There is something so satisfying about a murder mystery that somehow connects all its characters and plot points by the ending. Connie Berry’s new book release does exactly that. We’ve read a few mysteries this year, and we think A Grave Deception may just be our favorite one yet!
A Grave Deception by Connie Berry is the sixth book in the author’s Kate Hamilton Mystery series but can be read as a standalone. And after reading this new installment, we’re sorely tempted to binge the rest of the series. Here are three reasons why A Grave Deception needs to be your next read!
Book Overview: A Grave Deception
Content warnings: death, murder, violence, weapons, slight gore, bodies, corpses, mentions of sexual assault and blackmail, pregnancy
Summary: Kate Hamilton and her husband, Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, have settled into married life in Long Barston. When archaeologists excavating the ruins of a nearby plague village discover the miraculously preserved body of a fourteenth-century woman, Kate and her colleague, Ivor Tweedy, are asked to appraise the grave goods, including a valuable pearl. When tests reveal the woman was pregnant and murdered, the owner of the estate on which the body was found, an amateur historian, asks Kate to identify her and, if possible, her killer. Surprised, Kate agrees to try.
Meanwhile, tensions within the archaeological team erupt when the body of the lead archaeologist turns up at the dig site with fake pearls in his mouth and stomach. Then a third body is found in the excavations. Meanwhile, Kate’s husband Tom is tracking the movements of a killer of his own.
With the help of 700-year-old documents and the unpublished research of a deceased historian, Kate must piece together the past before the grave count reaches four.
The Lovable Cast
While A Grave Deception was our first time meeting the characters of the Kate Hamilton Mystery universe, we were instantly charmed! Kate and Tom are our royal couple now, to be honest. Their relationship is so healthy and intentional; we’re curious to know how these two met. They each give off such a warm and kind energy. It’s no wonder the suspects all seem to spill their secrets around Kate. We also love Kate’s colleague Ivor with his calm, paternal demeanor and comedic relief.
Kate’s Investigative Savvy
We seriously enjoyed solving the different mysteries alongside Kate in A Grave Deception. She’s resourceful, well connected, and so sensible about her private investigations. In solving the mystery of the Egemere Woman, Kate needed to view archives from the fourteenth century, documents that are already plenty difficult to find, let alone translate. Then came the murder mystery of Dr. Sinclair, a not-so-pleasant man surrounded by a team with plenty of motives. And Kate pieced the puzzle together seamlessly!
Interconnected Murder Mysteries
Speaking of seamlessly, the author also weaves the three (yes, three!) different murder mysteries together beautifully in A Grave Deception. We don’t want to spoil too much, so bear with our vagueness. When a third body is found at the same archaeological site, a nine-year-old cold case reopens. As Kate starts to uncover the identity of the Egemere Woman, she can’t help but notice similarities with that of the third victim. The third victim’s ties to Dr. Sinclair and his murderer turn out to be closer than we could’ve imagined.
With incredible pacing, lovable characters, and three interconnected murder mysteries, A Grave Deception by Connie Berry has quickly become our new favorite mystery of the year!
A Grave Deception by Connie Berry releases on December 9th, and you can order a copy of it here!
What do you think of the latest installment of Connie Berry’s Kate Hamilton Mystery series? Are you looking forward to reading A Grave Deception? Let us know over on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
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