I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy of The Graveyard Killings, the fourth novel to feature DCI Emma Gardner based in Knaresborough and DI Paul Riddick based in Bradford.

In 2023 the remains of Penny Maiden, killed in a hit and run in 1980, are dug up and left on her mother’s grave in Knaresborough Cemetery. In 2024 the bodies of two teenagers are found beaten to death in the same cemetery. Emma is investigating the murder of the teenagers, which according to management has nothing to do with the prior incident. She finds that she needs Paul’s help when she finds links to his current investigation in Bradford.

The Graveyard Killings did not hold my attention. There is a well conceived story in there with plenty of variables offering room for speculation, but I didn’t enjoy the format. The present day narrative switches between, mostly, Emma and Paul with Penny’s father, Dean, contributing. The novel also flashes back to 1980 on a regular basis to examine events surrounding Penny’s death from Dean’s perspective. This gives the reader a comprehensive overview of events, while leaving enough unknowns to hook the reader. It’s not an approach that holds my attention as I like an immersive experience told by one narrator, instead of trying to keep up with an abundance of detail that initially seems unrelated. This is too choppy for me to get involved, flitting endlessly from situation to situation. If, however, this format appeals I think readers are in for a treat as it builds a complicated web of interaction with some unexpected twists.

Paul Riddick carries a lot of baggage, so it would probably be better to read the novels in order to get the full measure of his self destructive tendencies and the reason for them. I get no pleasure from reading about a character who seems destined to be ruled by his past and unable to move forward. It’s more of the same in this novel. One the other hand I like Emma, who is a competent human being and seems able to cope with anything but Paul.

The Graveyard Killings is not for me.

I just love this Author he is one of my favourites.
This book is part of a series but can be read alone.
Penny a young girl was killed in a hit and run 40 years ago when her body is found dug up from her grace and placed on her mothers and a male body found in her grave DCI Emma Gardner sets about trying to work out what has happened.
This is an engrossing read, with lots of twists and turns. Will Emma find out who the man in the grave is and why take pennys body out.
Read it and find out its great.

This is the 4th book in this excellent series and, although the main story is self-contained, you would have a better all round experience if you start from book one and read in order...
So... This time we start with a skeletonised body which has been exhumed from its grave. It has been position in an interesting place too. Emma starts her investigation and is swiftly taken back to the past as the body is identified as that belonging to Penny Maiden who was killed in a hit and run, the driver having never been caught. Interesting also is what has replaced her in her grave.
Meanwhile, DI Paul Riddick is still flying by the seat of his pants and trying and failing to stick within the rules as he works to bring a drug gang to justice. Even though he in last chance saloon. Which is a bit rubbish really as it soon becomes evident that Emma needs his help in her case. Trust really does become an issue...
And so begins a rather interesting and intriguing set of cases both in the present and the past weaving expertly around each other as they meander towards the final denouement. It's as horrific as it is intriguing and no punches are pulled by the author which you will already know if you have also read his other series (also highly recommended) although not quite as dark.
Characters are all well drawn and play their parts well, both main and supporting, series and episode. The story is well plotted and that plot well executed and kept me on my toes throughout. Leaving me with a jaw dropping but satisfying conclusion. Leaving me hotly anticipating the next book.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is another book in which I wish the publisher and/or NetGalley would have noted that this book is part of a series.

A cold case, decades old, gets another look when a grave is exhumed. A grave that has investigators asking more questions and looking for answers. DCI Emma Gardner is on the case, and she must ask DI Paul Riddick, a man who has hurt her in the past, to help her with this case. But can she trust him?

There is a lot packed into the 427 pages of this book. A hit and run accident, a grieving father, drugs, bullying and criminal activity to name a few. The investigators have a lot to weed through in the search for the truth. The book takes place in the present and 40 years ago.

This was a well written and well thought out book, which I enjoyed. As I mentioned there is a lot going on in this book, and the author did a great job bringing things together. I just wished that I knew more about backstories, etc. I am an outlier for this book and many who have read the previous books love this book so please read their reviews as well.

The story:
In 1980, 17-year-old Penny Maiden is killed in a hit-and-run accident that is never solved. More than 40 years later, her body is removed from its grave and placed by her own mother’s headstone. In Penny’s grave, DCI Emma Gardner and her team discover another body, this one far more recent…

When another murder occurs in the graveyard a year later, DCI Gardner is forced to consider whether they are connected. But how? And if so, why has the murderer decided to strike now?

My thoughts:
“The Graveyard Killings” by Wes Marlon, is the fourth instalment in the author’s Yorkshire Murders series, and picks up from the events of the previous book (“The Crying Cave Killings”). After the dramatic events of that book, DI Paul Riddick is no longer working alongside DCI Emma Gardner, and is now working for Bradford CID, living with his former grief counsellor Claire. Gardner, who hasn’t spoken to Riddick in a year, is trying to make a more settled life for her daughter and niece (who she has now adopted), although her own past — the very thing that led to her relocation to Yorkshire in the first place — seems to be coming back to haunt her.

Moving between time periods, we learn about a tragic hit-and-run accident and its aftermath. Then in 2023 and 2024, there are two seemingly separate murder cases, their only link being their location in a Knaresborough cemetery. The first seems to have its roots in the past, working class families and the events of 1980, while the second has much more modern links, involving drugs, gangs and middle-class teenagers.

But when the two cases are drawn together, Gardner finds herself working alongside Riddick once again, as he fills in the Knaresborough team on the CID’s county lines investigations. It was great to see the pair together again, I think they have such great chemistry, despite all the complications in both of their lives.

This was a great instalment in the series, although not without tragedy in its conclusion. The intriguing character of Gardner’s brother Jack also continues to rumble along in the background, with a new titbit of information that he might not be all that he seems… Overall, an exciting and dramatic case for Gardner and Riddick that leaves us on quite the cliffhanger, so I hope it’s not too long to wait to find out where the story goes next!

Have not read anything by this author before, but love a British crime. I probably should have read the one before and I now will. It didn’t disappoint. I am not normally a fan of books which start in one year then changes to the present and back again and you really have to concentrate and think about the plot and characters. This was not like that. The characters suck you in immediately and it just kept you guessing as to who was the murderer. It does leave you wanting to read the next instalment. All in all an excellent read.

The Graveyard Killings is the first book by Wes Markin that I've read. Set against a backdrop of Yorkshire, I thought it might just be the sort of book I like to read. I wasn't disappointed with my choice. It's the first of the Yorkshire Murders series that I've read, so my first encounter with Emma Gardner and her erstwhile sidekick Paul Riddick.

The book opens with a flashback to the 1980's and a girl mown down in a hit and run incident. It then moves to the last year when the girl's body is disturbed in a graveyard and another body found. Roll forward a year and in the same graveyard two teenagers are found with their faces stove in. Paul Riddick is trying to put an end to a drugs gang and his friend Arthur is found with the gang's name carved in his back. A breathtaking start to any novel.

I admit that not knowing the team caused me some problems at the start of the book, but I soon managed to pick up the characters. After that the novel moved quickly and without missing a beat to its thrilling conclusion. I loved the two main protagonists. Both different from each other but both with a passion to solve crimes. Paul Riddick's character was particularly interesting. A flawed copper who cared so much for people. His alcoholism a constant sword in his side, yet his heart in the right place.

It takes the whole book for all the links to be made and the ending surprised me when it came. Along the way as is normal in this type of book, there's lots of blind alleys and twists that make the reader want to carry on. All in all, a solid addition to my shelf and another series to look out for.

The Graveyard Killings is the fourth in The Yorkshire Murders series. It is an absorbing crime thriller with all of the twists, turns and surprises I’ve come to expect with DCI Emma Gardner and her team. This time she’s without DI Paul Riddick, who has been transferred to Bradford. The story begins in 1980 with the hit and run which kills seventeen year old Penny Maiden, before moving to present day, when Penny’s remains are discovered lying on her mother’s grave. Moving between 1980 and present day, the links between the past and what is going on in the present are gradually revealed. Nevertheless, there are moments when Emma and her team find themselves struggling to make connections. To assist in the investigation into an influx of contaminated drugs, she enlists the help of DI Riddick, whose patch covers the area where the gangs operate.

It’s clear despite past events, Emma and Riddick still have that emotional link, but as the story draws to a conclusion, unexpectedly, they are parted once more. The ending leaves some unanswered questions, and I look forward to the next book, when hopefully some of them may be answered.

The Graveyard Killings, as all the other Wes Markin novels I have read, gripped from the first page and there were times when I really found it difficult to put down. An excellent thriller.

I would like to thank Boldwood, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Graveyard Killings in exchange for an honest review.

** four and a half shiny stars

Gritty and dark, this fourth installment in the Yorkshire Murders series is my first by this author, working well as a stand-alone read. With shades of Ian Rankin, this is a world of drug lords and bosses, rival gangs and enforced loyalties, haves and have-nots, the universally-suffering arm of revenge, and perhaps most of all, the cold clear brutality of new youth. Peopled with a complex and intricately-related cast of characters, this is a plot that winds and weaves its way across broken families and decades.

The story (or actually stories, each twisting and turning to eventually intertwine) are alternately narrated by DCI Emma Gardner, a compassionate yet deeply practical outsider now seconded to Knaresborough, North Yorkshire; and DI Paul Riddick, a haunted, grieving, and troubled man, prone to unpredictable blasts of emotion that take him to desperate and dangerous places.

When a decomposed skeleton is discovered, unearthed and displayed on a graveyard tombstone, Emma’s team and their investigation trip upon a series of events, beginning with a hit-and-run in 1980, winding through a stash of unicorn-stamped ecstasy and its holders, and always, more bodies, as hidden wounds exposed now run deep in new trauma inflicted.

An absorbing, powerful, immersive read, with a cliff-hanger of an ending that is guaranteed to leave a reader wanting more - this is an author this reader will definitely be reading more of.

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

The Graveyard Killings is the fourth installment in Wes Markin's Yorkshire Murder series. I had not read the previous installments, and I think that affected my overall enjoyment of the book. There are shifting viewpoints and shifting time periods, which can be confusing if you are not staying focused. It took me a while to get into the story and keep everything straight, but I stayed with it and eventually the story picked up. There are several murders and strange happenings that seem unconnected at first, but eventually things come together and the worlds of Riddick and Gardner collide during the course of their seemingly unrelated investigations. Once those characters join forces, the story begins to pick up and become engaging. There are twists and turns and the author does a nice job connecting the many different plotlines in the end.

At first I thought I would not stick with this book to the end, but I am glad that I did. It was a decent story with a nice cliffhanger to keep fans of the series coming back for more. I would recommend this book, but I highly suggest new readers check out some of the previous installments to get background information on the key characters. I really wish I had done that!

The Graveyard Killings is set for release on March 2, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy.

Have enjoyed the previous books in the Emma Gardner series and this one hit the mark. Plenty of suspense throughout and likeable characters. Look forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Another superb book from Wes Markin. This time, in the Yorkshire Murders, we have an old case from the 80's, a case from last year and the death of 2 uni students this year. Could there be a link between them or is it a coincidence that the bodies were found in a graveyard. Add to that Emma's private fears and we have an engrossing read, with lots of twists and turns. Will Emma find out who the mysterious man is who calls at her home while she is at work? Will Riddick be restrained. All the loose ends get tied up neatly with a little puzzle for Emma at the end. The characters are very compelling and you feel as though you are working alongside them. The ending leaves us craving more from this author. With thanks to Netgalley, the author and Boldwood Books for this advance copy for an honest review.

Oh wow! What a fast paced read, set in Yorkshire, and filled with wonderful characters. There is plenty of action, combined with brilliant plotting, as Emma and Paul investigate a series of killings. The action spans over 40 years and the story is skilfully woven. All wrapped up in a surprising ending which left me eagerly waiting for the next read in the series! An easy 5* read for me. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Wes Markin has done it again with this latest story in the Yorkshire Murders series. I was hooked from the first page and struggled to put it down. This is fast paced with twists and turns but easy to follow. There are quite a few characters from the previous books but it’s easy to catch up on their backgrounds and how they are connected. DCI Emma Gardner is called to a graveyard when the body of girl who died forty years previously is found exhumed. This then starts a chain of events as her murder by hit and run was never sold and another body has been found in her grave. There is also another investigation running through this with DI Paul Riddick. The investigations are interlinked but it’s not initially obvious as to how. Knaresborough and its inhabitants is brilliantly described and I could ( as in the previous books) visualise the different locations as well as the characters. An absolutely brilliant read that I highly recommend. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is book number four in the Yorkshire Murders series. It starts with the hit and run death of a young woman in 1980. Fast forward to today when her remains are found exhumed, and placed on her mother's grave. The invesigation of her gravesite reveals the freshly buried body of a young man. DCI Emma Gardner has been brought in to invesitage. Further deaths reveal a connection to the drug trade and leads Emma to work with her former colleague, DI Paul Riddick. Paul's been working on a drug trade and gang investigation in Bradford but he's brought back to Knaresborough to help Emma's investigation.

Paul's spiral downhill, the bullying and violence towards a disabled young man, and the emotional toll of the death of a young woman all come together to make for an excellent book, very well written. It's not as dark or as graphic as some of Markin's previous works, but it could be triggering for some.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

A 40 year old cold case is back under investigation when the victim's body has been dug up and is found placed on her own mother's grave. A man is then found to be in her grave.
DCI Emma Gardner is investigating this crime, and needs to identify the man's body. However, she soon learns that there is more to this case than first meets the eye, and she finds herself working with her old friend Paul Riddick.
Another great read from Wes Markin whio never fails to keep you enthralled in the pages of his book.

This not so cold case from 40 years ago, following the death of a local girl Penny who is killed in a hit and run, is re-investigated when her body is found exhumed and placed on her mother’s grave. With a male corpse found in Penny’s grave.

DCI Emma Gardner sets about trying to work out what has happened and the storyline flits between the relevant time periods with more of the story being revealed along the way.

There are some fabulous characters in this book and I loved the ongoing tale with the aging gangster - as comical as it was awful at times. This Yorkshire Murders series grows ever more complex and engaging with each new book.

As DCI Gardner gets deeper into the case it becomes apparent that there is more going on than initially thought and she soon has to work with DI Paul Riddick, who is as brilliant as he is a liability!

This story covers a wide range of topics, including drugs, bullying, gangster style repercussions and the abuse of a vulnerable young man - not to mention grief and love.

The Graveyard Killings by Wes Markin is a fabulous contemporary murder suspense that completely consumed me. It is the fourth book in The Yorkshire Murders series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous books first for continuity, understanding and character progression.
Once more, I returned to Bradford and Knaresborough as I met up with familiar faces. Policing is in safe hands as we see the relentless pursuit of justice and for answers.
The search for closure is not just found within the law enforcement agencies but individuals need answers too.
A cold case is quite literally unearthed as the search for the truth continues.
We meet a father who has been guilt-ridden and grieving for years after a terrible accident robbed him of his daughter. Time is running out as his health is deteriorating and he needs to know the truth before he dies.
The criminal underworld is brutal and selfish. Youngsters are rising up who terrify others. Older criminals still have a hand in activities too. The young, the old, the rich, the poor – crime has no boundaries. We witness a character trying to make atonement – but there can be no atonement for taking a life.
Corruption is found at the lowest and highest levels of society. Those with power and money can easily bride and cover up crimes.
There is the cruelty of youth. They bully in person and online. There is no escape for the victims. Many follow the crowd and no one speaks up for the innocent.
All the characters were well drawn ad realistic. They elicit a variety of responses – from respect to disgust.
Darkness covers evil deeds that need coming into the light.
Once more, Wes Markin has thoroughly entertained me. I was glued and guessing. Parallel stories draw the reader in. The Graveyard Killings, along with the other books in the series would make a marvellous television series. It would certainly be very binge worthy.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Good book. Full of everything you would expect in a police procedural book. Amazing characters with an excellent storyline.
Thankyou for the chance to review this book

The Graveyard Killings is a new crime thriller book by Wes Markin. The story is told from varying timelines. I have not read other books by this author, but I will check out more after reading this book.

When the body of a young girl is found exhumed from her grave, DCI Emma Gardner knows there’s more to this grisly find than just misadventure.

The book does deal with bullying and may be a trigger for some. The story unfolded well and held my interest. It had some good twists and surprising moments.

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