Dying Fall – Elly Griffiths

Title – Dying Fall

Author – Elly Griffiths

Published – 2013

Genre – Crime fiction / Mystery

Another book that’s been sitting on my TBR shelves for a while is the fifth in the Ruth Galloway series. I suspect that as this copy is a hardback it may have spent some of the time since we moved to Cirencester in a box and that would certainly explain both why I’ve left it so long to read and how I’ve managed to read the series so completely out of order.

So stepping back in time, after Ruth finds out that Dan, an old friend from college, has died in a house fire she receives a letter from him telling her he has made a huge archaeological discovery. He also tells her that he’s afraid. Ruth accepts an invitation from Dan’s boss to review the discovery and despite some sinister messages directed at her, she heads to Lancashire accompanied by Kate (eighteen months old in this book) with Cathbad as babysitter.

At the same time DCI Nelson has decided to revisit his Blackpool roots for a holiday with Michelle. Of course this has something to do with the fact that Ruth has mentioned Dan’s death and Nelson’s old colleague, Sandy, has suggested that there is something suspicious about it.

The pace feels quite slow but I enjoyed the investigative angle (Ruth seems to become a confidante for some of Dan’s former colleagues) with both the archaeological discover and Dan’s death. Slightly less of a police procedural because Nelson is on the outside of the investigation. The close connection with Pendle allows for some slighty spookier moments and then there is a more prosaic neo-Nazi group.

It’s interesting to look back on this stage of Ruth/Nelson’s relationship and I had a huge revelation at the end of the book that would have been meaningless to anyone reading the books in order. The insight into Nelson, his background and family filled in some gaps for me. There were some exciting scenes towards the climax of the story but knowing the future for the characters meant it lacked the tension I would have got from reading on order.

Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

The Lantern Men – Elly Griffiths

Title – The Lantern Men

Author – Elly Griffiths

Published – 6 Feb 2020

Genre – Crime fiction / Mystery

The last book I read in the Ruth Galloway series was The Dark Angel and to me it felt like a departure within the series – lots of focus on Ruth’s personal life and less on the mystery element – however this 12th book feels like a return to form. In most cases with this series it hasn’t mattered that I’ve not read the books in order but I feel I’ve missed out on some significant changes which I assume too place in the preceding title (The Stone Circle) is I do need to get a copy of this.

A creepy (or charming, depending on your point of view) convicted murder, Ivor March, offers DCI Nelson the opportunity to find the bodies of two furthermurder victims, contingent on Ruth Galloway leading the dig. Somewhat flattered by the suggestion that she’s the best person for the job Ruth becomes involved in the investigation, despite her concerns that March has other reasons for requesting her.

The dig goes ahead and at the same time another woman dies in similar circumstances to March’s victims. Nelson, supported by colleagues Tanya and Judy, leads them to investigate a small group of people who all lived with March in a remote house called Grey Walls – somewhere Ruth is also connected to. As the story unfolds the investigation circles around this limited groups and the ins and outs of their tangled relationships. As with most (all?) of the series it also draws on local folklore with the real life mystery echoing tales of the ‘Lantern Men’.

The author makes the most of the atmospheric locations, setting the action across the historic centre of Cambridge, the expanse of the Fens and the rugged Norfolk coastline. The series is one where the characters are as important and the mystery; as the series progresses the minor characters offer more to each story and there is still the on/off nature of Ruth and Nelson’s relationship which still simmers in the background. An enjoyable read and return to focus on the mystery aspects of the plot.

Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

The Dark Angel – Elly Griffiths

Title – The Dark Angel

Author – Elly Griffiths

Published – Feb 2018

Genre – Crime fiction / Mystery

I’m someone who is committed to reading series in order but the Ruth Galloway books by Elly Griffiths are one of a few exceptions to this rule. I’ve read the first book and read and reviewed the fourth and oddly still have book 5 on my TBR, but I couldn’t resist starting on book 10 when it arrived. Although I felt I’d missed out a little in not having read the intervening books, there is enough background that you could pick this up without having read any others in the series.

Italian archaeologist and TV presenter Professor Angelo Morelli asks Ruth to help him after a television recording of a dig suffers an unexpected problem. In need of a holiday, Ruth agrees to take the opportunity to exchange Norfolk for a hilltop village outside Rome, if only briefly, so she and her friend Shona and their children travel out to stay with Morelli.

There are multiple threads to the story. As well as the initial dig, Morelli believes that his life is in danger, supported by some mysterious happenings, then Ruth discovers the body of a local man in the village church. There are some dark secrets within the village that date back to the Nazis and WWII which are bubbling under the surface. To complicate matters Ruth and Morelli had a one night stand when she was in Rome for a conference some twelve years before, which Ruth remembers fondly although she’s unsure of his intentions towards her or what she wants.

There was more of the story given over to Nelson and his point of view than I remember in previous books. Both he and Ruth and Nelson’s wife have got their lives into quite a mess. There is a potential threat to Nelson as a man he put away for killing his wife and children in a fire has recently been released from prison. However an earthquake in Italy prompts Nelson (and Cathbad) to join the ladies in Italy where he’s a fish out of water, although it does allow him to spend some ‘family’ time with Ruth and Kate.

I did enjoy the book but this was definitely more of a summer read than a gritty crime drama, and I’m not sure that the all of the questions raised were answered. The change of location offers sunny days, lots of wine consumption and Italian hospitality. Ruth is a lovely character whose life is becoming more and more complicated as the series progresses although she’s not changed much in the last ten books – still feeling like a middle-aged klutz, despite the men who seem to be perpetually in tow.

An enjoyable read if you enjoy a mix of Italian atmosphere and romance with your forensic archaeology. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

A Room Full of Bones – Elly Griffiths

Title – A Room Full of Bones

Author – Elly Griffiths

Published – Jan 2012

Genre – Crime fiction / Mystery

Given the type of crime fiction I enjoy it’s surprising that I haven’t come across Elly Griffiths’ books before, but a chance tweet that she was holding a signing in my local bookshop prompted me to find out more (and buy a signed book). 

A Room Full of Bones is the fourth title in the “Ruth Galloway” series. Galloway is a Forensic Archaeologist and a single mum. She works at the local Uni (in Norfolk) and seems to have a history of involvement with the local police force. When A Room Full of Bones opens she has been asked to oversee the opening of a medieval bishop’ s coffin at the local museum. When she arrives early for the ceremony she finds the body of the museum’s curator dead beside the coffin. The circumstances appear to be mysterious, with a possible connection to some threatening letters, but nothing the police can be sure of.

The investigation is led by DCI Harry Nelson, someone with whom Galloway seems to have “history”. As the police attempt to resolve the circumstances of the death the investigation focuses on Lord Danforth Smith. He runs a racing stable and is the owner of the museum and a descendant of the long-dead bishop. This was great for me, as a huge fan of  Dick Francis it really felt like being in familiar territory.

Much of the story focuses on Galloway, and there’s lots of detail concerning her somewhat disorganised personal life, her efforts to look after her daughter and maintain her career. The setting is also important to the story, her cottage being out on a remote stretch of the Norfolk coast and Griffiths makes much of the desolate and isolated location.  

I found this book a real page turner (if you’ll excuse the cliché) and a very easy read. This isn’t in any way a criticism, Griffiths has a very enjoyable writing style and her characters are engaging.  It’s unpretentious writing.

It did strike me towards the end of the book that Galloway hadn’t actually done very much work, unlike characters in books by  authors such as Kathy Reichs or Patricia Cornwell, where there are pages and pages of technical information. Too much detail can spoil the pace of a story, but I would have liked to have found out a bit more about the work of a forensic archaeologist.

There isn’t a lot of time given over to scene setting from the previous books in the series, but there are quite a few references through the story to past events and I do wonder how I will feel when I read some of the earlier titles – there’s a chance that too much has been given away. I’m sure it won’t be long before I find out, as I have a signed copy of  The Crossing Places to read!

Score – 4/5