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The Merchant's House

Book 1 in the DI Wesley Peterson crime series
3.91 goodreads logo

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( 4,746 ratings, 356 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Merchant's House by Kate Ellis is a gripping crime novel that weaves together murder and archaeology. When Detective Wesley Peterson arrives in Devon, he investigates both a modern-day murder case and the mysterious remains of a centuries-old skeleton. As the two stories unravel, Peterson finds surprising connections between past and present.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this gripping tale if you're intrigued by stories that seamlessly blend modern-day crime investigations with historical mysteries. With its atmospheric setting and complex characters, it offers unexpected twists that will keep you guessing until the end. Perfect for fans of suspenseful and richly woven narratives.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The first gripping mystery in the bestselling Wesley Peterson series by award-winning author Kate Ellis.

'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
The first mystery in the bestselling DI Wesley Peterson crime series set on the windswept Devon coast, by million-copy bestselling author Kate Ellis.

'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' THE TIMES

'Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' ANN CLEEVES

'Haunting' INDEPENDENT

__________________

DS Wesley Peterson, newly arrived in the West Country town of Tradmouth, has his hands full when a child goes missing and a young woman is brutally murdered on a lonely cliff path. Then his old friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, unearths the skeletons of a woman and a newborn baby in the cellar of an ancient merchant's house nearby.

As they begin to investigate the murders, Wesley starts to suspect that these deaths, centuries apart, may be linked by age-old motives of jealousy and sexual obsession. And the pressure is on if he is going to prevent a further tragedy . . .

Discover your new favourite crime series. This is the perfect mystery for fans of Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths, which will have you gripped until the final page.

__________________

What readers are saying about The Merchant's House:

'I couldn't stop turning the pages . . . Something about this book just hooked me!' Goodreads Review, 5 stars

'Superb . . . Five stars' Reader review, 5 stars

'If you like Ian Rankin, LJ Ross, Elly Griffiths and James Oswald, you will enjoy Kate Ellis' Reader review, 5 stars

'Gripping . . . Love how the past and present bring the story together' Reader review, 5 stars

'You'll fall in love with coastal England and find yourself walking the cobbled lanes in your imagination . . . Do not miss this series!' Reader review, 5 stars

'The first in an outstanding series of contemporary crime fiction' Reader review, 5 stars

'Fantastic read' Reader review, 5 stars

'Compelling . . . Kept you guessing from start to finish. I would highly recommend it' Reader review, 5 stars

'Loved it!!' Reader review, 5 stars

'Kate Ellis has certainly got a talent for story telling which can grab the imagination from the start' Reader review, 5 stars

'Really unputdownable' Reader review, 5 stars

'Gripping. Kate Ellis is my new favourite author' Reader review, 5 stars

'A page-turner' Reader review, 5 stars

Series: DI Wesley Peterson

View all
  • Coffin Island
    Million-copy bestselling author Kate Ellis returns with the gripping new book in the DI Wesley Peterson crime series. 'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times Despite many years living in South Devon, DI Wesley Peterson has never visited the tiny island of St Rumon's. That is until erosion from a storm reveals three bodies buried outside the...
    Hardback
    $6500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Cadaver Game
    When the decaying body of a murdered woman is discovered in a suburban house following an anonymous tip-off, DI Wesley Peterson has problems establishing her true identity. But as he tries to break through what seems to be a conspiracy of silence and find out more about the mysterious woman, he has another more disturbing case to investigate. The naked...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Death Season
    A complex case... When DI Wesley Peterson is summoned to investigate a killing, he assumes that the case is a routine matter. But soon dark secrets and deadly deceptions start to emerge from the victim's past, and Wesley begins to realise that a simple incident of cold-blooded murder is altogether more calculated and complicated than he could ever imagine. Tracing...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Marriage Hearse
    When Kirsten Harbourn is found strangled and naked on her wedding day, DI Wesley Peterson makes some alarming discoveries. Kirsten was being pursued by an obsessed stalker, and she had dark secrets her doting fiancΓ©, Peter, knew nothing about. But Kirsten's wasn't the only wedding planned to take place that July day in South Devon. At Morbay register office, a...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Funeral Boat
    When a skeleton is discovered on a Devon smallholding, DS Wesley Peterson, a keen amateur archaeologist, is intrigued by the possibility that it is a Viking corpse, buried in keeping with ancient traditions. But he has a rather more urgent crime to solve - the disappearance of a Danish tourist. Wesley finds disturbing evidence that the attractive Dane has been...
    Paperback
    $9000
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Merchant's House
    The first mystery in the bestselling DI Wesley Peterson crime series set on the windswept Devon coast, by million-copy bestselling author Kate Ellis. 'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' THE TIMES 'Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' ANN CLEEVES 'Haunting' INDEPENDENT __________________ DS Wesley Peterson, newly arrived in the West Country town of...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Merchant's House by Kate Ellis is praised for its ability to deftly interweave historical elements with a modern crime narrative. The Times highlights Ellis as a beguiling author skilled at blending past and present, while the Independent finds the story haunting. A reader describes it as a powerful tale filled with loss, malice, and deception.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349424774

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 August 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Piatkus Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 180g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Kate Ellis was born and brought up in Liverpool and studied drama in Manchester. She is the award-winning author of the DI Wesley Peterson detective novels, as well as the Albert Lincoln trilogy and the Joe Plantagenet mysteries.

Kate has won the CWA Dagger in the Library Award for her crime writing. She has also twice been shortlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger and been longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.

Visit her online at: www.kateellis.co.uk

Also by Kate Ellis

View all
  • Coffin Island
    Million-copy bestselling author Kate Ellis returns with the gripping new book in the DI Wesley Peterson crime series. 'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times Despite many years living in South Devon, DI Wesley Peterson has never visited the tiny island of St Rumon's. That is until erosion from a storm reveals three bodies buried outside the...
    Hardback
    $6500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Cadaver Game
    When the decaying body of a murdered woman is discovered in a suburban house following an anonymous tip-off, DI Wesley Peterson has problems establishing her true identity. But as he tries to break through what seems to be a conspiracy of silence and find out more about the mysterious woman, he has another more disturbing case to investigate. The naked...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Death Season
    A complex case... When DI Wesley Peterson is summoned to investigate a killing, he assumes that the case is a routine matter. But soon dark secrets and deadly deceptions start to emerge from the victim's past, and Wesley begins to realise that a simple incident of cold-blooded murder is altogether more calculated and complicated than he could ever imagine. Tracing...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The House of the Hanged Woman
    'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times 'A powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves 1921. When a Member of Parliament goes missing in a small Derbyshire village, Scotland Yard detective Albert Lincoln is sent up North to investigate. This isn't Albert's first visit to Wenfield. He once solved a traumatic case there at great...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • The Funeral Boat
    When a skeleton is discovered on a Devon smallholding, DS Wesley Peterson, a keen amateur archaeologist, is intrigued by the possibility that it is a Viking corpse, buried in keeping with ancient traditions. But he has a rather more urgent crime to solve - the disappearance of a Danish tourist. Wesley finds disturbing evidence that the attractive Dane has been...
    Paperback
    $9000
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Marriage Hearse
    When Kirsten Harbourn is found strangled and naked on her wedding day, DI Wesley Peterson makes some alarming discoveries. Kirsten was being pursued by an obsessed stalker, and she had dark secrets her doting fiancΓ©, Peter, knew nothing about. But Kirsten's wasn't the only wedding planned to take place that July day in South Devon. At Morbay register office, a...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

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