m so excited to discover how Jack’s story, and the stories of those around him are going to develop, and at what personal cost to Jack.

A fire leads to the discovery of a body and the money from an old heist. Enter DC Jack Warr, the protagonist of this new series by Lynda La Plante. Jack Warr has recently joined the Met, after moving from Devon to London with his girlfriend Maggie. While Jack tries to figure out the truth about the case, he has his own personal problems: his adoptive father is dying and his search for his real father quickly becomes an obsession.

I really liked the characters of Jack Warr and his girlfriend Maggie, they are smart, engaging, and well-crafted characters. Jack has his doubts about his career in the police and his search for the truth about his birth and his past lead him to a journey of self-discovery, while she is very understanding and supporting.

The story is intriguing, twisty, and very well-plotted. There are cold cases, gangsters, and so much mystery and, if you’ve read the author’s previous novels, you will recognize some of the characters mentioned. The more I read, the more the pace increases, the more twists keep coming, the more I couldn’t put it down so that I read it in less than two days. I think that the ending was perfect and surprising and it makes me eager to see what happens next to DC Jack Warr.

When the police discover a body in the aftermath of a fire, they would never have guessed that would be linked to an old robbery case.
This had been a very interesting and well written thriller, there isn’t a moment where the reader is not wanting to know more about the case or the main character, the plot is addictive and intriguing, you almost feel trapped inside the book!
The main character of the story is DC Jack Warr who has just moved to London with his girlfriend, so this will be his first case. He is a man that loves his family and nothing stops him to discover the truth, the case will be more personal than he ever thought after a confession of his dying father… Is he ready to discover the truth?
The story is told in present, but there are some flashbacks from the past and the moment of the robbery, making the case more complex but entertaining at the same time. In the beginning all the information seems a little bit too much, but as soon as you enter to the story everything fits in their place, don’t worry!
I’ll admit that I really enjoyed this book, I can’t say that I had read any of the previous books of this author, Lynda LaPlante, but I can say that I will follow the new series with DC Jack Warr as the main character, I can’t wait to discover more about him and his co-workers; they make a great team!
I would recommend this book to any thriller lover or anyone who wants to read a good book, Buried is your next read, I can assure you.

As a huge Lynda La Plante fan I was delighted to be able to review Buried. As Karin Slaughter put it, “Lynda La Plante practically invented the thriller” and she was one of the first authors to hook me into this genre. Buried is the start of a brand new series, her first in five years. It features Detective Jack Warr, and while I didn’t particularly warm to him at first, his character develops enormously and I have to confess to being just a tiny touch in love with him by the end.
So what is the book about? An unoccupied remote cottage goes up in flames and in it the police discover not only a badly burnt body but also millions of burnt bank notes. Jack must work on this investigation, but he also embarks on a personal one of his own.
To begin with, Jack skives off a lot and seems totally unambitious. I wanted to smack him! His boss prompts him to take his sergeant exams, but Jack seems to go out of his way to make himself an unpopular candidate. As he works on his own private investigation, however, something awakens within him, and gradually he starts to find his passion. Once he unearths his own skeletons they seem to kickstart hidden sides of the detective and he emerges as the man his partner, Maggie, must have fallen in love with.
La Plante’s characters have real depth. With just a few words she conveys so much about personality and relationships, fleshing out the characters without deviating from the really exciting story line. I adored the mix of totally fabulous personalities that peopled this story, in particular the group of ex-cons, all women who’d been imprisoned for crimes ranging from prostitution and drug dealing to murder. All of them were larger than life. We also get to know Jack’s family. Supportive Maggie, the love of his life, is almost too good to be true, putting up with all Jack’s nonsense as he journeys to find his roots and his kind adoptive parents, suffering their own trials.
I also adored the author’s delicious irony, humour and concise, clever way with words. (“Ridley…could smell success. Anik could smell promotion. Jack could smell bullshit.”) She also managed to make me feel a whole range of emotions, from delight to sadness to extreme irritation towards Jack’s boss, DCI Simon Ridley, a complete stickler for rules.
Never boring, this story has many different threads that unfold over different locations and local police forces. La Plante skillfully marries this all together seamlessly so there’s never any confusion for the reader. It’s highly enjoyable and very readable - and I look forward to reading the next in the Jack Warr series.
As I read Buried, I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was to have this rollicking good thriller to keep me enthralled and give me hours of pure escapism from the madness of the world around us right now. My thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author.

I remember back in the early 80s not being allowed to read or watch Widows but it was all I heard about as my parents and their friends all talked about it. Fast forward 37 years and I’m doing the same.
Thankfully Amazon Prime Video now have this to stream so I can put all the names to the faces.
Buried is the first in a new series introducing Jack Warr. A fledgling Met Officer who is a bit out of sorts and isn’t sure where his loyalties lie. It also sees the reintroduction of the original Widows; Connie, Ester and of course Dolly. Even though this has a lot of references back to the old Widows case it is easily a standalone novel. A badly charred body found in a derelict house with millions of £s found burned in the fireplace, what’s not to like!? There is where DC Warr comes into his own. He’s trying to piece together the crime committed alongside working out his way in life with the help from his girlfriend Maggie.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series and seeing how Jack Warr develops as a character.

No doubt Ms La Plante has already been approached for this to become a TV series which I can certainly see it becoming. As I think this book is as good as the original Widows and Prime Suspect series there’s no reason why this couldn’t be up there on a pedestal with them.

I’ll be honest I did not enjoy this book as much as the Jane Tennison series of stories but that’s because I’m obsessed with Prime Suspect. However this new novel is a good crime novel and I really like Detective Jack Warr so think this will turn into a good series as well it just didn’t light my fire in the same way other books of hers have. That being said the story is solid and it’s an interesting murder mystery and I could see this working on tv as well. Give it a go as it’s a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.

This is the first book in a new series of books featuring DC Jack War. "Buried" is a great introduction to DC Jack War who is a complex character and the best bit about the book (and a total surprise) is the book features characters and events from the Widows series which I absolutely loved.

This story is full of twist and turns which is so engrossing with real believable characters. This could so easily be adapted for a TV series or film like Widows.

With its tight plot and great characters this really is another fantastic read from Lynda La Plante.

Quite an exciting police procedural which was more of a fast paced thriller with Jack at the helm. Lynda la Plante was one wicked author whose twists had me clawing my way through the pages.

A burning house with a charred body and millions of old bank notes kept near the fireplace had the cops rushing to get to the killer.

My first book by author Lydia La Plante, and I was absolutely breathless trying to keep up with the pace of the author. Jack was brilliant in his role who not only had a challenging case but had to deal with a personal tragedy. His boss Ridley expected nothing less than 100% from him.

The author was deft in the way the story was written, the subplots were quite convoluted which compelled me to concentrate on the book which was a good thing. Personal truths and professional clues were soon revealed, and Jack found himself right in the middle of it.

The book flowed like the scenes of the movie, and I sat enraptured through it with popcorn and coffee.

Trying to solve an old train robbery gave it a western feel. And I enjoyed it completely. Giddy-up, y'all!!

Lynda La Plante makes a welcome return to form with a new series featuring Detective Constable Jack Warr of the Metropolitan Police’s Serious Crime Division. Jack has recently relocated from Devon to London with girlfriend Maggie so she can gain more experience as a trainee surgeon. He is called in to investigate when the pristine but isolated Rose Cottage near Aylesbury is burned to the ground and the charred remains of an unknown individual are found along with over a millions pounds worth of out of circulation banknotes laying in the fireplace. Jack and his team realise it'll be difficult to solve due to the lack of forensics as what evidence there may have been has now been reduced to ashes. However, they begin to regain interest when they link the case to the unsolved cold case in which £27 million was stolen during a daring train robbery in 1995. Just as his superior DCI Simon Ridley believes he's made an error in judgement by hiring Jack he comes into his own. At the same time as investigating the case, Jack embarks on a journey of self-discovery and is shocked when he realises his family are embroiled in this case.

There are many different threads to the plot creating a complexity that I enjoyed and the narrative moved seamlessly between past and present. It's a riveting read with plenty of drama, twists, turns and misdirection and a cast of characters that are bold, full of personality and engaging; main protagonist Jack is a reluctant hero type and it isn't easy to warm to him immediately like some of the others but I look forward to seeing him come alive and develop in future books. There are even a few familiar faces for those of us who've read her previous series’. There is never a dull moment and it is a cracking page-turner and a thoroughly entertaining police procedural from beginning to end. It's fast-paced and when the case leads them towards East End gangsters and the murky criminal underworld it becomes all the more mysterious and intriguing and transforms into a gritty and dangerous read. This is La Plante back to her best and a regaining of the title Queen of British Crime Fiction. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for an ARC.

My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K. Zaffre Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Buried’ by Lynda La Plante in exchange for an honest review.

Lynda La Plante is a prolific writer of crime fiction and I have enjoyed reading a selection of them over the years. ‘Buried’ is the opening novel in her new series featuring DC Jack Warr. He and girlfriend, Maggie, have just moved to London. Although considered a good policeman, Jack can’t seem to find his place in the world. Then he's drawn into an investigation that effectively turns his life upside down.

After a charred body is discovered following a fire at an isolated cottage things become more complicated when the burnt remains of millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes are also found. Jack is determined to solve the mystery that brings him into contact with London’s current and past criminal underworld.

‘Buried’ has links to La Plante’s Widows series and features a number of characters from it along with references to events. I hadn’t read any of the Widows books but enough background was provided that I didn’t feel lost. ‘Buried’ does have quite a large cast of characters and in retrospect I should have created a list for myself as they were introduced.

Overall, ‘Buried’ was a solid police procedural as I would expect from this highly acclaimed author and a great start to this new series. It combines contemporary policing with a touch of nostalgia for the times portrayed in La Plante’s earlier works.

It will be interesting to see how this series develops with the next book featuring Jack Warr due in 2021.

First book in the new Jack Warr series and featuring some familiar faces, "Buried" is a great introduction to a complex character and a decades old crime. An enjoyable read and I look forward to the next book.

This is the first in a new series that introduces DC Jack Warr.

When a body is found after a fire at Rose Cottage, a pile of burnt cash is also found. Is this linked to the cold case, a train robbery in 1995?

So the investigation begins with DCI Ridley in charge, but the real focus is on his team, DC Jack Warr, Ds Laura Wade and DC Anik Joshi.

This has a gritty and twisty plot which is so engrossing, but for me the real marvel is the characters. They are all so well developed and their personal lives and stories are heartbreaking at times, so well written you forget this is fiction.

With its tight plot and great characters this really makes for another fantastic read from Lynda La Plante.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Buried for free. This is my honest, unbiased review.

Although I have seen Lynda La Plante's TV work I don't recall ever having read one of her books so I was excited about this ARC.

As I knew La Plante's name I did have high expectations and, while I have some critiques they are small and I generally enjoyed this novel.

Overall, the book was fast paced with an intricate plot and many key characters who the reader gets to know throughout the course of the book. The characterisation is strong and I am keen to read more about DC Jack Warr.

The plot is also strong but I did take issue with Jack somehow shoehorning his own personal mystery into the crime he is investigating professionally. It just seemed that the connection was plucked out of thin air and he lucked out when there was indeed a link.
Maybe I just missed something but when challenged by his boss about what he was investigating he made up that it was relevant to the case. Just seemed a bit too convenient and tenuous to me.

Aside from that, it was a page turner of a read and I really enjoyed getting under the skin of each of the characters.

Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for this advanced readers copy.

A great start to a new series from Lynda La Plante.
Jack and Maggie have just moved from Devon to London for Maggie to progress in her career but Jack is just coasting along, not too interested in his career. That is until he gets involved in a new case with a gentle nudge from DCI Ridley.
The book begins with a crime scene - Rose Cottage has burnt down, and the team are called in because there’s a body. They also find burnt old five pound notes, worth one and a half million pounds.
It transpires that in 1995 there was a train robbery, the thieves were never caught and the money was never found.
Jack and the team establish that several ex-convicts that were involved live nearby, but they’re all careful what they reveal.
Jack is also coping with some devastating news about his Dad and when he gives him a folder with information about his real parents in it, Jack starts to dig deeper into his own past.
Some of the people he comes across have links with the train robbery so the the two parts of his life cross over.
This is a great start to a new series, and I look forward to see what happens next with Jack.
Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the introduction to a new detective series and I was very excited to start reading this as I have greatly enjoyed the Tennison, Anna Travis and Lorraine Page series. This book follows Jack Warr who has recently moved from country life to the police force in London. It brings characters in from previous novels but you don’t have to have read them as the story is very well set.
I enjoyed meeting La Plantes new detective Jack, as he was definitely less than perfect which I liked. He is not the usual dedicated and obsessed detective of previous series and doesn’t even know if he wants to be a detective at all. He is coasting and he knows it which is what makes this different to her other detectives and makes it an interesting new slant. He uses the investigation of the robbery and consequential murder for his own purposes which adds another dimension to his flawed character. As usual this is a cleverly written story which keeps you guessing and turning the pages and I for one am already looking forward to the next Jack Warr novel.

This is book one in a new series called DC Jack Warr.

He is transferred to London with his girlfriend. A new case connected to an old crime alongside trying to find out about his birth has Jack finding a passion for his job.

I thought the way the story was told was good though no characters jumped out at me enough to really like. Having said that I enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read more of this series.

For anyone who has read Widows by Lynda La Plante you may recognise some of the characters mentioned in this book , the start of a new series introducing D.C. Jack Warr.

Jack and his girlfriend Maggie have just moved from Devon to London for Maggie to progress in her career as a trainee surgeon. Jack just seems to be plodding along, not too interested in progressing in his career. Until he works the new case in London, and with a bit of a push from DCI Ridley.

Rose Cottage has burnt down, the team are called in because in the cottage was a body, they need to find out who the body is. Also in the charred remains they find burnt old out if circulation five pound notes, one and a half million pounds worth. In 1995 there had been a big train robbery, the thieves were never caught and the money was never found. In a nearby house The Grange lived Dolly Rawlins and several other ex convicts the house had been searched but nothing had ever been found linking the women to the crime. Dolly Rawlins is now dead but some of the other women are still around.

At the same time as working in this case Jack gets a call from his adoptive parents, he finds out his father Charlie has cancer and doesn’t have long to live, he also finds out that they are going on a 4 month cruise, knowing this will be the last time he probably sees his dad Jack is devastated. But Charlie gives him a folder with information about his real parents in it. Jack knew his mum was dead, but does start to look into his dad. Jimmy Nunn who also has a couple of links with some of the people he is looking into in the train robbery. So Jack tries to investigate the two things at the same time. But Maggie is worried about him as one thing Jimmy Nunn is is trouble.

This is a good start to a new series, some good characters I wasn’t sure about Jack initially but he gradually grew on me, always difficult setting up new characters, developing them, getting to know them. I enjoyed the pace of the story not too fast but not too slow either. This is a well thought out and plotted story, with a couple of twists I didn’t see coming. Will be watching out for the next book in the series.

I'm sure I've read La Plante before, or at least I have seen TV adaptations of her work and thoroughly enjoyed them. This was a really quick read for me, I liked the characters and felt like they were well established, so I will look forward to the next book in the series. The descriptions of scenes could have been explained better bias I had to reread things several times to follow.