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  • The Merchant's House

  • By: Kate Ellis
  • Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
  • Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (260 ratings)
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The Merchant's House cover art

The Merchant's House

By: Kate Ellis
Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
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Summary

DS Wesley Peterson, newly arrived in the West Country town of Tradmouth, has his hands full when a child goes missing and a young woman is brutally murdered on a lonely cliff path.

Then his old friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, unearths the skeletons of a strangled woman and a newborn baby in the cellar of an ancient merchant's house nearby. As the investigation continues, Wesley begins to suspect that these deaths, centuries apart, may be linked by age-old motives of jealousy, a sexual obsession and desperate longing. And the pressure is on if he is going to prevent a further tragedy....

©1998 Kate Ellis (P)2017 Soundings

What listeners say about The Merchant's House

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not a bad story

Enjoyed the unusual story of two murders in different centuries running along side each other.

It's set in Devon but I don't know why the author felt it necessary to change/disguise the place names, Tradmouth = Dartmouth? The river Trad = Dart?

Likeable characters and I look forward to them developing.

There are some twists and turns and it keeps you guessing right up until the end.

A good narration by Gordon Griffiths although reference was often made to Heffernan's Liverpool accent but I didn't hear it! so he must have moved to Devon when he was a small boy!!

Another author to add to my list and I'm looking forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Feels very dated

In the end it was quite a good story but it was a bit of an ordeal to listen to because of Gordon Griffin's very odd delivery. He is a competent narrator but he sounds the same in every book he reads and somehow he makes the book feel more dated than it should. The characters in this book were not as well developed as I would have liked which made it hard to follow the plot or to care about what had happened.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly engrossing

This is an engrossing story with links in the storyline from the past to the present action.
The underlying themes of love, lust and compassion were well presented.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Definitely glad I read this on a friend’s recommendation

I am always looking for recommendations, and none more so than from people who know what I like to read. My friend has the entire series of these books and she told me I’d love them. I do. I am hooked on learning more about Wesley and his family, loved the setting and could clearly see the remote farmhouses, the river, the flats. It progressed rapidly, never letting you lose interest and I loved the dual story which tied the theme together. I am so glad there are many more for me to read after this first one and am about to rush off and download the next in the series. I love historical mysteries, and I also love police procedural sun modern day. This had both and I loved it. The author writes in a easy fashion, never talking at you, yet still able to get the ‘explainy’ bits across. Genuinely enjoyable read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Pretty average thriller

I didn’t find this book unputdownable. It missed the wow factor of a really good read. The two crimes centuries apart was interesting. I like Gordon Griffiths narration. I would probably read the next book in the series.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The merchants house.

Excellent story, I loved the way the present and the past came together. Will certainly want to read more from this author.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Truly dreadful book

Poor story, poor narration. Will not be revisiting this author unfortunately did not like it at all.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enthralling

First of her books I’ve listened to and loved everything about it .
Voice was just so appropriate and the unfolding ‘ double layered story ‘ was mesmerising.
Loved the characters and got totally involved with them , so went through anxiety, sorrow ,
puzzlement , relief and compassion at the various stages .
Downloaded the next in series .

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The wrong narrator for the book

I love the Wesley Peterson books but this narrator is just not right. His very correct pronunciation would be better suited to an Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayer. The lack of a scouse accent for Gerry Heffernan is unforgivable given the frequent references to it in the text. All the characters sound old regardless of their age in the text. I’d love to listen to all the books, please get a different narrator.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A good read

An enjoyable and captivating read. This is the first Kate Ellis book I have read and I will definitely be reading more of the series. Excellent narration by Gordon Griffin.

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