The Burial Place by Stig Abell is a recommended mystery and the third novel in the Jake Jackson series.

Jake Jackson is a former London detective who now lives a bucolic life in the country at Little Sky and is in a relationship with local vet, Livia. When a group of archaeologists at a nearby dig site uncover the remains of a Roman settlement, members of the team begin to receive threatening letters signed Wulfnoth. The early letters were ignored, but then they became increasingly threatening. After a team member is killed, Jake offers his assistance to the new Chief Inspector David McAllister to find the killer.

While the quality of the writing is very good, it is almost overly descriptive and focuses way too much on Jake's personal life rather than the mystery. This slows the plot to a crawl and it was a struggle to hold my interest. Personally, I'm reading for the mystery, so I ended up skimming through Jake's personal shenanigans to focus on following the mystery and figuring out whodunit. Admittedly, I have not read the previous two novels in the series so this is my first introduction to Jake. For those who enjoy classical music, Abell provides a glossary of selections he listened to while writing at the end of the novel.

The Burial Place will be most appreciated by those who have read the previous books in the series. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

DNF - couldn't get into it, which is unusual for me. People who enjoy more flowery writing might do better.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 26, 2025
“The Burial Place” is the third novel in the Jake Jackson series by author Stig Abell. Jake Jackson is a former London police detective, who retired early after receiving property, named Little Sky, from a reclusive uncle. In all three novels, Jake solves mysteries that bring him back into the world of policing, while spending time with his partner, veterinarian Livia, and her daughter, Diana, on the remote property of Little Sky.
In “Place”, an archaeological dig is taking place in the English countryside, where ancient Roman remains have been uncovered. The dig team, however, is not necessarily welcome, receiving threatening letters from an unnamed source, insisting they stop their dig and leave the land alone. It isn’t until one of the dig team members is brutally murdered that Jake is called in, and he, along with the new detective in the local police force, work together to uncover who is behind the murder, as more bodies continue to drop.
Each of Abell’s Jake Jackson stories can be read as a stand-alone, and “Place” is no different. However, I have had the pleasure of reading all three novels in the series so far, in order, and I highly recommend that other readers do the same. Jake’s beautiful and isolated Little Sky property is unforgettable, and the relationships he forms with the community around him are worth examining on a deeper level, which is only possible in novels like these if you read the entire series in order.
The archaeological dig in “Place” was intriguing and unique, as, instead of dinosaur bones unearthed in the desert, stone structures and ancient tools and housewares were found in a small area of the British countryside. Such a site, as well, provides an automatic collection of suspects, so there are definitely enough characters for Jake to investigate. After many engaging twists and turns, which left me guessing, the ending was unexpected and surprising, yet completely believable and well-crafted.
I enjoy Abell’s Jake Jackson series more than most in this genre. As soon as I picked up the third novel, I was right back in where the second one had left off, returning to the beautifully secluded Little Sky and the charming romance between Livia and Jake. Jake and his friends are definitely memorable, and I look forward to the next novel.

Those who read the first two novels by Abell will be delighted to see that there is now a third book to enjoy. Here are many familiar faces including Jake (who continues to live off the grid), Livia (his romantic interest), Diana (Livia's daughter), Rose (not quite on the narrow path) and, Martha and Aletheia, whom Jake knew when he was a full time police officer. There is also a new police detective for Jake to get to know. Why is there someone new? Those who've read the earlier novels will know but those new to the series can just accept this and move on.

This time the plot centers on an archaeological dig and the goings on there. Someone is sending poison pen letters and wants the dig to stop. REALLY wants it to stop. A murder takes place. Was it because of the dig or for other reasons? There are many involved with the excavation of an ancient Roman site. Are they involved in nefarious events as well? Read this one to find out.

In addition to offering up a good story, I like how Abell comments on Jake's physical world. The setting very much comes to life.

Recommended to those who already know Jake and to those who enjoy British set mysteries.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this title. All opinions are my own

This was a new author for me, and now I will have go back so I can read his previous books. I liked the rural setting of the story, with portions of the residential property named after famous fictional detectives. The descriptions of the weather were realistic and became a character, with you picturing yourself at an abandoned archaeological dig in cold rain pelting down, visibility near zero, with a murderer lurking about. I was not able to guess who the murderer turned out to be, so a very satisfying read indeed.

I was unfamiliar with the author and the series and now I’m hooked. I found the beginning chapters a bit stilted and almost didn’t keep going however I’m glad I did. I thought the writing style changed a bit after those chapters and became much more approachable. Characters and setting were interesting. There were a lot of twists and turns. Call it a cozy procedural.

I enjoyed this book! The setting was beautiful. I connected with all the characters, and this story just kept wanting me to read more