‘Seeking The Dead’ by Kate Ellis

Published by Piatkus,
7 August 2008.
ISBN: 978-0-7499-0861-4 (HB)

When Carmel Hennessey moves to the historic city of Eborby in North Yorkshire she is thrilled to secure a flat in Vicars Green, a stone’s throw from the Cathedral.  But she is somewhat disturbed when she starts receiving anonymous threats.  She contacts DI Joe Plantagenet with whom she has a past link and who feels responsible for her well-being.

Joe Plantaganent is investigating a series of murders by a killer who asphyxiates his victims then leaves them naked in isolated churchyards. He has been dubbed ‘The Resurrection Man’. 

Whilst Joe cautions Carmel to be especially careful with a killer at large, Carmel wonders if the threats could be connected to the previous tenant of her flat.  She does a little sleuthing of her own and discovers that the previous tenant just disappeared.  Her landlady Petra Trewlis seems unconcerned.  But soon Carmel has more to worry about when she becomes aware of a presence in her flat.

This is a marvellous first book in a new series.  The mystery kept me guessing to the end and I was so enthralled that I sat up into the early hours to finish it, and then I was too scared to turn off the light and go to sleep.  Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes

Kate Ellis was born in Liverpool and she studied drama in Manchester. She worked in teaching, marketing and accountancy before first enjoying writing success as a winner of the North-West Playwrights competition. Crime and mystery stories have always fascinated her, as have medieval history and archaeology which she likes to incorporate in her books. Kate's novels feature archaeology graduate Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson who fights crime in South Devon.  Each story combines an intriguing contemporary murder mystery with a parallel historical case. She has also written five books in the spooky Joe Plantagenet series set up in North Yorkshire as well as many short stories for crime fiction anthologies and magazines. Kate was elected a member of The Detection Club in 2014. She is a member of the Crime Writers Association, Murder Squad, and Mystery People. She is married with two grown up sons and she lives in North Cheshire, England, with her husband. Her most recent series is set post WW1.  Her most recent book is The Stone Chamber.

www.kateellis.co.uk