The lost gardens of Earlsacre Hall in Devon are being excavated by a local team of historians before being restored to their former glory. However, the dig is halted when a skeleton is discovered beneath a 300 year old stone plinth, a corpse that seems to have been buried alive. But, despite the intriguing circumstances, DS Wesley Peterson has little time to indulge in his hobby of archaeology, even when more skeletons turn up in the walled garden, as he has a more recent murder case to solve. A man has been found stabbed to death in a caravan at a popular holiday park and the only clue to his identity is a newspaper cutting about the restoration of the lost gardens of Earlsacre.

Does local solicitor Brian Willerby have the answer? He seems eager to talk to Wesley but before he can reveal his secret he is found dead during a 'friendly' game of village cricket, apparently struck by a cricket ball several times with some force. If Wesley is looking for a demon bowler, this appears to let out most of the village side. But what is it about Earlsacre Hall that leads people to murder?

Reviews

"Surprising and satisfying. Another triumph for Kate Ellis." Birmingham Evening Mail.

"Has all the hallmarks of a great detective novel...just the right amount of twists and turns and brutal deaths to keep the reader interested." The Shields Gazette

"The whole combination of setting, rural eccentricities, and intriguing characters works brilliantly." The Bookseller

"A striking return. The author treats the reader to a host of distinctive characters and smoothly blends old and recent crimes. Well researched historical background. Anglophiles will drink up the local colour." US Publishers Weekly