When I first started Clothes in Books I didn’t foresee that I would be given a lot of free books, that I would be sent early review copies of all kinds of works of literature. It’s a happy side-effect of the blog. But I can say hand on heart that Elly Griffiths is different from all the others: I am delighted to receive a free ebook (thank you Quercus Books), but the reason I am so delighted is that I get to read it as soon as humanly possible. I would happily buy a new full-price hardback on day of publication – but I can’t wait that long. I LOVE these books, as I have made clear on the blog many times before. There are many entries on her books (this series, the Mephisto series, and her recent standalone The Stranger Diaries), and in this piece I tried to explain what I think is so great about her writing, and described my history with the books.

The Stone Circle loops back to the first of the Dr Ruth Galloway books, The Crossing Places (pre-blog days, but special New Year party entry) – I’m going to have to read it again now – with references to the henge found on the shore and the people involved in various goings-on there. The cliffhanger over the baby is settled (in a way). I was terrified that with this reflection and resolution this might be the last in the series, but thank goodness Elly Griffiths has told us she is writing the next one now – please don’t ever stop, Elly, I want this series to go on forever.

Anyway. There is an unsolved crime from 1981, a story of missing girls, a figure from Ruth’s past, and those creepy anonymous letters. And as ever all the regulars get their fair share of the action. And of course everyone makes those clever funny observations the author is so good at:
‘Let’s try a collegiate approach’ she said… But there’s nothing admirable about the way colleges and universities operate as far as Judy can see.

Leif puts his hand on Cathbad’s. ‘Come to the site,’ he says. ‘Come early one morning and we will salute the dawn together.’
‘I’ll have to do the school run first,’ says Cathbad.
Erik enjoyed a chat about the undead as much as the next archaeologist.

[About women friends becoming grandmothers] She'd been horrified to see her friend Liz referring to herself on Facebook as 'Nanny Beth'. Who the hell was Nanny Beth? Not Liz who liked to drink cocktails and once confided to Michelle that she’s had to resign her gym membership after she’d had sex with her personal trainer in an empty squash court.



I sat down and read the book pretty much in one go, finishing it with regret, but thinking I had read it so quickly I could afford to re-read. As well as The Crossing Places, and probably some of the others.

In the past I never had any time for claims that fictional characters were ‘like friends’ to readers: but that changed when I read these books. Harry Nelson is the Thinking Woman’s Policeman. Cathbad is everyone’s favourite Druid. Ruth would be your best friend. Most of the regulars would be my ideal dinner party guests.

If you haven’t read these books, I quite envy you because you have them all to enjoy… Start now.




The setting on the Norfolk coast is always beautifully described in these books. The Saltmarsh makes me think of a favourite poem, Overheard on a Saltmarsh by Harold Monroe, which I’m sure Elly Griffiths knows all about. It begins:


Nymph, nymph, what are your beads?
Green glass, goblin. Why do you stare at them?
Give them me.
No.
Give them me. Give them me.
No.

And you can read on here – it truly has the atmosphere of Ruth’s Saltmarsh.

I liked the top 2 paintings of the area: both are from the 19th century – but you suspect that the view from Ruth’s house hasn’t changed much since then.

North Norfolk Coast by Thomas Frederick Goodall, 1879, from the Athenaeum website.
The Marshes, Cromer, Norfolk by Henry Bright – same source.

The photo shows the stone circle at Stanton Drew in Somerset,which features in the book. It is from Wikimedia Commons and is by rodw.

Further adventures of forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway and senior detective Harry Nelson when a body is discovered in a stone circle in Norfolk. Full circle seems more appropriate as this is very similar to the first story in the series with these two main characters. This is, no doubt, purely by design of the author. I've been a fan of most of the series and the author continues to write well - tight plots, sufficient red herrings and well developed characters. I like all of them! However, this particular book veers too much towards the personal relationships for me. These are interesting as well as complicated but there were times when I just wanted to shake Ruth and Harry and tell them to get on with the detecting. I took off one star for this reason. I have a niggle with the use of radiocarbon dating in that the modern bones would not have come out at 30 or so years. Nothing so precise or even reasonable given the complexities of "bomb" carbon from the 1950s. Otherwise the 'sciency' bits are fine! I enjoyed the book on the whole, feel that some readers may well not get the most from it if they haven't read the previous stories and hope that we do get more in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Quercus, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Delighted to find a new book in this excellent series! We return to Norfolk and the interesting life of archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway who once again helps the local police to solve a crime involving unearthed bones. Elly Griffiths has managed the significant challenge of maintaining reader interest over a long series of novels by creating very credible characters and plots with sufficient twist to keep one reading. She writes crisply and the dialogue is convincing. The inevitable exposition of the characters' history in later books in a series is handled neatly - recaps can be irritating for those who have read the previous novels, but they aren't here.

The sense of place is less dramatic than in earlier books in which Ruth's cottage on the Saltmarsh was more integral to the story. Maybe the plot ends are a bit too neatly tied up by the remarkably effective police team but the characters' relationships are sufficiently messy to counter this. And I do wonder why Ruth's job at the university of North Norfolk seems to involve just teaching, without any of the mind-numbing administration tasks that most academics experience these days.

I'm surprised that these books have not yet been adapted for TV. I think the stories are certainly as good as Rosemary and Thyme and Midsomer Murders. I know a cat who could play Ruth's Flint rather well.

I went to see Elly Griffiths speak in Norwich this week, and she explained that the inspiration for this book came when she had to re-read the first Dr Ruth Galloway novel (The Crossing Places) before a launch of the series in Denmark. This explains why the themes are similar in this book (missing children, ancient and modern burials). I think you would struggle to read this book without having read the previous entries in this great series, but as a die hard fan I enjoyed both the circularity of the plot of this book, and also how the personal relationships continue to grow and change within our cast of characters.

DCI Harry Nelson, whose wife Michelle is days from giving birth, receives a letter, similar to those received many years ago, pointing him to a new burial. Dr Ruth Galloway, Forensic Archaeologist at the University of North Norfolk, is called to another dig, near to the original henge site, where a Bronze Age body has been found. The two cases will collide, and Ruth will have more reason than ever to consider her future.

And so it has come to pass. The baby has been born. And just as when Nigel fell off the Lower Loxley roof 8 years ago, this one is going to have repercussions for years to come. Forgive me if you are not an Archers fan, but in the best possible way I always equate the Ruth Galloway series with my favourite radio programme.

They have so much in common. Including lots of fabulously interesting characters in whom it is impossible not to be invested. The Ruth Galloway books have domestic dramas, children who grow up and develop characters of their own and lots to talk about outside of the main event. Just as I feel ready to relax into my radio programme every weekday evening, so I get the same satisfied feeling when I open a new Ruth Galloway novel.

You can read this book as a stand- alone, but as ever, I think you will get a great deal more from it if you read these books in series order. As it happens, The Stone Circle actually references events in the first book in the series, Crossing Places. Readers of this series may remember Erik Anderssen, who had been Ruth’s mentor.

Now dead, it is as if Erik’s ghost has returned, this time in the form of his son Lief. Leif Anderssen is heading up a Bronze Age dig in the saltmarshes not far from Ruth’s cottage. When old bones of a young girl are found, Ruth is called in to give her expert forensic archaeologist’s opinion. It’s not long before another set of bones is discovered, this time they are clearly more recent and DNA returns a match to Margaret Kirk, a young girl who went missing at a street party to celebrate Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981.

A murder investigation is launched, and suspects at the time of Margaret’s disappearance are re-interviewed. DCI Harry Nelson is puzzled when he receives a letter like the one Erik sent in Crossing Places, and then Ruth, too receives a similar letter and the reader can’t help wondering if the presence of Lief’s son is more than coincidental.

For Ruth and Nelson, this case brings up so many memories of their first case together when their personal relationship began. That, too, was a case involving a child and it seems as if their relationship has somehow come full circle whilst at the same time they have to recognise that so many things have changed with the birth of Michelle’s baby.

Heading up the Serious Crimes Unit, DCI Nelson, together with Judy, Clough and Tanya are determined to find Margaret’s killer and find some closure for the family after so many years grieving for their missing child. And then a child goes missing and it is brought home to us how much of life is all about the children.

The Stone Circle has so many echoes and reflections that it is hard to resist going back in time to the early days of Ruth and Nelson’s relationship, and to reflect on what might have been. Now though, it is all about the children and how things will move forward. As ever in an Elly Griffiths book, nothing is as clear cut as all that, but I sense that there are opportunities here for Ruth if she is bold enough to take them. I am so looking forward to the next one.

Griffiths melds the past and present together to tell a rounded, fascinating story.

Verdict: A police procedural woven through with atmospheric locations and the fabulous characters we have come to love .

This series never fails to disappoint. This 11th outing for Ruth is as good as the first. All the familiar old characters are there as well as some new. Michelle has had her baby and Ruth has a potential new love interest.
Read it and enjoy

I had heard good things about the Ruth Galloway series; this is the first I have read and I’m afraid I didn’t get on well with it. Ruth is a forensic archaeologist in North Norfolk, which provides interesting possibilities as a body is discovered in an archaeological dig site, but these were swamped for me by the sheer weight of extraneous material about complex relationships between a very large number of characters, musings on all sorts of other topics, some slightly tedious stereotypes and some pretty dodgy dialogue.

To be fair, part of my problem may be joining the series at this late stage, but it is part of the skill of a writer to make books accessible to new readers. I found The Stone Circle almost wholly inaccessible; there were far too many characters, far too much extraneous stuff, and not nearly enough focus on plot and structure. Elly Griffiths does generate a very good sense of place and her central characters are quite well painted, but the dialogue is often quite stilted and at times plain clunky. For example, two seasoned police officers have this exchange after Dr Galloway provides some hope that there is information about an absolutely critical part of the investigation:
‘Good old Ruth,’ says Clough. They have been listening on hands-free because Judy is driving. ‘Yes,’ says Judy. ‘If we can find out where [spoiler name] was originally buried, that’ll be a great help.’
“Good old Ruth” is clumsy and wholly out of character for Clough. And as for Judy informing him that what they both know to be vital information “will be a great help”… It really won’t do.

It's not a terrible book, but at about half way I gave up. I really wasn’t very interested in much of it and got very fed up with faintly familiar names cropping up and constantly thinking things like, "Hang on – who was Shona again? Is she married Cathbad? Oh, no – that's...er... So is she married to another character at all, or am I thinking of someone else?" etc. I'm usually quite good at keeping track of characters, but there are so many of them and so much interconnectedness built up from previous stories that I felt a bit lost some of the time. A writer should be able to remind us subtly who is who, especially when there are so many characters; Griffiths doesn’t and for me it wasn’t really worth the effort.

So, I’m out of step with the great majority of reviewers, I’m afraid. They loved it, so don’t let me put you off, but this really isn’t for me.

(My thanks to Quercus for an ARC via NetGalley.)

Another cracker from Elly Griffiths, one of the few authors who is able to sustain both a gripping crime plot alongside the engaging and entertaining inner world of her characters. I love the way she has brought the side characters along as well - this might be her 11th Ruth book but it never gets dull! Highly recommended

The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths

The bones of a young girl, buried so long ago in the Bronze Age, have been found on a henge site on the Saltmarsh on the Norfolk coast. Dr Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist, is investigating. But, when more bones are found nearby, Ruth knows there is something different about them. They aren’t old. The bones are soon identified as those of Margaret Lacey, a child who disappeared thirty years ago. DCI Harry Nelson must reopen the cold case but he’s troubled. Nelson has been receiving anonymous letters which are similar to those that he was sent years before by a man now dead. Are the cases connected? The writer certainly seems to know more about the buried child than he should.

The Ruth Galloway series is one of my very favourites. In fact, I love everything that Elly Griffiths writes, whether it’s this series, or the Stephens and Mephisto books, or the stand alone marvel The Stranger Diaries, which was one of my top books of 2018. And so I fell on The Stone Circle as soon as it arrived, keen to be back in this warm world (despite the murders), with detectives Judy and Cloughie and with Cathbad the Druid.

In the last novel (book ten of the series), The Dark Angel, we were taken to Italy (and I loved it) but The Stone Circle returns us to the familiar territory of the marshes of the coast, no distance at all from where a man died in an earlier case and who is remembered here. It’s worth mentioning at this point that, as far as the case is concerned, you don’t need to have read any of the other books. It’s all easy to follow.

It’s certainly worth reading the books in order, though, for what they reveal about the relationship between Ruth and Nelson, which is the key element of the series. In these books the murder is most definitely secondary to the people whose lives we have grown so close to over all eleven books. All of the books are character-driven, much more than they are action-driven. It’s Ruth and Nelson who matter, as well as Ruth’s child Kate, Nelson’s children, and his wife Michelle who is now on the point of giving birth once more. These characters have all spun a tangled web and by now we are well and truly involved. I think if you read this novel on its own, with no knowledge of what’s gone on before, then you might feel a little uninvolved. But if you’ve read these books as a progression then there are some key moments here. Both Ruth and Nelson are getting ready to make some big decisions. Babies are a big theme in this book – new beginnings.

I love the Norfolk setting of the novels. The sea is never far away. The marshes are beautiful and lethal at the same time. I love how Elly Griffiths writes. She has brought us completely into Ruth and Nelson’s world. The tension between them continues and now it is involving another generation. At least they have a murder mystery to distract them! But the case is such a sad one and it becomes very involving. I lose myself so easily in this series. I find these books comforting and such a pleasure. Long may they continue. Thank you so much, Elly Griffiths!

Other reviews
The Chalk Pit (Ruth Galloway 9)
The Dark Angel (Ruth Galloway 10)
The Zig Zag Girl (Stephens and Mephisto 1)
The Vanishing Box (Stephens and Mephisto 4)
The Stranger Diaries

I am always happy when a new Ruth Galloway novel comes out and it’s a pleasure to go back to North Norfolk and to a cast of characters that have now become familiar and THE STONE CIRCLE is a fantastic new addition to a brilliant series.

After the body of a young girl who had disappearad thirty years earlier is found in a dig, Dr. Ruth Galloway and DCI Nelson find themselved entangled in a family drama and a mystery full of suspects and surprises. Add to this anonymous and cryptic letters, folklore, magic, and superstition and you have another gripping and thrilling novel by Elly Griffiths.

The plot is chilling, suspenseful, and, luckily, difficult to predict. We revisit old storylines and meet again characters from the previous novels, but the story is still original and captivating. Of course, what really keeps me engrossed to this series and makes me eager to read every new novel that comes out are the characters created by Elly Griffiths. I am addicted to Ruth and Nelson’s very complicated relationship and I always want to find out more about them. In this novel, things are made more difficult by the arrival of a suitor for Ruth and the birth of Michelle and Nelson’s son. We also see more of Rebecca and Laura, Nelson and Michelle’s adult daughters, and I always enjoy reading about Ruth and Nelson’s seven-year-old daughter, Katie, who I find really adorable. My favourite character is Cathbad, a modern day druid, who knows how to keep me entertained and who makes me laugh.

Once again, I found myself completely engrossed in a novel by Elly Griffiths and I read THE STONE CIRCLE in less than two days. I love the characters, the stories, the setting, and the author’s clear and beautiful prose and I am already looking forward to the twelfth novel of this amazing series.

Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Nelson are taken back to the case that brought them together when the detective begins to receive anonymous letters. Bearing a striking resemblance to the correspondence he received during his investigation into a missing child, he knows that the author cannot be the same person as he is dead, so who is it this time? When the body of a child is found and another is reported missing, Nelson fears that history may be repeating itself.

After the revelations in the previous book, I could not wait to read The Stone Circle and discover the outcome of one of the biggest mysteries of the series so far – just who is the father of Michelle’s baby?! Thankfully, we don’t have to wait too long as the birth occurs quite early on, but you will have to read it yourself to find out the answer! I did enjoy reading more about Michelle in this book, the missing child plot giving us the opportunity to see her as someone other than Nelson’s wife.

There are strong references to the first in this series, The Crossing Places, so while it is not essential to have read the previous ten books, it is advisable as there are several spoilers. I enjoyed this link to the past as it set me thinking about how much has changed for Ruth in the intervening years. While Ruth’s personal life is a key part of this series, I have always liked how Elly Griffiths creates a perfect balance between this and the police investigation.

One of the things I enjoy most about this series is the way modern police investigation, led by Nelson, works alongside Ruth’s archaeology. We get plenty of opportunities to see this in action in The Stone Circle with the discovery of the remains of two bodies, one much older than the other. This time, however, Ruth takes a bit of a back seat, the digging being organised by the rather shadowy Leif, providing another link to the aforementioned previous case. He was one of the few characters I did not like in this book and I enjoyed a particular scene when Nelson made his feelings towards him as clear as day!

After the heart-stopping moments of the previous book, The Dark Angel, I was pleased that this one didn’t have the same shock factor as I don’t think I could have coped with a similar dramatic ending! Despite this, there are still plenty of shocking moments, not least when we finally discover the truth behind the cold case. The Stone Circle has a very entertaining plot and Elly Griffiths keeps you guessing right until the end.

I always feel slightly bereft after completing the latest Elly Griffiths book and am already looking forward to the next one. If you have never read any her previous books, be it the Ruth Galloway series, Stephens and Mephisto series, or the standalone The Stranger Diaries, then you won’t regret making one of them your next read!

Well we are up to a fabulous number eleven in the Ruth Galloway series and to my mind the split between investigation and catching up with some, by now, much-loved characters makes for the perfect read.

First to the mystery at the heart of The Stone Circle and I’m glad to say the brief foray to foreign lands of the last novel is over and we are back in Norfolk once again. Not that I have anything against other places but Ruth and Harry Nelson really do belong at home. That means that Dr Ruth Galloway is at the university and ready and waiting to oversee an archaeological dig at a henge, or stone circle. Within the henge, bones are found and more modern than the bronze age structure would account for. And then Suddenly it is as if the clock has turned right back to the first case that Ruth assisted DCI Nelson with, The Crossing Places.

To the personal side of the story, well it is all go with a great deal of suspense about how life will change once Nelson’s wife Michelle gives birth… And so as good as the plot of the mystery is, it is here that the flesh and blood are put upon our characters. This is where life is lived, not mourned but sometimes it isn’t easy and there are no answers, well definitely none that are underlined with certainty. Into this mix is Ruth herself, she’s contemplating her future, her career and debating whether staying put is really the best decision for her and Kate, and of course dear old Flint. I am biased I want her to stay put, if she moves away from the University of Norfolk I’m doubting whether we will see as much of Cathbad, whose flowing cloaks are being abandoned to spare his son’s blushes, or Shona who only makes a brief appearance in this novel, or the entire Norfolk police force who are like friends to me now. But she has her career to consider…

At the end of the book Elly Griffiths states that the idea was that there would be ten books in the Ruth Galloway series so perhaps it is fitting that there are many echoes in this book of the very first one – in fact so much so I was tempted to go back and re-read The Crossing Place. But I rarely go back and somehow I think I would be tempted to read my way back through and I simply don’t have enough spare time to re-read all ten books – well not until I am put on that desert island with my kindle! Anyway without the plot which mirrors that early case with a young girl’s body being found and a cold case being reviewed with all the resultant wounds that opens, and hopefully heals, we also have DCI Nelson receiving some disturbing letters. Now I don’t know about you but if I was choosing to send someone anonymous letters, I doubt that I’d choose a policeman, but hey there’s none so queer as folk!

This series as a whole, and this book in particular, also addresses the somewhat shocking aspects of what has come before. Elly Griffiths keeps a grip of her characters so it isn’t only the big events that she ensures continue as a thread but some of the more minor events also . I’m a bit of a nerd in this respect so give a little smile when I spot an event being played forward in a later book.

So as always for this series it is a resounding recommendation from me and a huge amount of gratitude to the publishers Quercus who allowed me to read an advance copy of The Stone Circle before the publication day of, today!
Dr Ruth Galloway Books in order
The Crossing Places
The Janus Stone
The House at Sea’s End
A Room Full of Bones
Dying Fall
The Outcast Dead
The Ghost Fields
The Woman in Blue
The Chalk Pit
The Dark Angel


First Published UK: 7 February 2019
Publisher: Quercus
No of Pages: 384
Genre: Crime Fiction – Series
Amazon UK
Amazon US

I'm a massive fan of this series and probably over invested in the characters lives to be fair. I really enjoyed this installment but a criticism could be levelled that the crimes to be investigated are overshadowed by the characters antics. Doesn't bother me at all mind you. I stayed up late to finish this one and I can't wait for the next one.

Ahhh I just love these books, I say it every time that they are my comfort reads.
Although, sometimes do I wonder if not much changes.

I find that these books tend to start slow, then as the information is gathered it gains momentum. But really for me it’s the characters, like meeting old family and friends again. If you are intending to read these books I urge you to start from the beginning, as these are a character driven series, not just a straight police procedural and I think you’ll get so much more from it. Although if your not fussed about that sort of thing, each is a stand alone police investigation and has closure.

I did enjoy this book and will of course read more and I thank Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

The Stone Circle - Elly Griffiths - Dr Ruth Galloway 11

This is the first of the Ruth Holloway series I have read, and I have to say it was really good read and nice to discover a new author with a series I can read through.

Set on the Norfolk coast , the bones of a young girl are found In a stone circle currently being dug up by archaeologists, the main one in charge being a Norwegian, Leif Anderssen , who happens to be the son of an Erik Anderssen , who it’s turns out was in an earlier book in the series.

DCI Harry Nelson and his team, DS Judy Johnson and DS David Clough , Cloughie, investigate , the Body turns out to be a missing body from 1981 - so the cold case is opened.

In the meantime, DCI Nelson, receives a cryptic letter which appear to have clues relating to the disappearance of the girl 12 years previous.....

With all this going on the DCI has a heavily pregnant wife, whilst also dealing with a fractious relationship with the main character Dr Ruth Galloway, Forensic Archaeologist helping the team with the old bones.

With Hints of Pagan rituals and Norse Mythology, old stone circles, abductions and murders, the story moves at a good pace building to a good climax and end to the tale.

What seems a very character focused and driven book rather than just story is a nice change and it feels like I like all the characters on the basis of one book and I want to read more of their past investigations, I likes “Cloughie” a lot.

It’s a good traditional page turning mystery , I would and will read more by this author and recommend to anyone reading this review

4*

My copy was provided free by net galley, this in no way influenced my review

This is the eleventh book in the Ruth Galloway series (definitely best read in order) and for me it is like coming home to old friends. In my opinion the author never fails to deliver and has maintained the consistently high standards of all the previous novels. This story draws on the events in the very first book when a bronze age circle was found together with an ancient set of bones, and the police, mistakenly identifying them as modern, call on Dr Ruth Galloway to examine them. A second henge or circle has been unearthed near the first one with a burial chest and bones in the centre. Sadly during the excavation another far more modern skeleton is found and Ruth, DCI Nelson and his team find themselves investigating a cold case, that of the disappearance in 1981 of schoolgirl Margaret Lacey. There are many strange echoes of the past, particularly in the form of the cryptic letters that led Nelson back to the Saltmarsh and some long gone characters seem to re-appear. There are plenty of strong suspects and motives but with all the upheaval in his personal life can Nelson find the truth, especially when a newborn baby connected to Margaret's family goes missing and gives him a second case to solve. All the old favourite characters such as Judy and Cathbad feature in a brilliantly told and compulsive story. Highly recommended.

I am a great fan of the Ruth Galloway series and once again I was not disappointed. Hard to believe this is the 11th in the series.
Ruth is called in to help the police when some bones, thought to be fairly modern, are discovered at an archeologigical site.
Investigations link them to a cold case,the disappearance of a young girl who went missing in 1981. .The site is close to that featured in The Crossing Places the very first book in the series.
When a baby is kidnapped, it seems to have connections to the cold case.
Both Nelson and Ruth receive cryptic letters reminiscent of the ones Nelson recieved in the first book. Letters thought to have been sent by Ruths old mentor Dr Eric Andersson, now dead.
Coincidence then that his son Leif is in charge of the dig this time ?
So although you could read the books as standalone novels you will get so much more from reading them in order, to understand the connections between the characters.
The eerie atmosphere of the salt marshes a perfect setting for this murder mystery.
Another compulsive read with a well thought out plot that kept me guessing..
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First I want to say that this is one of the best books in the series. I can be quite annoyed with both Ruth and Nelson. However, in this book both very behaving quite good. Although there are moments of when I thought; "Come on Nelson, you can't have your cake and eat it". Now, that I've gotten that off my chest can I return to the story of the book.

One of the reasons for me liking this series is the combination of crime and archaeology. I love that Ruth is an archaeologist that now and then get dragged into different types of crimes. Like in this book when the body of a young girl is found in a dig. And evidence point to that this is compared to the usual bodies found a fresh body. Or fresher, it's been in the ground for thirty years.

The Stone Circle is engrossing, both the case (that brings to mind the case in the first book) and everything that goes around in the characters personal lives was enjoyable to read about. I was even thrilled to wake up too early this morning so that I could finish the book before work. Also, This book actually made me think of going back and read the books from the beginning. It was so long ago that I read the first book that it would be fun to read it again.

This is book 11 in the series concerning Dr Ruth Galloway (she does like people to use her title) and DCI Nelson. It is usually at this point I say something along the lines of “this can be read as a stand alone book but best read after the previous books”. However, in this case it really can’t be read as a stand alone book. You do need to have read the previous books as this book has its roots in “Crossing Places”, the first in the series. On the plus side – if you can’t remember all the details from “Crossing Places” this is a great excuse to go back & read the whole series again!

I have loved the Dr Ruth Galloway series from the outset. This is definitely one of the best. Two children are found inside an ancient stone circle out on the saltmarshes. One is an ancient Bronze age burial. The other rather more recent. The echoes from the henge found by Erik in “Crossing Places” are enhanced when it turns out the dig is being run by his son, Leif. As well as the murder investigation we also have the long running story of Ruth & Nelson. Nelson’s wife is due to have her baby – will it turn out to be Nelson’s or her lover’s Tim’s baby? Will Ruth settle down with Frank or does she still love Nelson? Cathbad, Judy, Clough & even Shona are all back.

I really enjoyed this book and feel it is one of the best in the series. Ruth is just an excellent & very unlikely main character for a series. She is 40+, an academic whose career has stalled, a single Mum who is always rushing to the child minder or a playdate & she loved (or loves?) a married man whose wife is about to have a baby. She is brilliantly down to earth & worried about the ordinary things in life such as looking sweaty and being late! I really don’t condone an affair with a married man but you just can’t help loving Ruth. The other characters are fantastic – Nelson who doesn’t know what he wants. Cathbad is as mysterious as ever. We see more of Cathbad’s oldest child, Maddy, in this book. Clough is forever eating & Judy and Trudy have their own battles for the best parts of an investigation.

I was so looking forward to this book & was hoping it wasn’t going to be a let down. Not at all. I couldn’t put it down as I got involved with the excellent plot & the old friends from previous books. It flowed well and was very easy to read & get involved with. Please believe me when I say I have already got my eye out for the next one!

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

With thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review. I am pleased Elly Griffiths has released another book so soon after her last book The Stranger Diaries.

The story starts with DCI Harry Nelson`s wife Michelle heavily pregnant.
They are both excited but are anxious that the baby`s father maybe Tim, a man Michelle had an affair with. The

Ruth knows that Harry will never leave Michelle and contemp!ates applying for a job at Cambridge.

Meanwhile Harry receives an anonymous letter at work that alludes to a past case. The letter then was written by a Dr Eric Anderson who drowned. In the present Eric`s son Leif is working on an archaeological dig in Norfolk, Ruth goes to visit the dig when two bodies are found.

The first body is 12 year old Margaret Lacey, who vanished 30 years earlier from a street party celebrating Charles and Diana's wedding. The second body is of a stone age girl.

Neighbour and local loner John Mostyn was the prime suspect at the time but never charged. DS Dave Clough and Judy Johnson visit Margaret`s family Mother Karen, stepfather Pete and sister Annie. Karen said she knew Mostyn but never thought he took Margaret.

The day after Mostyn supplied a DNA swab to the police he was found in a shopping centre dead. He was murdered at home execution style and then dumped at the centre.. Meanwhile Michelle delivered a healthy baby boy called George. Michelle went to a mother and baby group and became friends with a young mum called Star and her daughter Ava. Harry later found out that Star was Annie`s daughter.

When Star`s daughter is taken, Michelle promises Harry will find Ava. Did the person who murder Margaret come back to Ava?

Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite go to authors. I have read all 11 Ruth Galloway books, her books are like seeing old dear friends. I especially enjoy the mix of police procedural with archaeology and ancient Norfolk legends. There were red herrings galore and gave a gasp of surprise when the killer was revealed.

I recommend this book. If you are new to Ruth Galloway however you should start with book 1.