Kate Hemmingway, reporter for the Sussex Evening News, is investigating the story of a young lady who, questionable evidence suggests, has been buried alive. She manages to blag her way in to observing the exhumation and is so disturbed by what she sees takes her investigation further. Harvey Swire, young man aspiring to become a medical student, gets knocked off his bike. Suffering multiple injuries, he is technically dead for mere minutes before a passing Dr performs CPR and saves his life. What Harvey experiences during those minutes causes him to believe there is life after death and nothing and nobody can convince him otherwise. Harvey then dedicates his life to searching for the truth as to what actually happens when somebody dies. His subsequent career in the medical profession is instrumental in his research. Eventually, Kate and Harvey’s worlds collide… Oooh, a little bit spooky! I’ve read several of Peter James’s novels recently, and love the supernatural themes within them. In this case the reader is invited to consider the possibility of an afterlife. I will admit to professional curiosity with this story. Working in the funeral industry I found the story quite compelling (and by that, I mean I stayed awake until 2am to finish it). I was willing Kate on, wanting her to find the answers she was looking for, despite the discouragement she faced from the newspaper she worked for and the various authorities putting obstacles in her path. Even with Harvey Spire coming across as a pretty unsavoury character, I was, at times, also wanting him to succeed in his quest. To find the proof he sought, that there is something beyond this life, that we have a new adventure to look forward to for when our time with this life is over. Peter James had clearly done a vast amount of research to write this story. Whilst I have no idea whatsoever if the medical references and treatments etc were correct, they were certainly very convincing, and I can’t fault his insight into the funeral industry and the process of exhumation. The detail within his writing is exquisite. Yet again, I find myself finishing this review by saying I am very much looking forward to my next peter James novel. Any recommendations? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not to be confused with his Roy Grace crime books, this is Peter James in his horror thriller era. It's a dark, creepy and atmospheric story about a journalist investigating a story of a woman who appears to have somehow accidentally been buried alive. While I found it started off quite slow, once I got into it I found it a gripping page turner of a story.