Good police procedural with a supernatural twist. Main reason for reading is to guess what street in York ms Ellis is thinking of. Boargate is Swinegate etc. Almost as interesting as the story. Ms Ellis has written one book several times about her city of Ebory ( )

A former hospital for the criminally insane has been converted into flats. In one of them Lydia has repeated nightmares. There are spooky goings-on in the basement. And somebody is reviving the MO of a deceased serial killer inmate. Does Lydia need the help of a policeman or an exorcist?

Exciting despite the use of a technique I think is cheating:
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sometimes giving the killer's thoughts and feelings without letting on that they are the killer rather than relying on outward observation of the characters by the sleuths ( )

A little silly and a little busy but I enjoyed it. ( )

Watching the Ghosts by Kate Ellis is the fourth book in her police procedural series featuring DI Joe Plantagenet. This series is set in the fictional Northern England city of Eborby which is the thinly disguised historic city of York. A common thread that runs through all the Plantagenet books is a touch of the supernatural. In this outing Joe is involved in the investigation of a former mental asylum that has now been converted into apartment units. When a series of murders occurs, all the victims appear to have some sort of connection to Havenby Hall.

This asylum was also home to the notorious serial killer Peter Brockmeister and many of the victims are killed in his signature style but Brockmeister has been dead for a number of years – or has he? It isn’t long before Joe and his colleagues realize that what is happening now is strongly influenced by the past.

I found Watching the Ghosts a fun combination of police procedural and horror story. The author combines serial murders, kidnapping and a mysterious haunted building and delivered a story that kept the pages turning and me reading long into the night. ( )

Another exciting Joe Plantagenet mystery with paranormal occurrences, again in a building with an apparently criminally-disturbed history. As in the previous book, there is a lively characterisation of the main protagonists. Although the reader can easily determine some of the mystery, there are a few clever twists that reveal a complex plot and unexpected developments.

A few developments were rather clunky, such as the kidnapping plot and those who were the participants. The final episodes of danger seemed to lack finesse, but as a whole, the story had a fairly good pacing with moderate suspense coming and going in waves.

My biggest niggle is this romance and sadness aspect to Joe's private life. It comes across as a contrived plot trope and the main effect is bleak. This is a very weak plot point to try and perpetuate through the whole series (if Joe's love life is going to continue being blighted). Despite his unresolved relationships, the mystery is intriguing and the next book begs to be read. ( )