A High Mortality of Doves

'Haunting' Independent

'A powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves

The first gripping historical thriller in the Albert Lincoln series by bestselling crime writer Kate Ellis.

1919. The Derbyshire village of Wenfield is still reeling from four years of war. Just when the village has begun to regain its tranquillity, a young girl, Myrtle Bligh, is found stabbed and left in woodland, her mouth slit to accommodate a dead dove - a bird of peace.

When two more women are found murdered in identical circumstances, Wenfield is thrown into a panic.

With rumours of a ghostly soldier with a painted face being spotted near the scene of the murders, Inspector Albert Lincoln is sent up from London to crack the terrible case - but with the killer still on the loose, who will be the next to die at the hands of this vicious angel of death?

What readers are saying about A High Mortality of Doves:

'Anutterly stunning mystery . . . Outstanding' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Deliciously brilliant' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Gripping' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Anamazing mixture of great plotting, well developed characters and interesting historical detail' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Fabulously atmospheric' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'A satisfyingly shocking ending' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'A terrific mystery' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

Genre: Historical Mystery

"I loved this novel. Set just after the First World War, its clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception." - Ann Cleeves

"Kate Ellis has established a deserved reputation for ingenious whodunit plots [and] in A High Mortality of Doves, she breaks new ground. Fascinating, with a characteristically clever twist." - Martin Edwards

"Imagine a plot as devious as anything Agatha Christie devised, locate it in a Derbyshire village in 1919 and with writing as close to the pulse as Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth and you will have some idea of the extraordinary power of Kate Ellis's new novel." - Peter Lovesey

"A splendidly macabre thriller with a very dark heart and a hugely effective twist at the end." - Andrew Taylor

"I absolutely loved this book. It's a perfectly paced crime novel that beautifully evokes both time and place. Kate Ellis keeps you guessing all the way through to the final unexpected twist. This could be an instant classic." - L C Tyler