Bury Your Past (The Hidden Norfolk Murder Mystery Series Book 2) by J M Dalgliesh

 

A secret worth dying for is a secret worth killing…

When a violent storm uncovers the remains of an unknown young woman, long buried among the sand dunes, DI Tom Janssen must piece together fragmentary evidence to determine how she came to be there.

In the years she lay undiscovered several young women have disappeared and as the team work through the possibilities they come to an uncomfortable conclusion... is a serial killer stalking coastal Norfolk? Each missing person had a story. Each of them had enemies. Some were more dangerous than others...

They appealed to the same men, dabbled in the occult and came to the attention of powerful figures who would brush them aside without a second thought. But who had the motivation to kill? Where is the killer now? When the past is brought into the light will they be willing to ensure their closely guarded secrets remain buried?

To do so, they will have to kill again...

Set within the mysterious beauty of coastal Norfolk, this fast-paced British detective novel is a dark murder mystery with a little humour, one that will keep you guessing until the very end when the final shocking twist is revealed.

Book Review

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Bury Your Past is the kind of crime novel that makes you say, “Okay, just one more chapter,” and then suddenly it’s two in the morning and you’re still glued to the page. J. M. Dalgliesh has a real knack for blending atmospheric settings with tense, emotionally loaded mysteries, and this second entry in the Hidden Norfolk series keeps that momentum going without missing a beat.

One of the best parts of the book is how firmly it keeps both feet in the world of its characters. The mystery is compelling, absolutely—but what pulls you in is how personal everything feels. Dalgliesh doesn’t rely on cheap twists or big shocks; instead, he builds tension through people with secrets, complicated pasts, and relationships that feel genuinely lived-in. You can tell right away that this isn’t just another procedural; it’s a story about how the past echoes long after everyone else thinks it’s been buried.

Tom Janssen, the series’ central detective, remains as grounded and relatable as ever. He’s not the brooding, tortured stereotype you see in so many crime novels, but he’s also not a superhero detective who magically solves everything. What makes him interesting is how steady, thoughtful, and quietly observant he is—someone who genuinely wants answers, not glory. Watching him pick apart clues and navigate the emotional fallout of the case feels satisfying in a very unforced way.

Norfolk itself adds so much to the atmosphere. Dalgliesh captures that mix of rural stillness and underlying tension perfectly—the wide landscapes, the small communities, the sense that everyone knows everyone else’s business… except for the secrets that matter most. That backdrop gives the story a slow-burn suspense that works beautifully with the unfolding investigation.

Pacing-wise, the book moves quickly but never feels rushed. The clues come together naturally, the character moments land, and you’re always wondering how the pieces fit. And because Dalgliesh writes with a very clean, straightforward style, it’s incredibly easy to sink into the story—even while juggling red herrings and half-truths.

If there’s anything to keep in mind, it’s that this series leans more toward realistic, character-driven mystery than high-octane thriller. You won’t get explosions or chase scenes every other page. What you will get is a well-crafted investigation, emotional stakes that feel honest, and a payoff that clicks into place in a very satisfying way.