SEEKING THE DEAD

TITLE: SEEKING THE DEAD
AUTHOR: KATE ELLIS
Pages: 330
Date: 07/06/2009
Grade: 5-
Details: no. 1 Joe Plantagenet Mystery
Library

This was the first book I read in the 12 hour mystery Read-A-Thon.
This is a new series by Kate Ellis and I'm really liking it. Maybe even more than the Wesley Peterson books.
Joe Plantagenet is a police detective in Eborby, a historical town in North Yorkshire,wwhere he and his colleagues are investigating a string of brutal murders which all end with the victims being left naked in graveyards. The press have named the unknown murderer The Resurrection Man, and the police really have no clue about his identity or motives.
Carmel Hennessy is the daughter of a former colleague of Joe's and when she moves to Eborby, Joe is asked to keep an eye on her. And that's just as well, because as the murders continue, and clues remain elusive, the killer is determined to make Carmel his next victim.
This story had a lot going on;a ghost, devil worship, secrets desperately guarded and links between apparently unrelated people. All of this could have led to a contrived and unconvincing story, but Ellis' plotting is of such a high standard that it all fist together convincingly.
I'm already looking forward to my next meeting with Joe Plantagenet and his world.