Million-copy bestselling author Kate Ellis returns with the new mystery in the DI Wesley Peterson crime series. ‘A beguiling author who interweaves past and present’ THE TIMESNovember. 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 . . .

About the Author

Kate Ellis was born and brought up in Liverpool and studied drama in Manchester. She is the award-winning author of the DI Wesley Peterson detective novels, as well as the Albert Lincoln trilogy and the Joe Plantagenet mysteries.Kate has won the CWA Dagger in the Library Award for her crime writing. She has also twice been shortlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger and been longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Visit her online at: www.kateellis.co.uk

ReviewsPraise for Kate Ellis:A beguiling author who interweaves past and present * The Times *Haunting * Independent *I loved this novel . . . Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception — Ann CleevesThe chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end * Closer *A traditional detective story with an intriguing historical twist . . . Ellis is a fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Star author. Unputdownable * Bookseller *I absolutely loved this book . . . A perfectly paced crime novel that beautifully evokes both time and place. Kate Ellis keeps you guessing all the way through to the final unexpected twist — L. C. TylerA splendidly macabre thriller with a very dark heart and a hugely effective twist at the end — Andrew TaylorFascinating, with a characteristically clever twist — Martin EdwardsImagine a plot as devious as anything Agatha Christie devised, locate it in a Derbyshire village in 1919 and with writing as close to the pulse as Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth and you will have some idea of the extraordinary power of Kate Ellis’s new novel — Peter LoveseyBook InformationISBN 9780349433158Author Kate EllisFormat PaperbackPage Count 384Imprint Piatkus BooksPublisher Little, Brown Book GroupWeight(grams) 260gDimensions(mm) 196mm * 126mm * 30mm