One night, Lewis receives a call from Jon saying he found evidence of the settlement. A short time later, Lewis arrives at Jon’s house and finds him dead. The police and Lewis immediately suspect Jon’s brother and all evidence points to him, but there is something that nags at Lewis about the murder. Lewis sets out to learn what evidence Jon uncovered that may have cost him his life and unwittingly stumbles upon a feud that has been going on between academics and historians for years.

Buried Dreams is an intelligent mystery with the New England charm of a cozy. A very well depicted setting allows readers to feel right at home and the landscape is dotted with an assortment of local characters. Lewis is a hard character to understand; he is able to form close relationships with men quickly but has a hard time forming relationships with women, though there doesn’t seem to be any reason he is aware of for this. While Jon’s past and family relations are part of the story, not much about Lewis is expressed, making him a distant character.

The possibility of Vikings in New Hampshire is fascinating and is often more interesting than Lewis’s quest to solve Jon’s murder. At one point when he confronts his candidate for suspect, he is very volatile, a trait that is completely unexpected, and upon reflection, he isn’t particularly upset by his outburst. There are several choices for suspects, and even though Lewis focuses on one, the murderer and reasons are fairly transparent. A strong setting and an interesting motive will intrigue, but many may find Lewis a tiresome hero.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry