Consumed by Greg Buchanan

I picked up Consumed because Greg Buchanan’s first book about Forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen, Sixteen horses, was described as a literary crime sensation. I was intrigued to read about a new field in the crime genre, as well as read a literary thriller. I have not read Sixteen horses but was able to follow the motivation and character of Cooper as she investigated the horrific scene that she had been called to. Famous photographer Sophia Bertilak had fallen outside her house and been consumed by her two pigs. Although it seems like an awful accident, photographs have been removed from inside the house. Cooper becomes absorbed in the life of Sophie and her children, Matthew and Lucy, especially as Sophie’s most famous photograph had been of a pipe sticking up out of the ground, which was discovered to have been the burial place of a lost child. As Cooper delves deeper into Sophie’s life, long unsolved mysteries emerge, and these secrets begin to take over her life and her sanity.

Although the writing is wonderful, and the chapters short, I did not find Consumed easy to read. The title Consumed is very apt – not only do the pigs consume a body, but Cooper is consumed with what has happened both in the past and the present. It is dark and terrifying, more a tale of horror than a mystery. However, as often as I put it aside, I found myself returning  - the suspense and tension, the secrets and the unlikeable characters, kept drawing me back to the pages.

This is not for readers who enjoy cosy mysteries, or prefer a clever detective, but may appeal to those who enjoy a dark, complex plot with an unsettling mystery within a mystery. An unforgettable read.

Themes: Mystery, Crime, Forensic veterinarian.

Pat Pledger