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Book Review of The Jackal Man: A Wesley Peterson Murder Mystery

The Jackal Man: A Wesley Peterson Murder Mystery
cathyskye avatar reviewed on + 2262 more book reviews


Kate Ellis does her usual excellent job of combining two story lines separated by time. In the old investigation, we see everything through the eyes and the experiences of a governess for the Varley children, and I felt some strong ties to Anne Brontë and her novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. (With apologies to Ellis, I just want to say that those of you who think Emily and Charlotte were the only two Brontës who could write, you really need to read Tenant. In many ways I prefer it to the other more well-known novels.) This older story line can really take readers on a roller coaster ride because the governess is a fascinating character who evolves each time she's seen.

Wesley Peterson is one of my favorite coppers, and Ellis has given him one of the best drawn teams going. Through reading the books in this series, each police officer comes to life, each with his own foibles, and the home lives of Peterson and his boss Gerry Heffernan, often figures into their investigations.

With its disquieting ending, The Jackal Man is more than a murder investigation, and it's more than an investigation into the theft of art and antiquities. It's a look into the nature of evil and of how monsters are made. It's a worthy entry in a series for readers who like to ponder evil, for readers who like a bit of history, and for those who like their coppers to have lives outside their investigations. Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series has been one of the staples of my reading for years. She knows just how I like my cup of tea.