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Inspector Albert Lincoln #2
The Boy Who Lived with the Dead
It is 1920 and Scotland Yard detective, DI Albert Lincoln, is still reeling from the disturbing events of the previous year. Trapped in a loveless marriage and tired of his life in London, he's pleased when he's called to a new case in the North West of England.
Before the War, he led the unsuccessful investigation into the murder of little Jimmy Rudyard in the village of Mabley Ridge in Cheshire and now a woman has been murdered there and another child is missing, the sole witness being a traumatised boy who lives in a cemetery lodge. Albert's first investigation was a failure but this time he is determined to find the truth... and the missing child.
As Albert delves into the lives of the village residents, many of whom are wealthy cotton manufacturers from nearby Manchester, he uncovers shocking secrets and obsessions. Then there is the dramatic scenery of the Ridge itself which conceals its own disturbing mysteries while the wealthy residents of big houses nearby pursue pleasure relentlessly, trying to forget the hell of the war years.
With the help of a village schoolmistress with her own secret past, Albert closes in on Jimmy's killer. Then, as more bodies are discovered, he realises that his young witness from the cemetery lodge is in grave danger, possibly from somebody he calls 'the Shadow Man'. And as he discovers more about the victims he finds information that might bring him a step closer to solving a mystery of his own - the whereabouts of his lost son.
Before the War, he led the unsuccessful investigation into the murder of little Jimmy Rudyard in the village of Mabley Ridge in Cheshire and now a woman has been murdered there and another child is missing, the sole witness being a traumatised boy who lives in a cemetery lodge. Albert's first investigation was a failure but this time he is determined to find the truth... and the missing child.
As Albert delves into the lives of the village residents, many of whom are wealthy cotton manufacturers from nearby Manchester, he uncovers shocking secrets and obsessions. Then there is the dramatic scenery of the Ridge itself which conceals its own disturbing mysteries while the wealthy residents of big houses nearby pursue pleasure relentlessly, trying to forget the hell of the war years.
With the help of a village schoolmistress with her own secret past, Albert closes in on Jimmy's killer. Then, as more bodies are discovered, he realises that his young witness from the cemetery lodge is in grave danger, possibly from somebody he calls 'the Shadow Man'. And as he discovers more about the victims he finds information that might bring him a step closer to solving a mystery of his own - the whereabouts of his lost son.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2018
101 people are currently reading
448 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 100 reviews
September 5, 2019
The second offering with Inspector Albert Lincoln starts a year and a half after solving his previous case. This time Albert goes up north to a small village in Cheshire which witnessed his failure as a policeman. Some years back he did not manage to find the murderer of a small boy, and this defeat has stayed with Albert ever since. This time a young woman is found murdered in the graveyard, and her baby missing.
The plot is quite complex, actually there are several subplots, interestingly linked and referring both to the present and to the past. The echoes of WW1 are still audible, and Albert’s secrets haunting him.
Kate Ellis is consistent with regard to this series, and the feel of the place and its atmosphere is what I enjoyed indeed. I am looking forward to Book 3, Ms Ellis!
The plot is quite complex, actually there are several subplots, interestingly linked and referring both to the present and to the past. The echoes of WW1 are still audible, and Albert’s secrets haunting him.
Kate Ellis is consistent with regard to this series, and the feel of the place and its atmosphere is what I enjoyed indeed. I am looking forward to Book 3, Ms Ellis!
December 19, 2018
Outstanding follow up to A High Mortality Of Doves. Full review at classicmystery.blog
May 22, 2019
I had already read one Kate Ellis this week, one of her Wesley Peterson series, a series I read at least one of every other month. Eventually I will catch up with her. Having returned that one to the ship’s library, I noticed it had another Kate Ellis but this one was not part of the Wesley Peterson series but featured another detective, Albert Lincoln of Scotland Yard, and is set in 1919-1920. The fly leaf sounded quite interesting—Albert returns to a village in North West England where he had failed to solve the murder of a child 10 years earlier and now a woman has been murdered and her baby is missing.
Like so many other mysteries that are set in that time period, a lot of the book centers around the tragedy of World War 1. Lincoln himself was injured in the war, families are in mourning for their lost sons and Ellis makes the point about the generation that paid the price for serving and the younger generation that, having seen the futility of war, wants to cut loose. Each character has something to hide and Ellis does a good job of unmasking those secrets in a very somberly entertaining way. (Somberly entertaining is my way of saying that the plot is sad but engrossing.)
Coming to this book, the second in the Lincoln series, I encountered several references to the first book in the series. So many that I don’t think I will read that one but will continue along with whatever next one there is or will be. In this way Ellis may have shot herself in the foot (a pun you will understand if you read this book) re sales of her first book as some people may feel as I do—I know enough about the first book not to want to read it while still wanting to continue with the series to see what happens to a few threads she has left hanging in this one.
I was totally immersed in the book—read the book in two days actually in the midst of a very stormy ocean crossing and was grateful to have it to read. Although I had part of the mystery figured out three quarters of the way through, the identity of the murderer was a surprise when it was unveiled several pages before the end. Thinking about it, though, I could see where there were several clues in the book that pointed to the murderer. It all makes sense at the end; something I always feel satisfied with a mystery. I hate plot twists that require suspension of belief.
Like so many other mysteries that are set in that time period, a lot of the book centers around the tragedy of World War 1. Lincoln himself was injured in the war, families are in mourning for their lost sons and Ellis makes the point about the generation that paid the price for serving and the younger generation that, having seen the futility of war, wants to cut loose. Each character has something to hide and Ellis does a good job of unmasking those secrets in a very somberly entertaining way. (Somberly entertaining is my way of saying that the plot is sad but engrossing.)
Coming to this book, the second in the Lincoln series, I encountered several references to the first book in the series. So many that I don’t think I will read that one but will continue along with whatever next one there is or will be. In this way Ellis may have shot herself in the foot (a pun you will understand if you read this book) re sales of her first book as some people may feel as I do—I know enough about the first book not to want to read it while still wanting to continue with the series to see what happens to a few threads she has left hanging in this one.
I was totally immersed in the book—read the book in two days actually in the midst of a very stormy ocean crossing and was grateful to have it to read. Although I had part of the mystery figured out three quarters of the way through, the identity of the murderer was a surprise when it was unveiled several pages before the end. Thinking about it, though, I could see where there were several clues in the book that pointed to the murderer. It all makes sense at the end; something I always feel satisfied with a mystery. I hate plot twists that require suspension of belief.
March 12, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of The Boy Who Lived with the Dead, the second novel to feature DI Albert Lincoln of Scotland Yard, set in 1920.
When Patience Bailey is killed in the village of Mabley Ridge DI Albert Lincoln is sent north to lead the investigation, due to his familiarity with area. He has mixed feelings about the secondment, glad to escape the pressure of his failing marriage but apprehensive about returning to the scene of failure as in 1914 he failed to find a child murderer. His investigation uncovers many village secrets and several suspects.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Boy Who Lived with the Dead which is a slow burner of a read until a final flurry of action and revelations. It should be noted that this novel makes much reference to its predecessor, A High Mortality of Doves, and regularly mentions the killer, which is the main twist in that novel, so I highly recommend reading the series in order.
Who would believe that a small village could hide so many secrets and interconnecting characters? Me, actually, as it was a smaller world at the time and secrets were easier to keep. It makes for compulsive reading as Lincoln slowly but methodically uncovers links and more crimes. It is a very cleverly constructed novel with plenty of twists and surprises but Ms Ellis saves her best for last, a well concealed killer and motive. I didn’t have a clue throughout.
The novel is told in the third person, mostly from Lincoln’s point of view, but other characters are given a perspective as and when required, notably schoolboy Peter Rudyard, twin brother of the murdered Jimmy, and schoolteacher Gwen Davies. Lincoln is a lonely, unhappy man, constantly dreaming of past love and hoping for future love but he is able to hide his pain and think through his case to a conclusion.
Ms Ellis captures the mood of the era well from the live now attitude of the young who didn’t fight to the damaged who did return and the mourning whose loved ones didn’t return. It was a devastated period that doesn’t bear thinking about.
The Boy Who Lived with the Dead is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
When Patience Bailey is killed in the village of Mabley Ridge DI Albert Lincoln is sent north to lead the investigation, due to his familiarity with area. He has mixed feelings about the secondment, glad to escape the pressure of his failing marriage but apprehensive about returning to the scene of failure as in 1914 he failed to find a child murderer. His investigation uncovers many village secrets and several suspects.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Boy Who Lived with the Dead which is a slow burner of a read until a final flurry of action and revelations. It should be noted that this novel makes much reference to its predecessor, A High Mortality of Doves, and regularly mentions the killer, which is the main twist in that novel, so I highly recommend reading the series in order.
Who would believe that a small village could hide so many secrets and interconnecting characters? Me, actually, as it was a smaller world at the time and secrets were easier to keep. It makes for compulsive reading as Lincoln slowly but methodically uncovers links and more crimes. It is a very cleverly constructed novel with plenty of twists and surprises but Ms Ellis saves her best for last, a well concealed killer and motive. I didn’t have a clue throughout.
The novel is told in the third person, mostly from Lincoln’s point of view, but other characters are given a perspective as and when required, notably schoolboy Peter Rudyard, twin brother of the murdered Jimmy, and schoolteacher Gwen Davies. Lincoln is a lonely, unhappy man, constantly dreaming of past love and hoping for future love but he is able to hide his pain and think through his case to a conclusion.
Ms Ellis captures the mood of the era well from the live now attitude of the young who didn’t fight to the damaged who did return and the mourning whose loved ones didn’t return. It was a devastated period that doesn’t bear thinking about.
The Boy Who Lived with the Dead is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
January 17, 2019
This is the second Albert Lincoln in what is supposed to be a trilogy, the first being A High Mortality of Doves.
Once more, DI Albert Lincoln has to venture into a rural village to investigate the murder of a young woman and the disappearance of her baby. One of the key witnesses is Peter, a young boy who seems confused between fantasy and reality and whose tales are not believed by others. He talks of a "Shadow Man" he has seen in the cemetery near his home. Peter is also the brother of a young boy whose murder was investigated unsuccessfully by DI Lincoln, causing the townsfolk to turn on him and become uncooperative in his current investigation.
There are many characters in this novel and many sub-plots: I became quite confused part of the way through it! Everyone seems to be keeping a deep, dark secret and, as usual with this author, the path to the solution is littered with red herrings. A Gothic atmosphere hangs over the tale and there is much referencing of the aftermath of the Great War - the plight of returned soldiers, wounded in mind as well as body; the losses sustained by so many, including the Lincolns themselves, whose son was lost. Like so many at the time, Mrs Lincoln has turned to a spiritualist, believing he can help her communicate with her son; in a way this is a substitute for her marriage, which is now a loveless shell.
Eventually all the secrets come to light and Lincoln even manages to finally solve the earlier crime. There is, however, a tantalising thread left hanging...perhaps for a future book.
Once more, DI Albert Lincoln has to venture into a rural village to investigate the murder of a young woman and the disappearance of her baby. One of the key witnesses is Peter, a young boy who seems confused between fantasy and reality and whose tales are not believed by others. He talks of a "Shadow Man" he has seen in the cemetery near his home. Peter is also the brother of a young boy whose murder was investigated unsuccessfully by DI Lincoln, causing the townsfolk to turn on him and become uncooperative in his current investigation.
There are many characters in this novel and many sub-plots: I became quite confused part of the way through it! Everyone seems to be keeping a deep, dark secret and, as usual with this author, the path to the solution is littered with red herrings. A Gothic atmosphere hangs over the tale and there is much referencing of the aftermath of the Great War - the plight of returned soldiers, wounded in mind as well as body; the losses sustained by so many, including the Lincolns themselves, whose son was lost. Like so many at the time, Mrs Lincoln has turned to a spiritualist, believing he can help her communicate with her son; in a way this is a substitute for her marriage, which is now a loveless shell.
Eventually all the secrets come to light and Lincoln even manages to finally solve the earlier crime. There is, however, a tantalising thread left hanging...perhaps for a future book.
January 10, 2021
I enjoyed the story line, it was a good one. Just didnt pull me in as much as I hope it would.
January 30, 2025
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK until you have read 'A high mortality of Doves', the first in this short series. As I was dicussing this one with my wife I made the mistake of thinking she had read it and have spoilt the two books for her. If you haven't read the first yet, be careful of what you read about this one or it could totally spoil the first.
Set just after the end of WW1, this sees our Scotland Yard detective Albert Lincoln sent 'up North' again to find a murderer. Lincoln has painful memories of his first visit to the village of Mabley Ridge before the war and his failure to find the killer of a young lad from the village. (Note, not the subject of the first book).
Now he is back in the village of his failure.
Back in London his life is falling apart as his wife has totally changed since the death of their son in the trenches of the war. He accepts this job in Cheshire to get away from it and her.
The murder he has been called on to investigate was discovered by the young lad. The twin of the victim of his unsolved last case here. The murder is soon followed by others and as well as complex famlies, 'goings in', and, as it is still so soon after the end of the war, possible deserters.
Although it is a while since I read the first, as I started reading this, it all flooded back and even if it wasn't a pageturner in the accepted sense, it soon had me hooked.
Excellent character desciptions of the limited cast and I could picture the post war setting without any problem.
Many references to the last book as Lincoln is reminded of many and differing painful personal similarities.
The author has left a potential opening for the next when one realises who has written a certail anonymous letter. I will be on the hunt for it very soon.
Set just after the end of WW1, this sees our Scotland Yard detective Albert Lincoln sent 'up North' again to find a murderer. Lincoln has painful memories of his first visit to the village of Mabley Ridge before the war and his failure to find the killer of a young lad from the village. (Note, not the subject of the first book).
Now he is back in the village of his failure.
Back in London his life is falling apart as his wife has totally changed since the death of their son in the trenches of the war. He accepts this job in Cheshire to get away from it and her.
The murder he has been called on to investigate was discovered by the young lad. The twin of the victim of his unsolved last case here. The murder is soon followed by others and as well as complex famlies, 'goings in', and, as it is still so soon after the end of the war, possible deserters.
Although it is a while since I read the first, as I started reading this, it all flooded back and even if it wasn't a pageturner in the accepted sense, it soon had me hooked.
Excellent character desciptions of the limited cast and I could picture the post war setting without any problem.
Many references to the last book as Lincoln is reminded of many and differing painful personal similarities.
The author has left a potential opening for the next when one realises who has written a certail anonymous letter. I will be on the hunt for it very soon.
September 23, 2020
This book was a gift from a friend, which I throughly enjoyed.
The year is 1920 and Detective Inspector Albert Lincoln was called yet again, to a village where there had been a murder before WWI (he had been called up for the War, and had sustained injuries). He had been sent to this village and had failed to find the killer of one of the twins, and now a lady had been murdered and a baby was missing. As he had prior experience with the locals, Scotland Yard dispatched him once again to North West England to the village of Mabley Ridge. Life is not going on well at home with the Mrs. who had also recently lost a child, and he had had a disaster of an affair the year previously, which also involved a child.
The D.I. try's to solve the grave yard murder. I really enjoyed this book, as I can normally figure out who dun it. This time, no clue. Well done author Kate Ellis. Though I did guess who the "Shadow Man" without a Face was, but could not figure out how that would end.
Good story, mixing in bits of WWI and the tragic lives of the soldiers that returned, so terribly harmed by the awful events of the trenches, a bit of the old "upstairs, downstairs" where the maids get snooty and above their station. Yes, I consider this a good read.
The year is 1920 and Detective Inspector Albert Lincoln was called yet again, to a village where there had been a murder before WWI (he had been called up for the War, and had sustained injuries). He had been sent to this village and had failed to find the killer of one of the twins, and now a lady had been murdered and a baby was missing. As he had prior experience with the locals, Scotland Yard dispatched him once again to North West England to the village of Mabley Ridge. Life is not going on well at home with the Mrs. who had also recently lost a child, and he had had a disaster of an affair the year previously, which also involved a child.
The D.I. try's to solve the grave yard murder. I really enjoyed this book, as I can normally figure out who dun it. This time, no clue. Well done author Kate Ellis. Though I did guess who the "Shadow Man" without a Face was, but could not figure out how that would end.
Good story, mixing in bits of WWI and the tragic lives of the soldiers that returned, so terribly harmed by the awful events of the trenches, a bit of the old "upstairs, downstairs" where the maids get snooty and above their station. Yes, I consider this a good read.
May 26, 2019
This book was not what I was expecting from its title, nevertheless, it was a remarkable, fast-paced thriller with many twists in the plot. There were many threads to the story all of which were neatly developed. I hadn’t read the first book before reading this and although I think I would have benefited from doing so, I didn’t feel as though my enjoyment of “ The Boy Who Lived With the Dead” had been spoiled.
This enjoyable historical crime thriller was set in 1920 and DI Albert Lincoln is sent from Scotland Yard to investigate a murder in northern England which brings back memories of an earlier unsolved crime and also some personal memories.
The book was well written and excellently paced and I found it to be a most fulfilling read.
I highly recommend this very solid thriller which is definitely worthy of its five stars.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
This enjoyable historical crime thriller was set in 1920 and DI Albert Lincoln is sent from Scotland Yard to investigate a murder in northern England which brings back memories of an earlier unsolved crime and also some personal memories.
The book was well written and excellently paced and I found it to be a most fulfilling read.
I highly recommend this very solid thriller which is definitely worthy of its five stars.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 22, 2019
Sequel to "High Mortality of Doves".
Did not enjoy at all. Felt more like a filler piece than a novel in it's own right.
Did not enjoy at all. Felt more like a filler piece than a novel in it's own right.
March 20, 2020
I read the first book in this series, A High Mortality of Doves, when it came out several years ago. This one actually came out two years ago, but I recently read a review and realized I missed it. I reviewed my original blog post about the first book where I described it as macabre. This one also fits the bill. However, I really enjoyed it despite that. When Albert Lincoln is called again to assist with a murder in the village of Mabley Ridge in NW England it brings back unpleasant memories of a murder that he was unable to solve, little Jimmy Rudyard. Now he's been called back to assist with a murder of a woman found in a grave with her arm outstretched by an already traumatized little boy. In addition a baby is missing. Meanwhile, Lincoln is still dealing with his own WW1 traumat - his face is scarred and most of one hand is missing. In addition, his wife is sinking deeper and deeper into depression as a result of their little boy's death. She has fallen under the spell of a charlatan who has sessions where she is told that little Freddie is happily playing with other children in heaven. She can't forgive her husband and has been cold and indifferent. In addition, Lincoln is haunted by his last case and the woman with whom he had an affair.
Just a suggestion: if you haven't read a High Mortality of Doves, I would read that first and then this one. This is a very well written book as was the previous one in the series. She is also the author of the long running Wesley Peterson series who combines his interest in archaeology with his love of being a police officer. She also has a series featuring Joe Plantagenet that takes place in York although she doesn't call it that. There haven't been any news ones in that series for a while. I like that one. Perhaps it just didn't sell well. It has a bit of a supernatural edge which usually appeals to readers.
There is a new one in the Albert Lincoln series coming out in November 2020. I'm looking forward to it. The book leaves enough loose ends that the reader hopes get at least partially cleared up.
Just a suggestion: if you haven't read a High Mortality of Doves, I would read that first and then this one. This is a very well written book as was the previous one in the series. She is also the author of the long running Wesley Peterson series who combines his interest in archaeology with his love of being a police officer. She also has a series featuring Joe Plantagenet that takes place in York although she doesn't call it that. There haven't been any news ones in that series for a while. I like that one. Perhaps it just didn't sell well. It has a bit of a supernatural edge which usually appeals to readers.
There is a new one in the Albert Lincoln series coming out in November 2020. I'm looking forward to it. The book leaves enough loose ends that the reader hopes get at least partially cleared up.
January 18, 2019
I really enjoyed this book set post WW1, great characters and I feel another one will come along with Inspector Albert Lincoln being the lead.
March 26, 2019
I love the writing style of Kate Ellis and as a 2nd book in this trilogy I finished it in 2 days so I'm looking forward to the 3rd and final novel in the series
April 29, 2024
The second book in Kate Ellis's series about murders in the wake of world war one. Take care to read them in order, because the second book contains spoilers about the plot in the first book. I enjoyed the read and have started the third part.
November 11, 2019
Thrilling
April 28, 2019
Fantastic - Albert Lincoln returns - such a understanding of the harm of war - secrets, lies, respectability in a small town. Really looking forward to book 3
February 6, 2021
This book is another from an author I had not encountered before and I enjoyed it immensely. So many characters with so many secrets! Highly recommended if you enjoy a good mystery!
January 4, 2019
In a certain way this book is a continuation of “A high mortality of Doves”. I suggest that you read that book before this one so that certain things are not spoiled for you. But in other respects the story of this book stands on its own. Once again we are confronted by the horrors of the First World War. And then there is the baby who disappears, the boy who “fabricates” stories, the man without a face and the murder of a young women and an old women. The reader becomes emotionally involved with certain characters of the story so that it is hard to put the book down. And Kate Ellis still manages to surprise the reader with revelation after revelation. She must be a genius to write a story like this.
July 2, 2019
Remembered reading the first installment of this series, but failed to remember than I didn't love it.
It all came back to me.
While it is a convoluted murder mystery, an interesting side note is that every couple portrayed in unhappy.
Dismal.
It all came back to me.
While it is a convoluted murder mystery, an interesting side note is that every couple portrayed in unhappy.
Dismal.
February 21, 2021
Great follow on from the previous detective novel featuring my new hero DI Albert Lincoln 'A High Mortality of Doves', and after an extremely enjoyable read of 'The Boy Who Lived with the Dead' am rapidly moving onto the third in the new series, yes folks I have become addicted.
The second in the series was chilling and a mystery, as always with this amazing author, right up to the final chapter, which left me open-mouthed and a great need to follow DI Lincoln into his next case ''The House of the Hanged Woman'.
'The Boy who lived with the Dead' is such a well constructed detective novel, I couldn' fault it. The mystery is set in early 1920 when DI Lincoln is called to a case that was unsolved by him prior to WWII when a young boy is murdered in North West England. He is fighting his own problems and sadness as he goes back the village determined that he'll not fail again where there has been another murder and a child goes missing. The rest you must read for yourself as he returns to face the people that he still feels he had left down and promises to solve both murders....and then there are more deaths!A well written detective novel that keeps you on your toes from start to finish.
The second in the series was chilling and a mystery, as always with this amazing author, right up to the final chapter, which left me open-mouthed and a great need to follow DI Lincoln into his next case ''The House of the Hanged Woman'.
'The Boy who lived with the Dead' is such a well constructed detective novel, I couldn' fault it. The mystery is set in early 1920 when DI Lincoln is called to a case that was unsolved by him prior to WWII when a young boy is murdered in North West England. He is fighting his own problems and sadness as he goes back the village determined that he'll not fail again where there has been another murder and a child goes missing. The rest you must read for yourself as he returns to face the people that he still feels he had left down and promises to solve both murders....and then there are more deaths!A well written detective novel that keeps you on your toes from start to finish.
April 30, 2019
I love Kate Ellis! She's one of my all-time favourite authors, mainly because her plots are so fiendishly clever I can never work out 'whodunit'. Or if I do, my guess will be only a small part of the story. I don't know how she does it!
Kate Ellis is mainly known for her 'Wesley Peterson' archaeological mystery series - set in the present day but with a historical mystery threading through the stories. The Boy Who Lived with the Dead is the second in her 'Albert Lincoln' series and is set during the years following the First World War. This is not a time period I'm familiar with, and I found it fascinating to read how such a a horrific war continued to affect people, not only the soldiers.
If you've not read the first book in this series, A High Mortality of Doves, you do need to do so. The plot of that book is mentioned throughout this one, with huge spoilers. Having said that, you can read this one as a stand alone - just be aware of those spoilers!
The Boy Who Lived with the Dead starts in 1920. The title refers to a young boy called Peter, who lives in the lodge bordering the cemetery because his father is the gravedigger. A few years earlier, Peter's twin brother was murdered and left for dead in the local stone circle. Inspector Albert Lincoln was unable to solve this murder and it has haunted him ever since. Now he's back to investigate the murder of a woman and the disappearance of her baby. Are the two cases connected? Did Peter witness the murder from his bedroom window? Or is he lying about that, the way the entire village believes he lies about everything else?
The Boy Who Lived with the Dead is basically the perfect murder mystery! It's brilliantly plotted and I love the characters! Albert is traumatised from the events of the first book, not to mention the war and his unhappy marriage. Peter is suffering from the loss of his twin. He has no friends and most adults dismiss him as being a fantasist. I loved Peter's teacher, Gwen Davies, who tries to solve the murders herself, and I also enjoyed the way practically the entire village had a secret to hide!
If you love traditional/classic murder mysteries, you will adore this book. It's one of my favourite reads this year - I can't wait for the next one!
Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.
Kate Ellis is mainly known for her 'Wesley Peterson' archaeological mystery series - set in the present day but with a historical mystery threading through the stories. The Boy Who Lived with the Dead is the second in her 'Albert Lincoln' series and is set during the years following the First World War. This is not a time period I'm familiar with, and I found it fascinating to read how such a a horrific war continued to affect people, not only the soldiers.
If you've not read the first book in this series, A High Mortality of Doves, you do need to do so. The plot of that book is mentioned throughout this one, with huge spoilers. Having said that, you can read this one as a stand alone - just be aware of those spoilers!
The Boy Who Lived with the Dead starts in 1920. The title refers to a young boy called Peter, who lives in the lodge bordering the cemetery because his father is the gravedigger. A few years earlier, Peter's twin brother was murdered and left for dead in the local stone circle. Inspector Albert Lincoln was unable to solve this murder and it has haunted him ever since. Now he's back to investigate the murder of a woman and the disappearance of her baby. Are the two cases connected? Did Peter witness the murder from his bedroom window? Or is he lying about that, the way the entire village believes he lies about everything else?
The Boy Who Lived with the Dead is basically the perfect murder mystery! It's brilliantly plotted and I love the characters! Albert is traumatised from the events of the first book, not to mention the war and his unhappy marriage. Peter is suffering from the loss of his twin. He has no friends and most adults dismiss him as being a fantasist. I loved Peter's teacher, Gwen Davies, who tries to solve the murders herself, and I also enjoyed the way practically the entire village had a secret to hide!
If you love traditional/classic murder mysteries, you will adore this book. It's one of my favourite reads this year - I can't wait for the next one!
Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.
July 15, 2021
I didn't know until I started reading this book that it was number two, but I sure started to feel like it a few pages in! The backstory of the book, post World War I with Inspector Albert Lincoln, sounded more interesting in the book than the book itself!
Having said that, here he returns to a previous crime scene, which he didn't solve, and tackles another set of deaths which are all connected to those in a small village.
I like the way he provides some characters, like Peter, the child with a huge imagination but personified as the boy who cries wolf. It also tries to sympathetically deal with PTSD, about which not a lot was known then.
There aren't many other characters that redeem themselves in any way, though. Everyone is having affairs with other people's husbands and wives, or tempted to do so, or using people to get away with things. No one is NICE to each other. It's a bit depressing. I like the way Kate Ellis writes, and I did feel interested enough to continue to the end, but it's quite a dark read.
Having said that, here he returns to a previous crime scene, which he didn't solve, and tackles another set of deaths which are all connected to those in a small village.
I like the way he provides some characters, like Peter, the child with a huge imagination but personified as the boy who cries wolf. It also tries to sympathetically deal with PTSD, about which not a lot was known then.
There aren't many other characters that redeem themselves in any way, though. Everyone is having affairs with other people's husbands and wives, or tempted to do so, or using people to get away with things. No one is NICE to each other. It's a bit depressing. I like the way Kate Ellis writes, and I did feel interested enough to continue to the end, but it's quite a dark read.
December 4, 2021
The second mystery in the Albert Lincoln series, and again not bad. Again not in the same category as Wesley Peterson, but a decent, well written and tightly plotted mystery.
But if I had to use one word to qualify this book, it would be repetitive. The references to WW I are starting to make this story almost formulaic. Many were wounded, check. Not just physically, check. Virtually all women volunteered and were confronted with the above, check. The whole pattern of murder(s) and murderer(s) seems to have been loosely based on the first book, with some changes here and there. The marriage of Albert is still on the brink of unsalvageable. But the village has the same characteristics as in the first novel: grey, gloomy, northern. Even the goodies are not very well balanced people, and the baddies are definitely unbalanced if not unhinged.
I'm not really looking forward to the third novel.
But if I had to use one word to qualify this book, it would be repetitive. The references to WW I are starting to make this story almost formulaic. Many were wounded, check. Not just physically, check. Virtually all women volunteered and were confronted with the above, check. The whole pattern of murder(s) and murderer(s) seems to have been loosely based on the first book, with some changes here and there. The marriage of Albert is still on the brink of unsalvageable. But the village has the same characteristics as in the first novel: grey, gloomy, northern. Even the goodies are not very well balanced people, and the baddies are definitely unbalanced if not unhinged.
I'm not really looking forward to the third novel.
December 27, 2018
Atmospheric sequel, mainly set in Cheshire. Very good on the aftermath of the First World War - the impact on communities and families, the flu epidemic, the former soldiers begging in the streets, the bereaved turning for comfort to suspect spiritualists. This is still quite melodramatic but not so much as the previous book in the series. The cemetery provides some very Gothic moments - a woman murdered by being pushed unconscious into an open grave and buried alive, for instance. A mystery from the past is eventually solved as well as the current spate of crimes; there is lots of hidden identity and name changes (all revealed); as in the previous book, the murderer is someone who has been trusted by everyone. There are two, or maybe three threads hanging which might be picked up in a third book, if there is one ...
July 6, 2020
Synopsis for my memory: Let me start by saying there are a whole pile of characters and storylines that aren't particularly relevant to the book. Albert goes back to the town where he couldn't find Jimmy's killer. A woman was clubbed and pushed into an open grave, then buried alive. The baby she had with her has disappeared. Through a long, dragged out investigation, it turns out that 2 very minor characters were the culprits: the police sergeant and his lover. They killed the woman, and another woman who saw them. Also, they killed Jimmy 4 years ago because he saw them making out. His twin brother Peter also saw them, but they didn't know that, which is why he is living. He eventually remembers and is able to tell "who dunnit." The sergeant gets away and Albert still hasn't found his son.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
This is a brilliant series - this is number two, and Inspector Lincoln is again summoned north after a woman's body is found in a grave dug for someone else, and her baby is missing. But Albert has been here before, trying to find the murderer of a young lad, who's twin is still in the village. The twin is a strange child, prone to visions and imagination, but thought highly of by his teacher.
Albert is struggling as his wife becomes more and more obsessed with their dead son, but he remains professional and starts on the trail to find the killer.
The result is a fascinating and twisty read, keeping the reader guessing until the end. It delves into the depths of evil and the damage done to men who fought in the First World War. A cracking story.
Albert is struggling as his wife becomes more and more obsessed with their dead son, but he remains professional and starts on the trail to find the killer.
The result is a fascinating and twisty read, keeping the reader guessing until the end. It delves into the depths of evil and the damage done to men who fought in the First World War. A cracking story.
December 29, 2018
I didn't realise, when I found this book in the library, that it featured DI Albert Lincoln who had first appeared in A Mortality of Doves. This was equally as good a read. It is set just a year later. For those who have yet to read the first book there's an unobtrusive 'catch up' included within the story which means that each book can be read as a stand alone. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plotting to satisfy 'whodunnit' fans. I certainly didn't guess the outcome until very near to the end. The historical setting feels appropriate particularly within the dialogue used. And there's something of a cliff hanger at the end which hopefully signals more DI Lincoln stories to come.
January 16, 2020
Kate Ellis follows up A High Mortality of Doves with another excellent mystery set in post WW1 England.
This begins in the year following that book. Albert Lincoln is called to the town of Mabley Ridge to investigate a murder and disappearance of a child. He's been there before and failed one child and hopes to redeem that failure and bury some of his own personal demons. But this town has more secrets than he could ever have expected. With so many people having so many secrets to hide how can he hope to solve either case?
Atmospheric and intriguing this book had me hooked late into the night. A series definitely worth following.
This begins in the year following that book. Albert Lincoln is called to the town of Mabley Ridge to investigate a murder and disappearance of a child. He's been there before and failed one child and hopes to redeem that failure and bury some of his own personal demons. But this town has more secrets than he could ever have expected. With so many people having so many secrets to hide how can he hope to solve either case?
Atmospheric and intriguing this book had me hooked late into the night. A series definitely worth following.
April 4, 2020
Excellent mystery. Set not long after the first world war Inspector Lincoln, still reeling from the events of the previous book, is once again sent north from London to sort out a woman found in the wrong grave.
A follow up to the wonderful
Kate Ellis writes consistently well, however this particular series is, in my opinion, weightier and more meaty than some of her others.
More Please!
A follow up to the wonderful
Kate Ellis writes consistently well, however this particular series is, in my opinion, weightier and more meaty than some of her others.
More Please!
October 25, 2020
This was an interesting read as I always enjoy historical mysteries.
My main issue with this book however was the timing, there were three or four ongoing mysteries but they all seemed to pick up and reach stalemate at the same time so you kept getting very intense info-dumping followed by chapters where nothing happened. Also there was no way to guess the murderer until the end which was frustrating as I prefer for there to be a clue or two beforehand rather than a ‘ta-da bet you didn’t see this coming’ when of course you didn’t as there hadn’t been any hints.
Apart from that pretty good and enjoyable.
My main issue with this book however was the timing, there were three or four ongoing mysteries but they all seemed to pick up and reach stalemate at the same time so you kept getting very intense info-dumping followed by chapters where nothing happened. Also there was no way to guess the murderer until the end which was frustrating as I prefer for there to be a clue or two beforehand rather than a ‘ta-da bet you didn’t see this coming’ when of course you didn’t as there hadn’t been any hints.
Apart from that pretty good and enjoyable.
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