This is part of a long series
This book is both intriguing and fast paced
The writing makes the setting very atmospheric. I loved the characters.
Another great book

Yet another great Ruth Galloway thriller. Ruth is now the Head of her department and has a new employee David Brown, who seems to be a bit of a "know it all"!

A group of metal detectorists, called The night Hawks (they search at night), find some Bronze Age relics on the beach, along with a body of a man.

Then another body turns up, are they linked to the Night Hawks, is one of them killing people?

Add in a murder/suicide at a local farmhouse; enter DCI Nelson, and all the characters in Ruth's life and its yet another great thriller from Elly Griffiths.

You really become part of the cast of characters and I secretly want Ruth and Nelson to get together; maybe, time will tell.

I aim to read the next in the series straight away and then I'll be up to date.

Super books!

The Night Hawks
The Night Hawks Elly Griffiths
This is book 13 in the series, and my bad but it's the first one I've read, so I've obviously missed the whole back story. However this book reads really well as a standalone, and I really enjoyed it.

I think The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths is one of the best books in the Ruth Galloway Mysteries series. I was engrossing from the beginning till the end. I sometimes find the characters a bit annoying, but at the same time, I really liked them and the stupid thing they do sometimes. They have become like family and getting a new book in this series is always like getting back in touch with old friends. And some archaeology and a murder or two (or more).

Recommend this series warmly!

This series of books are my favourite by far. The ongoing relationship between Ruth and Nelson develops further with each of the novels. This is another brilliant one from the pen of Elly Griffiths.

An excellent book as I’ve come to expect from Elly Griffiths. Her writing never disappoints, another hit, can’t wait for the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review.
I will be putting this on Amazon too.

These Ruth Galloway novels just get better and better. The description of Fens is really brought to life

A husband and wife are found dead in their remote farmhouse and early indications show that the husband killed them both, then a mans body is washed up on the beach and a young police officer dies soon afterwards. The only connection seems to be The Night Hawks - a local group of metal detectorists. But what or who ties all of this together?
Anyone who has read any of the Ruth Galloway books by @ellygriffiths17 will know that there’s as much vested interest in her characters relationships as in the plot and yet again she’s not let this one slip through the net and ended the story on another cliff hanger which I’m not happy about!

A much loved series is now into its teenage stage with no sense of going off the rails or throwing out the familiar and charm of these Dr Ruth Galloway books.

Elly Griffiths has become a prodigious author in terms of quantity and quality. Yet she has earned all her laurels and plaudits through hard work and character based fiction. At times The Night Hawks seems so easily woven together you’d be forgiven for thinking that a crime author is an easy life.
This belies the class and skill of this talented writer who has, in this Norfolk location created the most wonderful and intriguing police procedurals where this latest offering is another example of this ability; rather than just a rehashing of a tried and tested formula.

The books have grown and matured over time and can be read quite easily as standalone novels.

Ruth is academic archaeologist and Nelson is an old fashioned copper who leads a close- knit team of detectives. This is the crux of the unfolding plots; police procedurals but dependent on characters and relationships. It is a world Elly’s adoring fans love being part of, and hang on to every nuance and hint indicating a development or cooling off of the on/off “affair” between Ruth and Nelson.

But as this episode shows there is so much more here; it isn’t a two person narrative. Ruth and Nelson are not in every scene which allows the story to flow and develop much more freely. Every page has a trusted character to lead things and move the plot along; Elly even imagines through Nelson what Clough who has moved on to a DI in a neighbouring county would say or bring to the incident room.

The Night Hawks is a derogatory term; re-invented here by a local group of amateur metal detectorists. They seem to be always around as the body count mounts and suspicion falls on a number of their group.
I liked the progression in the lives of the characters. Ruth now head of Archeology at her University and this has allowed a new lecturer to join the staff team.

What Elly also does is bring and draw on local mythology, customs, oral traditions and dark supernatural tales. This brings tension, mystery and colour to the story and Elly is a great story teller. You feel she loves this world. Delights to share her imagination and has well-rounded characters. She adores to see where her plots take this cast but she has retained her humour and loyalty to her fans.

Frustratingly, despite the joy and quickness this book reads, I had no real idea how the storyline would end. As a crime fiction fan this shows that Elly Griffiths is at the top of her game since she can still baffle me but never fails to thrill and entertain me.

This was a really interesting read, the storyline was unfolding and new parts were emerging and I had no clue who was responsible. A really good read and I loved the characters. I think it’s part of a series but the fact that this was the first I’ve read didn’t matter as the background info relevant to the storyline was given to you.

Another great entry in the Ruth Galloway series. Griffiths balances the demands of a continuing series and the individual plot required for each novel well, giving us enough character development to satisfy, whilst ensuring that we want more. We are introduced to a new colleague of Ruth’s in this novel and while I was unsure about him as a character at first, by the end I felt that he had earned his place. We also get interesting insights into the world of metal detecting, adding another dimension to the historical and archaeological world of the series.

Griffiths is an author I have come to late but am enjoying enormously. I'm still hoping to find the time to catch up on the first eleven Ruth Galloway mysteries but, well, new books keep happening. I am adding her to the retirement reading plan (RRP) though.

For this outing Ruth has moved back to Norfolk, with her daughter, and has traded her position at Cambridge to be head of archaeology at a less prestigious local university. She is trying not to have too much to do with Nelson, her one-time lover and father of her child, but is called in when a group of metal detectorists find a modern-day body as well as what turns out to be a bronze-age burial on a local beach. Some of the same detectorists - who call themselves the Night Hawks since they mostly work at night - seem to be caught up in the discovery of an apparent murder-suicide at a remote farmhouse and soon Ruth and Nelson are working together to discover if these deaths are somehow linked. The bodies start to pile up and everything seems to centre on Black Dog Farm - are the deaths connected and is the legend of the Black Shuck (whose presence foretells a death in local folklore) true? As the two dig into the mysteries of both the past and the present they find themselves in danger themselves (and not just from officious colleagues and the threat of enforced retirement). As ever, a wonderfully convoluted plot and great characters. Cathbad the druid is already a favourite (even after only two books in the series), his wife Judy (Nelson's sergeant) is a reliable back-up and Ruth new colleague, the incredibly annoying David Brown, keeps things lively. Another great mix of detection, archaeology and East Anglian folklore - and I'm living proof that this is a series good enough to dive into without starting from the beginning.

#TheNightHawks #NetGalley The Ruth Galloway series is a cracking one and this, the 13th in the series, is no exception. Perfectly capable of being read as a stand alone - however, it does help with the enjoyment to know the back stories and links between Ruth, Nelson, Judy, Cathbad, Cloughy etc. The book is set a fair pace with loads of action to keep you reading chapter after chapter. As always, with Elly Griffiths books, the setting is fabulous and there are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings to keep you guessing. A bit of a turning point at the end with Ruth and Nelson's relationship and I am eagerly awaiting the next in this fabulous series. A very impressive 5 star read!!

Thank you for the chance to read this book.

I have read some of the books in the Ruth Galloway series but not all by any means - and hence was slightly mystified by some of the events that had gone before. There were recurring characters and relationships and of course the main reason for the series - murder, Police procedure and archaeology!
But that is my fault for getting excited to see an Elly Griffiths title and not thinking that it isn't always easy to follow a series out of order.

However it could be read and enjoyed as a standalone book - and I did enjoy the story.
I thought I had worked out the murderers and what had happened but in the end I was partly right but had not seen the thrilling final chapters and how they would unfold.
It seems that some of the folklore mentioned in Norfolk does exist - the Black Shuck for example - and this added to the authenticity of the book.
Elly Griffiths adds to the atmosphere with her descriptive writing of the Norfolk landscape and weather conditions.

I will not spoil the story with a synopsis - Ruth Galloway and Nelson and his family and Cathbad all feature.

Thank you again to NetGalley, Elly Griffiths and the publishers for the advance copy of this book

Another edge of your seat thriller featuring Ruth, Nelson and their family and colleagues
This book is about the discoveries made by amateur archaeologists the Night Hawks
A deadly conspiracy and thrilling climax.

What a joy to be back in the world of Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson. As ever, Griffiths has written a cracking story that i devoured in one (bar a toilet break) sitting. I'm torn between waxing lyrical about how joyful it was to reconnect with Cathbad, Judy, Clough and the rest of the team and raving about the shivers that Griffith's sent running up and down my spine every time the mysterious and very threatening Black Shuck was mentioned.
I love Ruth's prosaic attitude - her calm presence with her not so calm thoughts which we are privvy to. I often wish that once, just once, Ruth would just let all her dark thoughts come pouring out - I wonder what would happen then. Nelson is Nelson - defiantly down to earth, old fashioned and torn between his professional relationship with Ruth and his personal one.
The balance between the official investigation into the death of a young lad found washed up by the Night Hawks (a metal detectorist group) and Ruth's inadvertent involvement in the case is delightful. It is this balance between, Rugth's archaeological expertise, Nelson's detective skills and the other worldly presence of myths courtesy of Cathbad and his acquaintances that keep this series as fresh now as it was when I first opened up a Galloway/Nelson book.
Keep them coming because I'm already having withdrawal symptoms - besides which - Griffiths left us on what could be a massive turning point and I can't wait to see what happens next..

Starting this book I wasn't aware that this was part of a series as it was my first by this author (don't judge me haha). I feel this book can be ready as a stand alone as I wasn't lost or confused reading it. I enjoyed it however I didn't love it!

Thank you netgalley, the author and publisher for along me to read this book!

This was my first Elly Griffiths book that I have read and felt it worked as a stand alone book. The story was fantastic and certainly kept me on my toes.

I loved the way it was written - the characters are totally believable and I am now searching for her previous books.

The Night Hawks are a group of metal detectorists who scour places at night hoping to find buried treasure. They find a body on the beach which pulls Nelson and Ruth into a new investigation. Then what appears to be a murder-suicide occurs at an old farm but are the two linked. There are also reported sightings of the Black Shuck a mysterious large black dog but is there any truth to this local legend.

Once again this was an excellent addition to the series. I really love this series and always eagerly anticipate the next book. I really like how the author incorporates local legends/ history into her books as it really adds to the story. For me, one of the best things about this series is the characters. I love this cast of characters and with the way, this book ended I can't wait to see what is next for these characters.

II have loved this series from book one and was super excited to get my hands on number 13 (thanks Quercus and NetGalley for my copy). But… Unfortunately I found The Night Hawks to be a bit underwhelming.

The Night Hawks is a group of metal detectorists who stumble upon a body on the beach. Soon after DCI Nelson has his hands full with two more bodies, the crime being an apparent murder/suicide. The two cases, although seemingly unrelated, have the same witnesses and anyone familiar with these books would know Nelson doesn’t believe in coincidences and, therefore, he and his team set out to investigate the cases and their connection.

The mystery plots to these books usually take a backseat to the soap opera lives of the characters but I felt Griffiths tried to switch the focus this time – with mixed results. There was a much larger body count and a slight twist at the end but there were so many plot holes and parts where Nelson and Co seemed so completely oblivious that it grated on my nerves.

Griffiths always adds a mythical spin to her mysteries and this time she used the Black Shuck. Legend says those that see this big black dog will know death. It was an interesting inclusion but I felt the dog could have been much more scary. I never truly felt any tension. Griffiths also tried to weave a bit of Gothic eeriness into the story with the house where the murder victims’ bodies were discovered. Again, it didn’t work for me much. (*shrug* at my Mood.)

I even felt the characters’ personal lives played out weakly this time around. Nelson and Ruth’s on again/off again romance usually has me mesmerised but I admit in The Night Hawks their relationship seemed a little tawdry and cheap. My patience, I think, is starting to run thin.

I am sounding rather negative but there was still plenty to like about the book – a plethora of red herrings, the setting is always a winner and I kind of liked the sound of the metal detectorists, tbh (Ruth would not be impressed with me). Also, Griffiths’s pacing always makes the books quick and easy reads and this book was no exception in this respect.

But as I finished The Night Hawks, I felt like the series might have run its course and Griffiths might be best to move on to a new one.

3 ½ out of 5

PS I’ve just seen on Goodreads that Griffiths has listed book 14 already – The Locked Room. You know I’ll probably snap it up when its released and hope that The Night Hawks was just a one-off miss for me