1980, a young woman is killed in a hit and run. 2023, her body is exhumed and left on her mother’s grave while another body is buried in her final resting place instead. 2024, two more bodies are found in the graveyard…
The Graveyard Killings is the 4th book in the Yorkshire Murders series but the first I have read. There are some references to what I assume are events in the earlier books but there are no spoilers.
There are three distinct timelines in this book. I felt desperately sorry for the unsolved cases in 1980 and 2023 and so was eager for the police team to suceed in the present day. It seems abhorrent for the desecration of graves to happen, but respect for the living is also missing as drugs infiltrate the area.
There is a surprising amount of emotion in the book. Dean’s horror, shock and guilt at the death of his daughter in the past was really vivid. Riddick’s passion to avenge a drug dealer’s cruelty and the other reactions of police officers felt authentic. The professional relationships between the detectives is fraught which adds a great tension and dynamic to their characters.
The Graveyard Killings is a tense detective thriller and police procedural.
The Graveyard Killings
A decades old case….
When the body of a young girl is found exhumed from her grave, DCI Emma Gardner knows there’s more to this grisly find than just misadventure. Penny Maiden was killed in a hit and run accident forty years ago, and her killer was never found…Could someone be trying to right an old wrong?
A DI on the rails…
Determined to bring a dangerous gang of drug dealers to justice, DI Paul Riddick is trying hard to play by the rules. After his previous reckless actions, he knows this is his last chance to stay in the job he loves. But when his private life takes an unexpected turn, Riddick begins to lose control again.
Emma needs Paul to help her with her case, especially when more bodies are found in the same graveyard. But hurt badly by Riddick once before, Emma’s not sure she can trust him again.
But as Paul’s behaviour begins to spiral even more, Emma worries she may have left it far too late to save her old friend Riddick from his own destruction…
Wes Markin lives in Harrogate and is the bestselling author of the DCI Yorke crime novels set in Salisbury. He is also the author of the Jake Pettman series set in New England. You can find out more at https://www.facebook.com/WesMarkinAuthor
