Right from the start I have enjoyed this series. The soap opera of the characters lives is as much a part of the entertainment as the solving of the crime. This book is number eleven in the series and whilst I enjoyed reading it and have given it four stars, I feel that the series is now wearing rather thin. Many aspects of the story are a revisiting of book one and the relationship between Nelson and Ruth is becoming rather tedious. Overall I would say that the book is quick to read, reasonably entertaining and who can not fail to like Ruth, but maybe it's time to move on.

I have a confession. This is the first Ruth Galloway which I’ve read. As in read in book form. All the others I listened to in audiobook form in the car whilst commuting. I received this latest installment, however, from Netgalley (oh happy days!) and I was actually a little apprehensive about how I would feel reading it in this format. After all, I have noticed many times that Griffiths isn’t technically the best writer in the world. Would some of the love I have for these books diminish, I wondered.

Well, the answer was an emphatic ‘no’. This is my favourite Ruth to date. Not only has Griffiths, I think, improved and rarely makes the small errors I often noted in her earlier books but there was also the advantage of being able to read this without being restricted to the speed of the narrator. I flew through it in a couple of nights.

In this installment Ruth is called into help the police when some modern bones are found on an archaeological site. They turn out to be those of a young girl who went missing in 1981. DCI Nelson and the gang have only just reopened the case when a baby is kidnapped, a crime which seems to be linked to the 1981 one. To add to the suspense, Nelson and Ruth both receive creepy letters similar to those they received in the first Ruth book, The Crossing Places.

I recommend you read The Crossing Places (and all the other Ruth books) before you think about reading The Stone Circle. Sure, all the books in the series can be read as standalones but reading the earlier novels makes you fully appreciate the characters.

I am always amazed at how many substantial scenes Griffiths gives the supporting characters. Judy, in particular, gets to be front and centre of the investigation this time. But Clough, Tanya, Michelle, Laura, Cathbad, Shona and even Kate all get some excellent moments. Erik is the only character I truly dislike. I guess he does add some tension though.

Some of the reveals with the characters’ personal lives in The Stone Circle were sweet, some shocking and unexpected, some heartbreaking. All seemed exactly right this time around.

Griffiths apparently only originally agreed to ten Ruth books. Obviously she’s delivered one extra and I can’t speculate from this book’s ending whether or not she’ll continue. Of course, I hope and pray she does but if she decides to pull the pin and concentrate on something else, I am content with the series finishing here. I think my own imagination can fill in what I think will happen with Ruth and Nelson and co.

Of course I highly recommend this book. 5 out of 5.

An old crime revisited when some bones are found in the beach. A new crime when a man is shot and a baby abducted. Didn't have a clue,good thriller.

I just love Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway series, so I was over the moon to receive a review copy of The Stone Circle from NetGalley prepublication. This book really did not disappoint. It was such a good read I devoured it over the course of a day and a half. Unfortunately I had to stop to cook and eat but I did that as quickly as possible!
The author is so good at characterisations and building up tension that I couldn’t put the book down.
Ruth’s self deprecating comments always make me chuckle and in this book it was her observations on her new Fitbit that made me laugh! “Ruth fears her relationship with the Fitbit is already an unhealthy one. She worries about it’s good opinion of her ( otherwise why not take it off?)”
The love triangle betweeen Ruth, Nelson and Michelle was also compelling. How is it all going to end? Michelle’s baby is born in this book but is it Harry’s or Michelle’s dead lover, Tim’s ?
The crime story concerns the discovery of a child’s bones in an archaeological dig which are much more recent than the location would suggest. Nelson and the team start to investigate who the child is and then how she died.
There are links to earlier novels and Ruth’s deceased mentor, Erik when his son appears at the excavation and Ruth and Nelson receive some strange literary notes, similar to those they received in the earlier book when Erik died. Obviously not from him this time?
The main theme of the novel seems to be family as the author examines Nelson’s situation with his 3 daughters including Kate, his child with Ruth and his feelings for the new baby .
The family of the dead child is of course looked at in the course of the investigation. Finally , Erik’s relationship with his son Leif is also examined.
This is a great book and now I’m devastated that I’m going to have to wait a while for the next one.
Definitely worth purchasing when it’s published this month.

Dr Ruth Galloway and DI Nelson are embroiled in another case at the site of the wood henge that featured in an earlier story in the series. This time there are two bodies - one from the bronze age and one from the 1980's necessitating a cold case investigation. alongside the well plotted murder story is also the ongoing relationship between the main protagonists and their families which made the latest in the series a compulsive read. Another winner from the reliable Griffiths,

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of the Stone Circle, the eleventh novel to feature archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway and Norfolk DCI Harry Nelson.

Nelson is baffled to receive a letter telling him to look for a dead girl in a stone circle because the writing style harks back to a previous case and he knows that the author is dead and that the previous letters were never made public. In the meantime Ruth uncovers fairly modern bones in an old Iron Age henge.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Stone Circle which is the usual mix of police procedural and Ruth and Nelson’s ongoing personal situation. It should be noted that while the procedural stands on its own any new reader would be advised to read the series in order to get the best from the complicated personal situation, although, having said that, in this case I wish I’d re-read The Crossing Places first as there are so many references to it and it is so long since I first read it. Otherwise the novel is great. I’ve been having problems with my concentration recently and this is the first novel in a while that sent out the siren’s call to pull me back in and keep me there.

The procedural plot is stronger than some of the other novels in the series, sending the reader down various blind alleys and making them wonder, not just whodunnit but about the motives of the other characters. I found it quite baffling and intriguing and the eventual solutions quite unexpected. It makes for an interesting read. Of course, I don’t really read this series for the crime element as I’m much more interested in the Ruth and Nelson saga. Normally I’m the first to complain about long running themes that aren’t quickly resolved (like Gretchen and Archie or Sandy Grace) but Ms Griffiths plays a blinder with this scenario and has made it very addictive, probably because it is constantly evolving and relatable in human terms, being so ordinary. Nelson’s wife, Michelle, has baby George early in the novel but that is just the starting point of more drama as events unfold.

The Stone Circle is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Ah back with my friends Ruth, Nelson and Flint. This series is the equivalent of a duvet, fire and cup of tea in January. Warm, reassuring and not too taxing.

All the usual components are present - a couple of bodies, a mad Viking, a druid, a love triangle and a mystery. Marvellous!

recommend this book - this appealed to me because of Val Macdermid's recommendation and I can see that there are similarities with hers and Elly's books. I've never visited Norfolk but this book ( despite the murders!) makes it feel like a magical place to visit! Enjoyed the characters and want to read more!

I read The Crossing Places a while ago, but none of the series in between, so in effect I was approaching this book as a stand alone novel. It works just as well as such and there is no ‘over explanation ‘ of the history of the characters - just enough to fill the reader in without making them think they should go back and read the previous books.
Very enjoyable, a well written mystery with characters you quickly come to know and care about. I look forward to No 12 and must go and catch up on 2 - 10!

Dr Ruth Galloway is back in the latest book in the series by Elly Griffiths

The Stone Circle is another engaging read and whilst it has a number of links to previous books in the series it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

The story moves along at a rapid pace which reflects on one of the main crimes whilst also continuing to develop the main characters' own stories

Another highly recommended read

A clever addition to the series. There's a new case but one that links up to the first book The Crossing Places and it also ties up a few threads from other books in the series. You might want to read the other books before this one to get the most out of it.

There's a fascinating mystery about stone circles in the countryside and this was very interesting. Stanton Drew is very real and it was a unique place to have the mystery unfold. The idea of circles - the circle of life and the circling back to events of the past was a strong theme and it made for an interesting theme.

Whilst the book reads much like the others in the series, there's more character development here and a flash back to other cases which, circle imagery again, seems to loop all the books into a circle of their own.

Strong characters and an even stronger setting make this a winner. Always a gripping plot. This should be on telly!

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.

DCI Harry Nelson's life is complicated. His two oldest daughters are either living away from home or really should be. His youngest daughter was conceived in a (very) brief affair (let's not call it a one-night stand: there's more emotion in their relationship) with archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway. Michelle, Nelson's wife, knows about Kate and has been very understanding, but then there's the matter of her affair with a black policeman which she'd rather not have to discuss with her daughters. Nelson knows about it and knows that the baby which Michelle is about to deliver, could be Tim's. That's a lot to cope with - and that's before he gets to work.

At work he's been getting anonymous letters telling him to rescue the innocent buried at the stone circle, but it's Ruth Galloway who's at the circle when the bones of a young girl are discovered. They're all that remain of Margaret Lacey, a twelve-year-old girl who disappeared thirty years ago, on the day that Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer. She left a street party with her friend: they went their separate ways and Margaret was never seen again. It was just family and friends who were at the party: is one of them guilty of Margaret's murder? Or is John Mostyn, the prime suspect thirty years ago going to be brought to justice now?

I read widely in the crime genre. I touch on some series and then allow them to pass by. Other detectives will be apprehended as they pass across my desk. There are just a few which I'll buy even if a review copy doesn't arrive. Dr Ruth Galloway comes into that last category. I like Galloway: she's a single parent doing her best to bring her daughter up with love and honesty, whilst still living her own life. She's a lecturer at the University of North Norfolk, sometime TV star, writer and consultant to the police. She's a little confused about the last bit of the job description as she's not entirely clear about her relationship with Nelson: she's not certain that she wants to live with a man again and doesn't want him to leave his wife, particularly now that there's a baby on the way, but...

One of the other reasons I love these books is the North Norfolk location, and Elly Griffiths brings it to life in all its beauty and harshness. I feel at home in the books. But the main reason this series matters to me is that the plots are superb. There's obviously been a lot of research done but it's worn lightly: you feel that Griffiths knows a great deal more than she feels the need to include in the books. There are always plenty of twists and I'm generally surprised by how it all works out. This time was no exception. The solution was a complete revelation and totally right.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

Mari Hannah's Kate Daniels series was excellent but, if anything, this is even better. This is the third in her new series featuring David Stone and Frankie Oliver and this time it's personal! When a childhood friend of Frankie's is murdered, she finds it hard to keep it together, and her relationship with her DI is strained to the limit. Both Northumberland and the principal characters are beautifully drawn and the story grips from the very beginning. A real treat!

This is the 11th Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson book and I really enjoyed it. I've read all the previous books so it was great to join them again and also to experience the landscape of the salt marshes, as always a character themselves.
This book brings back the story from Griffiths' first book 'The Crossing Places' which I really liked, as it allowed for us dedicated Dr Ruth Galloway readers a return to those events and with new faces also linked in to the events.
The central plot is woven well and held my attention throughout. With these books it's the through-line story for the central characters that keeps us turning the pages and the complex relationship between Ruth and Harry.
Some funny moment and some poignant ones for the reader and I'd certainly recommend this book, but I'd definitely start with book one and watch the characters develop over the years.
Thank you so much Quercus and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book!

Ancient, recent and personal histories combine When the police start to receive anonymous letters and a skeleton is discovered at an archaeological dig site.

This is my first book in the Ruth Galloway series and, as you'd imagine, with 10 previous instalments there's a lot of backstory to learn on the run. But that was what was so good about the novel. Rather than being muddled and overwhelming, the personal interactions between the characters were layered due to their histories.

Elly Griffiths returns us to the North Norfolk coast with her character driven series featuring academic archaeologist and single mother Dr Ruth Galloway, once again serving as a consultant for the police team run by DI Harry Nelson. This is one of my favourite comfort series, one in which I delight in returning to the familiar characters and this time we come full circle in a mystery that connects to a case from the beginning of this series. Nelson is receiving anonymous letters that echo the past, that unsettle and disturb him, the sender of the original letters, Erik Anderrsen, is dead, so who is evoking past history? Erik's son, Leif, is leading a current henge saltmarsh dig that Ruth is a part of. This is a case that takes us back over thirty years ago when a young 12 year old Margaret Lacey disappeared from a street party celebrating the ill fated wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981. Margaret's bones are recovered at the site of the dig, although it looks as if they have been moved here recently from its unknown original site. No-one was charged with the murder, although the prime suspect was a local young man deemed a weirdo, John Mostyn.

The past replays itself as Nelson and his team, that includes Judy and Cloughie, revisit the cold case and reinterview the major players, particularly the Lacey family, still deeply traumatised about their devastating loss, unable to achieve any form of closure and the now elderly John Mostyn. Nelson and his wife, Michelle, are awaiting the birth of their child, both harbouring fears as to whether Nelson is the father, and how it will be unavoidably clear if he is not, as the now dead Tim was a black police officer. Nelson wants to come clean about being the father of 7 year old Kate, Ruth's daughter, to his older daughters, Laura and Rebecca, aware of the potential problems that lie ahead. A lonely Michelle, having given birth, finds herself connecting with a young mother, Star and her baby, Ava, only to discover Star is part of the younger generation of the Lacey family. In a story that takes in the network of characters that have unexpected connections with Cathbad and Leif, the police find themselves having to deal with a present day murder and the horrors of a missing child.

There are ongoing developments with the characters, such as Ruth seeking the possibility of moving on from her personal situation and wondering if she needs a new start to consolidate her career. However, it ends with her still stuck in her complicated personal life with Nelson, her roots in the Norfolk coast and her close knit and long term ties to the local community. Leif proves to have his own agenda with regard to Cathbad and Ruth, and Superintendent Jo Archer has come to be more accepted with the police team. Fans of this series will adore this addition to this series, probably for the same reason as me, to once again immerse ourselves in characters we have come to love. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.

Stone Circle

I realise I’m late to the table and this instalment is way late in this series but I’ve heard so many good things about it, I couldn’t resist when I got the chance to read The Stone Circle.
So this was my first Ellie Griffiths - Ruth Galloway book and I got plonked right into the middle of several ongoing back plots carried over from previous books. The author, however, dropped enough hints and information that I didn’t feel left out and I could easily pick up on the relationships between the characters and the relevant previous case from the first book in the series.
The murder story itself was gripping and well thought out and I really enjoyed my foray into a very well established series with well developed characters and matured, complex background relations.
I did find the tone of the whole book quite melancholic and sad, but wether I felt for Nelson’s dilemma, Ruth’s situation, the bereft families, or just experienced a bout of January blues I’m not sure. I do hope things look up for the two main characters in the next book, but in the meantime I have ten earlier volumes to catch up on!

This is one of my favourite series and I read this book in a setting so the rating cannot be less than five stars.
At the beginning I was a bit perplexed as it seemed to be a reprise of the first book, similar themes and characters.
Reading it I discovered an engaging and entertaining plot and some interesting developments in the characters.
I think it closes with a sort of cliff hanger and I suppose this means there will be more installment.
It found it better than the previous one, I loved being back in Norfolk and meeting again the old gang.
I look forward to reading the next one.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this ARC

The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths

This series- the Ruth Galloway books- are best read in order so that the life-changes and development of the cast of characters make most sense. The book nicely balances showing how past events continue to affect people and events in the present, and and resolving some issues from the past- for instance Michelle’s baby is born (mother and child are doing well) and Kate properly meets her half-sisters. Other conundrums continue (Ruth and Nelson) or are explored (how do Cathbad and Judy get on day to day). The book, like others in the series, is about lost children, and I wonder about Ruth’s relationship with a previously lost-then-found girl; surely she must have one. I enjoyed the book both for the plot and for the people. Highly recommended.