Killing in the Shadows

Kate Ellis

TOP TV presenter, actress and friend to the rich and famous, Lexi Verity would seem to have it all but, now in her late forties, she is wise enough to know that success can attract attention of the unwanted and dangerous kind.

And when Lexi is found dead in the indoor swimming pool at her luxury home and hideaway in a quiet North Yorkshire village, the murder of well-known celebrity places extra pressure on local police chief DI Joe Plantagenet whose task is to find her killer.

The amazing million-copy bestselling author Kate Ellis (pictured below), whose output has included the cerebral black detective Wesley Peterson series and the Albert Lincoln trilogy, has made both herself and her police heroes not just a ‘force’ to be reckoned with, but something of a crime writing sensation.

Killing in the Shadows is Liverpool-born author Ellis’s (staggering!) thirty-eighth novel and the sixth book in the DI Joe Plantagenet crime series which is set against the backdrop of a city called Eborby, creatively modelled on the atmospheric city of York with its ancient walls, narrow snickleways, magnificent Minster and a rich and eventful history.

And as York is also reputed to be the most haunted city in England, Ellis has added a thread of tantalising supernatural to these gritty police dramas as well as her trademark memorable characters and mysteries with plenty of twists and turns.

Leading the Yorkshire team is a pair of perfectly matched chalk-and-cheese detectives… DI Joe Plantagenet, a thoughtful Liverpudlian who gave up the priesthood for love only for his wife to tragically die shortly after their wedding, and down-to-earth DCI Emily Thwaite who successfully combines being a mother of three with her full-on police career.

Since being targeted by a creepy stalker who, thankfully, is now safely behind bars, the beautiful old Georgian rectory in the quaint Yorkshire village of Eaglethorpe – bought for Lexi by her wealthy antiques dealer husband Lord (Milo) Pilton – has become her sanctuary. Away from prying eyes and camera flashes, the house is her refuge, the place where she feels safe and where her neighbours know that Lexi guards her privacy with an increased ferocity. But when her husband leaves on a business trip to New York and her housekeeper Margaret goes out one September day, Lexi’s swim in her pool becomes the last moments of her life.

The murder of such a well-known celebrity is front-page news and the pressure on Eborby CID to find the killer is quickly ramped up to top level. As Joe and Emily launch into their investigation and unravel the finer details of Lexi’s last few days, they discover various motives for her murder and a growing list of possible suspects, including a man who called at the house and claimed to be a psychic. But as the police team widen their inquiry, they discover events in Lexi’s distant past that would horrify the public if the facts were ever revealed. And sinister secrets are also disturbing the residents of the nearby city of Eborby… Joe must decide which lead to follow and act fast if they are stop the murderer striking again.

The charms of North Yorkshire – whether that’s the historic city or the rolling countryside – provide a stunning backdrop to this complex, thrilling mystery which includes excellent police procedural, immaculate research, stand-out characters, and the sort of good old-fashioned investigative work that marks out Ellis’s crime novels.

Perhaps one of the most striking and addictive elements of the Joe Plantagenet series is the addition of some spine-tingling, paranormal atmospherics… a ghostly, gothic vibe that haunts the plotlines and rings so true among the ancient streets and alleyways of the city. And Killing in the Shadows throws up a perplexing, multi-layered case for our dynamic detective duo as Joe, the caring and intellectual loner, and Emily, whose marriage has been though some rocky times, have to dig deep into the hidden corners of Lexi’s life to track down the murderer from an intriguing list of suspects.

Always adept at keeping the pages turning and her readers on their toes, Ellis resists the temptation to overload her mysteries with clues and instead drops small nuggets of information into the plot, barely rippling the surface of our consciousness and allowing the final showdown to pack a surprising punch.

So whether you’ve read the series so far, or are discovering the wonderfully satisfying DI Joe Plantagenet novels for the first time, prepare to enjoy a truly tasty crime-reading treat.
(Constable, hardback, £22)