Wesley Peterson Books

Kate Ellis's wonderfully addictive series of West Country-set crime novels feature Wesley Peterson, one of Devon's first black detectives A black policeman from the Met might expect to meet some resistance, when he's transferred to a West Country seaside town—but, for DS Wesley Peterson, it's like coming home. One of the first people he bumps into is an old friend—Neil is heading an archaeological dig at a Tudor merchant's house, and Wesley has to tear himself away to become involved in a major search for a missing child. The tension is mounting when a body is found—but to Wesley's relief it is turned up at Neil’s dig and is more than 400 years old. It seems to be a tragic murder nonetheless, for the bones are those of a strangled young woman and a newborn baby. When another, more recent body is found, the circumstances surrounding the child's disappearance become more complex, and Wesley is increasingly convinced that the age-old motives of jealousy, sexual obsession, and desperate longing for a child are behind the crimes—ancient and modern—that he must solve soon if further tragedy is to be averted.

A recently murdered American parallels a centuries-earlier murdered Spanish sailor when they appear to share the same motive in this reissue of the second book in the series An American veteran of the D-Day landings on a sentimental journey with his old unit to their base is the last body archaeologist Neil Watson expects to find in the ruins of an old chapel. Neil turns to his old friend from student days, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson, for help. Ironically, both men are looking at an invading force—Wesley the World War II American veterans, and Neil a group of shipwrecked Spaniards reputed to have met a sticky end at the hands of outraged locals as they limped from the wreckage of the great Armada in 1588. Local memories prove retentive and Wesley is soon caught up in 50 year-old accusations, resentments, and romances. Wesley's case grows more perplexing, while Neil uncovers a tragic story from the distant past. More than 400 years apart, two strangers in a strange land have died violently, and Wesley is running out of time to find out why.

When the body of Pauline Brent is found hanging from a yew tree in a local graveyard, DS Wesley Peterson immediately suspects foul play. Then history provides him with a clue. Wesley's archaeologist friend, Neil Watson, has excavated a corpse at his nearby dig - a young woman who, local legend has it, had been publicly hanged from the very same tree before being buried on unhallowed ground five centuries ago. Wesley is now forced to consider the possibility that the killer knows the tree's dark history. Has Pauline also been 'executed' rather than murdered, and, if so, for what crime? To catch a dangerous killer Wesley has to discover as much as he can about the victim. But Pauline appears to have been a woman with few friends, no relatives and a past she has carefully tried to hide . . .

'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer When a skeleton is discovered on a Devon smallholding, DS Wesley Peterson, a keen amateur archaeologist, is intrigued by the possibility that it is a Viking corpse buried in keeping with ancient traditions. But he has a rather more urgent crime to solve, when a Danish tourist is reported missing. Wesley finds disturbing evidence that the woman has been abducted. His boss Gerry Heffernan believes that Ingeborg's disappearance is linked to a spate of brutal robberies and that she witnessed something she shouldn't have. But is her disappearance linked to far older events? For it seems that this may not have been Ingeborg's first visit to this far from quiet West Country backwater . . . Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect, gripping mystery if you love reading Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves.

The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis released on Sep 24, 2004 is available now for purchase.

Teenager Lewis Hoxworthy discovers a disturbing painting in a medieval barn that excites archaeologist Neil Watson, who is excavating an ancient manor house nearby. When former rock star Jonny Shellmer is found shot in the head in Lewis's father's field and Lewis himself goes missing after contacting a man on the internet, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson suddenly faces one of his most intriguing cases yet. Is Jonny's death linked to Lewis's disappearance? And does Jonny's best-known song, "Angel," contain a clue? It soon becomes clear to Neil that the painting—a portrayal of hell and judgment more than half a millennium old—holds the key to the mystery. As events reach a terrifying climax, Wesley has to act swiftly in order to save a young life.

When workmen converting former girls' boarding school, Chadleigh Hall, into a luxury hotel find a skeleton in a sealed room, DI Wesley Peterson and his boss, Gerry Heffernan are called in to investigate. Within minutes they have a second suspicious death on their hands—a team of marine archaeologists working on a nearby shipwreck have dragged a woman's body from the sea, and it becomes clear that her death was no accident. The dead woman's husband may be linked with a brutal robbery of computer equipment, but Wesley soon discovers that the victim had secrets of her own. As he investigates Chadleigh Hall's past and the woman's violent death, matters are further complicated for Wesley when a man wanted for a murder appears on the scene, a man who may know more about Wesley's cases than he admits.

When a letter arrives at the police station addressed to a chief inspector Norbert, it causes quite a stir. Though Norbert has long since moved on, the letter claims to have evidence that the man convicted of murdering the Reverend Shipbourne during the course of a robbery in 1991 is innocent. Despite having a full case load—including investigating a series of vicious attacks on a local supermarket chain—detective Wesley Peterson is forced to follow up on the letter writer's claims. Meanwhile archaeologist Neil Watson is excavating a site in Pest Field when he discovers a mass grave that leads him to conclude that the site—earmarked for development—houses an ancient medieval plague pit. More disturbing is the discovery that the grave is home to a more recent resident.

The brutal massacre of the Harford family at Potwoolstan Hall in 1985 shocked the populace and passed into local folklore. When a journalist researching the case is murdered 20 years later, the horror is reawakened. Now a New Age healing center, 16th-century Potwoolstan Hall is reputed to be cursed because of the crimes of its builder, and it seems the inheritance of evil lives. As more people die violently, detective Wesley Peterson must discover why a young woman has transformed a doll’s house into a miniature reconstruction of the massacre scene. The solution seems to lie in the ruined remains of an early English settlement in Virginia, but when the truth is finally revealed, it turns out to be as horrifying as it is dangerous.

Wesley Peterson looks to classic literature for clues to a contemporary murder When Kirsten Harbourn is found strangled and naked on her wedding day, DI Wesley Peterson makes some alarming discoveries. Kirsten was being pursued by an obsessed stalker and she had dark secrets her doting fiancé knew nothing about. But Kirsten's wasn't the only wedding planned to take place that day. At Morbay register office a terrified young girl made her wedding vows, and a few days later her bridegroom was found dead in a seedy seaside hotel. As Wesley investigates he suspects that the groom’s death and his bride's subsequent disappearance might be linked to Kirsten's murder. Meanwhile the skeleton of a young female is found buried in a farmer's field, a field that once belonged to the family of Ralph Strong, the Elizabethan playwright whose The Fair Wife of Padua is to be performed for the first time in 400 years. Is this bloodthirsty play a confession to a murder committed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I? Or does it tell another story, one that might cast light on recent mysteries?

An archaeological dig provides DI Wesley Peterson with a secret that may help him unveil the culprits behind a string of kidnappings Marcus Fallbrook was kidnapped in 1976 and when he never returned home, his grieving family assumed the worst. Thirty years later, teenage singing star Leah Wakefield has disappeared and DI Wesley Peterson has reason to suspect that the same kidnapper is responsible. Another abductor is also at work in the area, a man who tricks blonde women into a bogus taxi and cuts off their hair. Leah may have fallen prey to the man the newspapers call "The Barber," or maybe she suffered a more sinister fate. Meanwhile, archaeologist Neil Watson's gruesome task of exhuming the dead from a local churchyard yields a mystery of its own when a coffin is found to contain one corpse too many. The extra corpse may be linked to a strange religious sect dating back several hundred years. Wesley’s case load now spans several decades, and he soon discovers that the past can be a very dangerous place indeed.

Never has DI Wesley Peterson witnessed such a bizarre crime scene. The victim, Charles Marrick, has been murdered, his body drained of blood. Described by those who knew him as 'evil', it seems that Wesley isn't going to have any shortage of suspects - until a popular local vet is murdered in an identical fashion...and a third body is discovered many miles away. And when Wesley's archaeologist friend, Neil Watson, starts getting disturbing anonymous letters written in gory detail about macabre events at a medieval abbey - which Neil fears are being sent by the killer Wesley is looking for - Wesley wonders whether there could be a connection between all these deaths and Neil's letters. And could Neil himself be in danger? As the sinister truth unfolds, both Wesley and Neil are forced to face tragedy and shocking revelations...and a killer who bears the scars of past sins.

When a woman is burned to death in Grandal Field in Devon, it seems like a case of mistaken identity. Until DI Wesley Peterson learns of a legend involving a French woman who burned to death there in the thirteenth century. And when he discovers that records of a previous excavation on the site have vanished, and that two archaeologists involved in that dig died in tragic circumstances, Wesley starts to investigate the possibility of a link between the legend and recent events. But edging closer to the truth brings unexpected danger to Wesley. For the truth echoes a story of twisted love and obsession from many centuries ago - a truth that almost costs Wesley his life . . .

The 14th Peterson mystery finds him uncovering the skeletons in a doctor's closet—among other places. When Dr. James Dalcott is shot dead in his cottage it looks very much like an execution. As DI Wesley Peterson begins piecing together the victim's life, he finds that the well-liked country doctor has been harboring strange and dramatic family secrets. Meanwhile, archaeologist Neil Watson has discovered six skeletons in nearby Tailors Court, skeletons that bear the marks of dissection and might be linked to tales of body snatching by a rogue physician in the 16th century. But when Neil finds the bones of a child buried with a 1930s coin and a toy car, the investigation takes a sinister turn, begging the questions Who were the children evacuated to Tailors Court during World War II? and Where are they now? When an elderly lady goes missing and a link is established between the wartime evacuees and Dr. Dalcott's death, Wesley is faced with his most challenging case yet.

When a teenage girl is strangled and left for dead on a lonely country lane, by an attacker she describes has having the head of a dog, the police are baffled. But when the body of another young woman is found mutilated and wrapped in a white linen sheet, DI Wesley Peterson suspects that the killer is performing an ancient ritual linked to Anubis, the jackal-headed Egyptian god of death and mummification. Meanwhile, archaeologist Neil Watson has been called to Varley Castle to catalogue the collection of Edwardian amateur Egyptologist, Sir Frederick Varley. However, as his research progresses, Neil discovers that Wesley's strange murder case bears sinister similarities to four murders that took place near Varley Castle in 1903 - murders said to have been committed by Sir Frederick's son. As the Jackal Man's identity remains a frustrating enigma, it seems that the killer has yet another victim in mind. A victim close to Wesley Peterson himself . . .

'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times The decaying body of a woman is discovered in a suburban house in South Devon, following an anonymous tip off to the police. DI Wesley Peterson has problems establishing the woman's identity and, as he begins to investigate her death, another disturbing case arises. Two teenagers are found shot dead at the foot of a cliff. The teenage victims had taken part in an online game called Blood Hunt and it seems they may have been persuaded to play a sinister real-life game, which ended in their murder. When a skeleton is found near the place where the teenagers were last seen alive, Wesley must face a terrible truth . . . and a hunt to the death. Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect page-turner if you love reading Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves. PRAISE FOR KATE ELLIS: ' I loved this novel . . . a powerful story of loss, malice and deception ' Ann Cleeves 'Haunting' Independent 'Unputdownable' Bookseller 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer 'A gripping read' Best 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph

'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times Lilith Benley and her mother, rumoured to be witches, were convicted of the brutal murder of two teenage girls eighteen years ago. Shortly after Lilith is released from prison, a young woman is found dead at a farm close to Lilith's old home in South Devon, and DI Wesley Peterson is called in to investigate. As Wesley tries to establish whether Lilith Benley could have killed again, archaeologist Neil Watson discovers a gruesome wax doll at a house that once belonged to a woman hanged for witchcraft in the seventeenth century. Wesley must banish dark shadows of the past and supernatural suspicions in order to bring a dangerous killer to justice - a killer who will stop at nothing to dispense vengeance. Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect, gripping mystery if you love reading Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves. PRAISE FOR KATE ELLIS: ' I loved this novel . . . a powerful story of loss, malice and deception ' Ann Cleeves 'Haunting' Independent 'Unputdownable' Bookseller 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer 'A gripping read' Best 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph

A grisly find . . . A year on from the mysterious disappearance of Jenny Bercival, DI Wesley Peterson is called in when the body of a strangled woman is found floating out to sea in a dinghy.The discovery mars the festivities of the Palkin Festival, held each year to celebrate the life of John Palkin, a fourteenth century Mayor of Tradmouth who made his fortune from trade and piracy. And now it seems like death and mystery have returned to haunt the town. A faceless enemy . . . Could there be a link between the two women? One missing, one brutally murdered? And is there a connection to a fantasy website called Shipworld which features Palkin as a supernatural hero with a sinister, faceless nemesis called the Shroud Maker? Will history repeat itself once again? When archaeologist Neil Watson makes a grim discovery on the site of Palkin's warehouse, it looks as if history might have inspired the killer.And it is only by delving into the past that Wesley comes to learn the truth . . . a truth that will bring mortal danger in its wake.

Detective Wesley Peterson investigates another mysterious and deathly case on his 19th adventure in Kate Ellis's captivating crime series When a middle-aged man is found dead in a hotel room, it seems like a routine matter—until it becomes clear to DI Wesley Peterson that it is a case of cold blooded murder and that the identity the victim has been using isn't his own. Then DCI Gerry Heffeman, frustrated at being given only cold cases during his recovery from being shot in the line of duty, discovers from a DNA review that Wesley's mystery man was responsible for the murder of a child back in 1979. But soon, as Wesley delves in to the events of the past more people die. Meanwhile archeologist Neil Watson is investigating a ruined village that tumbled into the sea during a storm at the time of World War I. Events take a cryptic turn when he encounters a 100-year-old mystery with echoes in the present. As a terrifying truth is revealed, Wesley has to face a great danger, especially if he is to save someone very precious to him.

When Darren Hatman reports his daughter missing, DI Wesley Peterson isn't too concerned. Leanne Hatman is an aspiring model, keen to abandon her native Devon for the bright lights of London. However, Darren's claim that a photographer has been stalking Leanne soon changes Wesley's opinion. Leanne works at Eyecliffe Castle, once home to the wealthy D'Arles family and now converted into a luxury hotel. When Darren himself is found brutally murdered in the castle grounds, the police fear is that Leanne has met a similar fate. But, if so, where is her body? Meanwhile, Wesley's friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, recently returned from a thrilling Sicilian excavation, makes a disturbing discovery near Eyecliffe Castle and surprises Wesley with the news that, while in Sicily, he met Leanne's alleged stalker. With Eyecliffe Castle becoming the scene of another violent death, Wesley suspects a connection between the recent crimes, the disappearance of two girls back in the 1950s and a mysterious Sicilian ruin called the House of Eyes, a place feared by superstitious locals. As he works to solve one of his most challenging cases yet, Wesley must face alarming revelations, rooted in centuries of fear and evil ...as well as dealing with a nightmare of his own.

Why did Wynn Staniland, a legend in the literary world, suddenly become a recluse in the 1980s? Most assumed he stopped writing because of his wife's bizarre suicide; a death that mirrored a murder case from the nineteenth century. And now a promising young author called Zac Wilkinson is working on Staniland's biography and hopes to reveal the true story to a waiting world - while at the same time keeping his own troubled past hidden from public view. When Wilkinson is found brutally murdered, DI Wesley Peterson finds links to the unexplained poisoning of a middle-aged couple at a local caravan park - and Wynn Staniland appears to be the connection. As Wesley delves further into the case he suspects a sinister puppet show might provide the solution: a grim re-enactment of the murder of Mary Field, a cause celebre from the reign of Queen Victoria that inspired Staniland's best-known novel. The case becomes personal for Wesley when he discovers his son is involved, and as he begins to unravel decades of secrets and deception, the shocking truth proves almost too much to bear . . .

'One of the finest murder mystery series out there' When archaeologist Neil Watson unearths a long-buried mechanical figure in a Dartmoor field, he is determined to discover the truth behind the bizarre find. Soon, however, the sleepy village becomes the focus of press attention for another reason when two people with no apparent connection to each other are found shot dead in nearby Manor Field, seemingly victims of an execution-style double murder. DI Wesley Peterson is called in to investigate, but the two murders aren't his only problem. The daughter of a local MP has gone missing and the pressure is on to find her, especially when it's revealed that she has a connection to one of the murder victims. And Wesley's own life is thrown into turmoil when a woman he helped on a previous investigation finds herself subjected to a campaign of terror . . . Is there a link between the double murder and the accidental death of a young history student in Manor Field twenty years ago? And just what is the true identity of the Mechanical Devil?

The gripping new mystery in the DI Wesley Peterson series from Kate Ellis, the award-winning author of the 2019 CWA Dagger in the Library. Some paths lead only to the grave . . . Strangefields Farm is notorious for its sinister history ever since artist Jackson Temples lured young women there to model for disturbing works of art. Some of those girls never left the house alive. Now, decades later, Strangefields is to be transformed into a holiday village, but the developer's hopes of its dark history being forgotten are dashed when a skull is found on the site. And when a local florist is found murdered in an echo of Temples' crimes, DI Wesley Peterson fears that a copy-cat killer is at large. Especially when another brutal murder in a nearby village appears to be linked. As Wesley's friend, archaeologist Dr Neil Watson, uncovers the secrets of Strangefields' grisly past, it seems that an ancient tale of the dead returning to torment the living might not be as fantastical as it seems. And Wesley must work fast to discover who's behind the recent murders . . . before someone close to him is put in danger. What readers are saying about Kate Ellis: 'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times ' Kate Ellis has got to be one of my favourite authors' Reader review, 5 stars ' I loved this novel . . . a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer 'Another brilliant book that keeps you gripped' Reader review, 5 stars 'Haunting' Independent ' Kate has you spellbound' Reader review, 5 stars 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph 'Unputdownable' Bookseller

A skeleton discovered. A murder to be solved . . . On a stormy night in December, a tree is blown down on an isolated Devon farm. When the fallen tree is dragged away, a rucksack is found caught amongst the roots - and next to it is a human skeleton. The discovery of the body and the rucksack revives memories for DI Wesley Peterson. A young hitchhiker who went missing twelve years ago was last seen carrying a similar backpack. Suddenly a half-forgotten cold case has turned into a murder investigation. Meanwhile, in the nearby village of Petherham, a famous TV psychic is found dead in suspicious circumstances whilst staying at a local guesthouse. Wesley's friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, is studying Petherham's ancient mill and uncovering the village's sinister history. Could the string of mysterious deaths in Petherham over a hundred years ago be connected to the recent killings? As Wesley digs deeper into the case, it seems that the dark whisperings of a Burial Circle in the village might not be merely legend after all . . . Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect, gripping mystery if you love reading Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves. PRAISE FOR KATE ELLIS: 'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times ' I loved this novel ' Ann Cleeves 'Haunting' Independent 'Unputdownable' Bookseller 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph

'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times __________________ On a 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. Wesley discovers that other names on the list have also died in mysterious circumstances and, as he is drawn into the chilling history of the asylum, he becomes convinced that it holds the key to the case. When his friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, finds the skeleton of a woman buried in a sealed chamber dating back to the fifteenth century at his nearby dig, Wesley wonders whether there might be a connection between the ancient cell and the tragic events at Darkhole Grange. With the clock ticking, Wesley must solve the puzzle, before the next person on the list meets a terrible end . . . Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect page-turner if you love reading Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths. Praise for Kate Ellis . . . 'Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves 'Haunting' Independent 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer 'Unputdownable' Bookseller 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph

The unmissable new mystery in the bestselling DI Wesley Peterson crime series 'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times __________________ Serpent's Point in South Devon is the focus of local legends. The large house on the headland is shrouded in an ancient tale of evil, and when a woman is found strangled on the coastal path DI Wesley Peterson is called in to investigate. The woman had been house-sitting at Serpent's Point and Wesley is surprised to discover that she was conducting an investigation into unsolved missing persons cases. Could these enquires have led to her murder? While the case takes Wesley to Yorkshire and the Cotswolds, archaeologist Neil Watson is making a dramatic discovery of his own in the fields near the house. When a skeleton is uncovered, the pressure rises to find a killer, and Wesley and Neil realise that Serpent's Point holds more secrets than anyone could have imagined. Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect page-turner if you love reading Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths. Praise for Kate Ellis . . . 'Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves 'Haunting' Independent 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer 'Unputdownable' Bookseller 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph

Detective Wesley Peterson and archaeologist Dr Neil Watson return to solve a mystery surrounding a grand estate in the Devon countryside. Can they catch a killer before they strike again? 'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' THE TIMES November. With the tourist season over in South Devon, Detective Inspector Wesley Peterson is looking forward to a quieter month in the CID. But when a man is shot dead on Bonfire Night, he finds he has a complex murder case on his hands. The body of Patrick North was found in woodland connected to Nesbaraton Hall, a grand estate dating back to the eighteenth century. The Smithson family, who own the estate, are away on holiday. However, when an anonymous letter threatening to abduct the Smithson son is uncovered, Wesley fears North's death might have been collateral damage in a sinister kidnap plot. Meanwhile, archaeologist Dr Neil Watson discovers a hidden grotto in a developer's field - land that was once part of the Nesbaraton estate. Evidence of past rituals and the discovery of a skeleton buried next to the grotto raise questions about strange occurrences, past and present, on the estate. Then, just when Wesley's team seem to be making progress in their investigation, a resident of the nearby village is killed in a near identical shooting. A race is on to find a ruthless killer, before they strike again . . . Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect page-turner if you love reading Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths. Praise for million-copy-bestselling author Kate Ellis . . . 'Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves 'Haunting' Independent 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer 'Unputdownable' Bookseller 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph

'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' THE TIMES Despite many years living in South Devon, DI Wesley Peterson has never visited the tiny island of St Rumon's. That is until erosion from a storm reveals three bodies buried outside the local churchyard. Two are ancient skeletons, but one is far more recent, and Wesley realises he has uncovered a case of murder. But whose remains are they? And who killed them? The island has only a small number of inhabitants. Yet one resident keeps cropping up in Wesley's investigation: the author and self-styled academic, Quentin Search. Meanwhile Wesley's friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, becomes fascinated by the remains of the island's old priory. His discovery of a journal, written by a sixteenth century cleric, reveals an eerie tale of strange rituals and disturbing deaths. As Wesley begins to wonder whether the past might be repeating itself, another murder occurs . . . There is a calculated killer on the island - one whose grip is as deadly as the rising tide. Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect page-turner if you love reading Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths. Praise for Kate Ellis . . . 'Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves 'Haunting' Independent 'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end ' Closer 'Unputdownable' Bookseller 'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph