Review: The Midnight Hour (The Brighton Mysteries #6) by Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite mystery writers and I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Midnight Hour via NetGalley. This story is number 6 in her Brighton Mysteries, which is slightly darker than her Ruth Galloway series, and runs from 1950 to 1965 (so far!). While it is possible to enjoy this story without reading the others first, each book introduces more main characters, who all become involved in solving the mysteries, so you might find it a little confusing if you don't start with the first one (The Zig Zag Girl).

Brighton, 1965. When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found poisoned, suspicion immediately falls on his much younger wife, ex-variety star Verity Malone. The evidence is stacked up against her; even her son thinks she did it. Exasperated by the police, Verity calls in two private detectives to clear her name: ex-police sergeant Emma Holmes and journalist Sam Collins. It soon becomes apparent that Bert had a very long list of enemies. In fact, it would be easier to find someone who didn't want to kill him...

The Midnight Hour is more light-hearted than the other Brighton Mysteries and in a similar style to Elly's recent bestseller, The Postscript Murders. Rather than DI Edgar Stephens (now a superintendent) and famous variety magician Max Mephisto solving the murders, in this book it is Emma (Edgar's wife) and Sam, with the police represented by DI Bob Willis and WPC Meg Connelly, although Emma and Meg do most of the legwork as Sam is chasing a news story in Manchester.

The Midnight Hour is set in the run up to Halloween and Elly has had a lot of fun adding spooky elements to the story. Max is working on a new film in Whitby, playing the part of Dracula's dad, and at one point Meg is convinced she's seeing a real vampire. There are also other tiny supernatural hints.

Despite the light-heartedness, there are darker moments and some serious themes are touched upon. This is the 1960s, so a reoccurring one is equality between the sexes and women's rights, along with harassment and  bullying in the workplace. As the story takes place in 1965, it also mentions the Moors Murderers. 

The Midnight Hour is probably my favourite of the series to date. I particularly liked the character of Meg (along with her eccentric family) and I hope she appears again. There are lots of red herrings; I was led up and down the garden path several times and didn't guess the identity of the murder at all.

Recommended to anyone who loves brilliantly written, fiendishly plotted murder mysteries with fabulous characters. One of my favourite reads this year.

The Midnight Hour will be published in the UK on 30th September 2021

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

Review: The Night Hawks (Dr Ruth Galloway Mystery #13) by Elly Griffiths

I love Elly Griffiths's books, particularly her Ruth Galloway series, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Night Hawks. It is a wonderful gothicky murder-mystery, with a nod to The Hound of the Baskervilles, and it's my favourite so far.

Ruth has returned to Norfolk after being offered the role of Head of the Archaeology Department at the university. She is suffering from slight imposter syndrome, not helped by a particular member of staff undermining her at every turn, but she is still DCI Nelson's expert of choice whenever a body is found. In this case, a young man has been found washed up on the beach at Blakeney Point by a group of metal detectorists called The Night Hawks. At first DCI Nelson believes the man drowned accidentally, but then more murders are discovered at the nearby Black Dog Farm - named for the legendary Black Shuck, a harbinger of death... 

The Night Hawks is a fabulous traditional murder mystery, with humour and emotional conflict dished up alongside a fiendishly clever plot. Elly Griffiths takes care to write believable characters you can thoroughly engage with and care about. Ruth has finally landed her dream job, only to be undermined by an irritating mansplainer at every turn. She and DCI Nelson are still involved in their will/they won't they relationship, and fans will be delighted that Cathbad makes an appearance. I loved the gothic edge - a spooky old farm and a legendary ghostly dog. There's even buried 'treasure' - and bodies! I gave up trying to work out who the murderer was and just thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Although this book is number 13 in the series, you don't need to have read the others. Elly explains everyone's backstory deftly and succinctly before getting on with business. The Night Hawks is one of my favourite reads this year. Why isn't it a TV series yet?!!

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

Review: The Postscript Murders (Harbinder Kaur #2) by Elly Griffiths

I love Elly Griffiths's mystery novels because of their clever twisty plots and warm-hearted characters. The Postscript Murders is the second in the Harbinder Kaur series. The first one, The Stranger Diaries, was a modern gothic mystery. The Postscript Murders is more a nod to classic 'golden age' crime fiction. You don't have to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one. 

Peggy Smith was a 'murder consultant'. She advised crime writers on their plots and invented original ways for them to kill off their characters. When she died at the age of 90 in a retirement home, Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur doesn't believe there is anything suspicious about it. Until Peggy's carer is held up at gunpoint - for a book!

Elly Griffiths is brilliant at creating characters that you really care about. I was so pleased when she decided to write another book featuring the dour Harbinder Kaur - now I'm hoping Elly will write another story featuring the stars of this story - Natalka (Peggy's care assistant), Benedict (the ex-monk) and Edwin (Peggy's friend, an ex-BBC producer). They would make a wonderful investigating team! 

The Postscript Murders is like a fan letter to classic murder mysteries. Many of the secondary characters are crime writers and you get a glimpse into their lives. I love the way Natalka, Benedict and Edwin hare off to Aberdeen and gate-crash a writers' conference, determined to speak to Peggy's old clients and solve her murder. There is lots of bookish talk and even book bloggers get a mention. It's terrific fun!

The Postscript Murders is one of my favourite reads this year - such a gorgeous cover too! Recommended for all fans of traditional murder mysteries and readers of authors such as Richard Osman (The Thursday Murder Club) and Kate Ellis (the Wesley Peterson series). I'm counting the days until the next one - fingers crossed! 

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

Review: The Lantern Men (Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries #12) by Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is one of  my favourite crime writers and I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Lantern Men - the latest in the author's popular Ruth Galloway series. You don't need to read these books in order but it is helpful if you do, because the same characters reappear.

In this story Ruth has moved away from her cottage on the Saltmarsh and is no longer Norfolk police's resident forensic archaeologist. Instead, she is living in Cambridge with her new partner. Meanwhile, DCI Harry Nelson has learnt that charismatic murderer Ivor March has finally been found guilty of murdering two women. Before Harry can close the case, he needs Ivor to admit to two other murders and tell him where the bodies are buried, but Ivor says he will only confess if Ruth agrees to take charge of the dig...

Elly Griffiths writes exactly the kind of murder mysteries I love to read: fully rounded characters I really care about, combined with a fiendishly tricky mystery to solve. I thought I'd sussed out the murder's identity this time but no, I was wrong again! My favourite characters are Harry (he's such a dinosaur) and Cathbad the druid. I think I enjoy this series because the stories have a touch of warmth to them, missing in many crime novels. I also love the subtle humour! In this book, as a spooky bonus, the sinister legend of the Lantern Men has been woven into the story. The quirky forensic details are great too. I don't think I will ever look at nettles in the same way again!

The Lantern Men would suit fans of classic/traditional-style murder mysteries and authors who mix archaeology and crime, such as Kate Ellis. Although Elly has done a great job in explaining who-is-who and what-is-what in a very subtle way for new readers, to receive the most enjoyment I'd recommend at least starting with the first book in the series (The Crossing Places) before diving into this one.

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts: 

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

Review: Now You See Them (The Brighton Mysteries #5) by Elly Griffiths

I've just read the first four books in this series, back-to-back, so to get my hands on this one was an absolute treat! I love Elly's books but I can't decide whether I love her Dr Ruth Galloway series best or this one. Do I have to choose?!!

The first four books in the Brighton Mysteries were set in the 1950s and many of the ongoing plot strands were resolved in the fourth book. Now You See Them is almost a reboot, in that we rejoin the characters nine years later. Some of them are no longer with us (I won't say who, but noooo!) but there are several new characters introduced. If you haven't read the others in the series, you could start with this one.

Now You See Them is set in Brighton in 1963. Edgar Stephens has been promoted to Superintendent and is married to Detective Sergeant Emma Holmes. They have three children and Emma has given up her career. Ed's wartime 'Magic Men' colleague Max Mephisto, a music hall magician, is a Hollywood film star but returns to Britain for the funeral of one of their old friends. Edgar, Emma and Max swiftly become involved in the case of a missing schoolgirl, which ends up being a little too close to home.

At first I was grumpy that the series had skipped nine years (and that my favourite character had been killed off!) but I was immediately caught up in the story about three young women who go missing, one after the other, with apparently nothing to connect them. I loved the new characters, WPC Meg Connolly, who is frustrated that she gets all the boring jobs because she's a woman, and female reporter Sam (who we originally met in The Vanishing Box; she has a bigger part to play here) who is similarly frustrated. Female empowerment is an ongoing theme, because Emma has realised that living happily ever after with the man she loves is starting to feel a bit...dull...and longs for the excitement that she once had working for the police.

As well as writing a entertaining mystery (I am never able to work out the villain!) Elly's particular skill is to create brilliant, totally believable characters. She writes with humour and her stories are well-researched with lots of amazing detail. The way Now You See Them ended makes me hope there might be another one coming along soon?

One of my favourite reads this year, Now You See Them is recommended for anyone who loves historical mysteries and the kind of murder mystery that has a puzzle to solve but isn't too violent.

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts: 

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

Review: The Stone Circle (Ruth Galloway #11) by Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is my favourite crime writer and I love her Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries. These feature Ruth (a forensic archaeologist) and Nelson (a Detective Chief Inspector) investigating a series of murders, usually with some historical/archaeology connection. There are also other reoccurring characters, such as the druid Cathbad (I adore Cathbad!) and Nelson's police colleagues.

The Stone Circle is the eleventh book in this series and references the first one, The Crossing Places. You don't need to have read all the books in the series to enjoy this book, but you would get more enjoyment out of this story if you have.

DCI Harry Nelson has been receiving anonymous letters telling him to 'Go to the Stone Circle and rescue the innocent buried there'. They remind him of an earlier case (The Crossing Places), but the author of those letters is long dead. Or are they? Meanwhile, Ruth is working on an archaeological dig known as 'the stone circle' and discovers a skeleton...

I love these books because of the characters and the humour, especially the way Nelson deals with the modern world - he's a bit of a dinosaur! I also admire the way Ruth is comfortable with her life and happy to go it alone, not needing a man. There are lots of historical details and stuff about archaeology, and although I always feel very smug when I guess the villain's identity, with this book I only worked out one of the plot twists.

The Stone Circle is the perfect read, especially if you love traditional murder mysteries with brilliant characters and a clever puzzle to solve. I do wish someone would hurry up and make a TV series out of it!

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book, which will be published on 7th February 2019.

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

Blog Tour & Review: The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

I was thrilled to be asked to take part in the blog tour for Elly Griffiths's latest novel, The Stranger Diaries. It's a brilliant story with a fiendishly clever  mystery, and I know you'll love it! Scroll down for my review and details of where to buy the book. AND, sneakily buried right at the bottom of this page, you'll find the chance to win your own copy! (Not the chocolates though! They didn't last longer than Halloween!)

About the Book

Clare Cassidy is no stranger to tales of murder. As a literature teacher specialising in the Gothic writer R.M. Holland, she teaches a short course on them every year. Then Clare's life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an R.M. Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer's works somehow hold the key to the case.

Not knowing who to trust, and afraid that the killer is someone she knows, Clare confides her darkest suspicions and fears about the case to her journal. Then one day she notices some other writing in the diary. Writing that isn't hers...

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Review

I was attracted to this book because of the beautiful cover but I'm also a huge fan of Elly Griffiths, particularly her Ruth Galloway series. However, The Stranger Diaries is slightly different - it's a standalone murder mystery, set in a school, which may or may not be haunted!

The story starts with Clare, who teaches English at Talgarth High. The school was once the home of gothic horror writer R.M. Holland, and the top part of the school has been kept as a museum to him and his work; his study is exactly as it was in his day. Scattered throughout the novel are extracts from his most famous short story, The Stranger, and when one of Clare's friends is found dead, a line from this story is found beside the body.

The second point of view is that of the investigating police officer, DS Harbinder Kaur, who was my favourite character, mainly because of her dry sense of humour and the way she is permanently in a grump. I do hope she gets her own series - along with her mother! The third main character is Georgia, Clare's daughter, who humours her mother's ideas of how teenagers should behave and is very funny.  

The Stranger Diaries is a modern take on Victorian mysteries and ghost stories, particularly the way it cleverly backtracks to show the same events from a different character's viewpoint. Running alongside the present-day murders is the mystery of how R.M. Holland's wife died. Is it her ghost that reputedly haunts the school? And just who is Mariana? 

The Stranger Diaries will appeal to anyone who enjoys traditional murder mysteries and I'm sure fans of Elly's Ruth Galloway series will love it. I adored the touch of gothic and the spooky bits - particularly when the teenage Harbinder 'met' the ghost. I hadn't a clue who the murderer was and, as I read a lot of crime fiction, this is always a plus for me!

One of my favourite reads this year! And please, please can Harbinder have a series of her own?!!

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

About the Author

Winner of the 2016 CWA Dagger in the Library, Elly Griffiths was born in London. She worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer. Her bestselling series of Dr Ruth Galloway novels, featuring a forensic archaeologist, are set in Norfolk. The series has won the CWA Dagger in the Library, and has been shortlisted three times for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Her Stephens and Mephisto series is based in 1950s Brighton. She lives near Brighton with her husband, an archaeologist, and their two children.

If you're in London on the 12th of November, you'll be able to hear Elly talk at the Crime Files Rooftop Book Club, along with fellow authors Sabine Durrant and Rachel Abbott. More details, including how to obtain tickets, can  be found here.

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Win a Copy!

If you'd like to be in with a chance to win a hardback copy of The Stranger Diaries you can enter via Rafflecopter below. It's simple to use and the more clicks (follow Elly on Twitter, follow Elly on Facebook, etc) the more chances you have to win. The competition closes on 8th November 2018. Good luck!

Terms and Conditions: We're sorry but this competition is only open to those living in the UK. Your personal details won't be stored for longer than the competition runs and your details won't be passed onto anyone else. We will only contact you if you are a winner. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours of being notified, another name will be drawn.

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Review: The Dark Angel (Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries #10) by Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite authors and I absolutely love her Ruth Galloway mysteries. These feature Ruth (a forensic archaeologist) and Nelson (a Detective Chief Inspector) investigating a series of murders, usually with some historical connection. There are also other reoccurring characters, such as the druid Cathbad (I adore Cathbad!), along with Ruth's friends and Nelson's police colleagues. 

I loved this book! (You knew I was going to say that, didn't you?) Ruth heads off on a working holiday to Italy at the invitation of old friend (and ex-lover) Dr Angelo Morelli, taking her friend Shona and both their children along too.  Angelo, has found an old skeleton he wants her opinion on, but fails to mention that someone has got it in for him - which becomes a bit of an issue when Ruth finds unpleasant surprises on the doorstep of the apartment she's borrowed from him. Along with the Romans and Volsci, topics covered are WW2, the Italian Resistance, immigrants and refugees, and Nelson and Cathbad also make an appearance.

The engaging characters are the reason I enjoy these books so much. I also like the history, the humour, and the fact that they are not too 'gritty'. However, while I'm happy to rate this book as a five-star 'must read', new readers would probably get more out of the series if they start with the first book, The Crossing Places. Much of The Dark Angel is about the characters' ongoing relationships, which I loved, but I can see it would completely go over your head if you were not already familiar with who is who.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book, which will be published on 8th February 2018.

Thank you to Elly Griffiths, Quercus and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Related Posts:

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

Review: The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

I discovered the Ruth Galloway series over Christmas, read them all back-to-back, and was then thrilled to get my hands on an advance copy of The Chalk Pit, which is Elly Griffiths's latest one. You don't need to have read the other books to make sense of the story but I recommend that you do. Elly Griffiths has created such wonderful characters that they feel like old friends and I love seeing how they develop from book to book. Regular readers will 'get' the joke of DCI Harry Nelson being sent on a speed awareness course at the start of the story and that he now has a female boss who thinks he's a dinosaur. She may have a point but that's part of his charm!

The story starts with Dr Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist, investigating a collection of bones that have been found in a tunnel beneath Norwich Guildhall during renovations to turn an undercroft into an underground restaurant. The bones are shiny, like 'glass', and have strange cut marks on them. Even if you don't read a lot of crime fiction, you'll probably realise the sinister implication.

Meanwhile, Nelson has been approached by a homeless man he knows only as 'Aftershave Eddie', who is worried about a female friend of his (also homeless) who has gone missing. Shortly after, Eddie is found dead on the steps of the police station where Nelson works - and not from natural causes.

The Chalk Pit is a more serious book than its predecessors, dealing with the plight of the homeless and how others view them. When another woman goes missing, this time a middle-class mother of four, the contrast is made between the amount of time and police manpower spent searching for her to that of Eddie's homeless friend.

I've always been a sucker for stories with secret tunnels (I blame Enid Blyton) and I loved the historical background of the chalk mines and labyrinth of tunnels beneath Norwich. My only niggle was that I'd have liked to have had more archaeology and less police procedure, more of Ruth and Cathbad, and less of Judy - who I do like, just not as much as Ruth, Cathbad and Nelson!

Right at the end of the story there are a couple of revelations about major characters that made my jaw drop. I cannot wait until the next book in the series!

Recommended - particularly if you like a slice of history with your murder mysteries.


Thank you to Elly Griffiths, Quercus and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Related Reviews:

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Review: Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

This is the fifth book in Elly Griffiths's 'Ruth Galloway' series about a forensic archaeologist. It can be read as a stand-alone but you do get more out of the series if you read them in order (which I didn't!); you learn more about the characters and their lives.

One of Ruth's old university friends, Dan Golding, has just died in a house fire. In a horrible coincidence she receives a letter from him detailing his latest, controversial find - the grave of a mythological king. Could this find have been controversial enough to get him murdered? He certainly admits to feeling afraid.

By coincidence Ruth has also been approached by Dan's old university, who want her to confirm the bones are as significant as Dan thought they were. But when Ruth arrives in Lancashire she realises there's something not quite right about the bones - they're not all from the same body for a start.

Dying Fall is now one of my favourite Elly Griffiths books. I loved the story behind Dan's find (no spoilers!) and the revelation that would cause history to be re-written. The Pendle witches are also mentioned and there's a hint of the supernatural when Ruth's friend Cathbad spends the night in what might be a haunted cottage.

I completely fell for the red herrings and failed to guess the identity of the murderer, and there's a nail-biting finish at a funfair, where one of the characters really does suffer a dying fall ...

Great stuff!

Related Reviews:

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Note: I have read the book preceding this, A Room Full of Bones. I enjoyed it and would recommend it but, as I read it some time ago, I would have had to read it again to write a review.

Review: Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree is a short story from Elly Griffiths's Ruth Galloway series, and fits in neatly between A Room Full of Bones and Dying Fall. At the time of writing, it's available as a free ebook; the last third of the book is an extract from Dying Fall.

Ruth has decided this year she will have the 'perfect' Christmas. Her daughter is now old enough to appreciate Santa Claus - and presents! It's three days until Christmas and all Ruth needs now is the perfect tree.

This series often refers to Ruth's involvement in excavating a wooden henge on the beach near to where she lives. The henge was moved to a local museum for preservation and now a small piece has gone missing. The curator is in hospital with pneumonia and Ruth's druid friend, Cathbad, is convinced the man's recovery depends on the finding of this small peg.

Will Ruth ever find the perfect Christmas tree? Will she solve the mystery of the disappearing peg? Unlike the novels in this series, no one is murdered but I found the story entertaining all the same. Part of the appeal of this series for me has always been the characters (especially Cathbad!) and the subtle humour. It's like spending Christmas with old friends!

Related Reviews:

The Crossing Places

The Janus Stone

The House at Sea's End

Review: The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

This is the third book in Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway series and my favourite so far. Six skeletons have been found on a local beach, their remains only exposed after a cliff fall. They appear to have been there for some time, possibly since WW2, and their hands have been tied behind their backs.

Meanwhile, two elderly men are found dead in apparently unrelated, non-suspicious circumstances. But there is one curious fact they have in common, something which could link them to the bodies found in the cliff - or is it just a coincidence? Except DCI Nelson doesn't believe in coincidences...

Normally I hate books written in the present tense but Elly Griffiths does it so well I don't even notice. I usually hate anything to do with WW2 too, but I found the historical backstory fascinating. I also love the humour and the way the main characters are starting to feel like family. 

Part of the mystery centres around an old gothic house, balanced right on the edge of the cliff and likely to go over any day. I LOVE stories with old houses in them and there is an especially creepy chapter where Ruth and Nelson find themselves trapped while a snowstorm rages.

Despite there being no shortage of potential suspects, I still didn't work out who the murderer was. Brilliant stuff!

Related Posts:

Review: The Crossing Places

Review: The Janus Stone

Review: The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone is #2 in a series about Dr Ruth Galloway (a forensic archaeologist) and DCI Harry Nelson.

The story starts with Ruth visiting her fellow archaeologists on a Roman dig and meeting the resident expert, Dr Max Grey. His team have found bones buried beneath a wall, and we're introduced to the Celtic/Roman tradition of a foundation sacrifice - burying a body beneath a wall or doorway as an offering to Janus or Terminus. Janus is the god of beginnings, gates and doorways; Terminus is the god who protects boundaries and boundary stones.

This thought is uppermost in Ruth's mind when the police call her in to examine the skeleton of a child found by builders demolishing an old house, but surely it's just a coincidence that the body has been buried directly under a doorstep? There was once a children's home on the site, and two of the children went missing forty years ago. Could the skeleton belong to one of them? But why is the skull missing?

The story is cleverly written to include lots of potential suspects for murder, all with very plausible motivations and all with something to hide - including Ruth. How is she going to tell the father of her child that she's pregnant?

I enjoyed the book because I loved the characters, flaws and all, as well as the gentle humour and quirky historical details. I really love the character of Cathbad the druid and his unlikely friendship with DCI Nelson - who doesn't want to like him but just can't seem to help himself. And I love that Ruth is quite capable of saving herself - there is a rather tense chase scene at the end. I also didn't guess the identity of the murderer, which is always a plus for me!

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Review: The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths