While Griffiths' plotting may not be the best in class, her story-line is never more than a skeleton (haha!) on which to hang her real strengths: her eccentric bunch of characters, the complications of their entangled lives, and the marvellous, witty writing which has just the right amount of snark to be funny while remaining good-natured.

In this one there is an unusually high body count and some intriguing plot points that never get fully explored. But, you know, it never bothers me that we know there'll be a silly climax where Ruth is enticed yet again into a blatantly obvious trap - and that's because the emotional fall-out, particularly emotive in this outing, is always worth the contrivance.

It's a shame that Cloughie has been sidelined though it's entirely fitting for his character arc, and his brief visits are like meeting an old friend. And the subversive nature of Ruth's relationship with Nelson continues to undercut the simplistic moralising about fidelity that we so often find in popular fiction: relationships *are* complicated and it's to Griffiths' credit that she goes there.

This series remains an utter delight and I just can't help but greedily consume each book far too fast!

I'm a massive fan of Ruth Galloway Mysteries and I could read and appreciate Elly Griffiths' shopping list.
That said I think this is one the best instalment in this series.
I read it in one afternoon and couldn't put it down as I kept on thinking about the plot.
It's complex, tightly knitted, gripping and highly entertaining.
I was happy to catch up with Ruth, Nelson and the cast of characters. There's a lot going on and I can't wait to read the next book because I want to know what next.
The mystery is excellent, full of twists and turns. I couldn't guess the culprit and the solution came as a surprise.
I loved and I look forward to the next story, this one is strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine