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Wesley Peterson #2
The Armada Boy
Four centuries, two murders, one motive...
Norman Openheim is an American Veteran of the D Day Landings, on a sentimental journey with his old unit to their West Country base. His is the last body archaeologist Neil Watson expects to find in the ruins of an old chantry chapel.
Neil naturally turns to his old friend from student days, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson, for help. Ironically, both men are looking at an invading force - Wesley the World War Two American veterans, and Neil a group of shipwrecked Spaniards reputed to have met a sticky end at the hands of outraged locals as they limped from the wreckage of the great Armada in 1588. Local memories prove retentive and Wesley is soon caught up in old accusations, resentments and romances from fifty years before. But the coolness of Openheim's wife, Dorinda, and her reliance on a fellow veteran in the party, offer an all-too-familiar motive for murder.
A belligerent group of homeless youths are also under suspicion: then another veteran's wife disappears. Wesley's case grows more perplexing, while Neil uncovers a tragic story from the distant past. Over four hundred years apart two strangers in a strange land have died violently. Could the same motives of hatred, jealousy and revenge be at work? Wesley is running out of time to find out.
Norman Openheim is an American Veteran of the D Day Landings, on a sentimental journey with his old unit to their West Country base. His is the last body archaeologist Neil Watson expects to find in the ruins of an old chantry chapel.
Neil naturally turns to his old friend from student days, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson, for help. Ironically, both men are looking at an invading force - Wesley the World War Two American veterans, and Neil a group of shipwrecked Spaniards reputed to have met a sticky end at the hands of outraged locals as they limped from the wreckage of the great Armada in 1588. Local memories prove retentive and Wesley is soon caught up in old accusations, resentments and romances from fifty years before. But the coolness of Openheim's wife, Dorinda, and her reliance on a fellow veteran in the party, offer an all-too-familiar motive for murder.
A belligerent group of homeless youths are also under suspicion: then another veteran's wife disappears. Wesley's case grows more perplexing, while Neil uncovers a tragic story from the distant past. Over four hundred years apart two strangers in a strange land have died violently. Could the same motives of hatred, jealousy and revenge be at work? Wesley is running out of time to find out.
224 pages, ebook
First published May 6, 1999
313 people are currently reading
956 people want to read
About the author
Kate Ellis
119 books603 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 178 reviews
April 9, 2019
I feel guilty only awarding this one 3 stars, and I know I am in the minority. Kate Ellis is one of my favorite authors. I love her other series and was really starting to like this series after reading the first book. This one however, while having a more than interesting topic...just didn't have the punch of the first book. The character of Wesley Peterson that drives the series, was almost absent from participation in the 50 year old murder...the Armada Boy really didn't seem to have much to do with the crime at all in spite of the title. Overall it just didn't grab me the way the first book did. Wesley is going to be a father any day now so maybe his mind wasn't entirely in the game. I'll give him a pass on this one if he promises to be more present in the next one. Is it a deal, Wesley?
June 22, 2019
This second in the Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson series can be read as a stand-alone. In this police procedural series, the plot also involves aspects of archeology -- both an interest of the author and of her protagonist, Wesley Peterson. It adds an interesting dimension to the plots.
December 17, 2021
It's been a few years since I've delved into this series and I'm glad I finally did again. The Armada Boy is the 2nd book in the Wesley Peterson mystery series by Kate Ellis. Peterson is a Detective Sgt working in the West Country of England. He had started off as an archaeology student but changed over to police work; first in London and then moving west with his teacher wife, Pam (she is newly pregnant).
This story does have an archaeological twist to it; one case related to American veterans who were stationed in the community as they prepared for D-Day and the other story an archaeological dig looking into a shipwrecked ship of the Spanish Armada. How these two stories become related makes for very interesting reading.
The main story is the murder of one of the American veterans. A group of them have returned to the area to remember their time there and to take part in remembrance ceremonies. There are many suspects in the murder and as Peterson, his boss Gerry Hefferman, plus the other members of CID continue to investigate, they discover more possibilities.
It's all very well presented, crafted and moved along. The working relationship between Peterson and Heffernan is excellent. They have a great rapport and just seem to get along so very well, even though they are different personalities; Peterson an educated, intelligent and a happy family man; Hefferman a widow, down-to-earth, crusty and with a nice sense of humor.
The interweaving of the Armada story with that of the American troops story makes for an interesting scenario and how those stories impacted on the local community makes it even more interesting. Ellis tells a great tale and provides interesting characters a very satisfying resolution to the case. Most enjoyable. I hope I get on to Book 3 in the series a bit quicker. (4 stars)
This story does have an archaeological twist to it; one case related to American veterans who were stationed in the community as they prepared for D-Day and the other story an archaeological dig looking into a shipwrecked ship of the Spanish Armada. How these two stories become related makes for very interesting reading.
The main story is the murder of one of the American veterans. A group of them have returned to the area to remember their time there and to take part in remembrance ceremonies. There are many suspects in the murder and as Peterson, his boss Gerry Hefferman, plus the other members of CID continue to investigate, they discover more possibilities.
It's all very well presented, crafted and moved along. The working relationship between Peterson and Heffernan is excellent. They have a great rapport and just seem to get along so very well, even though they are different personalities; Peterson an educated, intelligent and a happy family man; Hefferman a widow, down-to-earth, crusty and with a nice sense of humor.
The interweaving of the Armada story with that of the American troops story makes for an interesting scenario and how those stories impacted on the local community makes it even more interesting. Ellis tells a great tale and provides interesting characters a very satisfying resolution to the case. Most enjoyable. I hope I get on to Book 3 in the series a bit quicker. (4 stars)
November 9, 2025
dnf, 23%
September 25, 2015
A great second book to the Wesley Peterson series.
I didn't enjoy this one quite so much as the first, but it was still really really good. I think it's because I didn't feel as much interest for the historical side of it this time round - the Spanish Armada wasn't taught to me at school (we jumped from Henry VIII to Queen Victoria) and there was never the same threat up here.
That the WW2 events in this book were based on real events was shocking and more than a little heartbreaking. Live ammo for an exercise? That more men could be lost in a single training exercise than in the whole of the D-Day happenings is just crazy.
I didn't feel that the American veterans were characterised as well as they could have been. But the rest of the characters were spot on.
I'd kind of guessed at the ending, the historical aspects of the book mirroring them made it pretty easy to work out. But I still enjoyed the story right to the end.
The best part of these books is the weaving of historical and contemporary crimes. Kate Ellis does this wonderfully and has a beautiful writing style that I just can't get enough of.
And yes, I've ordered the next one.
I didn't enjoy this one quite so much as the first, but it was still really really good. I think it's because I didn't feel as much interest for the historical side of it this time round - the Spanish Armada wasn't taught to me at school (we jumped from Henry VIII to Queen Victoria) and there was never the same threat up here.
That the WW2 events in this book were based on real events was shocking and more than a little heartbreaking. Live ammo for an exercise? That more men could be lost in a single training exercise than in the whole of the D-Day happenings is just crazy.
I didn't feel that the American veterans were characterised as well as they could have been. But the rest of the characters were spot on.
I'd kind of guessed at the ending, the historical aspects of the book mirroring them made it pretty easy to work out. But I still enjoyed the story right to the end.
The best part of these books is the weaving of historical and contemporary crimes. Kate Ellis does this wonderfully and has a beautiful writing style that I just can't get enough of.
And yes, I've ordered the next one.
September 30, 2023
A group of American soldiers trained for D-Day in the peaceful Devon countryside, and now some of the survivors are having a reunion in the place where they were once young men. But when one of them is murdered, Wes Peterson and his team have to look at the present as well as the past. Coincidentally, Wes's friend archaeologist Neil is looking for buried bodies from an earlier invasion--the Spanish armada. A local psychic tells the disbelieving police that if they find the Armada Boy it will give them the answer to the present-day murder.
March 17, 2010
First Sentence: Norman Openheim lit a forbidden cigarette and inhaled deeply.
The Americans have come back to Devon in tribute to the time spent there preparing for the Normandy Invasion. The reunion does not go without incident when Neil, an archeologist and friend of DS Wesley Peterson, find the body of a murdered veteran at the chantry chapel ruins, the site where sailors of the Spanish Armada are said to be buried and where, in more recent times, couples went for a bit of privacy.
The only thing better than discovering a new author I like, is when they have a backlist for me to read. Kate Ellis is such an author.
It is nice that this book is set in the fictional town of Tradmouth in Devon. From the author’s website, I learned that she used Dartmouth as her guide. But it is nice to be outside a major city. Providing a stronger sense of place would have been appreciated, particularly as I am completely unfamiliar with this area. Thank heaven for the internet.
I cannot, however, fault her for character creation. Although this is billed as “A Wesley Peterson Crime Novel,” it read more as an ensemble cast, and a good one. Again, quoting the website, “Each story combines an intriguing contemporary murder mystery with a parallel historical case.” Wesley received his degree in archeology prior to joining the police force and, therefore, provides the bridge through his archeologist friend, Neil. Where he is polished and university educated, his superior, DI Heffernan, with whom I am delighted to say he gets on well.
To this pair, add a bright, ambitious police woman, a young detective who’d really like the action of London, Wesley’s archeologist friend and an unseen psychic who calls telling them to look for the Armada Boy. What I particularly appreciated was that the background all the characters is provided in bits throughout the story.
The story’s plot is so well constructed. It is intricate and filled with red herrings and twists but never feel contrived or manipulative. The clues are revealed to the reader as they are to the characters. The past is a critical element of the story as it relates to both location and motives. Ellis skillfully blended the historical information, particularly as this is a region with which I am unfamiliar, into the plot even enabling a particularly poignant thread to the story.
Ellis is an intelligent writer excellent at the blending the past and the present, her use of allegories and understanding the impact of the sins of the father. She has definitely joined my “must read” list.
THE ARMADA BOY (Pol Proc-DS Wesley Peterson-Devon, UK-Cont) – VG+
Ellis, Kate – 2nd in series
Thomas Dunn Books, ©1999, US Hardcover – ISBN: 031225198X
The Americans have come back to Devon in tribute to the time spent there preparing for the Normandy Invasion. The reunion does not go without incident when Neil, an archeologist and friend of DS Wesley Peterson, find the body of a murdered veteran at the chantry chapel ruins, the site where sailors of the Spanish Armada are said to be buried and where, in more recent times, couples went for a bit of privacy.
The only thing better than discovering a new author I like, is when they have a backlist for me to read. Kate Ellis is such an author.
It is nice that this book is set in the fictional town of Tradmouth in Devon. From the author’s website, I learned that she used Dartmouth as her guide. But it is nice to be outside a major city. Providing a stronger sense of place would have been appreciated, particularly as I am completely unfamiliar with this area. Thank heaven for the internet.
I cannot, however, fault her for character creation. Although this is billed as “A Wesley Peterson Crime Novel,” it read more as an ensemble cast, and a good one. Again, quoting the website, “Each story combines an intriguing contemporary murder mystery with a parallel historical case.” Wesley received his degree in archeology prior to joining the police force and, therefore, provides the bridge through his archeologist friend, Neil. Where he is polished and university educated, his superior, DI Heffernan, with whom I am delighted to say he gets on well.
To this pair, add a bright, ambitious police woman, a young detective who’d really like the action of London, Wesley’s archeologist friend and an unseen psychic who calls telling them to look for the Armada Boy. What I particularly appreciated was that the background all the characters is provided in bits throughout the story.
The story’s plot is so well constructed. It is intricate and filled with red herrings and twists but never feel contrived or manipulative. The clues are revealed to the reader as they are to the characters. The past is a critical element of the story as it relates to both location and motives. Ellis skillfully blended the historical information, particularly as this is a region with which I am unfamiliar, into the plot even enabling a particularly poignant thread to the story.
Ellis is an intelligent writer excellent at the blending the past and the present, her use of allegories and understanding the impact of the sins of the father. She has definitely joined my “must read” list.
THE ARMADA BOY (Pol Proc-DS Wesley Peterson-Devon, UK-Cont) – VG+
Ellis, Kate – 2nd in series
Thomas Dunn Books, ©1999, US Hardcover – ISBN: 031225198X
January 2, 2016
I really enjoy Kate Ellis's DS Wesley Peterson series. She weaves together mystery with history that makes for an entertaining read. The light history really adds to the story. I learned a few things about both the Normandy & Spanish Armada invasions. That elevated this book from a 3 star to a 4 star rating.
A group of US vets and their spouses, return to the Devon area, for the 50th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Of course one of the vets gets murdered at a historical site and it's up to the detectives and Wesley's friend, Neil Watson, an archaeologist who's excavating the site, to figure out who, why, and what connection the present murder has to the past.
While investigating, they dig up of the remains of a young Spanish boy from the time of the Spanish Armada invasion, who was secretly buried inside the village church 400 yrs earlier, and it appears that he was also murdered. This book was lots of fun, I'm looking forward to Wesley & Neil's next adventure.
A group of US vets and their spouses, return to the Devon area, for the 50th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Of course one of the vets gets murdered at a historical site and it's up to the detectives and Wesley's friend, Neil Watson, an archaeologist who's excavating the site, to figure out who, why, and what connection the present murder has to the past.
While investigating, they dig up of the remains of a young Spanish boy from the time of the Spanish Armada invasion, who was secretly buried inside the village church 400 yrs earlier, and it appears that he was also murdered. This book was lots of fun, I'm looking forward to Wesley & Neil's next adventure.
May 14, 2017
I loved, loved, LOVED this book as I have loved all the books by Κate Ellis! Her hero, Wesley Peterson is real and very much flesh and blood and I like the fact that she has put him in an interracial marriage and has given him "real life" problems and situations. I also love the fact that there is a bit of what the Brits call archeology (for me as a greek, archeology has to do with artifacts and structures thousands of years old) and the lovely picturesque Devon towns and villages and the stories are naturally interwoven between past and present! a joy to read and they tend to stick in the mind what with the lovely pictures within every book's pages and the likeable and unlikeable characters and situations.
January 28, 2021
I found this second book in the Wesley Peterson series to be uneven in delivery of the plot, but of interest to me for the introduction of events in South Devon I was unaware of. Exercise Tiger, a practice for the D-day landings held in April 1944 had a rather devastating impact on the population of that area. We learn of it bit by bit due to the visit by American GIs to the area as a sort of memorial trip, but one of their number is killed. The police investigation is somewhat clumsy and does have fatal results. Also, the unhappiness of the female in the CID team, Rachel, is going to need to be addressed in the next book, or we're in for trouble.
Wesley has a number of domestic challenges but does find himself as a new father of a baby boy in the end.
The archeological dig that usually accompanies the plot in this series is given a small spotlight. The archaeologist Neil Watson is a friend of Wesley's from college days, and he is the one who finds a body in the middle of his dig, a site of a chantry.
Old secrets of area families are uncovered during the investigation.
Loan from Friend - Thank You
Wesley has a number of domestic challenges but does find himself as a new father of a baby boy in the end.
The archeological dig that usually accompanies the plot in this series is given a small spotlight. The archaeologist Neil Watson is a friend of Wesley's from college days, and he is the one who finds a body in the middle of his dig, a site of a chantry.
Old secrets of area families are uncovered during the investigation.
Loan from Friend - Thank You
October 25, 2021
The local Devon hotel is full of elderly American WW2 veterans and their wives, staying for a reunion, over half a century after D-Day. Many Americans served in the area, practicing on the the beaches for the D-Day landings, and locals still remember them - some fondly, others less so (this was written - and set in - the late 1990s, so not quite as old as veterans would be now!) Unfortunately, the reunion goes badly wrong when one of the veterans is found murdered. Is it mere happenstance, or could it relate to something that happen during the War? Sergeant Wesley Peterson is investigating, and determined to get to the bottom of it all.
This is the second in the Wesley Peterson detective series. I enjoyed the first book, The Merchant's House, and liked this one even more. I really like the whole setup - beautiful Devon location, with all the place names subtly changed, but similar to the real places (many of which I've been to). What really does it for me is the historical connection. In each book in the series, the author intertwines some historical mystery with the present day crime. In this book you get even more for your money, because there's the present day, the historic wartime happenings, and there's also a related story about Spanish sailors being shipwrecked during the Spanish Armada. This makes it all really fascinating.
The only negative I have about the book, which isn't really a negative, more an observation on the author's style, is that it is written from a more or less omniscient third person viewpoint, which puts that bit more distance between the reader and the main characters than you would in many other crime books, where you stick mostly with one or two viewpoint characters. That said, you are with Wesley Peterson more than the others, so you know more about him, but you are not hanging on his every word. This is a stylistic choice, and probably necessary for the story the author wanted to tell, but worth pointing out in case this isn't your thing.
This is the second in the Wesley Peterson detective series. I enjoyed the first book, The Merchant's House, and liked this one even more. I really like the whole setup - beautiful Devon location, with all the place names subtly changed, but similar to the real places (many of which I've been to). What really does it for me is the historical connection. In each book in the series, the author intertwines some historical mystery with the present day crime. In this book you get even more for your money, because there's the present day, the historic wartime happenings, and there's also a related story about Spanish sailors being shipwrecked during the Spanish Armada. This makes it all really fascinating.
The only negative I have about the book, which isn't really a negative, more an observation on the author's style, is that it is written from a more or less omniscient third person viewpoint, which puts that bit more distance between the reader and the main characters than you would in many other crime books, where you stick mostly with one or two viewpoint characters. That said, you are with Wesley Peterson more than the others, so you know more about him, but you are not hanging on his every word. This is a stylistic choice, and probably necessary for the story the author wanted to tell, but worth pointing out in case this isn't your thing.
March 27, 2021
Unlike many mysteries I read, this one was definitely more about the mystery than the detectives; perhaps the detectives are too likable and well-adjusted.
When a group of American WWII soldiers have a reunion on the site of their D-Day preparation exercise, one is murdered. There's no end to prospective killers, starting with his wife, his wife's lover, the woman he was meeting during the war, his daughter, a young ruffian...and later many more. To add to the confusion, a wife from the group disappears.
Meanwhile, Wesley's friend Neil is working on another archaeological excavation, involving a Spanish ship from the Armada run aground on English soil.
It took me a while to get involved with this (Perhaps there were a few too many names or too long a set-up?), but the second half definitely kept my interest. 3.5 stars.
When a group of American WWII soldiers have a reunion on the site of their D-Day preparation exercise, one is murdered. There's no end to prospective killers, starting with his wife, his wife's lover, the woman he was meeting during the war, his daughter, a young ruffian...and later many more. To add to the confusion, a wife from the group disappears.
Meanwhile, Wesley's friend Neil is working on another archaeological excavation, involving a Spanish ship from the Armada run aground on English soil.
It took me a while to get involved with this (Perhaps there were a few too many names or too long a set-up?), but the second half definitely kept my interest. 3.5 stars.
April 7, 2023
The second of the Wesley Peterson novels about police in a fictitious Devon town. Once again Wesley is contacted by his archaeologist friend who has found a body. Why didn't he call 999 like every other person would have done? The first part of the book came over as disjointed as it moves among the various characters. Wesley and his boss Inspector Heffernan, start to sift the clues. The book settles down to a regular police procedural story although Wesley seems to spend more time with his pregnant wife or looking in on the "dig" to the extent he seems to do little detecting. We do eventually see through the false accusations, long-held hurts, and vicious recrimination. Nasty places rural villages!
Ok read but not one to remember for long. 2 stars.
Ok read but not one to remember for long. 2 stars.
March 2, 2019
In The Armada Boy, a group of former American servicemen are visiting Tradmouth. They were stationed at a base close by during WWII and this is a trip down memory lane. When one of the veterans is found murdered near the ruins of an old church, used then and now for illicit trysts, the police follow several trails to catch a killer.
This series, which features DS Wesley Peterson, blends in archaeology with murder. Although this theme would become repetitive if reading the books close together, it was a nice change of pace and a well constructed mystery. Definitely enjoyed this one.
This series, which features DS Wesley Peterson, blends in archaeology with murder. Although this theme would become repetitive if reading the books close together, it was a nice change of pace and a well constructed mystery. Definitely enjoyed this one.
April 7, 2022
A particularly good story with 1588 interacting with 1944 and all comes to a twisty good ending in present day. 1999 for this book. I found the story very interesting, and the bit in the Author's Note at the end about the Americans that died while rehearsing the D-day invasion.
Characters are interesting, too. Rachel is particularly interesting for her resentments and ambitions.
Characters are interesting, too. Rachel is particularly interesting for her resentments and ambitions.
August 2, 2020
For some reason I started this series in the middle and even though I liked it, I didn’t follow up. Honestly, I’m not sure why because this is really an excellent series and one that I am planning on catching up with all of the ones I missed. There are quite a few. I recently read the very first one and decided that I had been foolish not to read them all in order. The books feature DI Wesley Peterson a university grad with a first in archaeology who decided to become a police officer. The cases always involve an archaeological dig featuring his former college buddy as well as a current case. The author ties the two together usually with a similar motive. She really is quite good at doing that and the ending is seldom what the reader thinks it will be.
The books take place in Devon County in a seaside area. In the first book, The Merchant’s House, Peterson is newly arrived in Devon after working in London. He and his wife are trying to start a family and are having a bit of difficulty. In this second book, Pam is happily pregnant and is getting close to delivery and still working as a teacher.
The town of Bereton was a practice area for D-Day and a group of former soldiers is having a reunion with a ceremony planned followed by sightseeing and a show in London. Unfortunately plans change when Norman Oppenheimer goes out to some chapel ruins to smoke and reminisce about his first love. While he is smoking and remembering someone stabs him.
At the same time there is a dig going on at the same time. The archaeologists are trying to find the burial places of a group of Spanish sailors who came aboard after a shipwreck and were murdered by the villagers. It gets even more interesting when they learn that there is a Spanish sailor buried in the church. A local psychic refers to him as The Armada Boy and tells Wesley’s boss, Heffernan, that if he finds the Armada Boy he will be able to solve the murder of the American ex soldier.
This is a short book - a little less than 300 pages in paperback form but it’s packed with interest. Ellis doesn’t spend a lot of time with unnecessary details. Instead the reader moves through the book at a fairly good clip meeting locals who knew the Americans when they were there.
This is an interesting and well written book. Ellis has another series featuring Joe Plantagenet and taking place in York although she doesn’t use the name. There aren’t many in that series so I can only speculate that either she lost interest or the series never caught on. It features a supernatural element but they aren’t ghost stories. Perhaps that’s the reason. She also has a limited series featuring an English detective in post WW1 England who has been disfigured in the war. She describes it as a trilogy and the last one is coming out in the next few months.
If you like a bit of history with your British detectives, this is the right series. I’m glad that I have rediscovered it.
February 3, 2014
Enjoyable enough read for the setting and good characters, but I thought the endless multi-visits to question suspects tedious at times. Most the book seemed to consist of getting a statement from someone which generated a visit to another suspect, which generated another visit to another suspect, which generated a second visit to the first suspect and on and on.
I didn't find the past history crime really incorporated into the present day crime as much as it was in the first book of this series. What I mean by this was that there wasn't alot of dialogue researching the past crime or archaeological site, just a few mentions here and there. I got most the info from a . I though that was a bit far-fetched.
And I found Peterson's wife a bit of a complainer and self-centered pretty much throughout the book. Not my favorite character at all.
I didn't find the past history crime really incorporated into the present day crime as much as it was in the first book of this series. What I mean by this was that there wasn't alot of dialogue researching the past crime or archaeological site, just a few mentions here and there. I got most the info from a . I though that was a bit far-fetched.
And I found Peterson's wife a bit of a complainer and self-centered pretty much throughout the book. Not my favorite character at all.
March 8, 2019
Another cracking good read from Kate Ellis. I enjoyed it as much as the first one. The twists and turns of the dual plots kept me reading and neglecting mundane tasks that I should have been doing. I shall definitely read more of them.
July 10, 2025
Might as well use my last review for the first book in the series. Because nothing has changed.
Meh. A rather dull and very, very slow book. The characters are very pale and, honestly, not very interesting. Probably because the character development is paper thin. Well, I did hang on to the silly end. Now I hope that the next book in this series will be better because I kind of like them after all.
(Please forgive my poor English, my excuse is I’m Swedish).
Meh. A rather dull and very, very slow book. The characters are very pale and, honestly, not very interesting. Probably because the character development is paper thin. Well, I did hang on to the silly end. Now I hope that the next book in this series will be better because I kind of like them after all.
(Please forgive my poor English, my excuse is I’m Swedish).
August 3, 2020
Having read and really enjoyed the first book last month, this was a bit of a let down. It was extremely slow paced, and I was left disappointed by the solution.
June 14, 2024
What a prodigious author, what stamina Kate Ellis must possess to write and write and write this long running crime series featuring DS Wesley Peterson, an intelligent copper, a good family man and Devon's first black detective. His boss Gerry Heffernan is a solid bloke with a sense of humour. I read some of these books years ago and recently caught up with this retro 1999 paperback. It has the warmth and fuzzies of a good soap opera with a dose of evil intent, a pinch of criminality and a dash of forensic archaeology but not a lot of punch. However it does have its moments. My favourite bit of action is the yobbo lads shoplifting and how Rat ends up. Like Father Brown, I wonder what’s in the water of so many of these seething UK villages, but the crime stories generated are endlessly readable.
This post-WWII mystery is well done and similar to the usual glut of such novels around VE day celebrations. Does this empower the survivors or depress them with bitter memories? Either way it has to be recognised and I wish war mongers today would see the futility of such conflict. It’s the second book in this prodigious series, a good blend of British and American characters. Bodies turn up, there is tension and work related sexism thrown in for good measure, women trying their utmost to gain equality in the police force. They are still called WPC and serving cups of tea, except Rachel who makes a good job of investigating until she gets told to back off like she was incapable of making a decision. Things get better as these stories progress into the 21st century. A good mystery series to immerse yourself in village life.
This post-WWII mystery is well done and similar to the usual glut of such novels around VE day celebrations. Does this empower the survivors or depress them with bitter memories? Either way it has to be recognised and I wish war mongers today would see the futility of such conflict. It’s the second book in this prodigious series, a good blend of British and American characters. Bodies turn up, there is tension and work related sexism thrown in for good measure, women trying their utmost to gain equality in the police force. They are still called WPC and serving cups of tea, except Rachel who makes a good job of investigating until she gets told to back off like she was incapable of making a decision. Things get better as these stories progress into the 21st century. A good mystery series to immerse yourself in village life.
March 31, 2021
A group of World War II veterans make a sentimental return to the English village evacuated during the war so the Allies, including these former soldiers, could practice for D-Day. But for one man, reminiscing on the grounds of the ruins of an ancient church, his life and memories are cut short with the thrust of a weapon in the back.
Norman Openheim's death is just one of the mysteries facing Det. Sgt. Wesley Peterson, Det. Insp. Gerry Heffernan and the rest of their team in this enticing story by Kate Ellis. Openheim had more than one reason why he came to this part of England, as do others in his group. And then there is the murder that occurred just before D-Day — was the murderer one of those veterans? — and what happened to the Armada Boy, one of a group of Spanish soldiers who survived the sinking of their ship in the waters off the coast only to be killed by the villagers in 1588.
Peterson as usual sticks close to the modern day murder investigation but he is pulled in other directions as well: his wife is pregnant and an old friend is conducting archaeological digs off the coast and in the very ruins where Openheim met his death.
The historic aspects of the story make this more than just a murder mystery but its the story telling that really make this great reading. The characters are interesting, the descriptions of the people and the country well written and realistic dialogue all add to a very good read. Can't wait to find out what next happens to our intrepid detective Peterson.
Norman Openheim's death is just one of the mysteries facing Det. Sgt. Wesley Peterson, Det. Insp. Gerry Heffernan and the rest of their team in this enticing story by Kate Ellis. Openheim had more than one reason why he came to this part of England, as do others in his group. And then there is the murder that occurred just before D-Day — was the murderer one of those veterans? — and what happened to the Armada Boy, one of a group of Spanish soldiers who survived the sinking of their ship in the waters off the coast only to be killed by the villagers in 1588.
Peterson as usual sticks close to the modern day murder investigation but he is pulled in other directions as well: his wife is pregnant and an old friend is conducting archaeological digs off the coast and in the very ruins where Openheim met his death.
The historic aspects of the story make this more than just a murder mystery but its the story telling that really make this great reading. The characters are interesting, the descriptions of the people and the country well written and realistic dialogue all add to a very good read. Can't wait to find out what next happens to our intrepid detective Peterson.
June 16, 2023
DS Wesley Peterson is settling well into Devon. He and his wife are ecstatic to finally be pregnant with their much longed-for new baby and they both are enjoying their work. When Wesley’s old archaeologist friend uncovers a dead body at the site of his next dig – a Veteran’s D Day landing, they begin to uncover a number of secrets possibly better left in the past.
This is the second book in the DS Peterson series, and I found it quite enjoyable. While there isn’t as much of a focus on the archaeology aspect to the plot as I would have liked, this was still a strongly written, well-paced and interesting British police procedural mystery book. I thought the characters were varied enough and well written enough they kept my attention and didn’t get too mixed up.
Readers looking for a strongly historical story might find this doesn’t quite fit the bill for them, but I do think readers looking for a slightly different mystery series – one strongly focused on the police aspect of solving the crime and a slower, more realistic country setting style of pacing – should find this as enjoyable as I did. I did enjoy the way the author handled the World War 2 connections and found them to be both sensitively written but also intriguing enough to maintain my attention. And while the plot wasn’t overly convoluted, it did keep me guessing well into the story.
A strong and interesting mystery novel, this is a good book and a series I plan to continue reading.
This is the second book in the DS Peterson series, and I found it quite enjoyable. While there isn’t as much of a focus on the archaeology aspect to the plot as I would have liked, this was still a strongly written, well-paced and interesting British police procedural mystery book. I thought the characters were varied enough and well written enough they kept my attention and didn’t get too mixed up.
Readers looking for a strongly historical story might find this doesn’t quite fit the bill for them, but I do think readers looking for a slightly different mystery series – one strongly focused on the police aspect of solving the crime and a slower, more realistic country setting style of pacing – should find this as enjoyable as I did. I did enjoy the way the author handled the World War 2 connections and found them to be both sensitively written but also intriguing enough to maintain my attention. And while the plot wasn’t overly convoluted, it did keep me guessing well into the story.
A strong and interesting mystery novel, this is a good book and a series I plan to continue reading.
June 5, 2017
It might look like I'm an easy grader where reading is concerned. If I really don't like something, I don't finish it. Life is too short to drink bad tea, imbibe bad wine, or read bad books. That's why libraries are so wonderful. They don't judge or cost you if a book is DNFF (did not F'ing finish!).
This is a terrific series. While it is called the Wesley Peterson mysteries, it really is an ensemble group that works together to solve mysteries. The Inspector, the woman constable, and Wesley Peterson, a black detective sargent transplant from London. You get tidbits of their lives. Intertwined in this series are excerpts from historical books or journals that end up having a bearing on the case.
A reunion of American soldiers in the gentle shores of Devon, celebrating their maneuvers in preparation for D-Day decades before. Still paying respects and mourning the loss of comrades, the former soldiers reawaken some secrets from the past. One of them in murdered in the ruins of an old Catholic church, the site of an archaeological dig headed by Wesley's friend, Neil, who discovers the body.
This old old village relives some of its resentments, loves, and remembrances of the past which comes back to haunt them in the present.
A very good mystery unraveled by the whole team. Enjoyed this one, the second in the series.
This is a terrific series. While it is called the Wesley Peterson mysteries, it really is an ensemble group that works together to solve mysteries. The Inspector, the woman constable, and Wesley Peterson, a black detective sargent transplant from London. You get tidbits of their lives. Intertwined in this series are excerpts from historical books or journals that end up having a bearing on the case.
A reunion of American soldiers in the gentle shores of Devon, celebrating their maneuvers in preparation for D-Day decades before. Still paying respects and mourning the loss of comrades, the former soldiers reawaken some secrets from the past. One of them in murdered in the ruins of an old Catholic church, the site of an archaeological dig headed by Wesley's friend, Neil, who discovers the body.
This old old village relives some of its resentments, loves, and remembrances of the past which comes back to haunt them in the present.
A very good mystery unraveled by the whole team. Enjoyed this one, the second in the series.
December 28, 2023
The Armada Boy by Kate Ellis is the 2nd book of the Wesley Peterson mystery series set in 1994 Devon, with references to 1944 and to 1588. Once again Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson works with his university friend Neil Watson. Neil is about to begin an archaeology dig in a ruined chapel, when a contemporary murder victim is found. The victim is one of a group of US veterans who trained for the Normandy Landing in Devon, back for a 50-year memorial. Interesting history lesson!
It's a bad time for Wesley to be away from home pursuing a crime investigation, and taking breaks to visit his friend's dig. Wesley's wife Pam is due to give birth to their first child. She's still working hard as an elementary school teacher, and worrying about the neighbors who are losing their home.
Wesley and his boss (Detective Inspector Heffernan) must dig into the backgrounds of the village residents to identify the killer. The complexity of the case is satisfying; quite disconcerting are the frequent references to age, as if age alone is a disability. The first example (of too many to count): the victim wore a baseball jacket and cap with his home team logo, apparel described as "ridiculous at his age" (67). Why shouldn't a baseball fan of any age wear team logo gear, if he/she wishes?! The veterans are all described as elderly, even though they are able-bodied and alert-minded. Ageism throughout the book jolts the reading flow. I liked the first book so much, I'll give the series one more try.
It's a bad time for Wesley to be away from home pursuing a crime investigation, and taking breaks to visit his friend's dig. Wesley's wife Pam is due to give birth to their first child. She's still working hard as an elementary school teacher, and worrying about the neighbors who are losing their home.
Wesley and his boss (Detective Inspector Heffernan) must dig into the backgrounds of the village residents to identify the killer. The complexity of the case is satisfying; quite disconcerting are the frequent references to age, as if age alone is a disability. The first example (of too many to count): the victim wore a baseball jacket and cap with his home team logo, apparel described as "ridiculous at his age" (67). Why shouldn't a baseball fan of any age wear team logo gear, if he/she wishes?! The veterans are all described as elderly, even though they are able-bodied and alert-minded. Ageism throughout the book jolts the reading flow. I liked the first book so much, I'll give the series one more try.
Read
October 11, 2020A really good read. This DS Wesley Peterson series is really enjoyable. They are easy to read and the stories flow along nicely. This is my second book of the series and I intend to read many more.
A good friend of Wesley's, Neil Watson is preparing for an archeological excavation in the old chapel chantry in a local Devonshire village, where he hopes to find the bones of a number of ship wrecked Spaniards from an attempted invasion in 1588. However before he starts he calls Wesley to tell him that he has found the freshly murdered body of an American war veteran called Norman Openheim.
Norman was part of the D Day landing forces that arrived in Devon in the second world war. He is back in Devon for a reunion with other veterans, when he is followed and murdered.
Meanwhile another murder comes to light of a young Spaniard who survived the ship wreck of the Armada back in 1588 and both similarities of the two murders come to light.
Great story and very cleverly written, with some brilliant charcters making regular appearances throughout the book. There are also lots of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages!
A good friend of Wesley's, Neil Watson is preparing for an archeological excavation in the old chapel chantry in a local Devonshire village, where he hopes to find the bones of a number of ship wrecked Spaniards from an attempted invasion in 1588. However before he starts he calls Wesley to tell him that he has found the freshly murdered body of an American war veteran called Norman Openheim.
Norman was part of the D Day landing forces that arrived in Devon in the second world war. He is back in Devon for a reunion with other veterans, when he is followed and murdered.
Meanwhile another murder comes to light of a young Spaniard who survived the ship wreck of the Armada back in 1588 and both similarities of the two murders come to light.
Great story and very cleverly written, with some brilliant charcters making regular appearances throughout the book. There are also lots of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages!
October 26, 2022
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this book, it’s just a bit meandering, slow moving, if you will.
Strangely I had just been watching Michael Portillo walking along the Devon/Cornwall coastline on TV and he had stopped and discussed the forcible removal of a whole village of folk during WWII and the dreadful loss of American soldiers who practised their D Day landing in the bay, so I was interested to read more about it in this book.
The story involves the murder of an American, one of a group of visiting WWII veterans. What had he done to merit this untimely end? The answer obviously lies in the past.
We also have an archeological dig by Wesley’s university friend at murder site.
An old Spanish Armada ship sank in the bay and the villagers duly dispatched the survivors. However, this scenario has echoes of what happened during the war and therefore what happened in the present day.
This is the first DI Wesley Peterson book I have read though it is book 2. I have enjoyed Kate Ellis other series about Albert Lincoln so thought I’d give this a go. Wesley did not come across as such a strong character in this but I liked his boss Inspector Heffernan.
Strangely I had just been watching Michael Portillo walking along the Devon/Cornwall coastline on TV and he had stopped and discussed the forcible removal of a whole village of folk during WWII and the dreadful loss of American soldiers who practised their D Day landing in the bay, so I was interested to read more about it in this book.
The story involves the murder of an American, one of a group of visiting WWII veterans. What had he done to merit this untimely end? The answer obviously lies in the past.
We also have an archeological dig by Wesley’s university friend at murder site.
An old Spanish Armada ship sank in the bay and the villagers duly dispatched the survivors. However, this scenario has echoes of what happened during the war and therefore what happened in the present day.
This is the first DI Wesley Peterson book I have read though it is book 2. I have enjoyed Kate Ellis other series about Albert Lincoln so thought I’d give this a go. Wesley did not come across as such a strong character in this but I liked his boss Inspector Heffernan.
July 5, 2025
The second book in the DI Wesley Peterson series from Kate Ellis, I found this one to be another good read, with some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I also enjoy the different characters that we get to follow and meet. We have the main storyline but then we have lots of smaller ones that thread from and to which makes it's interesting and keeps you on your toes.
Synopsis
When archaeologist Neil Watson finds the body of an American veteran of the D-Day landings in the ruins of an old chapel, he turns to his old friend DS Wesley Peterson for help.
Both men are researching an invading Wesley, a group of American veterans on a sentimental journey to their wartime base; and Neil, a group of Spaniards killed by outraged locals as they limped from the wreckage of the Armada.
Four hundred years apart, two strangers in a strange land have died violently. Could the same motives of hatred, jealousy and revenge be at work? Wesley is running out of time to find out . . .
I will definitely continue reading this series and look forward to seeing what comes next.
Synopsis
When archaeologist Neil Watson finds the body of an American veteran of the D-Day landings in the ruins of an old chapel, he turns to his old friend DS Wesley Peterson for help.
Both men are researching an invading Wesley, a group of American veterans on a sentimental journey to their wartime base; and Neil, a group of Spaniards killed by outraged locals as they limped from the wreckage of the Armada.
Four hundred years apart, two strangers in a strange land have died violently. Could the same motives of hatred, jealousy and revenge be at work? Wesley is running out of time to find out . . .
I will definitely continue reading this series and look forward to seeing what comes next.
August 11, 2025
'Old sins cast long shadows' - There is no more fitting quote for this book than that one. Hundreds of years apart, old sins have casted shadows over the present both in the past and the present day. Of actions that has proven to cause a resulting death of another person despite the time between it all.
Kate Ellis has proven that she can weave a tale of the past and the present together, linking actions and consequences together that has a rippling effect years down the line. From the 1500's to the second world war, to the present day. Of the people during those times and of actions that has led to the death of an American veteran returning to Devon on an anniversary trip, murdered in the ruins of an old chapel that was and still is an hotspot for young lovers to meet. with secrets brimming and boiling under the surface, it's up to Detective Wesley Peterson and the rest of the team to bring the killer to justice and to find the truth.
Kate Ellis has proven that she can weave a tale of the past and the present together, linking actions and consequences together that has a rippling effect years down the line. From the 1500's to the second world war, to the present day. Of the people during those times and of actions that has led to the death of an American veteran returning to Devon on an anniversary trip, murdered in the ruins of an old chapel that was and still is an hotspot for young lovers to meet. with secrets brimming and boiling under the surface, it's up to Detective Wesley Peterson and the rest of the team to bring the killer to justice and to find the truth.
April 11, 2020
After reading this and The Merchant's House (#1 in the series), I'm sorely tempted to purchase a bunch more of Kate Ellis's books. But I'm resisting for the moment. However, I must highly recommend this series about a police detective in Devon who continues his undergraduate interest in archaeology. So far (and I expect throughout the series), a mystery from the past is being investigated alongside a present-day crime. This is the similarity between Ellis's books and Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series (which is also excellent). The Wesley Peterson series (so far at least) has much less personal drama among the detectives, and Peterson and his fellow police officers are the primary crime-solvers. There is a definite sense of place (coastal Devon) and Peterson's status as an outsider (he's a black Londoner who has come with his wife to Devon seeking a calmer life) helps the reader to see the setting without too much guidebook quoting. I definitely recommend this series.
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