This latest installment in the Ruth Galloway series takes the reader on a riotous journey across the marshlands of England and through a mystery with too many unanswered questions. Ruth is now living with Frank, a romantic interest from the last book, in Cambridge with a new teaching position. She seeks a liberation from the messy relationship between her and Nelson, the father of her daughter, Kate. Ruth and Frank's relationship is comfortable and logical, if not passionate. He loves her and Kate, and they have a quiet life in the rare air of Cambridge. Back in North Norfolk, Nelson has just seen the conviction of a serial killer, found guilty of killing two young women and burying them in his girlfriend's backyard. Yet, Nelson believe that this charismatic fellow is responsible for more murders of missing women. Through an unexpected twist, the murderer involves Ruth in the investigation, and the game is on. You will not see the end coming; it is a surprise.

Another winner from Griffiths. I am always happy to spend time with Ruth and her friends and family, even though she does have a way of getting into mortal danger every time she helps to solve a mystery. It kept me guessing until the end.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I really love the Ruth Galloway series. The main character is smart, funny, independent, and inquisitive. I also always enjoy the drama between her and Nelson, a married policeman. The added dynamic in this novel is that Ruth is in a committed relationship with Frank so that raised the stakes on her interactions with Nelson.. I appreciated that the author used this book as an opportunity to introduce a few more supporting characters into the police force. I can see a lot of potential in the ambitious Tanya and the amiable Tony. It’s always nice to get an update on Cathbad the Druid, of course. These characters have become like friends over this series.

Having said that, the other characters of this novel seemed to lack depth or distinction. The story centers on four dead girls, none of whom, of course, we meet, so it was very hard for me to keep them straight, especially since they are all so similar. Likewise, the suspects were all similar and so interconnected in their relationships that I also had a hard time keeping them straight, too.

What kept me reading was the interactions among the regularly appearing characters like Ruth and Nelson. The mystery itself started to fizzle out for me about half way through. The ending seemed far fetched and by that point, I didn’t really care who the culprit was anyways.

Overall, my love for Ruth outweighed the clunky plot. I look forward to the next installment to see what life throws at Ruth.

I was incredibly excited to win an ARC of the latest Dr. Ruth Galloway novel. This is one of my favorite series. And even though Griffiths is on book #12, the series still has that magic that we look for in our favorite books.

In this entry, more than 2 years has passed since the last entry in the series. Ruth is in a very different place--literally and figuratively. She's leased out her cottage on the salt marsh, she's taken a new position at Cambridge, and she's moved in with Frank (yes, holy changes!). Most of these options were being pondered in the last book, but I was still surprised to see her in such a different place at the beginning of this one. I will also admit that I selfishly wish we had at least one book in between--I think it would have been a lot of fun to use Cambridge as the setting and have her and the other cast of familiar characters join her there. But, alas, we've made the time jump and are now 2+ years in the future.

The mystery in this one is pretty good: a man has been convicted for the murder of two girls but Nelson thinks he's guilty of at least two more. We are introduced to a cast of characters who surround the murderer as Nelson tries to ferret out any further details that might lead to the other missing girls' bodies. Then Ruth gets pulled into the drama (much to poor Frank's chagrin) when the convicted man says he will tell Nelson where to look for the two other bodies, but only if Dr. Galloway does the excavation. And in the interim, another murder matching the earlier deaths takes place, which throws everything into question. I enjoyed the storyline and trying to figure out who the culprit was, especially with the conflicts that keep arising and casting doubt on what you think you know. One minor criticism would be that the cast of supplementary characters has a number of men whom I had trouble keeping straight. As we are introduced to them, it is unclear if they will come back to the story or not so maybe I didn't pay as much attention as I should have. Also, these characters lived in a sort of commune and switched partners and lovers frequently, so I think that played into the general confusion as well. But not a huge deal.

Overall, I liked seeing where this story would be going and the personal decisions Ruth faces in the meantime, trying to make a comfortable situation work in Cambridge while knowing her full heart isn't in it. She makes some decisions by the end that will likely--again--change the trajectory of her journey.

I think you could easily read this as a standalone, but I highly suggest starting at the beginning if you're interested in this series. I sometimes see this labeled as a "cozy mystery" series, but it's not that at all. It's an academic/literary mystery series and a damn good one. Oh, and if you don't read the whole series you won't get to experience all the fun history of Cathbad (possibly my favorite character!) so just read the whole series. You won't be disappointed!

I gulped this book down in (almost) a single sitting. Perfect for long quarantine days: part novel with great characters who have evolved over the 12 books in Griffiths’ Dr. Ruth Galloway series and part mystery with all that closure we crave in these anxious days.

Four dead woman and a convicted murderer, but do they have the right man? In this installment, Ruth has moved to Cambridge with a new partner and a new job but is drawn back to Norfolk by the prisoner offering to disclose the location of additional bodies if Ruth promises to do the excavation. An artist colony and cycling group feature prominently in the story with plenty of local history, folklore, and archeological digs. All our favorite characters are back, each slowly progressing in their own long term narrative arcs.

Now I just have to wait for the next one…

p.s. For those who are new to this series, Dr. Ruth Galloway is a forensic archeologist who, before this book, lived in a remote area near Norfolk amidst the marshes near the sea. She works with the large and brooding but spectacularly capable Detective Chief Inspector Nelson. Another favorite character is Cathbad — part-time University employee and full-time modern druid. You can start the series anywhere, really, but the it never hurts to start at the beginning!

Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is back in a new mystery that picks up a couple years after The Stone Circle. Fans of the series might be disconcerted to find Ruth in Cambridge living with Frank and raising Kate away form Nelson. For all appearances, she has moved on.

That notion is quickly dispelled as Ruth is drawn firmly back into a case with Nelson and rest of the Kings Lynn squad. They have also had some changes, with Clough promoted to lead his own team in Cambridge. There are lots of complicated emotions and motives here, both for Ruth and Nelson and for the intriguing cast of characters wrapped up in the ever-present murder mystery.

I was pleased to find Ruth once again written as a strong, capable, independent woman who is more than one side of a complicated triangle with Nelson and Michelle. I also found 9 year old Kate to be a delight. Griffiths has skillfully balanced the emotional, personal relationships of the story with a cracking good mystery that had me guessing right up to the very end.

Well done!

If Ruth Galloway thought she could put North Norfolk behind her by moving, getting a new job and a new partner, she was wrong. Ruth is contacted by DCI Nelson when murderer Ivor Marsh agrees to reveal the location of the remains of more murdered women, but only if Ruth will excavate them. In an area reputed to be haunted by the Lantern Men, beings believed to lure travelers to their deaths, Ruth sets out on what is surely the grimmest assignment she’s ever had. One of my favorite British mystery series, Ruth and her quirkiness never gets old

This is one of my favorite series and I always look forward to the new adventures of Dr. Ruth Galloway. This particular one revolves around the murder of several young girls and their connection to a writer's retreat that Ruth herself has visited and the people connected with it.

Ruth has left her old life behind for the hallowed halls of Cambridge to begin fresh with a new beau and her daughter. But in Ruth's case leaving that former life behind is not a simple matter. Not when her daughter's father comes calling for her help and she risks everything to assist Harry Nelson.

There are a lot of well written twists and turns in this story and they kept me guessing to the very end. Plus how will Harry and Ruth handle their feelings about each other now that they are working together again? And Ruth's beloved Saltmarsh......is it calling her back?

Dramatic ending keeps me yearning for the next one. Highly recommended!