I had hoped to get to the Bexley Public Library when Connie Berry appeared there to talk about her sixth Kate Hamilton mystery, A Grave Deception. But, it poured that night, and I didn’t want to drive in the dark in the rain. I did buy a copy of the book, though, and I’m glad I did. A Grave Deception reminds me of Kate Ellis’ books featuring DI Wesley Peterson. It’s the combination of a current investigation and a cold case on a parallel track, connected by archaeology.
The Center for Medieval British Archaeology asked Ivor Tweedy, owner of The Cabinet of Curiosities, and Kate Hamilton, his business partner, to examine the grave goods uncovered at a dig site, the village of Egemere. A woman’s preserved body had been discovered, a body from the early fourteenth century. Called “The Pearl of Wyck”, she had been buried along with a large, lustrous pearl. When Kate saw the pearl, her inner voice spoke to her, a gift experienced when an item had been associated with violence. Then Alex Belcourt, owner of the museum where the pearl was exhibited, hires Kate to investigate the woman’s murder. He himself had been married to a beautiful woman who disappeared nine years earlier. He believes she’s dead, but he associates the earlier burial with his own wife’s disappearance.
Both events are connected to the archaeological dig. Belcourt’s wife, Carrie, had been working with the archaeological team when she disappeared. Now, some of those team members are back nine years later, including Dr. Simon Sinclair, the head of the team. Kate finds him obnoxious and overbearing, and particularly obnoxious in his dealings with women. She never expected he would be murdered at the dig site.
Kate’s husband, Tom Mallory, is the Detective Chief Inspector in charge of the investigation into Sinclair’s murder. However, because Kate is involved with the team already, he asks her to listen to their conversations, and make suggestions as to his case. It’s fascinating to watch Kate align the investigations of the two cases, the past and present one.
There is another storyline, the police search for a missing man who was involved in a death at a pub. I’ll admit I was leery of this storyline, suspecting it would cause danger. However, Berry handles it beautifully, and I was reassured as to her writing skill. I feared it was going to be an unnecessary inclusion.
I enjoyed all the historical research in A Grave Deception. As I said, it reminds me of Kate Ellis’ books. If you like those police procedurals combined with archaeology, you might want to try this one. It can stand alone.
Connie Berry’s website is https://connieberry.com/
A Grave Deception by Connie Berry. Crooked Lane Books, 2025. 336p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I bought a Kindle copy of the book.
This was one of my favorites. Each book seems to get better. Thank you for the review.
It was one of my favorites, too, Sharon. I like the cold case and modern case alignment in a mystery.
I have this book on my nightstand to start next. I was able to hear Connie talk about the book at the Toledo Library earlier this week, so I think I’m extra excited to read this one since now I know some of the true stories that inspired the book!
I wish I’d had the chance to hear her in December, Kate, but the weather was just awful the night she appeared in Bexley. Enjoy the book!
I haven’t read any of this series. It sounds like you’re saying that Kate Hamilton, the main character, has psychic powers. Or is this a series with magic in it? I read a lot of fantasy, so I’m not saying it would ruin the book for me. Just trying to understand.
Kim, No, it’s not a series with magic, and she doesn’t really understand her gift. It’s not the focus of the books. When there’s violence associated with an antique, she sometimes gets an unusual feeling. But, she can’t use that to find out what happened. It’s really research. Berry grew up around antiques, and uses that knowledge in her books. I’d really call them traditional mysteries.