Kate Ellis (1) (1953–)

DI Wesley Peterson has never witnessed such a bizarre crime scene. A man has been brutally murdered by two precise wounds to his neck and his body drained of blood. It seems that the victim was not a popular man in the Devon area and Wesley doesn't have a shortage of suspects. But then two more victims are found killed in an identical fashion. As if Wesley didn't have enough to investigate, Wesley's friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, begins to receive disturbing anonymous letters about show more macabre events at a medieval abbey. The gory details bare resemblance to the recent deaths and Neil fears they are being sent by the killer. Wesley and Neil are forced to face shocking revelations as they come face to face with a murderer scarred by past sins.
DI Wesley Peterson, in all his long career, had never seem a murder scene quite like this one. There was almost no blood left in the victim's body, since it had all been drained. The scene appeared to have been almost ritualistic. As Harry and his team investigate, they realize that they have never come across a victim that so many people described as “evil”. There is no shortage of people who are not at all unhappy with this event. Wesley’s friend: Neil Watson has been getting some very disturbing letters, about a monk on his latest work site, but the references to blood and the ritual aspects to the site concern both Neil and Welsey. The question is...can they figure out what is really going on?

I've read all the books in this series, and I've really liked them all, but I believe this one might be my favorite thus far. There are two or three plotlines that cleverly twist around one another. it was a fun puzzle to try to work out... who was responsible for what and how it all fit together. The author did a really good job weaving everything together and keeping the pace going smoothly. It was fast enough to keep the tension up and the readers anxious to learn more.

Neil’s part in this one was also different, and I really liked seeing so much more of this character. There was a solid connection to the past and the history of the site that he was excavating, yet it was very clear from the letters it was closely linked to someone right there in the present and focused on Neil. This was a different turn to his usual plotlines and I felt it really added to the tension and interest in the story. I was very happy with this new aspect to his character and his connection to Wesley and the plot.

Readers who enjoy a mixture of history and archaeology along with their police themed mystery stories should find this a really good and interesting read with a solid plotline and a well written cast of characters. show less

I have long been a fan of Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson police procedural series which is set on the Devon coast. Ellis always has two timelines in each book, one historic and one present day, and they always tie together in some way. Moreover, this author is a triple threat. She can bring little-known chapters of history to life, she can create absorbing mysteries, and her characters are so well drawn that I feel as though they've been friends for years.

Everything comes together perfectly in show more The Death Season. Trying to deduce whodunit was complicated by the fact that so many characters in both timelines weren't whom they appeared to be. The murderer in the present day is one of Ellis's best and will probably give readers chills down the spine. And then there are the characters' lives to be considered.

Wesley's boss, Gerry Heffernan, is still recuperating from what happened in the previous book. He's been given cold cases to review and feels as though the higher-ups are trying to put him out to pasture. Wesley is still trying to be Super Cop, Super Husband, and Super Dad-- with mixed results. I've had a rocky relationship with Wesley's wife Pam since the first book in the series. She's one of these women who marry a police officer and then can't understand why he works such long hours. I keep trying to second-guess Ellis on how that marriage is going to turn out, but I haven't been right yet. What pleased me the most in The Death Season is that archaeologist Neil Watson actually gets some well-deserved love. Normally the poor man just gets clunked in the head with a blunt instrument and left in one of his trenches.

If you like British police procedurals with strong mysteries, a sense of history, and an excellent cast of characters, I highly recommend this series. You should be able to read The Death Season and not be confused by the characters or their lives, but don't be surprised if you find yourselves looking for the very first book in the series, The Merchant's House. These books are addictive. show less

I feel guilty only awarding this one 3 stars. This is one of my favorite authors. I love her other series and was really liking this series after reading the first book. This one, while having an interesting topic...just didn't have the punch of the first book. The character of Wesley Peterson that drives the series was almost absent from participation in the 50 year old murder...the Armada Boy really didn't seem to have much to do with the crime at all in spite of the title...It just didn't show more grab me the way the first one did. Wesley is going to be a father any day now so maybe his mind wasn't in the game. I'll give him a pass on this one if he promises to be more present in the next one. Is it a deal, Wesley? show less

Beat me again!

Kate Ellis tells us, from early on, the proponent of the crime: she gives the reader all they need to know about the secondary characters and STILL, she manages to fool me completely.

This is exactly what I look for in a crime novel. No cheating, the main characters are all introduced at an early stage, they all reveal their relationship to the crime and then, the author's magic turns the ingredients into a recipe that one could never have imagined. A thoroughly good read!