The Merchant's House

Rating:
Summary: The Merchant's House
Review: I like this series immensely. There are three books out so far (the
last one "Unhallowed Grave" has only recently been published
in the UK); and in all three mysteries, Kate Ellis blends a
contemporary mystery with that of a historical one. And she does it
brilliantly. You know that the solution to one will link you with the
solution to the other, and it makes for an enjoyable and interesting
read to see if you, the reader, can see the solution before either Sgt
Wesley Peterson of the Tradmouth CID, or Neil Watson of the County
Archaeological Unit.

In this instance, Tradmouth CID is stretched
thin trying to find a missing child and solve the murder of an
unidentified young woman whose face has been horribly
disfigured. Meanwhile, the County Archaeological Unit while escavating
a 17th century house make a grissly find: the skeletons of a baby and
an adult from that period. The intuitive reader will at once realise
that both mysteries are linked in some way. But how?

The central
motif of this mystery in that of the relationship between mother and
child. What a woman feels at her failure to conceive a child; the fear
of losing a child; and how she copes with the death of a child.

This
is a really good series with great characters. My only complaint is
that with all these interesting personalities-- Patterson, Watson et
al-- the book seems hardly long enough to give them each the focus
they deserve. However this series is a winner and I recommend all the
three books.


Rating:
Summary: The Merchant's House
Review: I like this series immensely. There are three books out so far (the
last one "Unhallowed Grave" has only recently been published
in the UK); and in all three mysteries, Kate Ellis blends a
contemporary mystery with that of a historical one. And she does it
brilliantly. You know that the solution to one will link you with the
solution to the other, and it makes for an enjoyable and interesting
read to see if you, the reader, can see the solution before either Sgt
Wesley Peterson of the Tradmouth CID, or Neil Watson of the County
Archaeological Unit.

In this instance, Tradmouth CID is stretched
thin trying to find a missing child and solve the murder of an
unidentified young woman whose face has been horribly
disfigured. Meanwhile, the County Archaeological Unit while escavating
a 17th century house make a grissly find: the skeletons of a baby and
an adult from that period. The intuitive reader will at once realise
that both mysteries are linked in some way. But how?

The central
motif of this mystery in that of the relationship between mother and
child. What a woman feels at her failure to conceive a child; the fear
of losing a child; and how she copes with the death of a child.

This
is a really good series with great characters. My only complaint is
that with all these interesting personalities-- Patterson, Watson et
al-- the book seems hardly long enough to give them each the focus
they deserve. However this series is a winner and I recommend all the
three books.


Rating:
Summary: Excellent Debut
Review: In this debut mystery, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson has recently transferred from London to the port town of Tradmouth. Just prior to his transfer, the Tradmouth police are faced with a kidnapping of a small boy by person or persons unknown. On Peterson's first day on the new job, a woman is found brutally murdered in the local park. The first thing the police must do is identify her. Also, archaeologists working on a dig of an Elizabethan merchant's house find a skeleton in what they think is the cellar. Finally, Peterson's wife begins visiting a local medical clinic in an effort to get pregnant and he must be present at several appointments. Peterson had expected a laid back kind of life in the countryside, but Tradmouth's criminals keep him and his colleagues busy.

In the hands of a lesser writer, juggling four distinct stories might turn into a confusing morass. Ellis, however, pulls it off and keeps the readers' interest sustained in all three stories. She is able to deftly pull the stories together at the end. Peterson is an interesting and likable character - well rounded with interests (archaeology to be specific) other than police work. The minor characters are also likable, and one hopes that they will be fleshed out in future books.

While not strictly a historical mystery, one of the four stories is set in Elizabethan Tradmouth and adds piquancy to the modern-day stories. This has all the potential of being a first-class series - part procedural, part historical, part cozy. This is an excellent start.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Debut
Review: In this debut mystery, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson has recently transferred from London to the port town of Tradmouth. Just prior to his transfer, the Tradmouth police are faced with a kidnapping of a small boy by person or persons unknown. On Peterson's first day on the new job, a woman is found brutally murdered in the local park. The first thing the police must do is identify her. Also, archaeologists working on a dig of an Elizabethan merchant's house find a skeleton in what they think is the cellar. Finally, Peterson's wife begins visiting a local medical clinic in an effort to get pregnant and he must be present at several appointments. Peterson had expected a laid back kind of life in the countryside, but Tradmouth's criminals keep him and his colleagues busy.

In the hands of a lesser writer, juggling four distinct stories might turn into a confusing morass. Ellis, however, pulls it off and keeps the readers' interest sustained in all three stories. She is able to deftly pull the stories together at the end. Peterson is an interesting and likable character - well rounded with interests (archaeology to be specific) other than police work. The minor characters are also likable, and one hopes that they will be fleshed out in future books.

While not strictly a historical mystery, one of the four stories is set in Elizabethan Tradmouth and adds piquancy to the modern-day stories. This has all the potential of being a first-class series - part procedural, part historical, part cozy. This is an excellent start.

Rating:
Summary: A great comtemporaty mystery with a historical twist!
Review: This story satisfied both my tastes for a great whodunit and a historical read. The characters are an interesting and believable mix. The plot is wonderfully woven, and the author keeps you guessing throughout the main story as well as throughout the historical insets, which were a great complement to the main story. I look forward to more "Wesley Peterson Mysteries" from Kate Ellis!

Rating:
Summary: Splendid! Absorbing and Unusual...
Review: Well executed tale about Wesley Peterson, a black English detective in an interracial marriage, who moves his wife Pamela and his job from London to the English countryside. His first day on the Tradmouth police force presents Wesley with a gruesome murder and a seemingly unrelated case of a missing child. On the other side of town his long time friend and archeologist Neil (who happens to be Pamela's former lover) has unearthed an unidentified skeleton from what used to be a 17th century merchant's house. Little does Wesley realize that the skeleton may be the key to solving his murder case, as well as the case involving the missing child.

Also intriguing is the 17th Century diary of John Banized, the merchant whose home Neil is now excavating. We are greeted with excerpts from John's diary at the beginning of each chapter, and this creates a whole other story line that is just as compelling and suspenseful as the main plot.

I was fascinated by the multi layers of this novel. Ellis very deftly draws the reader into two story lines simultaneously. The medieval plot of John Banized's infidelity and his ominous secret is unfolding just as rapidly as Wesley Peterson's missing child and murder cases. There is also a premise that evolves around children...infertility, greed and desperation. But I won't say too much about that here. Just suffice it to say that this is a very well written and enjoyable mystery with unrelenting suspense. I consider it one of those rare finds that you always look forward to discovering on a rainy day.

Enjoy.