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THE COLOUR OF MYSTERY a gripping crime thriller full of twists (Ellie McEwan Mysteries Book 2) Kindle Edition


The newly discovered novel from multi-million-selling author Joy Ellis. Never-before published!

THREE NICE PEOPLE. THREE TERRIBLE CRIMES. WHAT MADE THEM DO THESE AWFUL THINGS?

It’s the night shift worker who finds them. Huddled in a hospital store cupboard is elderly Edith Higgins. Knifed to death. Sitting behind her is Staff Nurse Lily Frampton, a scalpel clasped in her blood-soaked hand.

No one can understand why this kind-hearted, dedicated nurse would brutally murder a frail patient she’s spent months caring for.

That same day, mild-mannered schoolteacher Rod Black is found surrounded by the battered bodies of his pupils. Why would a well-respected teacher beat five schoolboys to death?

Then a third shocking — and equally inexplicable — incident takes place in a London homeless shelter.

What could turn three honest, upright citizens into cold-blooded killers?

Once again, DCI Bob Foreman calls on Ellie McEwan for help. Can Ellie use her extraordinary psychic gift to uncover the truth?

DISCOVER A TOTALLY ENTHRALLING CRIME THRILLER.

This utterly gripping crime thriller is perfect for fans of L.J. Ross, J.D. Kirk, Elly Griffiths, Susan Hill, Kate Ellis or Ann Cleeves.

READERS LOVE THE ELLIE MCEWAN BOOKS:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘
One of the best books I’ve read in a long while. Just fabulous.’ June

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘
Joy Ellis at her best . . . Exceptional.’ Tamzin

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The twists and turns keep you guessing right to the end.
Loved the characters.’ Gill W.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘
Absolutely loved this.’ Alexa L.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘By far
one of the best books I’ve read for a long while! Wow!’ Janet M.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Amazing. So utterly
exciting from start to finish.’ Alison M.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An amazing story that
had me hooked from the first few words and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.’ Pamela K.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A wonderful story
full of twists and turns. Really gripping! A totally unexpected ending. Fantastic.’ JMB

ELLIE MCEWAN MYSTERIES
Book 1: AN AURA OF MYSTERY
Book 2: THE COLOUR OF MYSTERY

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
7,927 global ratings

Customers say

Customers say the author is a brilliant writer whose words flow with increasing velocity. They find the story complex with believable characters. Readers describe the book as fantastic, with an excellent pacing. They also mention the plot is complicated with twists and turns.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

92 customers mention ‘Readability’92 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, with wonderful characters and a good pace. They also say the perspective is interesting and not wildly unbelievable.

"...characters that were introduced and adds some more very likeable and interesting ones...." Read more

"...Interesting perspective and not wildly unbelievable!" Read more

"...the light of day and were published, because I think they are really great reads and show the author’s amazing ability to tell a really fantastic..." Read more

"...The first book was quite enjoyable and a change from this author's later books but this was to far fetched and quite unbelievable for the most part...." Read more

56 customers mention ‘Story and plot’56 positive0 negative

Customers find the story and plot complicated, interesting, and moving. They also say the characters start slow and build to a climax. Readers describe the stories as amazing, supernatural, and police drama. They say the book is gripping and does not let go.

"...The cross-genre story telling is beautifully done, clearly involving extensive research, an obvious interest in the subject and a little artistic..." Read more

"Not everyone’s cup of tea but I really enjoyed the characters and the story line. Interesting perspective and not wildly unbelievable!" Read more

"...There are lots of really moving and emotional scenes where I found myself trying not to get too involved but failed...." Read more

"...something she often reads, but this is a masterful crossover & truly interesting to those “fey” among us!..." Read more

39 customers mention ‘Story complexity’32 positive7 negative

Customers find the story complex with scary bits. They also say the characters are believable and there are new ones to get.

"...on from book one, An Aura of Mystery, this story brings back the wonderful characters that were introduced and adds some more very likeable and..." Read more

"Not everyone’s cup of tea but I really enjoyed the characters and the story line. Interesting perspective and not wildly unbelievable!" Read more

"...Interesting use of technology running through the story too. Love the characters and hope there is a book 3" Read more

"...The other characters were wonderfully detailed, in the style I associate with books by Joy...." Read more

24 customers mention ‘Author’24 positive0 negative

Customers find the author a good writer. They also say the book is engrossing and the words flow with increasing velocity.

"...She is so descriptive that she paints a clear image of what she is describing and makes it very easy for me to open my imagination...." Read more

"A real page turner. I could wait to get to the end to see what was making these people do what they did...." Read more

"...I love her style of writing & her characters. While I’m writing a wish-list, I need the next book in each series, please Joy!!..." Read more

"...Joy Ellis writing we know and love but still utterly compelling holding the readers attention,great story telling believable characters starts slow..." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Fantasy elements’9 positive0 negative

Customers find the fantasy elements in the book interesting, magical, and confusing. They also say the book keeps them guessing til the end.

"...section where she describes Michael healing someone’s aura is quite magical...." Read more

"A different and really interesting take on the supernatural. The pace of the tale is excellent .. characters are solid and believable...." Read more

"I so enjoyed this second book. It keeps you guessing right to the end. A lot of research has obviously been done on therapies...." Read more

"This was a brilliant read, I am absolutely fascinated with the auras...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Content’0 positive3 negative

Customers find the content boring to read.

"...This book, however, was just too boring to read...." Read more

"So hard to stop reading!..." Read more

"Not interesting..." Read more

Another excellent read 📚
5 out of 5 stars
Another excellent read 📚
You know you'll get a cracking read when you select a Joy Ellis thriller - and this one, "The Colour of Mystery", is no exception. This is actually just her (recently discovered) second novel and part two of her Ellie McEwan series.Following a near death experience in a car crash, Ellie finds she has a new ability - to see an aura of colour around those she meets. Following 3 inexplicably gruesome murders by the most unlikely of culprits, DCI Bob Foreman again reluctantly asks for Ellie's help in the investigation.Again, it's a tad different from her later offerings but, if you like Joy Ellis novels, I rather think you'll enjoy this one too 😉 ☺️
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2024
Two years have passed since Carole’s death and her vast fortune has passed to Ellie McEwan and Prof Michael Seale. Intent on doing good with it, they have opened the Cavendish-Meyer Healing Centre in an old manor house in Ripley, offering assessments by Ellie and a range of complementary and alternative therapies. Next in their plan is to provide in-patient treatment and, when Ellie’s partner Dr Alice Cross, a specialist in treating Azimah Syndrome, has a new patient in need of urgent help, no time is wasted in refurbishing the second floor ready to receive the young man, Jake Kennedy, and recruiting two very good nurses. With Ellie now living in Snug Cottage with Carole’s spaniels and Michael moving into the annex at the centre, life is perfect. Also back in this story are old faces the Scrubbs, dog walker and doctor’s wife Marie Littlewood and her son Daniel whose health is much improved. Ellie may not be able to see Carole and Vera sometimes but the pair are making their presence felt in other ways, and Ellie will certainly need their watchful eyes and guidance in the days to come after she and Michael receive a chilling warning from them – there is darkness among them. Meanwhile DCI Bob Foreman, together with DI Jon Leatham and WDS Wendy Brown have a new case – that of a well-loved teacher who has attacked six children in his charge, killing most of them. Wendy, who has remained close friends with Ellie, spots a link with two other cases, that of a caring nurse killing an elderly patient and a woman suffocating six homeless people she was looking after. The killers seem to have lost their minds. They discuss what could have made these good honest people act so out of character. Could it be mind-altering drugs or something more sinister? Ellie agrees to once more put on the mantle of aura detective and help Surrey Police, Vera and Carole basically giving her no choice in the matter! And Bob and his team desperately need some help as it looks like this strange and bizarre force is not going to stop.
What an incredible blend of police procedural and the mystical this is! Following on from book one, An Aura of Mystery, this story brings back the wonderful characters that were introduced and adds some more very likeable and interesting ones. The cross-genre story telling is beautifully done, clearly involving extensive research, an obvious interest in the subject and a little artistic license to bring another thrilling yet very heartwarming tale which I was completely glued to from start to finish! I’m sure I won’t be the only reader who is longing for more in this magical series!!
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 May 2024
Not everyone’s cup of tea but I really enjoyed the characters and the story line. Interesting perspective and not wildly unbelievable!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2024
This book was every bit as good as the first in this series and I must marvel at the author’s craft of creating pictures with her words. She is so descriptive that she paints a clear image of what she is describing and makes it very easy for me to open my imagination. The amazing section where she describes Michael healing someone’s aura is quite magical. There are lots of really moving and emotional scenes where I found myself trying not to get too involved but failed. Holding your breath whilst reading a novel is not the easiest thing to do. The beginning of the book is a combination of setting the scene of Ellie’s present life and how she and Michael are coping after Carole’s death, and the occurrence of the horrific events that take the reader into an extraordinary world of fear and strange occurrences. We are shown the C-M Centre that they have set-up using Carole’s money that she left for them, and we are introduced to new staff that are helping them in their new endeavour. Everything is progressing very nicely until Ellie is called once again by DCI Bob Foreman, asking for help with his latest, mystifying case. Despite Alice pleading with Ellie not to put herself in danger once more, both Ellie and Michael feel duty bound to help the police after they receive a strange message from their dearest friends. What happens next is both worrying and dangerous and there is a nail-biting race to solve the crimes and catch the person who is the cause of all the unexplained deaths.

The ending is eventually satisfactory, despite being a scary climax, but I just wish we were going to find out what the future holds for our heroes. It is clear that the author has done an amazing amount of research into both the supernatural and police procedures to make this book enjoyable and believable. I’m very pleased that these magical books found the light of day and were published, because I think they are really great reads and show the author’s amazing ability to tell a really fantastic and engrossing story.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 July 2024
A real page turner. I could wait to get to the end to see what was making these people do what they did. Interesting use of technology running through the story too. Love the characters and hope there is a book 3
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2024
Sorry but I did not enjoy this book as much as the first. The first book was quite enjoyable and a change from this author's later books but this was to far fetched and quite unbelievable for the most part. Glad she only wrote two along these lines.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Sam Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful
Reviewed in Canada on 23 June 2024
Although I don't read paranormal,I liked this author.The story,both books,was impossible to put down.Hopefully,I can now forget it,too powerful for me.
Diane
5.0 out of 5 stars Even more colours
Reviewed in the United States on 7 February 2024
Volume 2 of Joy Ellis' first series--heretofore unpublished-- is as enjoyable as the first book.  Like the first, this is a gently-paced book with well-fleshed fully dimensional characters and a well-constructed plot.  It delves farther into the world of auras from both a suffering and healing point of view and now contains two friendly spirits and their dogs, spirits who still care about the worldly plane.  A slow but quite enjoyable read.

While I enjoyed these excursions into the paranormal and the world view they reflect,  I suspect I would not read very many more.  I am glad that when faced with the necessity of choice, Ellis chose to write police procedurals.  I am quite addicted to those and eagerly anticipate each new offering.  These two books were fun and an interesting glimpse of Ellis' evolution as a writer, but I vastly prefer her other series.
2 people found this helpful
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Andromaque
1.0 out of 5 stars not goog
Reviewed in France on 4 April 2024
The plots and story are not cedible, and make for poor reading. The first book was interesting but this a poor sequel.
Darklldo
5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put the book down!
Reviewed in Australia on 12 March 2024
Usually I can put a book down and get on with other things, but not this one. Like the first book it draws you in and the use of other beliefs backed my knowledge that seems to confirm the existence of things like a living thing's aura and how it can affect someone is so compelling in the story line that it made 'ordinary' detective stories very plain.
The colours of the auras simply shone through from beginning to end bringing people together and getting away from the grime of crime was a good and refreshing break.
Yes, there was crime in the second part of the book - and that's another thing I liked about the story, we first developed more knowledge and understanding about the people involved and the nature of the wonderful health centre they are developing.
Joy Ellis has a way with words and, despite reading all her books up to this point, I had no idea she could write so fluently about auroras and with some depth and knowledge.
A fascinating and really refreshing read.
Barb Gagnon
4.0 out of 5 stars The Colour of Mystery
Reviewed in Canada on 19 April 2024
A good read.