THE SHROUD MAKER by
Kate Ellis
Pages:
370
Date
08/06/2014
Grade:
4
Details:
no. 18 Wesley Peterson
Received from Piatkus
Through Nudge
Own
The
blurb:
A year on from the mysterious disappearance of Jenny Bercival, DI Wesley Peterson is called in when the body of a strangled woman is found floating out to sea in a dinghy.The discovery mars the festivities of the Palkin Festival, held each year to celebrate the life of John Palkin, a fourteenth century Mayor of Tradmouth who made his fortune from trade and piracy. And now it seems like death and mystery have returned to haunt the town.
A faceless enemy . . .
Could there be a link between the two women? One missing, one brutally murdered? And is there a connection to a fantasy website called Shipworld which features Palkin as a supernatural hero with a sinister, faceless nemesis called the Shroud Maker?
Will history repeat itself once again?
When archaeologist Neil Watson makes a grim discovery on the site of Palkin's warehouse, it looks as if history might have inspired the killer.And it is only by delving into the past that Wesley comes to learn the truth . . . a truth that will bring mortal danger in its wake.
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My thoughts:
I’ve
read most, although not all, of the previous Wesley Peterson mysteries and have
to admit that even after almost twenty books I’m still intrigued with these
stories. The way in which Kate Ellis manages to combine historical mysteries
with present day crimes never fails to impress me. Of course it is a stretch of
the imagination that every crime this police force investigates happens to bear
striking similarities with crimes committed in the past but it is a conceit
that works very well and gives the story added interest.
The
mystery in this book intrigued me and kept me on the edge of my seat although I
have to admit that there were times when the sheer number of characters and
suspects confused me. In fact, even now that I’ve finished the book I have to
think long and hard before I’m able to explain exactly what happened and why.
In fact, it almost feels as if the author went a bit too far when she plotted
this story. There are too many different angles that are too similar to each
other. I’d like to expand on this point but since I’m unable to do so without
spoiling the story for others I’ll refrain. Having said that, while the
resolution may have been convoluted, it did work and fit the story perfectly.
My issue is not with an unsatisfactory ending rather than a not clear cut
enough one.
One
of the things I enjoy about long running series is the opportunity they give
the reader to really get to know the characters and watch them as time passes.
Having said that, some plot points have been dragged out a bit too long for me
by this stage. I just don’t buy Rachel still being obsessed with Wesley after
all this time and while I appreciate it gives the story added spice I really
think that particular storyline has been milked for all its worth.
I
do appreciate Kate Ellis painting a more or less realistic picture of police
work and the frustrations involved. While the mysteries are solved and the
reader is given all the answers, it doesn’t always mean that those who need to
be punished are also caught. And I like the way these books are written. The
style is unhurried, almost leisurely, and yet there isn’t a boring or
uninteresting sentence in the book. The star attraction in these books has
always been and still is the very clever link between past (be it distant or
recent) and present.
I
am still glad I discovered this series several years ago and know that I will
continue reading these mysteries for as long as the author continues to write
them.
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