Devon’s most diplomatic policeman, DI Wesley Peterson, is back, together with his boss Gerry Heffernan in the latest instalment of Kate Ellis’s renowned archaeological series.
A recently murdered skeleton is found on top of a pile of Medieval plague victims on a site being cleared for the building of a new supermarket.
The supermarket chain has problems of its own when someone starts putting poison into jars of food on the shelves.
Meanwhile, a woman comes forward to give a cast-iron alibi to a man who is serving time for a murder committed twelve years ago, giving rise to possible claims of police corruption.
Naturally, in the skilled hands of Kate Ellis, all these cases dovetail together with great skill keeping the reader in suspense right until the final surprise ending.
The interchanges between the stock cast of police officers is totally believable
and the Devon setting a perfect background. For devotees of this long running
soap opera, Wesley is still lumbered with his irritating wife who’d be better
off with Neil, his scruffy pit-digging pal from his student days. I am still
waiting for his colleague DS Rachel Tracey to have her wicked way with him. It’s
taking her a mighty long time but I suppose that is the hook to keep us waiting
eagerly for the next instalment.
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Ron Ellis
Earlier books in the series are The Merchant's House, The Armada Boy, An
Unhallowed Grave, The Funeral Boat, The Bone Garden, A Painted Doom and
The Skeleton Room