Serpent's Point: Book 26 in the DI Wesley Peterson crime series

Product Information

Then we move forward five years to the discovery of the dead body of a woman probably in her early thirties lying on a costal path. Wesley Peterson is assigned to the case. The enticing opening of this the 26th book in the DI Wesley Peterson series set in Devon has you hooked with the first line ‘The Bridegroom had strangler’s hands.’

A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph Serpent's Point in South Devon is the focus of local legends. The large house on the headland is shrouded in an ancient tale of evil, and when a woman is found strangled on the coastal path, DI Wesley Peterson is called to investigate. I really enjoyed Serpent's Point because Wesley's friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, has a larger role. When two teenage girls take their metal detectors to a field close to the old manor house, their find brings Neil into what could very well be a monumental discovery. Neil not only gets to dig around in the attic for old documents, but his work in the field also garners the attention of nighthawks, and that leads to a stay with Wesley and Wesley's wife, Pam, who gave me the biggest laugh in the book. The three have been good friends since their university days, and it doesn't take much for Pam to realize that she chose the right man: "...at least Wesley left his work behind once he was home. If she'd opted for Neil, she'd have taken permanent second place to a hole in the ground." I've been a devoted fan of this series since the first book, and by this time, the entire cast has become family. I love the dual timeline aspect of each book. In Serpent's Point, readers follow along with Wesley and Neil in the present day, but they're also treated to the journal entries of wannabe famous archaeologist Dr. Aldus Claye who lived at Serpent's Point in 1921. Claye's journal entries gave me delicious little shivers because they reminded me so much of Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess". The woman had been house-sitting at Serpent's Point and Wesley is surprised to discover that she was conducting an investigation into unsolved missing person cases. Could these enquires have led to her murder?

Diaries & Calendars

The intermittent excerpts from the 1921 archaeological dig team didn't feel too relevant throughout the book and it didn't have too much impact on the ending which was disappointing. I think if those little pieces hadn't been included, I may have enjoyed it more. They broke up the story leading to a less enjoyable read.

While the case takes Wesley to Yorkshire and the Cotswolds, archaeologist Neil Watson is making a dramatic discovery of his own in the fields near the house.

Games

As in all previous novels Ellis presents the reader with not just one mystery but two. How do they link? Fascinating and intriguing, both stories unfold providing a thoroughly satisfying read. Most highly recommended. Interspersed with Wesley’s investigation there are several diary entries dating from May to June 1921 from the journal of Dr Aldus Claye, who at that time was also excited at a possible Roman settlement in his field. Meanwhile Neil is excited at the possibility that there is a link to a settlement from Roman times. When a skeleton is uncovered, it appears that Serpent's Point could hold many secrets.