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Wesley Peterson #21
The Mermaid's Scream
Why did Wynn Staniland, a legend in the literary world, suddenly become a recluse in the 1980s? Most assumed he stopped writing because of his wife's bizarre suicide; a death that mirrored a murder case from the nineteenth century. And now a promising young author called Zac Wilkinson is working on Staniland's biography and hopes to reveal the true story to a waiting world - while at the same time keeping his own troubled past hidden from public view.
When Wilkinson is found brutally murdered, DI Wesley Peterson finds links to the unexplained poisoning of a middle-aged couple at a local caravan park - and Wynn Staniland appears to be the connection.
As Wesley delves further into the case he suspects a sinister puppet show might provide the solution: a grim re-enactment of the murder of Mary Field, a cause celebre from the reign of Queen Victoria that inspired Staniland's best-known novel.
The case becomes personal for Wesley when he discovers his son is involved, and as he begins to unravel decades of secrets and deception, the shocking truth proves almost too much to bear . . .
When Wilkinson is found brutally murdered, DI Wesley Peterson finds links to the unexplained poisoning of a middle-aged couple at a local caravan park - and Wynn Staniland appears to be the connection.
As Wesley delves further into the case he suspects a sinister puppet show might provide the solution: a grim re-enactment of the murder of Mary Field, a cause celebre from the reign of Queen Victoria that inspired Staniland's best-known novel.
The case becomes personal for Wesley when he discovers his son is involved, and as he begins to unravel decades of secrets and deception, the shocking truth proves almost too much to bear . . .
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2017
109 people are currently reading
403 people want to read
About the author
Kate Ellis
120 books606 followersKate Ellis was born and brought up in Liverpool and she studied drama in Manchester. She worked in teaching, marketing and accountancy before first enjoying writing success as a winner of the North West Playwrights competition. Crime and mystery stories have always fascinated her, as have medieval history and archaeology which she likes to incorporate in her books. She is married with two grown up sons and she lives in North Cheshire, England, with her husband. Kate was awarded the CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY award in 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 29, 2018
The Mermaids Scream is the third book I have read in this series and since this is book 21 have I missed a couple. However, they are perfectly alright to read stand-alone. The cases are closed after each book and the private lives of the characters are easy to figure out and follow.
In this book must DI Wesley Peterson try to figure out why someone would want to kill a young writer, Zac Wilkison, who was writing a biography of the legendary recluse author Wynn Staniland. As that is not enough is Wesley caught up in the case when he and a young friend stumbles over the dead body of Wilkison.
The Mermaids Scream plot sounded more interesting than it was. To be honest, was I not sure that I could finish this book because I found the story to be a bit slow. However, I decided to keep going and see if it would get better. But, alas, this is a story that just never got either really interesting nor thrilling. However, I did find the ending to be OK. And, that is at least something that the book was wrapped up nicely. The historical flashback to the murder of Mary Field through diary notes also something I found more in the way rather than a gain to the story. It felt more like an unwelcome interruption to the story. Personally, I think my biggest problem is that I have a hard time connecting to the characters in the books, which is strange since the first book I read in the series, The Death Season, was fabulous. The two after (including this) has just interested me as much as that one did.
Hopefully, the next one will be better!
I want to thank Piatkus for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
In this book must DI Wesley Peterson try to figure out why someone would want to kill a young writer, Zac Wilkison, who was writing a biography of the legendary recluse author Wynn Staniland. As that is not enough is Wesley caught up in the case when he and a young friend stumbles over the dead body of Wilkison.
The Mermaids Scream plot sounded more interesting than it was. To be honest, was I not sure that I could finish this book because I found the story to be a bit slow. However, I decided to keep going and see if it would get better. But, alas, this is a story that just never got either really interesting nor thrilling. However, I did find the ending to be OK. And, that is at least something that the book was wrapped up nicely. The historical flashback to the murder of Mary Field through diary notes also something I found more in the way rather than a gain to the story. It felt more like an unwelcome interruption to the story. Personally, I think my biggest problem is that I have a hard time connecting to the characters in the books, which is strange since the first book I read in the series, The Death Season, was fabulous. The two after (including this) has just interested me as much as that one did.
Hopefully, the next one will be better!
I want to thank Piatkus for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
June 25, 2021
The Peterson family is now the home of one teenage boy who skirts one of Wesley's murder cases in this edition due to finding a body with a school friend and not reporting it; his wife gets some good news about her cancer; his boss Gerry has some family news to deal with as well; Neil is asked to clear the name of a relative with regard to an old murder; many people assume identities of others making this particular book rather full of deception from the 1880's to present day hijinks. Another good read from Kate Ellis.
3 stars for this one as I was not attracted to the characters living in this book, finding them annoying for the most part.
3 stars for this one as I was not attracted to the characters living in this book, finding them annoying for the most part.
March 3, 2017
The twenty first book in the Wesley Peterson series is as fascinating and unputdownable as the first one I read.
As with all the books in this series there are two crimes running in tandem. One a current mystery, and one set centuries before. In this story we are first privy to an extract from the journal of John Lipton set in April 1884. We then move forward to August 2016, when we meet Zac Wilkinson who is writing a biography of Wynn Staniland, a legend in the literary world, who suddenly become a recluse in the 1980s.
Meanwhile DI Wesley Peterson is called to the unexplained poisoning of a middle-aged couple at a local caravan park. Was this suicide? Then Zac Wilkinson is found murdered, and Wesley finds a link between the dead couple and Wynn Staniland.
Interspersed with the journals of John Lipton and Mary Field, we follow Wesley’s investigation as he attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding recluse Wynn Staniland. Sinister puppets who made my blood run cold make an appearance! But they maybe to someone’s taste, but not mine.
Wesley’s university friend archaeologist Neil Watson is excited when he is offered money to organise a dig at a ruin that has been bought by an American. The guy says he wants to rebuild the place and turn it into a hotel but Neil is uneasy as the American seems to have a personal agenda which looks more like an obsession.
I hesitate to spoil anything for anyone who has not followed this series, but feel that it is part of the story to say that things are, as one expects in life, moving along. Wesley and his wife Pam are dealing with a problem that manifested itself in the last book. DCI Gerry Heffernam, he of the crocodile smile, has an unexpected development in his life, and DS Rachel Tracy is still on the brink of marriage – Will she, Won’t she?
In this complex, clever and intricately plotted novel Kate Ellis again presents a fascinating mystery that frighteningly mirrors the past, and produces solutions to long forgotten puzzles. Most highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
As with all the books in this series there are two crimes running in tandem. One a current mystery, and one set centuries before. In this story we are first privy to an extract from the journal of John Lipton set in April 1884. We then move forward to August 2016, when we meet Zac Wilkinson who is writing a biography of Wynn Staniland, a legend in the literary world, who suddenly become a recluse in the 1980s.
Meanwhile DI Wesley Peterson is called to the unexplained poisoning of a middle-aged couple at a local caravan park. Was this suicide? Then Zac Wilkinson is found murdered, and Wesley finds a link between the dead couple and Wynn Staniland.
Interspersed with the journals of John Lipton and Mary Field, we follow Wesley’s investigation as he attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding recluse Wynn Staniland. Sinister puppets who made my blood run cold make an appearance! But they maybe to someone’s taste, but not mine.
Wesley’s university friend archaeologist Neil Watson is excited when he is offered money to organise a dig at a ruin that has been bought by an American. The guy says he wants to rebuild the place and turn it into a hotel but Neil is uneasy as the American seems to have a personal agenda which looks more like an obsession.
I hesitate to spoil anything for anyone who has not followed this series, but feel that it is part of the story to say that things are, as one expects in life, moving along. Wesley and his wife Pam are dealing with a problem that manifested itself in the last book. DCI Gerry Heffernam, he of the crocodile smile, has an unexpected development in his life, and DS Rachel Tracy is still on the brink of marriage – Will she, Won’t she?
In this complex, clever and intricately plotted novel Kate Ellis again presents a fascinating mystery that frighteningly mirrors the past, and produces solutions to long forgotten puzzles. Most highly recommended.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
September 21, 2018
Absolutely brilliant with so many twists.
September 21, 2018
Absolutely brilliant with so many twists.
November 13, 2018
Quite enjoyed this offering. There's murder, slavery, and false identities everywhere. It starts off as a mess, but all gels together quite nicely making for a pleasant read.
The archaeological aspect of this one involves Neil Watson excavating at the site of an old house and 19th century murder puppets. Having been immersed in Victorian crime over the last couple of years, I found this aspect of the novel enchanting.
Well worth a read.
The archaeological aspect of this one involves Neil Watson excavating at the site of an old house and 19th century murder puppets. Having been immersed in Victorian crime over the last couple of years, I found this aspect of the novel enchanting.
Well worth a read.
March 19, 2021
2.5 stars - I am unsure how to rate this book so my rating may well change. Starting with the positives, there were parts of this book were I was really engaged and loved reading. The characters were a tad flat but I think that may have been down to me picking up number 21 in a series that I haven't read any of. The murders were few and far between but were well thought out. It was a book that I was interested in seeing to the end.
However, there are a number of issues, namely with how the story is done. Perhaps I am not used to this sort of mystery but it was impossible to solve. I prefer mysteries that I can solve. I also think that it gets very complicated with the two stories and tries to tie them together at the end. The hinted supernatural element is severely underdeveloped and felt like it was written out of the story altogether, it was never resolved either. My biggest peeve was that a character name changed from one page to another. Another one of my peeves was that the characters were looking at clues and had revelations (mainly the police rather than other characters) that were not discussed with the reader for a number of chapters.
However, there are a few clever bits thrown in and some of the personal drama is interesting . I just think that personally I didnt enjoy it perhaps as much as I would have liked.
However, there are a number of issues, namely with how the story is done. Perhaps I am not used to this sort of mystery but it was impossible to solve. I prefer mysteries that I can solve. I also think that it gets very complicated with the two stories and tries to tie them together at the end. The hinted supernatural element is severely underdeveloped and felt like it was written out of the story altogether, it was never resolved either. My biggest peeve was that a character name changed from one page to another. Another one of my peeves was that the characters were looking at clues and had revelations (mainly the police rather than other characters) that were not discussed with the reader for a number of chapters.
However, there are a few clever bits thrown in and some of the personal drama is interesting . I just think that personally I didnt enjoy it perhaps as much as I would have liked.
February 25, 2017
Wesley Peterson is one of my favourite detectives and is still going strong in book 21. The usual mix of current day crime reflecting historic wrongdoing, this was really well plotted and written. A comfort blanket read with familiar characters, our involvement with their lives just as important as solving the crime. Will never tire of the format - looking forward to book 22!
April 21, 2019
When it comes to blending history, mystery, and two complimentary timelines, few can do it as well as Kate Ellis. In The Mermaid's Scream, readers solve murders in both past and present: the murder of Mary Field in the Victorian era and the murder of writer Zac Wilkinson in the present. Alternating chapters from the journals of John Lipton and Mary Field provide clues to both murders because, as we all know, the present is always tied to the past. Ellis also shows us how popular the topic of death was in Victorian England with its murderous traveling puppet shows and high attendance at public executions.
As always with any Wesley Peterson mystery, the characters' lives are important. This time around, Wesley's boss Gerry Heffernan is faced with a surprise, Pam is recuperating from a health issue, and Pam and Wesley's son Michael proves that teenagers' judgment isn't always the best. Ellis has one of the best "families" of characters to be found in a long-running mystery series, and this is the major reason why I never miss a book. She even makes characters who have small "walk on" parts (like community support officer Barbara Smith) memorable.
But Ellis's talents with history and mystery are huge draws, too. There are two houses involved in mystery: Newfield Manor where legend has it that Mary Field was murdered, and Addersacre-- what a sinister name!-- the house where recluse Wynn Staniland lives with his daughter. I found the character of Staniland to have touches of both J.D. Salinger and Ted Hughes. All that being said, however, I do have to admit that I didn't find the mystery to be quite as satisfying in The Mermaid's Scream, although it's still a cracking good read that makes you want to turn the pages faster and faster. By book's end, there are so many people who aren't who they claimed to be that I needed a scorecard as I tried to sort them all out.
Still, that's a minor quibble when I think of the rest of the book and its characters-- and the consistently high quality of this remarkable series. If you haven't sampled one of Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson mysteries, I highly recommend them. It is possible to read them as standalones, but since the characters' lives are integral to the books, I do suggest that you begin at the beginning with The Merchant's House.
As always with any Wesley Peterson mystery, the characters' lives are important. This time around, Wesley's boss Gerry Heffernan is faced with a surprise, Pam is recuperating from a health issue, and Pam and Wesley's son Michael proves that teenagers' judgment isn't always the best. Ellis has one of the best "families" of characters to be found in a long-running mystery series, and this is the major reason why I never miss a book. She even makes characters who have small "walk on" parts (like community support officer Barbara Smith) memorable.
But Ellis's talents with history and mystery are huge draws, too. There are two houses involved in mystery: Newfield Manor where legend has it that Mary Field was murdered, and Addersacre-- what a sinister name!-- the house where recluse Wynn Staniland lives with his daughter. I found the character of Staniland to have touches of both J.D. Salinger and Ted Hughes. All that being said, however, I do have to admit that I didn't find the mystery to be quite as satisfying in The Mermaid's Scream, although it's still a cracking good read that makes you want to turn the pages faster and faster. By book's end, there are so many people who aren't who they claimed to be that I needed a scorecard as I tried to sort them all out.
Still, that's a minor quibble when I think of the rest of the book and its characters-- and the consistently high quality of this remarkable series. If you haven't sampled one of Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson mysteries, I highly recommend them. It is possible to read them as standalones, but since the characters' lives are integral to the books, I do suggest that you begin at the beginning with The Merchant's House.
May 29, 2018
This is the first Kate Ellis book starring Detective Wesley Peterson that I have read. It is definitely a murder mystery story set in the southwest of England. It revolves around an author who has written 5 best sellers and all of a sudden becomes a total recluse 30 plus years ago and stopped writing. His wife committed suicide at the same time as this change in his life. The circumstances of his wife's suicide almost mirror a plot in his best selling book. Now a young author is writing his biography and he is found murdered. The murder of a couple on a caravan site also happens at the same time. Is there a connection, and if so what is it? Thus starts the process of finding who murdered these people and why? This is a good read and will keep the reader guessing as to who is involved and what is the connection to a famous death in the seventeenth century in a nearby derelict manner house and an American who wants to turn it into hotel.
February 4, 2020
I really enjoyed the book. A Wesley Peterson detective. Most of the story is in the presence. The story centres around Wynn Staniland, who had written 5 best sellers, who suddenly quit writing 34 years' ago after the bizarre suicide of his wife. She had copied the suicide from his last book (and said suicide was from the 19th century - a woman by the name of Mary). The story starts out with a couple of murders and the investigators always go back to Wynn. One of the murder victims was a biographer of Wynn Staniland. A lot of weaving in and out. I like that the original story of Mary from the 19th century was told from letters/journals discovered.
What I faulted the book was how many people were not who they represented themselves to be. If it had been two or three - not like six or seven - it would have been more believable the story line.
What I faulted the book was how many people were not who they represented themselves to be. If it had been two or three - not like six or seven - it would have been more believable the story line.
May 6, 2022
This is another good Wesley Peterson read. The focus is on the story—were a couple found in a caravan murdered or was it a double suicide? How do their deaths link up with a reclusive author and his daughter? Sometimes Ellis’ series focuses too much on Wesley and Gerry and their families but there is a nice balance in this one. As always there is also a historical sub-theme which also sometimes overpowers the story. This one doesn’t and I liked Ellis’ afterword acknowledging how many people have been fascinated with the macabre and crime, leading to our modern fascination with mysteries.
June 13, 2017
Have read all of the books in the series - so I must enjoy them. All of the regular characters are present and we get to watch their progress. Wesley and his wife Pam and their children are all accounted for = Wesley is the main detective; his son (age 12) is also involved in this story. Neil Watson is also involved in an archeological/ historical mystery that is close by . And Gerry Heffernan, head detective is facing an entirely new situation that complicates his life. So, all in all a good novel
December 31, 2021
A solid entry in Kate Ellis's tried-and-tested formula. Readable without ever scaling great heights but enjoyable as a casual read.
July 18, 2021
The title is irrelevant to the story. Too many characters and they were often underdeveloped. The segments of the secret diary felt more like an interruption than a part of it. The chapters were frustrating and bland to read.
May 14, 2017
Kate Ellis knows how weave the past and present into a story. The Wesley Peterson series is just as good now as the first book was.
March 12, 2018
I mostly enjoyed this, though it did get a bit crowded with all the mysteries ongoing. There is also some inconsistency in the characterisation of a few of the peripheral characters. This was my first book in the series, and I picked it because the plot was intriguing. Unfortunately, with so much going on, the plot wasn't quite as compelling as it appeared, but I did like Wesley and his family enough that I will probably read another book in the series.
February 22, 2017
Formulaic, book 21 and still going strong..Again I really enjoyed this book, and will be looking out for the next in the series.
February 10, 2017
Another great story
Another great story from Kate Ellis, with the past woven seamlessly into a modern murder tale. Can't wait for the next one
Another great story from Kate Ellis, with the past woven seamlessly into a modern murder tale. Can't wait for the next one
February 12, 2017
Really liked this book
Ms. Ellis continues to enthral with her Wesley Peterson series. Readers will be interested to learn the backstory for this novel.
Ms. Ellis continues to enthral with her Wesley Peterson series. Readers will be interested to learn the backstory for this novel.
June 25, 2017
Maybe if I'd read the first 20 in the series...? Just didn't connect.
March 12, 2021
Premise: This is book 21 in the DI Wesley Peterson Crime Series. This story centres around the mysterious figure of Wynn Staniland, an enigma of the literary world. After his wife’s unusual death Wynn stopped producing novels and retreated from the literary limelight, now many years later a biographer set to publish Wynn’s story disappears. Bodies begin to stack up in the area with their only commonality being a connection to Staniland.
In the historical timeline, Neil Watson of the County Archaeological Unit is dealing with his own mystery, the death of Mary Field and a gruesome retelling of her story from the nineteenth century which fascinated Victorian taste for grim tales.
I often think it’s useful to see an extract of a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself:
Viewpoint: The story regularly changes perspectives from a host of characters and includes diary extracts from the nineteenth century. This makes the story feel fresh and fast-paced even during the more police procedural sections when the police are frustrated with a lack of progress/delays.
Character(s): Using the multi-viewpoint approach also allows the author to introduce us to a great breadth of characters. Some bringing more to the novel than others. There is a sub-story to this of a son navigating trials of being a teenager, a story of a long-lost daughter and the story of a sick wife. All these threads are woven together with great skill without too much distraction from the main plot.
Setting: This novel is mainly set in the region of Tradmouth which is, of course, loosely based on Dartmouth. This setting with small towns and remote locations really compliments the community feel of the novel but also highlights the isolation of the rural communities.
Any Negatives: I love this series, it’s one of my favourites. The author has such a talent for drawing me in quickly so that I am eager to turn the page. With this novel, there were a few things holding me back from going for the full five stars. The first was the random entries of Delia, the mother-in-law. I really don’t think it added anything to the main story or even contributed to the daughter’s cancer storyline. It may be the author setting the series up for a future book, but it didn’t seem to work for me in this book.
The main reason I didn’t give that 5 star is how the standalone book works. I appreciate it is incredibly difficult for any author to balance a book as both a series entry and a standalone and normally I haven’t noticed this as an issue at all. It’s been a number of years since I read the previous novels in this series and I was really struggling to recall details of past relationships etc. The author gave small snippets of info but it wasn’t really enough to clarify things for me e.g. Neil’s girlfriend is working away, Gerry’s relationship with Joyce, Gerry’s daughter Rosie is often spoken of as highly sensitive etc. I just felt like a little more detail or backstory to these would have helped this work better as a standalone, or for those of us whose memories are not as they once were – haha.
Overall View: As always a brilliant book by Kate Ellis. She is a truly fantastic writer. A great array of characters. A lot of fast-paced action. The fascinating historical aspects still pull me in and are so intriguing, I love how she intertwines these with the modern storyline.
Please leave a like if you think my review/feedback of the item was helpful to you. Alternatively, please contact me if you want me to clarify something in my review.
In the historical timeline, Neil Watson of the County Archaeological Unit is dealing with his own mystery, the death of Mary Field and a gruesome retelling of her story from the nineteenth century which fascinated Victorian taste for grim tales.
I often think it’s useful to see an extract of a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself:
Wesley recognised the object in her hand as a driving license.
‘Maybe he found it.’
‘There was money too.’
‘How much?’
‘Thirty pounds. I know he didn’t have that much. Look at the name on the licence: Zac Wilkinson. I went to that talk he gave last week. Remember? Didn’t you say he was missing?’
Wesley caught his breath as she handed him the license. The picture stared out at him. Wynn Staniland’s biographer; the man who’d failed to turn up at Neston Library.
‘I’d better have a word with Michael.’
Viewpoint: The story regularly changes perspectives from a host of characters and includes diary extracts from the nineteenth century. This makes the story feel fresh and fast-paced even during the more police procedural sections when the police are frustrated with a lack of progress/delays.
Character(s): Using the multi-viewpoint approach also allows the author to introduce us to a great breadth of characters. Some bringing more to the novel than others. There is a sub-story to this of a son navigating trials of being a teenager, a story of a long-lost daughter and the story of a sick wife. All these threads are woven together with great skill without too much distraction from the main plot.
Setting: This novel is mainly set in the region of Tradmouth which is, of course, loosely based on Dartmouth. This setting with small towns and remote locations really compliments the community feel of the novel but also highlights the isolation of the rural communities.
Any Negatives: I love this series, it’s one of my favourites. The author has such a talent for drawing me in quickly so that I am eager to turn the page. With this novel, there were a few things holding me back from going for the full five stars. The first was the random entries of Delia, the mother-in-law. I really don’t think it added anything to the main story or even contributed to the daughter’s cancer storyline. It may be the author setting the series up for a future book, but it didn’t seem to work for me in this book.
The main reason I didn’t give that 5 star is how the standalone book works. I appreciate it is incredibly difficult for any author to balance a book as both a series entry and a standalone and normally I haven’t noticed this as an issue at all. It’s been a number of years since I read the previous novels in this series and I was really struggling to recall details of past relationships etc. The author gave small snippets of info but it wasn’t really enough to clarify things for me e.g. Neil’s girlfriend is working away, Gerry’s relationship with Joyce, Gerry’s daughter Rosie is often spoken of as highly sensitive etc. I just felt like a little more detail or backstory to these would have helped this work better as a standalone, or for those of us whose memories are not as they once were – haha.
Overall View: As always a brilliant book by Kate Ellis. She is a truly fantastic writer. A great array of characters. A lot of fast-paced action. The fascinating historical aspects still pull me in and are so intriguing, I love how she intertwines these with the modern storyline.
Please leave a like if you think my review/feedback of the item was helpful to you. Alternatively, please contact me if you want me to clarify something in my review.
November 15, 2018
I’m completely out of order with the Wesley Peterson mysteries but it doesn’t matter at all as all the books are stand-alone stories. This is the 21st in the series and I bought my copy at a talk Kate Ellis did at our local library.
As is the case with Kate Ellis’s Wesley Peterson books, there’s a history thread running alongside the contemporary story of the murder investigation of a couple found dead in a holiday caravan. Another thread is the reclusive author Wynn Staniland, who clearly has much to hide, and the sudden disappearance of his biographer. All these elements come together to make a fascinating and entertaining read.
Interestingly, the historical element of the story, which centres around a macabre Victorian puppet show depicting infamous murders (one of which features in one of the fictional Wynn Staniland's novels), was inspired by the same source as another book I read and enjoyed recently, The Serpent Pool, written by Martin Edwards. Both authors referred to the 19th century writer Thomas de Quincy, who, in 1827 published an essay suggesting that crime could be considered a form of entertainment. Proof that even though writers may be inspired by the same thing, the resulting novels can be satisfyingly different.
At Kate Ellis's talk, I also bought her latest Wesley Peterson book, The Mechanical Devil. Kate read us a tantalising passage from it, so I'm very much looking forward to reading it, as well as catching up with the other books in the series which I've not yet read.
As is the case with Kate Ellis’s Wesley Peterson books, there’s a history thread running alongside the contemporary story of the murder investigation of a couple found dead in a holiday caravan. Another thread is the reclusive author Wynn Staniland, who clearly has much to hide, and the sudden disappearance of his biographer. All these elements come together to make a fascinating and entertaining read.
Interestingly, the historical element of the story, which centres around a macabre Victorian puppet show depicting infamous murders (one of which features in one of the fictional Wynn Staniland's novels), was inspired by the same source as another book I read and enjoyed recently, The Serpent Pool, written by Martin Edwards. Both authors referred to the 19th century writer Thomas de Quincy, who, in 1827 published an essay suggesting that crime could be considered a form of entertainment. Proof that even though writers may be inspired by the same thing, the resulting novels can be satisfyingly different.
At Kate Ellis's talk, I also bought her latest Wesley Peterson book, The Mechanical Devil. Kate read us a tantalising passage from it, so I'm very much looking forward to reading it, as well as catching up with the other books in the series which I've not yet read.
September 4, 2018
Every now and again I like to push myself out of my comfort zone and read something totally different from my usual chick lit and YA books. The Mermaid's Scream by Kate Ellis is one such book. There's no comedy and romance in this story. This is full of police drama, murder, mystery and suspense.
I admit it did take quite a while for me to really get into it. But once I did, I was gripped. There is quite a lot going on throughout the book, with rather a lot of characters to remember but once you've clocked who everyone is, the story jumps off of the page. So much so that I could very easily see this becoming a sure fire TV hit (are you reading, BBC?).
Usually, I'm pretty good at guessing 'who did it' and I did have a rough idea about two thirds in. I was close... but not exactly right! It's one of those books that will keep you guessing and you have to just keep reading until the end. I spent several summer afternoons floating on a lilo reading it and thoroughly enjoying every moment.
Kate Ellis is a fantastic author, with subplots swirling in and out of the main plot, which really does keep the story exciting throughout. I'd definitely read more of her books in the future. But for now though, my brain needs a good dose of light-hearted chick lit!
* I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
I admit it did take quite a while for me to really get into it. But once I did, I was gripped. There is quite a lot going on throughout the book, with rather a lot of characters to remember but once you've clocked who everyone is, the story jumps off of the page. So much so that I could very easily see this becoming a sure fire TV hit (are you reading, BBC?).
Usually, I'm pretty good at guessing 'who did it' and I did have a rough idea about two thirds in. I was close... but not exactly right! It's one of those books that will keep you guessing and you have to just keep reading until the end. I spent several summer afternoons floating on a lilo reading it and thoroughly enjoying every moment.
Kate Ellis is a fantastic author, with subplots swirling in and out of the main plot, which really does keep the story exciting throughout. I'd definitely read more of her books in the future. But for now though, my brain needs a good dose of light-hearted chick lit!
* I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
September 14, 2017
I have been a huge fan of Kate Ellis since reading her first Wesley Peterson crime novel (The Merchant's House) about 20 years ago - I won it a competition run by the publisher! I especially love the mix of past and present: DI Wesley Peterson investigates a crime in the present, which usually has a link to something his archaeologist friend is working on.
The story starts with a middle-aged couple on holiday at a caravan park found dead - suspected suicide. Then a journalist, visiting the area to write a biography of a bestselling reclusive author, goes missing. Add to that, an American millionaire anxious to prove his ancestor didn't commit murder a hundred years ago, and this is why I love Kate Ellis's books. There are so many different plot strands it is almost impossible to work out how they will come together - making it ultra-hard to guess the identity of the murderer before the end. A proper puzzle!
The Mermaid's Scream is now one of my favourite Kate Ellis books. I loved the title and the cover, I loved the way the different plot strands tied my poor brain in knots, and the way a certain theme ran through the story - making me want to slap my forehead for not spotting it earlier. A definite 'duh!' moment. There might not be any 'proper' mermaids, but there is a collection of sinister old puppets, and the method the Victorian villain used to bump off his victim was very unique!
So, thoroughly recommended to anyone who loves a murder mystery with a fiendishly clever plot. But if you are new to Kate Ellis, I would suggest starting with one of her earlier books, as there are lots of characters - the police team and the many suspects - which might be confusing.
The story starts with a middle-aged couple on holiday at a caravan park found dead - suspected suicide. Then a journalist, visiting the area to write a biography of a bestselling reclusive author, goes missing. Add to that, an American millionaire anxious to prove his ancestor didn't commit murder a hundred years ago, and this is why I love Kate Ellis's books. There are so many different plot strands it is almost impossible to work out how they will come together - making it ultra-hard to guess the identity of the murderer before the end. A proper puzzle!
The Mermaid's Scream is now one of my favourite Kate Ellis books. I loved the title and the cover, I loved the way the different plot strands tied my poor brain in knots, and the way a certain theme ran through the story - making me want to slap my forehead for not spotting it earlier. A definite 'duh!' moment. There might not be any 'proper' mermaids, but there is a collection of sinister old puppets, and the method the Victorian villain used to bump off his victim was very unique!
So, thoroughly recommended to anyone who loves a murder mystery with a fiendishly clever plot. But if you are new to Kate Ellis, I would suggest starting with one of her earlier books, as there are lots of characters - the police team and the many suspects - which might be confusing.
February 15, 2023
Author Zac Wilkinson is in Devon to researching the life of legendary, reclusive author Wynn Staniland for a biography. There are many unanswered questions about the man, the main one being why did he stop writing? Was it because of his wife's bizarre suicide which mirrored a murder case from the nineteenth century? When Wilkinson is murdered, DI Wesley Peterson finds himself plunged into a complex mystery, with links to the poisoning of a middle-aged couple at a local caravan park and several suspicious deaths in Staniland's past. There also seems to be a tie to the Victorian murder of Mary Field, whose body Wesley's archaeological friend has been hired to hunt for in a burnt out ruin. Complex plotting and appealing characters make this book an excellent addition to the Wesley Peterson series.
August 12, 2021
"The Mermaid's Scream" by Kate Ellis was impossible to get into.
The characters were just too flat, each one of them indistinguishable from all the others; the plot was all over the place, with so many apparently unrelated subplots that skimmed over so many different themes, never going deep enough into any of them to give the reader any satisfaction.
I got the impression that the journal excerpts from the 19th century had been put there just to make the book longer: they didn't serve any purpose--not plot progression, not character development, and certainly not the entertainment of the reader.
This is the first novel by Kate Ellis I've read, and it's going to be the last.
The characters were just too flat, each one of them indistinguishable from all the others; the plot was all over the place, with so many apparently unrelated subplots that skimmed over so many different themes, never going deep enough into any of them to give the reader any satisfaction.
I got the impression that the journal excerpts from the 19th century had been put there just to make the book longer: they didn't serve any purpose--not plot progression, not character development, and certainly not the entertainment of the reader.
This is the first novel by Kate Ellis I've read, and it's going to be the last.
November 26, 2019
The Mermaid's Scream by Kate Ellis is another in her Wesley Peterson mysteries. This time, the focus is on a reclusive author and the unexplained deaths of several people associated with him. I like the characters and it's an undemanding read, although I do think there was quite a few coincidences which don't really stand up to scrutiny. And I wasn't sure of the need to introduce so many sub-plots that ultimately didn't go anywhere.
© Koplowitz 2019
© Koplowitz 2019
April 6, 2021
I love this author and this episode of DI Wesley Peterson delivered! It was a very convoluted plot which neatly kept my attention. I did have some problems with the cast of thousands who all changed their names in the course of the book. It added to the intrigue though, and since I read it on my kindle I could look back to see who everyone was; a slick aspect of kindle that particularly aided the reading of this book.
December 31, 2017
I have enjoyed all of the Wes Peterson books but I thought this one especially good. I could give it a 4.5 easily but not a 5. Although most of the violence was done in the background so there was only residual violence, there was a high body count from beginning to end. I think it would have satisfied most Victorians who were into crime.
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