Bog Bodies: A Reading List

Bog Bodies: A Reading List

This article relates to Our Numbered Bones

Katya Balen's novel Our Numbered Bones centers around the discovery of an ancient, fossilized corpse in a peat bog in rural England. These so-called "bog bodies" have been found throughout the world, particularly in Northern Europe, and offer invaluable insight into life and death thousands of years ago. The discovery of a bog body captivates archaeologists, anthropologists, and biologists alike. But authors, like Balen, have also been inspired to explore through fiction precisely why these bodies fascinate us so much, and what their excavation can teach us about society both past and present. Below is a selection of other novels that revolve around the discovery of bog bodies.

Bog Queen (2025) by Anna North

Forensic anthropologist Agnes is called to investigate the body of a woman found in a peat bog in northwest England. As those looking to profit from the discovery clash with protesters demanding the ancient land be left untouched, the stories of Agnes and the bog woman gradually intertwine.

Tender (2025) by Lauren du Plessis

When two bog bodies are discovered in elaborate floral graves, archaeobotanist Nell is called in to study them. But as she digs for the truth, she uncovers repressed memories from her own childhood, unravelling the façade of perfection she has carefully curated.

Greater Sins (2025) by Gabrielle Griffiths

In 1915, a body is pulled from a bog in rural Scotland. When a slew of bad luck follows, tensions rise within the community, forcing residents to confront difficult truths about their own pasts.

Bog Child (2008) by Siobhan Dowd

While digging for peat with his uncle, Fergus uncovers the body of a child. Captivated by the mystery, Fergus begins to be haunted by the child's voice in his dreams, while by day he deals with the realities of life during the Troubles and his brother's hunger strike in prison.

Haunted Ground (2003) by Erin Hart

An Irish archaeologist and an American pathologist team up to investigate when the perfectly preserved head of a young woman is found in an Irish peat bog. Beyond uncovering the fate of the woman, the duo's inquiries threaten to expose the village's many secrets.

Filed under Reading Lists

This article relates to Our Numbered Bones. It first ran in the February 25, 2026 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.