Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson investigate the death of a young woman linked to a missing child case on his first day after being transferred from London to Tradmouth in South Devon. Meanwhile his friend Neil Watson finds a dead woman in an archaeological excavation. The woman died several centuries ago and it seems that she was murdered. Oddly enough seems it to be strange similarities with the two cases...

 

I read and loved The Death Season, book 19 in this series in the beginning of this year. And, so I decided to buy the first book in the series to get to know Wesley Peterson and the rest of the characters in the book from the beginning.

The crime in this book was not as complicated as it was in The Death Season, it was easy to figure out how it all had happened. I prefer to read a story with a lot of twist in it. Reading a book and guessing correctly most of what will happen is just not that fun.

What made this story a bit better is that Wesley Peterson also has a degree in archaeology and while he and his colleagues is trying to solve the death of a young woman is he and his friend Neil who is working as an archaeology trying to find out who killed a young woman several centuries ago. I like the fact that Kate Ellis both writes about modern crime and at the same time her books with Wesley Peterson also have some archaeology in it.

This book may not have been as good as The Death Season, but I will continue to read the series!

This one gets a clear thumbs up as a series starter.

 

Set in Devon, the main character is Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson. Wesley Peterson has an educational background in archaeology, but joined the police force instead of looking for a job in his field. There is a really nice tie-in between his background in archaeology and the murder case that he is currently investigating, a young woman whose body has been found with her face bashed in.

 

Simultaneously, a skeleton of a baby and a woman are found at an archaeological dig of a 17th century merchant's house. 

 

The two things are unrelated, but share similarities. And we are treated to diary entries of John Banized, the merchant from the aforementioned house, that ultimately explain the source of the skeletonized remains.

 

I am still reminded of the Ruth Galloway series, although this one is more of a police procedural than Elly Griffith's series. I really enjoyed it.

47%: Well, hello there plot twist. Nice to see you.

 

17%: This is book 1 in the Wesley Peterson, and is one of my collection of "first in series" from this list: Series to try in 2015.

 

I'm a little early starting this, but I'm between Mary Russells, I've finished my most recent Heyer, am way too late (realistically) to finish any of my outstanding challenges, and I am unable to sustain the necessary focus for Trollope. So, here we are. I decided to give this one a go.

 

So far, not bad. It reminds me a bit of Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway series, which I love.

 

For this challenge, the real goal is to cross book 1 of the series off my list and answer the question: is it worth continuing with either a yes or a no.

It's rare for me to finish a book in just one sitting nowadays when I'm so busy but I managed it with this one. And now I'm desperate to get my hands on the next in the series!

This story is a wonderful blend of modern crime/thriller/mystery and historical conspiracy. And it works so so well.

I couldn't stop turning the pages, reading on. Something about this book just hooked me.

I loved that there was a historical aspect to it. This detective was more than just crime-orientated, he has outside interests and it was a refreshing depth of character to read during my crime binge. And I loved the way his archaeological background related to the story itself and eventually led to its resolve. It made the whole story refreshing and quite addictive.

The characters are strong and I love Rachel's feminist grumbles. It adds an extra layer to her and makes her one of my favourite characters. Why should she get the tea just because she's female?

THE MERCHANT's HOUSEtimeslip back to 1660'5seriesarchaeologyhistorical fictionmystery thrillerfinished 19/4/2012Pedestrian 2.5* Read by................... Graham RobertsAbr/Unabr................ UnabridgedGenre...................... Fiction - MysterySource.................... Cassette Tapes converted to mp3 filesSeries Name........... Wesley Peterson MysteriesPosition in Series.... Book 1 (1998)Total Runtime.......... 9 hours 15 minsSynopsis: A black policeman from the Met might expect to meet some resistance, when he's transferred to a West Country seaside town. But, for Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson, it's like coming home. Not only was he at university in the area, one of the first people he bumps into is an old friend. Neil is now heading an archaeological dig at a Tudor merchant's house, and Wes has to tear himself away to meet the rest of his new team. It's all friendly faces here too - except one. But DC Steve Carstairs has "pillock" written all over him; there'll be no problem dealing with him. And, there's no time for trouble to brew, as Wes is immediately involved in a major search for a missing child. The tension is mounting when a body is found - but to Wes's relief it's turned up at the dig, and is over four hundred years old. It seems to be a tragic murder nonetheless, for the bones turn out to be of a strangled young woman and a newborn baby. But, until little Jonathan Berrisford is found, Wes has no time for distractions. But as another, more recent body is found, and the circumstances surrounding the Berrisford child's disappearance become more complex, Wes is more and more convinced that the age-old motives of jealousy, sexual obsession and desperate longing for a child are behind the crimes, ancient and modern, that he must solve soon if further tragedy is to be averted. One thing is for sure - The Met is beginning to look like a rest cure in comparison with sleepy old Devon...CR - The Merchant's House (Wesley Peterson, #1)2* - The Shining Skull (Wesley Peterson, #11)