Showing posts with label Kate Ellis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kate Ellis. Show all posts

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Review: The Stone Chamber (#25 DI Wesley Peterson) by Kate Ellis

I've loved Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series, right from the very first book (The Merchant's House). I think it is the mix of a classic murder mystery with a historical backstory that does it for me.  This one, the 25th in the series (25th!) is perhaps her best yet.


One summer evening, Robert and Greta Gerdner are shot dead at their home in the Devon countryside. DI Wesley Peterson suspects the execution-style murders might be linked to Robert's past police career, until Robert's name is found on a list of people who've been sent tickets anonymously for a tour of Darkhole Grange - a former asylum on Dartmoor. Others on this list have also died in mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, archaeologist Neil Watson finds the skeleton of a woman buried in a sealed chamber dating back to the fifteenth century at a nearby dig. Is there a connection between the ancient cell and the chilling history of Darkhole Grange?

As always, Kate Ellis has written a brilliantly twisty, cleverly plotted story that is impossible to put down. Multiple characters and multiple threads somehow manage to all connect at the end (I don't know how she does it!), with a reoccurring motif of incarceration. I particularly loved all the spooky houses!

Although this story is the 25th in the series, it is possible to read it as a stand alone. However, there are a lot characters, both regular and new, and it might be easier to at least read the first book to help understand who everyone is.

On of my favourite reads this year, The Stone Chamber would suit anyone who loves classic murder mysteries and authors such as Elly Griffiths.


Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus (Little, Brown Book Group) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.


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Monday, 3 May 2021

Review: The House of the Hanged Woman (Albert Lincoln #3) by Kate Ellis

Kate Ellis is one of my favourite authors. I love her twisty murder mysteries that always keep me guessing.

The House of the Hanged Woman is the last in her Albert Lincoln trilogy set immediately after WW1. In this story Albert is sent back to the village he visited in A High Mortality of Doves, which has unhappy memories for him. An MP has gone missing and a body has been found in a cave, mutilated beyond recognition. Are the two cases connected? The other point of view in the story is that of Rose, unhappily married, who lives for the romances she borrows from the library - while dreaming of murdering her husband... 

While The House of the Hanged Woman can be read as a standalone, there are spoilers for the first two books, so you would have a better reading experience starting with book 1 (A High Mortality of Doves). It is also the last in the series, so it wraps up the loose strands of the earlier books. It is a shame this series is ending, because I've really enjoyed it. The House of the Hanged Woman is a fascinating mystery, completely engrossing and hard to put down. There are lots of twists, including a very clever one at the end, which I loved. A perfect read for anyone who loves historical mysteries and for fans of authors such as Elly Griffiths.


Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.


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Thursday, 8 October 2020

Review: The Burial Circle (DI Wesley Peterson #24)

Kate Ellis is one of my favourite authors. I've read all her books but have a particular fondness for her detective series about DI Wesley Peterson.

The title of this story is The Burial Circle and I had got it into my head that this was something to do with an ancient stone circle. It actually refers to a 19th century basic insurance scheme covering the cost of funerals!

The Burial Circle has a slightly gothic vibe, which I loved, and is a perfect autumn/winter read. Central to the story is an old mill, where a suspected murderer once hid, and the house alongside it where a psychic weekend is being held. I really felt for the poor psychic, who felt bombarded on all sides from the restless spirts. This being a murder mystery, someone is soon murdered and everyone is a suspect. On top of this investigation, the body of a hitchhiker is found buried on farmland several years after she went missing. Can Wesley connect the two cases?

I love Kate Ellis's books because the mysteries are so twisty it is practically impossible to guess how they are going to end! They are so cleverly and perfectly plotted, it is incredible how she ties all the loose ends so neatly. The story's setting in a village where a series of unexplained deaths once took place, along with the spooky old mill, is very atmospheric. I especially love that her books always have a past mystery running through them, echoing the one in the present. 

This was a five-star read for me. Recommended for all readers of traditional murder mysteries, particularly fans of authors such as Elly Griffiths and Kate Rhodes.

Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.


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Thursday, 1 August 2019

Review: Dead Man's Lane (Wesley Peterson #23) by Kate Ellis

I love Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson crime series and I've read all of them! It is the combination of a fiendishly difficult puzzle to solve running alongside a historical mystery that pulls me in every time.

No one knows how Dead Man's Lane got it's name but everyone's heard of the notorious Strangefields Farm. Twenty years ago, an artist by the name of Jackson Temples murdered four beautiful young girls before he was caught and sent to prison - protesting his innocence all the way. Now someone appears to be copying his murders - or was Jackson innocent all along?

It is hard to review this book without giving away any spoilers! Although I read it in sizeable chunks, I did find it hard to work out who-was-who at the start. There are a lot of characters, but there is a good reason for this, and murder mysteries do need a good choice of potential suspects and victims! Once I got into the book, I was completely gripped and read the last half in one go!

I particularly enjoyed the historical parts, explaining the origins of how that road got its name, and the gruesome deaths (and burials!) that happened at the farm over the centuries. And Kate's plots are always so clever I can never work out 'whodunnit'. I also enjoy catching up with the regular characters and getting a glimpse into how their lives are progressing. (Memo to Rachel: Don't do it!) 

It is not essential to have read the previous books in this series but I feel you would definitely get more out of this story if you have. It would appeal to anyone who loves the 'puzzle' kind of murder mystery or fans of authors who mix murder mysteries and archaeology, such as Elly Griffiths.


Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.


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Tuesday, 16 April 2019

Review: The Boy Who Lived with the Dead (Albert Lincoln #2) by Kate Ellis

I love Kate Ellis! She's one of my all-time favourite authors, mainly because her plots are so fiendishly clever I can never work out 'whodunit'. Or if I do, my guess will be only a small part of the story. I don't know how she does it!

Kate Ellis is mainly known for her 'Wesley Peterson' archaeological mystery series - set in the present day but with a historical mystery threading through the stories. The Boy Who Lived with the Dead is the second in her 'Albert Lincoln' series and is set during the years following the First World War. This is not a time period I'm familiar with, and I found it fascinating to read how such a a horrific war continued to affect people, not only the soldiers.

If you've not read the first book in this series, A High Mortality of Doves, you do need to do so. The plot of that book is mentioned throughout this one, with huge spoilers. Having said that, you can read this one as a stand alone - just be aware of those spoilers!

The Boy Who Lived with the Dead starts in 1920. The title refers to a young boy called Peter, who lives in the lodge bordering the cemetery because his father is the gravedigger. A few years earlier, Peter's twin brother was murdered and left for dead in the local stone circle. Inspector Albert Lincoln was unable to solve this murder and it has haunted him ever since. Now he's back to investigate the murder of a woman and the disappearance of her baby. Are the two cases connected? Did Peter witness the murder from his bedroom window? Or is he lying about that, the way the entire village believes he lies about everything else?

The Boy Who Lived with the Dead is basically the perfect murder mystery! It's brilliantly plotted and I love the characters! Albert is traumatised from the events of the first book, not to mention the war and his unhappy marriage. Peter is suffering from the loss of his twin. He has no friends and most adults dismiss him as being a fantasist. I loved Peter's teacher, Gwen Davies, who tries to solve the murders herself, and I also enjoyed the way practically the entire village had a secret to hide!

If you love traditional/classic murder mysteries, you will adore this book. It's one of my favourite reads this year - I can't wait for the next one!


Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.


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Sunday, 4 March 2018

Review: The Mechanical Devil (Wesley Peterson #22) by Kate Ellis

I'm a huge fan of Kate Ellis and I've now read all her Wesley Peterson books. Although this one began a little bit slowly it soon raced along and is now one of my favourites.

The story starts with a shooting at the site of a medieval manor house, the two victims apparently unknown to each other. What links them and the death of a student twenty years earlier? And does it have anything to do with the strange wooden figure recently discovered in a coffin-like lead box?

The main characters are Detective Inspector Wesley Peterson and his boss DCI Gerry Heffernan, along with archaeologist Neil Watson. The stories often have a historical mystery at their heart and the occasional touch of humour. My favourite characters are Gerry and Neil, and I do wish someone would turn these books into a TV series.

As with all Kate Ellis's books the murders come along in quick succession and it is hard to work out how they can all be connected. In fact, I often don't bother to try - I just sit back and enjoy the incredibly skilled plotting! This time, however, I did work out the culprit behind the attacks on a woman living on her own, so I felt quite pleased about that, and also identity of the main villain - but only about half a page before Wesley!

A definite 5 star rating from me and I'm sure fans of Elly Griffiths and traditional murder mysteries will love this one too.

Saturday, 10 February 2018

Review: The Death Season (Wesley Peterson #19) by Kate Ellis

This is one of my favourites from Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series. It combines the mystery of a big old house, a skeleton in an ice house, a village collapsing into the sea - and starts with the discovery of a corpse in a hotel room, whose name doesn't match his identity!

In this story it was the historical element which grabbed me - the hundred-year-old diary of a maid who worked at the local 'big house'. I was also fascinated by story of the village collapsing into the sea - and a note at the back of the book explains that this is based on an actual event.

Particularly nail-biting was a member of Wesley's family being caught up in the present day investigation and one of the main characters becoming trapped in what remained of that lost village. How do all these seemingly unconnected events tie up? In a brilliantly clever way! One of Kate Ellis's best, and thoroughly recommended! 

Thursday, 8 February 2018

Review: The Shroud Maker (Wesley Peterson #18) by Kate Ellis

I've been reading the more recent of Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson books back-to-back before starting on her latest one (The Mechanical Devil). The drawback to doing this is that some authors write to a pattern and it soon becomes easy to work out their plots. Not the books by this author! It never fails to amaze me how Kate Ellis can take several, apparently unconnected, murders (in this case over several time periods) and link them all up at the end. Genius!

This one starts with the body of a young woman being found floating out to sea in a dinghy. What is the connection between her death and Jenny Bercival's disappearance almost exactly one year ago? And is there any link to the Palkin Festival, celebrating the life of a local 14th century pirate?

I always enjoy stories with pirates and smugglers, although with Kate Ellis's books the characters are never quite what they seem! I also liked the appearance of DCI Heffernan's daughter, who soon got herself into trouble. I completely failed to guess the identity of the villain but enjoyed tying my brain into knots trying to do so. The only negative for me was that I couldn't quite get my head around the 'Shipworld' website, and wasn't sure if it was supposed to be an interactive game or a blog or both.

Thoroughly recommended, particularly if you enjoy traditional detective stories.

Sunday, 4 February 2018

Review: The Shadow Collector (Wesley Peterson #17) by Kate Ellis

I absolutely love Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series of murder mysteries. I adore the mix of a murder in the present echoing one in the past, along with the extremely twisty plots that make it almost impossible to work out whodunit.

This one is about Lilith and her mother, suspected of being witches and sent to prison eighteen years ago for the brutal murder of two teenage girls. Now Lilith has been released - and is suspected of another murder after a the body of a young woman is found near to her home. While Detective Inspector Wesley Peterson investigates, his archaeologist friend Neil discovers a gruesome wax doll at the house of a woman hanged for witchcraft in the 1600s.

I really enjoyed The Shadow Collector and it has become one of my favourites by this author. As well as the impossible-to-solve plot, I liked the theme of 'witch hunts' running through the story, and how unlikeable people can so often end up a scapegoat. The mystery was extremely clever too.

Although this is #17 in the series, you don't need to have read the others to enjoy the book.  It's easy enough to work out the relationships between the series regulars, and the main part of the plot is about the murder rather than an ongoing story arc. It should appeal to fans of traditional murder mysteries, anyone who likes a bit of history with their crime fiction, and fans of authors such as Elly Griffiths.


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The House of Eyes (Wesley Peterson #20) by Kate Ellis

A High Mortality of Doves by Kate Ellis

Friday, 2 February 2018

Review: The Cadaver Game (Wesley Peterson #16) by Kate Ellis

I love Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series and when I saw she had a new one out (The Mechanical Devil) I was surprised to realise I had bought this one but not read it. However, when I started reading I realised why - the murder victims are teenagers and I usually try to avoid reading books about dead or missing children. But it turned out the teenagers in question are over eighteen so I needn't have worried. 

Barney and Sophie are fans of an online game called Blood Hunt, so much so that they decide to take part in a real life version, involving being chased naked through the local woods. I suppose these things always seem like a good idea at the time! A few days later their bodies are found at the foot of a cliff. Is there any connection between their deaths and that of a woman found dead in her suburban home - and the skeleton discovered while digging up a sixteen year old art installation?

In these books there is always a historical mystery running parallel with the story, and in this case it is about the local lord of the manor who enjoyed the same kind of hunt that these computer games are based on.

The thing I love most about Kate Ellis's books is the way  she ties up all these seemingly unrelated murders in each story - fiendishly clever! I never guess who the villain is. I had a slight inkling towards the end of this one, but only because we were fast running out of suspects! 

Thoroughly recommended, especially for readers who love traditional murder mysteries, especially the kind with a puzzle at their heart.

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Monday, 4 September 2017

Review: The Mermaid's Scream (Wesley Peterson #21) by Kate Ellis

I have been a huge fan of Kate Ellis since reading her first Wesley Peterson crime novel (The Merchant's House) about 20 years ago - I won it a competition run by the publisher! I especially love the mix of past and present: DI Wesley Peterson investigates a crime in the present, which usually has a link to something his archaeologist friend is working on.

The story starts with a middle-aged couple on holiday at a caravan park found dead - suspected suicide. Then a journalist, visiting the area to write a biography of a bestselling reclusive author, goes missing. Add to that, an American millionaire anxious to prove his ancestor didn't commit murder a hundred years ago, and this is why I love Kate Ellis's books. There are so many different plot strands it is almost impossible to work out how they will come together - making it ultra-hard to guess the identity of the murderer before the end. A proper puzzle!

The Mermaid's Scream is now one of my favourite Kate Ellis books. I loved the title and the cover, I loved the way the different plot strands tied my poor brain in knots, and the way a certain theme ran through the story - making me want to slap my forehead for not spotting it earlier. A definite 'duh!' moment. There might not be any 'proper' mermaids, but there is a collection of sinister old puppets, and the method the Victorian villain used to bump off his victim was very unique!

So, thoroughly recommended to anyone who loves a murder mystery with a fiendishly clever plot. But if you are new to Kate Ellis, I would suggest starting with one of her earlier books, as there are lots of characters - the police team and the many suspects - which might be confusing.