Set in 1839, The Burial Plot is the fantastic new Gothic novel from Elizabeth Macneal, who you may know from The Doll Factory. As you can tell, I am a big fan of The Burial Plot – from plucky lead character Bonnie, to the sprawling mansion, Endellion, a character in its own right, The Burial Plot has got intrigue, drama and even a love story – all wrapped up in a Gothic setting.
Opening sentence: It was close to nightfall and Bonnie was killing moths in the bedroom that had once belonged to Mr Moncrieff’s dead wife.
The good liar
Bonnie Fairchild is a very endearing character. We get the story of The Burial Plot from her POV and although not born into extreme poverty, she wants to work her way up in the world and thinks she’s onto a good thing when a very handsome man seems to want to help her. She falls for Crawford, and together they use not exactly honest means to forge a living (theft, lies, deception).
Despite this, Bonnie comes across as a nice girl, one whose circumstances, rather than her personality have driven her to do what she does.
Crawford encourages her to apply for a job as a lady’s maid in Endellion, a huge, isolated house and things escalate from there…
Owned by Mr Aubrey Moncrieff, he lives there with his 16-year old daughter, Cissie and a limited staff due to his money running out. His wife tragically died the previous year and when Bonnie moves in, it’s to a house still trapped in the past.
Bonnie is the breath of fresh air the house needs, she certainly catches Mr Moncrieff’s eye.
Life is going well for Bonnie until it transpires that Crawford has links to Endellion that she knew nothing about. She starts to understand that Crawford hasn’t been telling her the whole truth and he will stop at nothing to get his way.
‘Deceit,’ he said, ‘is unforgivable in this household. It is the one thing I will not tolerate.’
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
I loved the nod to the most classic Gothic love story of them all, Rebecca in the pages of The Burial Plot. Endellion does indeed have Manderley vibes, as does the ghost of Mr Moncrieff’s dead wife. Josephine (who drowned, coincidence lovers) is the Rebecca of The Burial Plot – that’s not to say her story is the same, but I enjoyed the reference.
The Burial Plot is highly readable and engaging historical fiction. You’ll be rooting for Bonnie through all her trials and tribulations and hoping her ending is the one she wants. Highly enjoyed this!
- Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC;
- Get your copy of The Burial Plot here;
- Published by Picador 6th June 2024;
- 336 pages;
- Book review rating:
Books on the 7:47 
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