When a tree is blown down in a storm a skeleton and a backpack are found buried underneath it. Could it be the body of a hitch-hiker who disappeared 11 years ago?

Enjoyable mystery with some atmospheric spooky goings-on near the beginning. I had worked out the mechanism that was revealed near the end quite early on even if I didn't know who exactly was involved. ( )

I only have one more chance to 'better' DI Wesley Peterson, and I'm beginning to think that I shall not achieve it! Kate Ellis has beaten me again; and I enjoyed my humiliation immensely! ( )

Every summer, I choose to get caught up with a few of the mystery series I've fallen behind in reading. This summer, I chose Kate Ellis' Wesley Peterson police procedural series, although I've often used it as a GGR (Guaranteed Good Read) after I've read things that weren't my cup of tea. I've enjoyed the time I've spent in Devon with Wesley and the other members of Ellis' excellent cast. Through twenty-four books, these people have become friends, and I always enjoy catching up with what's going on in their lives. It takes a talented writer like Ellis to turn characters into family without weighing down the plot.

In The Burial Circle, Ellis uses Devon's early history of mills and the cloth industry, and early forms of insurance and photography to weave an atmospheric tale that kept me guessing. There is a very light touch of the paranormal in this book which shouldn't turn off anyone who's against "woo-woo" in their reading because it's easily explained by logic. More than anything else, the paranormal is used to heighten the eeriness of the story surrounding the old mill.

As with most Wesley Peterson series, it's fun to see how all the various parts of the mystery fit together. If you're put off at the thought of reading a (so far) twenty-four book series, The Burial Circle stands alone quite well. Longtime fans will agree-- Kate Ellis's series fits in well with other crime writers like Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves. It's one of my all-time favorites. ( )