A new book from Elizabeth Macneal always becomes one of my most anticipated books of a year. I loved The Doll Factory and enjoyed Circus of Wonders, and The Burial Plot sounded brilliant - Victorian cemeteries? Murder and manipulation? Yes, please!

This book is very dark; it might be even darker than The Doll Factory. Some descriptions of London and people are grimy, even unpleasant, and people are not very nice. Speaking of people, unfortunately I didn't like a single character in this book. I didn't click with anyone, didn't sympathise with them or root for them - neither for Bonnie, our protagonist, or Cissie, a young troubled girl in her care. Macneal's writing is superb, though, and I could read her vivid descriptions all day long, but overall the book lacked the gothic atmosphere. The twists and revelations were pretty predictable too. The Burial Plot has a fascinating premise (and a great title), but the execution wasn't great, in my opinion.

I'm still here for whatever Elizabeth Macneal writes next!

First of all, I just want to truly appreciate the cover...it's absolutely stunning!

A gothic story of manipulation and mystery, immersive and visual in its setting and tone, and characters that didn't disappoint. A favourite genre of mine that I enjoyed from start to finish.

The characters were well developed and believable throughout, and the differences between the lives of the poor and the rich felt honest and real. The pace was well balanced and kept me fully engrossed right up until the last page. My first Elizabeth Macneal read, and most definitely not my last. Will be recommending this for fans of historical and gothic reader fans.

Thank you to NetGalley Galley and Pan Macmillan for a pre released digital copy ahead of publication....I may need to purchase the physical book to add to my home collection!

This was my first Elizabeth Macneal novel but it won't be my last. I had a great time seeing how the plot came together overtime, unraveling all the ways in which Bonnie was manipulated, and seeing the characters grow despite the novel's heavy themes.
My only issue with this novel is one character in particular that I don't think was all that necessary. Maybe they were meant to be a loose end, something to always haunt Bonnie, but if that's the case I don't think it translated as well as I'd like into the story.
Still, I highly recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction set in Victorian times & all things Gothic.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Elizabeth Macneal's The Doll Factory made her a force to be reckoned with within the Historical Fiction genre, she followed it up with the Circus of Wonders which was also set within the Victorian period. With The Burial Plot she returns to the Victorians and this time she turns her eye to their fascination with death and burial, in particular the lack of burial plots within the cities . Enter Bonnie a young woman who has fallen in with an unsavoury man (Crawford) who coerces her into becoming a ladie's maid for a young girl whose father is obsessed with creating a mausoleum for his dead wife. Bonnie thought Crawford was protecting her however she soon discovers otherwise.

With our obsession with all things gothic this is bound to be popular.

Elizabeth MacNeal knocks it out of the park again. She is a very good, and very interesting writer - this is a terrific novel, and well worth reading.

Since reading Elizabeth's first book The Doll Factory, she became one of my favourite historical fiction writers. Circus of Wonders is still my favourite with its cast of the weird and the wonderful and eccentric, but the wonderful thing about her writing is the detailed research that has gone into them.

The Burial Plot is another great historical story that you can lose yourself in. The stark difference between the lives of the poor and wretched and the rich and powerful is highlighted again in its pages.

Young Bonnie escapes an arranged marriage to an old lecherous minister by running away to London where she falls under the spell of a charming, manipulative con man. From the outset you know poor Bonnie is headed for trouble as she believes herself in love with him. Cajoled into taking a job as a maid in a rich household to escape a robbery gone wrong, she is thrust into the world of the rich. But of course she is a pawn in her lover's plans she knows nothing about.

Woven into their story is how the building of the beautiful big cemeteries that appeared during Victorian times came about.

Sure to be another success for Elizabeth, especially with the stunning artwork on the cover which is sure to make readers want to pluck it off the shelves!

I haven't read anything by the author so the book was a wild card for me that I was able to enjoy.
I really liked the setting of the victorian times and that its theme was very dark (if you're not good with death and cemetries you should consider to skip this one), which I enjoyed because it just was different from other books.
I couldn't get behind every development or twist the story took though.

After reading and enjoying Elizabeth Macneals "The Doll Factory" and "Circus of Wonders", I just had to get my hands on "The Burial Plot". When I travel, I always have a look to see if there are any old and interesting cemeteries around. So the subject of the book immediatly drew me in.

We follow Bonnie, who ran away from home and an arranged marriage. But London is not how she thought it would be and she gets involved in thievery. When things go wrong one night, one of her comraders convinces her to take a position as a lady's maid in the house of Mr. Moncrieff, a widower with a daughter. But after some time she feels like all of this was planned and she has no control over her situation.

Loads of things happen in this story, sometimes a bit expected or irrealistic but overall this is an enjoyable read and I can recommend it very much! There were times I almost felt Bonnie's dread so Macneal did a good job builing the situations and locations.

Thank you NetGalley en Pan Manmillan for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

A great and entertaining novel! I enjoyed the fact that one of its main topics was an unconventional one: cemeteries in Victorian London and its numerous dead. I enjoyed the plot even though I could guess some events leading to the conclusion. What disturbed me somehow is the psychological development which appears to me a bit irrealistic. However, a good novel full of action as well as twists and turns.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

Elizabeth Macneal's debut novel, "The Doll Factory," remains one of my favorite books set in Victorian England. So I approached her third book, "The Burial Plot", with great anticipation and high expectations. I am happy to say that it proved to be a satisfying read and, despite some of my personal reservations, an objectively commendable book.

The protagonist of "The Burial Plot" is Bonnie, who, along with her partner Crawford, operates within London's underworld, involved in fraud and theft. When one of their robberies goes awry and Bonnie faces the threat of execution, Crawford convinces her to assume the role of a maid in an eccentric neo-Gothic mansion owned by widower Mr. Moncrieff and his daughter. However, Bonnie soon realizes that her presence in the household serves a secondary purpose, indicating that Crawford's motives extend beyond mere concern for her well-being.

An important aspect driving the plot of the book is the growing problem of the burial of the dead in the early Victorian era. With insufficient burial grounds available, the necessity for new cemeteries became apparent. The narrative illustrates how the Victorian preoccupation with death and mourning could serve as a lucrative opportunity for those who were resourceful and enterprising.

Like the author's other works, "The Burial Plot" is meticulously grounded in historical reality. Elizabeth Macneal avoids idealizing the period and offers a portrayal that goes beyond the perspective of wealthy aristocrats. The novel also sheds light on the difficult circumstances faced by women during this period.

Overall, "The Burial Plot" didn't grab me quite as much as "The Doll Factory", perhaps because I've already read numerous stories set in creepy gothic mansions. However, the plot itself is intriguing and occasionally disturbing. I found the theme of cemetery construction particularly compelling. The characters are multidimensional and engaging, with diverse and often understandable motivations, even if they lead to tragic outcomes.

One aspect of the book that didn't resonate with me was the ending. Without giving away any spoilers, I found it difficult to make clear moral judgments about all the characters, given the complexity of the situation presented in the story. However, I recognize that this is a matter of personal preference, and I'm sure that many readers will still appreciate the ending.

Despite this minor quibble, I wholeheartedly recommend "The Burial Plot" not only to fans of Elizabeth Macneal's previous work, but also to anyone looking for an engaging novel set in the Victorian era that authentically captures the spirit of the time.