The Buried Life [Paperback]

Mary Margaret Nilan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2001

Mystery and intrigue frame a tale of star-crossed lovers. Early in the 21st century, Leigh McCormack's buried past is resurrected. Flashback to 1983, on board one of the few luxury cruise ships then plying the Caribbean: For young Leigh, an idyll of romance and first love collides with the reality of cold-war espionage. To her peril, she discovers the warm hospitality of the cruise, masks a cold mission. Then the unexpected-- an explosion at sea. Suddenly, Leigh is in jeopardy; betrayed by a man she idolizes; haunted by partial knowledge of classified secrets. Safety depends on her never discovering the last vital piece of the puzzle. Flash forward to the twenty-first century: Now, nearly twenty years later, that last fatal piece of the puzzle is revealed. Knowledge is peril. Can her Beloved, out of the past, be her salvation?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

While a student, including Ph.D fellowship studies at Northwestern, Mary Margaret Nilan was an actress in theater and on network TV. Later, while teaching at St. John's University in New York, she published articles on theatrical production and dramatic literature in the US and overseas. She has had short fiction released online to five-star reviews. In addition, her mini-mysteries have been published in the popular national weekly, "Woman's World." She is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and "THE BURIED LIFE" is being submitted to the "Edgar Awards Committee" for "Best First Novel."

As to the background and plot of "THE BURIED LIFE:" Nilan has visited 27 Caribbean Islands, and sailed aboard seven cruises. This aided her in portraying an accurate picture of the cruise ship life, as well as the very distinctive flavor of each of the various islands in 1983. For the espionage details, Nilan researched a variety of scientific studies and what is now de-classified information. "At that point," she says, "my imagination took flight."

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Unlimited Publishing (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588320111
• ISBN-13: 978-1588320117
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,743,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Buried Life defies categorisation, July 3, 2001

By 

Andy ([e-mail]) (Cumbria, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Buried Life (Paperback)

This is a book that crosses so many genres. It is a thriller. It is a romance. It is a travelogue. It is all these things and much more.

Set on a Cruise Liner ploughing the waters of the Caribbean, 'The Buried Life' follows the heroine, Leigh Anne McCormack, as she takes the holiday of a lifetime, falls in love and begins to understand that the ship she is sailing on has a secret.

The heroine develops through the book from a position of innocence to one of understanding, though ultimately, she too, becomes embroiled in the activities of the ship.

Nilan handles the story with vigour, evocatively recreating the sights and sounds of each island in turn. The hero and heroine are sympathetic and the minor characters are richly and accurately portrayed. The narrative is trimmed down to the minimum; nothing gets in the way of the main story.

We should expect a lot more from Mary Margaret Nilan in the future. I look forward to reading her next book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OFFERS READER MORE THAN TODAY'S BEST-SELLERS, February 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Buried Life (Paperback)

What a fantastic novel. And this is only Nilan's first? The writing is outstanding, with marvelous attention to structure, language, and detail. These elements are so often sadly lacking in today's novels. This espionage tale is fascinating on so many different levels. Yes, the foreign setting, involving intrigue interlinked with romance, is reminiscent of many best-sellers. However, this novel offers the reader so very much more! Nilan has used her talents beautifully in the creation of larger-than-life characters with an eye for delicate detail, while rounding out the undercurrent of relationships, preserving the whole, and leading us to the sursprising, satisfactory ending.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Begin Reading And You Can't Stop!, June 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Buried Life (Paperback)

Be forewarned: Once you begin to read THE BURIED LIFE, you will not want to put this novel down. I certainly did not want to stop at the end of any of the chapters. I just had to know: What happens next? Once I finished, my husband began to read and felt the same; kept asking: "What happens?" Of course, I would not tell! After he finished, we both had so many enjoyable conversations talking about the book. We both agreed: This novel is a winner! It is beautifully written, seeming to just flow so effortlessly. Of course the setting on a cruise was delightful and we felt as though we had been to each of those Caribbean islands. However, what really added to the final impact of the story were the exact details and images from the cold-war years and the inner workings of espionage. No doubt about it: This novel is definitely a winner. But, again, fair warning: Once you begin to read it, you just will not want to stop!