"A Grave Deception" By Connie Berry: Review/Giveaway

Review by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it. 

Kate Hamilton, antiques expert, and her husband, Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, are settling into marriage quite nicely. Life in Long Barston is certainly different than life in the States. However, they have friends, work, and each other.

Tom has been promoted to a higher rank and with it comes office work rather than investigating the scene of the crime. It’s safer for him but also more… boring.

Image Source Crooked Lane Books

Kate and her old friend, Ivor Tweedy, are gaining recognition discovering the history behind antiques. A particularly interesting case comes their way—a 14th century body is discovered in what is known as a plague village – the site of a mass grave after the plague. However, her body is still pristine and elegantly dressed, complete with accessories. An extremely large pearl was buried with her – and it’s found she was pregnant.

The owner of the property asks Kate and Ivor to find out all they can. He’s deeply interested in history thanks to his wife’s interest. She’s another mystery – several years ago, he arrived home from a long business trip only to find her missing. In all the years since, there’s never been the slightest trace.

Berry weaves the past and present together in a way that makes the hundreds of years between them fall apart and focus on perceived feelings and lives. I enjoyed reading about how excavations are handled to preserve the tiniest of clues. To be able to tie together two incidents that took place so far apart is truly a talent.

This is book six in the series. I hope there are many more – Kate and Tom are just getting started and I don’t want to miss a thing.

To enter to win a copy of A Grave Deception, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "grave deception,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen February 14, 2026. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors!

You can click here to purchase this book. 

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She writes about eco-friendly topics, pets and wildlife for magazines and reviews mysteries and thrillers for KRL. A collection of her short stories, published by Untreed Reads, From Hay to Eternity: Ten Tales of Crime and Deception can be found at all the usual outlets. Each one is a little weird and all have a twist you won't see coming.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.