I received a free copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. The plot itself was quite good, and I debated about giving the book 4* - but two main gripes made me mark it 3*. Firstly, Gerry calling every women “love”. It took until 87% into the book for one of them to object. Don’t give me that line about it being a Scouse thing... he didn’t call men by any such term, and it came across as patronising as hell to me. Secondly - the place names. If you’re going to set a book in clearly real places, just call them by their real names. It won’t hurt them, plenty of successful authors do it and it might even boost tourism. Or if you’re going to make names up, make them plausible. What Ellis did here was just lazily tweak, as if “oh, I’m so clever” - Tradmouth (Dartmouth), Morbay (Torbay), Neston (Totnes), etc. Every time I saw one, it would pull me out of the narrative flow while I’d get annoyed. Sadly these two things put me off and I can’t say I’d be in a rush to read any more novels - this was #22 in the series, and my first and last.

This is the third Kate Ellis book I've read after recently discovering the Wesley Peterson series. I love the setting of these novels - a fictional Devon town that bears great similarity to Dartmouth, a town I know and love. In the Burial Circle, book 24 in the series, Peterson is investigating a cold case after the body of a woman who disappeared 12 years ago is discovered, alongside this is the current investigation into the death of a TV psychic. Peterson's archaeologist friend Neil Watson is again involved and together they look at the possibility of links between the current case and suspicious deaths over a century ago. I really enjoyed this, it was an easy but gripping read with well drawn characters and plot. I'd highly recommend if, like me, you are a fan of Elly Griffiths or Ann Cleeves.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

Having not read anything previously by this author. I will be doing so in future. Its a gripping mystery right from the start and combines the past with the present. Twists and turns keeping you on the edge of your seat. Fab.....

This is the first book I read by this author and I'm sure it won't be the last because i loved it.
It's a complex and gripping mystery, a police procedural with a paranormal side that kept me hooked and turning pages as fast as I could.
The plot is fast paced and tightly knitted, I loved how the author mixes the present mystery with a past story making them work and creating an enthralling story.
The characters are interesting and well thought, the mystery is solid and it kept me guessing till the end.
The solution was complex and I was satisfied by how all pieces fell into place.
An entertaining and engrossing story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Intricately woven thriller with good characters and lots of twists. The discovery of a girls body starts a string of murders,are they linked,what is the link? A good read.

If there is one thing I love but unfortunately makes my 'to read' pile much bigger, is discovering an author I haven't previously read before and realising she has a whole string of back list titles!

I am a crime/mystery fan and read a lot in this genre, but especially like it when they include a touch of gothic suspense about them. I have read everything Phil Rickman has written and parts of this reminded me of his books.

This is a very clever story written through the eyes of several people and including excerpts from an old diary. It is page-turning and holds the reader's interest the whole way through, not really giving anything away till the end. Not having read any of the previous books in this series I didn't find a disadvantage, though now I will go back to the beginning and catch up on the detective's back story.

I really enjoyed this book all the way through. It had a really good plot, great main characters and really keeps you hooked on the plot. I would highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of The Burial Circle, the twenty fourth novel to feature DI Wesley Peterson, set in the fictional Devon town of Tradmouth.

On a stormy night a tree is uprooted and bones are found in its roots. Could this be Erica Walsh, a hitchhiker who disappeared 12 years ago? The red rucksack buried with the bones suggests so. Hardly have Wesley and the team started investigating when a body is found in suspicious circumstances in the nearby village of Petherham. Meanwhile Wesley’s friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, is working at the Petherham mill and uncovers a series of unexplained deaths from the Victorian era.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Burial Circle which is an absorbing read with a plot that weaves the various strands together intricately. There is never a dull moment. This is not a series I have read much of (to my shame) but I think this novel may change that as I admired the author’s skill in making the disparate elements become one whole story by the end.

The narrative is split into various points of view but also includes excerpts from the 1882 diary of the local doctor. This is neither as confusing or disruptive as it may seem. Each point of view has a point to it and enlarges the reader’s understanding of events. The diary entries portray a different mystery in a different era and yet eerily mirror the present day events if you’re smart enough to see it - I wasn’t at the time but see it now. Clever.

I like a good police procedural and this is a good example. They start with nothing and thus, an unlimitless field of suspects and motives but smart thinking and painstaking investigation start to narrow this field. Some of it I could guess, much of it I couldn’t and if I have one complaint about the investigation it’s that, as it draws to a close, the author has Wesley undertaking a series of undisclosed communications. It’s annoying not to be in full command of the information at the vital juncture.

There is a supernatural vibe to this novel with various characters feeling it and taking it seriously. The author has an explanation for it in her afterword but, really. Not my thing.

The Burial Circle is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Kate Ellis is one of my favourite authors. I've read all her books but have a particular fondness for her detective series about DI Wesley Peterson.

The title of this story is The Burial Circle and I had got it into my head that this was something to do with an ancient stone circle. It actually refers to a 19th century basic insurance scheme covering the cost of funerals!

The Burial Circle has a slightly gothic vibe, which I loved, and perfect for autumn/winter. Central to the story is an old mill, where a suspected murderer once hid, and the house alongside it where a psychic weekend is being held. I really felt for the poor psychic, who felt bombarded on all sides from the restless spirts. This being a murder mystery, someone is soon murdered and everyone is a suspect. On top of this investigation, the body of a hitchhiker is found buried on farmland several years after she went missing. Can Wesley connect the two cases?

I love Kate Ellis's books because the mysteries are so twisty it is practically impossible to guess how they are going to end! They are so cleverly and perfectly plotted, it is incredible how she ties all the loose ends so neatly. The story's setting in a village where a series of unexplained deaths once took place, along with the spooky old mill, is very atmospheric. I especially love that her books always have a past mystery running through them, echoing the one in the present.

This was a five-star read for me. Recommended for all readers of traditional murder mysteries, particularly fans of authors such as Elly Griffiths and Kate Rhodes.

Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group U.K./Piatkus for an eARC via NetGalley of Kate Ellis’ ‘The Burial Circle’ in exchange for an honest review.

“The Dead Can’t Always Rest in Peace.” - cover tag line.

This is the twenty-fourth in Ellis’ DI Wesley Peterson series of police procedurals. I have read all but three of these and given all 4-5 stars. As a result I began reading with confidence in Ellis’ storytelling and her well rounded characterisations. Background is provided for readers new to the series.

As for the story - during a stormy night in December, a tree is blown down on the farm belonging to the parents of DS Rachel Tracey. As it’s dragged away, a rucksack is found caught amongst the roots. Alongside it is a human skeleton. Twelve years ago a young hitchhiker went missing carrying a similar backpack. This half-forgotten cold case is now a murder investigation.

In the nearby village of Petherham, a renowned TV psychic holding a weekend retreat is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Meanwhile, Wesley's friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, is studying Petherham's ancient mill and is slowly uncovering the village's sinister history.

Could the string of mysterious deaths in Petherham over a hundred years ago be somehow connected to these recent killings?

This proved quite a complex case for Wesley and his team with multiple suspects, many witnesses, and lines of investigation. With hindsight I should have kept a note of characters as a few times I had to check back to clarify who was who.

One of the many things that I enjoy about this series is that there is always a link to local history that becomes clearer as the story progresses. In the Author’s Note Ellis provides details of the real life historical influences that informed this tale.

Again, a highly engaging police procedural in a long running series that continues to impress.

I have read a few of the Wesley Peterson novels, and always find them enjoyable – not enough to make me want to read them all, but definitely at a level where I'm pleased to find a new one. This particular book, the 24th in the series, does not break that pattern. Despite being so far into the series, this can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel – the author doesn’t assume any previous knowledge of the main protagonists and is adept at dropping in enough spoiler-free back story to allow new readers to understand the relationships and encourage them to go back to the earlier books whilst not overdoing it for the old hands.

Others have discussed the plot in detail in their reviews so I will only give a brief outline. In short, the body of a missing person is found, there are a few deaths to investigate and there is a corresponding strand 140-odd years in the past; the police investigate the modern day murders, the county archaeologist (a regular character in the series) is interested in the older cases. I was intrigued by what promised to be the addition of a supernatural/paranormal element to the book, and was disappointed that more wasn’t made of that facet of the novel – I would have liked to have seen it investigated further. Maybe this is something that could be built on in a future entry in the series.

The action takes place just before Christmas in a not very well disguised Dartmouth (“Tradmouth”) and Totnes (“Neston”) with brief mentions of Kingswear (“Queenswear”(!)). Lovely places where I have spent many happy hours, days and weeks. From a personal perspective, this helps me to picture the area as the author describes it, which she does very well indeed.

I can’t really describe the book as a “whodunnit” because there is no real suspense, but the teamwork between Wesley and his boss, and the interplay between Neil and Corinne are both explored very well. In fact, I would almost say that the novel was more about friendships and relationships than it is about the police investigation, a lot of which seems to be based on massive coincidences. However, it is none the worse for that. A slight downside is that although the book is set in 2020, there is no mention of the pandemic. I realise the author would have had to be a psychic herself to predict that, but perhaps a slight tweak before publication to move everything back by twelve months - to 2019 - would have been possible.

Overall, an enjoyable book and ideal to while away the time on a dark evening – not quite hitting the five star mark but very worthy of four stars – probably four and a half, in fact. Highly recommended for previous readers and newcomers to the series.

A great storm blows down a tree on a isolated Devon farm will be the start of a baffling and exciting murder mystery for D I Wesley Peterson. Expertly weaved in is a series of deaths in the Victorian era where the the fascination with death is an obsession. There are suspects abound but also murder follows close behind leaving this small village like an episode of Midsomer Murders. You are hooked from the start as you follow in DI Wesley’s footsteps. Part of a long running series you will have no problem with reading this one as a stand alone.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Worthy Addition....
Book twenty four in The DI Wesley Peterson crime series. Following a storm a skeleton is discovered on a Devon farm and a cold case is reactivated. Is there a link between recent killings and those of yesteryear? Well plotted mystery with a likeable protagonist and a solid cast of characters. An enjoyable read and a worthy addition to the series.

The DI Wesley Peterson series hits book number 24 with The Burial Circle with no signs of becoming stale.

The author, Kate Ellis, has created an excellent group of main characters and retains her ability to weave a great story that keeps the reader hooked from the first page to the last.

This time out Peterson is faced with the discovery of a body which is a missing person from about 12 years ago but that is not the only case he is faced with.

This book and series are a superb addition to crime writing and long may they continue

Highly recommended

A windy night in Devon brings down a tree. Amongst the roots is a rucksack - and a skeleton.

For Wesley Peterson, back come the memories. 12 years previously, a hitchhiker went missing with a similar rucksack. A cold case is suddenly rather warm...

Meanwhile, Wesley's friend Neil is busy uncovering Petherham's sinister past when a TV psychic is found dead. Does the past connect to the present killings?

Long-running series can lose their impetus after a while. Not so with this series - it just gets better with every book

I really enjoyed this intricately plotted book with interesting characters, both police and others. The dialogue felt natural, as did the relationships between the characters. I am going to look out for more by Kate Ellis, this police procedural ticked all the boxes.