4 Strong Stars!!!!

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths is a very worthy addition to the Ruth Galloway Mystery series. Everything we love to see in this series is here. There's that moody setting of England's northern tidal flats. The towns of Blakeney, Sheringham and King's Lynn are all aswirl in foggy weather, migratory birds and myths of mermaids, sea serpents and giant demon dogs. Our favorite characters are here, as well. Dr. Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist who now heads the department at her university; Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Harry Nelson, a long term force for good at the local police department; Nelson's wife, Michelle; Cathbad, the mystical Druid; Judy (DI) and wife of Cathbad; the children of all of these folks, and lots of new faces. Finally, the creepy house where a couple has been murdered, an archeological dig complete with skeletons and Bronze Age weaponry, a suspicious cast of characters and Griffith's great story telling will have you quickly turning the pages while trying to discern the clues from the red herrings.

This is the 13th book in the series, and while you certainly can read it as a stand-alone, I recommend starting at the beginning and enjoying the character building as the series progresses. Highly recommended if you love the series, are a mystery fan, and if you enjoy strong women protagonists! Many thanks to #NetGalley and #EllyGriffiths for the ARC of #TheNightHawks

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

As a devoted fan of the Ruth Galloway series, I can honestly say book 13 is the best so far. From the intriguing opening scene, to the awesome character development on display… I devoured this book. Some books go stale this far into a series, but not when Elly Griffiths is writing.

Ruth is back in Norfolk… and the gang is all here. Nelson, Judy, Cathbad, even Cloughie makes an appearance! She is now the head of the department after Phil Trent chose to retire. The local Norfolk metal detectorists group calling themselves the Night Hawks accidentally stumble on a body, and soon Nelson, Judy, and Ruth are drawn into a mystery where the body count keeps going up. Lots of great Norfolk legends here with the Black Shuck and a local Sea Serpent. The usual banter between characters makes the book impossible to put down. The ending was impressive and a bit of a cliffhanger… I can’t wait until book 14 is ready.

This book will work as a stand-alone story if you want, but I highly suggest starting back at the beginning with book 1. You won’t regret starting this series.

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

Once again Elly Griffiths has delivered a solid entry into her Ruth Galloway series. Her books are always rich with history, mythology, and modern science. For this book we stayed local with a body on a Norfolk beach, an apparent murder/suicide in a farmhouse with a sinister history, a mythical black dog that might be real, and non-ethical vaccine trials. I thoroughly enjoyed Ruth's attempt to overcome her bias against detectorists as well as her uncomfortableness in her new role as department head. An excellent read for those who love her cast of characters, and the interplay between them. It was good to catch up with old friends, something that's been hard to do in 2020. I'll give it 4 out 5 stars.

I am a huge fan of the Ruth Galloway novels, and this is truly one of the best in the series. I love the fact that Ruth continues to develop -- as a scholar and leader, as a woman, and a mother. While I had been concerned at the end of the previous book, since Ruth made a choice that seemed to move her backward, I appreciated that she takes steps forward in The Night Hawks.

As a woman in academia myself, I relate to much of what Ruth experiences. Elly writes about academic life so well. If only I got to help solve mysteries. :)

I would like to start by thanking NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Elly Griffiths continues to produce wonderful location/ character driven mysteries with her Ruth Galloway series. Always bringing along the relationship difficulties between the main characters. This along with a background of mysticism and archeology, continue to make them a favourite read. 4.5 Stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway books are my favorite mystery series. I enjoy how characters are all engaging but their personal stories don't overwhelm each individual mystery plot.

In this 13th installment of the series, fans find Ruth back in Norfolk, where she is now the head of her university department. This puts her on a collision course with DCI Nelson, of course. The two of them must work together to solve a series of unexplained deaths as well as confronting their long-time feelings for one another.

This time, they are tasked with exploring local myths, like a dog that is a harbinger of death and a farm with a tragic history, as well as a rising body count. Everyone has secrets and its a race to discover who is killing to keep them.

As always, the crime at the heart of the story was perfectly plotted and paced. Griffiths has a talent for giving readers the right clues at the right time so we feel like a part of the team solving the mystery. At the same time, she never gives away the ending too soon.

The ending of this books was satisfying from a crime-solving standpoint but Griffiths left readers with a major cliffhanger about Ruth and Nelson. I look forward to the next book in the series to see where that goes!

Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Miffin Harcourt for the ARC copy of this book.
Great to be back with Ruth, Nelson, Cathbad etc they are like old friends who never disappoint you. Nice to see Ruth settling into her new position back where she was meant to be.
This book however was a little slow going and lacked excitement until it built up at the end leaving somewhat of a cliffhanger ready nicely for the next instalment which I look forward to with bated breath.

This is thre thirteenth installment of the series, and forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway has returned to Norfolk from Cambridge. With her refusal of marriage to American historian Frank Barker, She has taken over as Head of Archaeology from her old boss, Phil Trent, who has retired.

It is great to see friends old and new, and enjoy the the ongoing development of the characters.

The story gets very exciting towards the end, when a bunch of people are lured to the farm for a showdown. We are left with the question, "Could Ruth and Nelson find happiness in the future? I don’t know but I will keep reading to find out. I enjoyed this book a lot and highly recommend it to those who enjoy character driven mysteries.

My favorite series by my favorite author. I am consistently on the edge of my seat. The cliffhanger left me gasping for air as well as thankful Griffiths has proven she can write while in lockdown, Write, write like the wind.

In the 13th installment of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries, murder is afoot as a body washes up near where a treasure trove of Bronze Age artifacts and bones are found in The Night Hawks. DCI Nelson brings Ruth in to excavate the treasure and bones, but she is soon embroiled in the murder case as it is linked to another set of possible double murders (or is it DODI) after she is called in to excavate the garden. Is there a body there as indicated by the possible suicide note?
Ruth had spent 2 years away from Norfolk, and was not hesitant to take over as head of department at the local college when her former colleague retired. She is happy to be back in her cottage on the sea, have Kate back with her best friend, and also to be closer to Nelson again, who irritates her but also is never far from her heart and thoughts.
The gang is back including Cathbad, Judy, the kids and Thing, along with new faces joining the college and police force. Filled with spooky folklore and the stubborn Nelson not ready to retire, The Night Hawks is one of the best of this series.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series & was lucky enough to receive an advance copy. As always, looking forward to the next one. 4 stars. #TheNightHawks #NetGalley

Dr. Ruth Galloway is back at the University of North Norfolk as the head of the department. One of her staff has proven to be a know-it-all and has pestered Ruth to do all kinds of expensive projects. When the local metal detectorists find Bronze Age artifacts, plus a current day body, Ruth finds herself investigating again with DCI Nelson. But the drama increases when a scientist and his wife are found dead in their home, an apparent murder suicide. But was it? The house has a definite negative aura and Ruth worries about what they will find inside. A slightly different plot for Ruth but a welcome change from the previous books. I enjoyed this one very much.

Have loved every single Ruth Galloway book and this one was no different. I found myself agreeing with Ruth about David immediately.. Favourite characters are all there combined with a great engrossing storyline.
The books do need to read in order so I would definitely suggest starting with book 1. If you haven't read any of them you are in for a treat. Really liked the way the story developed. It was hugely satisfying to get back to well loved characters I know and trust. Elly Griffiths always comes up with the goods

I need to thank whomever it was that encouraged me to read the Ruth Galloway books two years ago. I now patiently wait for the next in the series to be published. I adore Ruth and her daughter Kate and all the rest of the main crew, and I really like how the scientific information isn't overdone and fits the story lines well.
I fully recommend this series to anyone who enjoys mysteries or crime novels.

(Thanks to NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.)

Unfortunately, I did not realize this was part of a very long-running series that needs to be read in order. I have heard wonderful things about this book and I may start with the first one and eventually come back to this book,

I adore this series and always look forward to a new adventure with Ruth. This installment does not disappoint. Ruth has left the prestigious job at Cambridge and come home to take over as department head at UNN from her former boss Phil and live in her beloved cottage by the sea with her daughter Kate, who is now 10. All the usual characters are here, even a small cameo from Cloughie, who no longer works with Nelson and the gang. The story is great and we have a new curious person in Ruth's life. My only quibble with the book is the constant talk of Nelson's boss wanting him to retire. He's only in his early 50s! Although, if he did retire he could open his own PI firm and hire Ruth as a consultant and that could be fun as well. I'll just wait and see what Elly Griffiths has in store for this great series!

Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series always delivers a fascinating plot and a cast of characters who are allowed to be human--prickly and flawed. But like the best of humans, her characters have heart. And as always, the Norfolk landscape and mythology also serves as a compelling character. This entry's plot is intriguing--covering both forensic archeology, folk mythology, and medical experimentation. You'll fight the urge to race through to see how the plot resolves while wanting to take your time to prolong your time with the characters.

This is book number 13 in the Ruth Galloway series and a word to the wise – these really need to be read in order and do not work well as a stand-a-lone read.

Ruth is a forensic archaeologist who lives near Norfolk, England and is now in her late forties. She has a daughter, Kate, who is eleven years old and they live in a remote cottage with their cat Flint. Ruth tries to live a quiet life but, in each book, she gets pulled into investigations by the police when bones are found that are believed to be “old”. In The Night Hawks, she is now head of her department at the local university and once again, she receives a call from the police requesting her assistance.

I started reading this series when Book 1, The Crossing Places, was released and was immediately hooked. At the time, it was a fairly unique storyline and I found the character, Ruth, refreshing and different from the usual protagonists. As with any long-running series, some of the books are better than others but I am happy to say that I found The Night Hawks on the better end of the scale (4/5 stars). I highly recommend the books in this series as they are good mysteries and the author has done a good job with character development along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted on social media upon release date.

This is one of my favorite mystery series ever! Whenever I get a new title, it goes straight to the top of the digital pile.

Ruth is back in Norfolk, and I'm glad. I didn't like the person she became when she was living with the historian guy--too whiny and listless. But now she's back, and there's the beautiful coastline, a new job as head of the department at her old stomping grounds, and, of course, bodies. Several bodies. Add to that spooky local folklore, a (maybe) murder/suicide, the deaths of one or more police officers, and an annoying new lecturer in her department, and you have a cracking good read!

This series is one of the few that I like that takes a rather large cast of characters and focuses on different characters in each book. Ruth is always the main character, and Nelson is always central, but in various books, Judy, Cathbad, Michelle, Tim, Shona, Cloughie, and other characters have played large or small roles, depending on the book. Usually, that doesn't work for me. But somehow, Griffiths does it in a way that I enjoy spending time with whoever the viewpoint characters are in that particular book.

I love the moody setting, the clever plotting, the smart main character, and even the romantic tension. The Ruth Galloway Mysteries rock!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.