Shades of Death: A Mystery [Hardcover]

Aline Templeton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 2002

Deep in a Derbyshire cave, the skeleton of an eleven-year-old girl has lain undisturbed for eighteen years. As DS Tom Ward, in charge of the investigation, uncovers the layers of deception that span all those years, he finds himself dangerously connected to unexpected and devastating developments. A subsequent and possibly related death involves a seemingly innocent and beautiful young widow, but as the stubborn policeman discovers, appearances can be deceiving.

Set in the rugged and forbidding landscape of the Peak District and peopled by a cast of complex, fascinating characters, this mesmerizing psychological thriller twists and turns toward a gripping climax.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Animal torture, ritual murder, computer viruses and seemingly haunted underground caverns are the all part of the fun in Shades of Death, Aline Templeton's (The Last Act of All) densely plotted thriller with supernatural overtones set in and around the caves of Derbyshire, England. The discovery of an 11-year-old girl's skeleton in one of the caves, and the ensuing investigation, leave the normally world-weary Det. Sgt. Tom Ward contemplating the possibility of ancient, diabolical forces.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The skeleton of a young girl is discovered in a cave in northern England, where it has been for nearly 20 years. The local villagers are convinced it was a sex crime, but Detective Tom Ward isn't so sure. While his supervisor preens for the media and aims for a quick solution, Ward probes the lives of the youngsters who were closest to the victim. What he finds is a gang of eight children who played a bizarre and dangerous game of ritualistic sacrifice, led by 11-year-old Jay Darke, who, despite his youth, was evil, manipulative, and brilliant. When the now grown-up Jay kills himself midway through the investigation, his malicious mind games and dark influence don't end--Jay has an accomplice who will stop at nothing to hide the gang's deepest secrets. A gripping combination of taut suspense and dark menace juxtaposed against the plodding normality of police routine. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (May 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312290241
• ISBN-13: 978-0312290245
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,394,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Such a great writer, September 5, 2007

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shades of Death: A Mystery (Hardcover)

First Sentence: The scary, awful screaming and howling seemed further away now, though it was had to tell because of the echoes.

D.S. Tom Ward doesn't always believe in following the rules and his newest case proves life changing. The skeleton of a young girl is found in a cave 18 years after her death. Also found in the cave are remnants of ritual sacrifice. It has taken Juliette years to realize she has been completely controlled by her husband, Jay, and finds a way to escape to her father. Jay also controlled Juliette and her friends when they were young through their "Egyptian game." Now, even though Jay is gone, he is still manipulating the group and Tom must figure out how it all relates to the young girl's death.

Templeton is one of those under-appreciated authors. Everything about her books works. From the very first line, she set the scene. The characters were interesting and fully developed; I know who they were. The dialogue is perfect, the conversations flow in a natural way. The plot was interesting and complex; I could never quite anticipate where the story was going.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super story, October 12, 2002

By 

dandysmom "dandysmom" (washington, dc United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shades of Death: A Mystery (Hardcover)

Literate, unusual plot, gripping! Good characterization, interesting locale