The Blood Pit

Bodies completely drained of blood are showing up on Detective Inspector Wesley Peterson's patch, and the only thing that links them together is the way in which they were killed. Wesley's archaeologist friend, Neil Watson, is working at a nearby medieval abbey and he begins getting disturbing anonymous letters. Is there a connection between Wesley's investigation and Neil's letters? Who says you can't learn anything by reading mysteries? In this twelfth book in the series, Ellis filled me in on seyney houses as a part of the life of medieval monasteries. (Monks were periodically bled to prevent the "humors" in the body from becoming out of balance.) I remember the mention of these places in various books I've read, and Ellis filled in the details. The mystery in The Blood Pit was circuitous and puzzling. Although I knew about halfway through whom the murderer was, I couldn't figure out why. The letters that Neil Watson received really upped the suspense factor, and I enjoyed his getting a beefier role in this book. The characters in this series of mysteries have become almost as familiar as family to me, and this time around, Ellis shakes up the cast a bit. Between the mystery, the history and the characters, I always look forward to the latest Kate Ellis novel!