This author has such deft skill in crafting characters we can empathize with, no matter their backgrounds. This is a wonderful collection of gems from a true talent.

I don't usually love short stories, but I do love Elly Griffiths, and this collection may have converted me to the genre! A delightful collection of stories featuring characters both beloved and new, this book bears Griffiths' characteristic excellence in writing, character development, and plotting. It was a delightful read, start to finish.

It's funny, I just read a set of short stories recently and concluded that short stories are not really for me. But this set proves that is not true. I love all these stories from Elly Griffiths, one of my favorite writers.

All of these stories are interesting and do not feel unfinished. They seem just right, which is rare for short stories. What I love most is that they do not come across as pretentious or force you to grasp for meaning.

The stories in THE MAN IN BLACK often center around Griffiths' series -- so we see Ruth Galloway, Max Mephisto, Justice Jones, and Harbinder Kaur. I believe they all stand alone if you don't know these folks, but will mean more if you know their backstories. For instance, we see Ruth and Nelson on a cruise in the nearly present day, allowing us to know what they are up to post the most recent book. We even hear from Ruth's beloved cat, Flint.

But there are plenty of other "regular" tales, too, featuring bits of crime or archaeology or little snippets of everyday life. Many are centered around various holidays. They cover parts of mysteries or daily life, are easy to read, and keep your interest.

I loved reading about Harbinder's first day as detective and meeting Neil! I also very much enjoyed a story with a brief Nelson/Ruth and Harbinder crossover!

As always, Griffiths is a wonderful writer who brings you into her character's lives, whether for two pages or an entire novel. This is an excellent collection for devout fans and a great introduction for new ones.

A lovely collection of short stories featuring both well-known characters from Elly Griffiths' various series, including Ruth Galloway, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto, as well as brand new characters. The stories are varied, mysterious, and engaging, and in some cases quite poignant. The new Ruth Galloway story is a special treat for fans who said goodbye to Ruth and friends last year, and the collection also includes other Ruth stories that were released individually over the years. A great collection for Elly Griffiths fans, and a intriguing sampler for those who have yet to read her many and well-loved works.

Solid collection of short stories that showcases Elly Griffiths’s signature blend of suspense, humor, and heart. While I enjoyed the variety of genres and the chance to revisit beloved characters like Ruth Galloway and Max Mephisto, some stories felt a bit hit or miss in terms of pacing and depth. Overall, it's a fun read for fans of Griffiths’s work, though a few stories left me wanting more.

I ended up reading about 50% of this book and I could never get into it. Each story felt too short so I didn't care about the characters or plot lines. It also felt a little juvenile - like these were just quick stories that were written for no purpose or real meaning. I love the full length books from Elly Griffiths but this one fell very flat for me.

I had not previously read Griffiths, so I really enjoyed this introduction into her world and her characters. I will definitely seek out her longer works.

Within The Man in Black: Stories are nineteen tales of varying length and focus. Elly Griffiths opens and closes with Ruth Galloway stories, but in between those tales are some Max Mephisto stories, a Harbinger story, and a number of miscellaneous character tales from Griffiths's repertory that add color to her version of England. It was interesting to watch Griffiths interleave the characters of various of her series into the individual stories. If you enjoy Griffiths's work, you are likely to find stories to entertain you here!

Thanks Netgalley and Mariner Books for the chance to read this volume!

A great series of stories from an author who's Ruth Galloway series has stuck with me for a long time. This collection was interested and a little bit eclectic, but overall I enjoyed reading it. 4.25/5

I am normally not a huge fan of short stories, but I loved this collection by Elly Griffiths. All her favorite characters were here, and often intertwined. But despite the familiarity with the characters, its obvious that Griffiths is experimenting with different genres. I loved “Flint’s Fireside Tale: A Christmas Story narrated by her cat Flint." 😻 A gothic horror story. There is also a final chapter to Ruth and Nelson's relationship story.

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read and review this great collection.

The man in black by Elly Griffiths is a collection of short stories. Many characters from her books are featured.
The stories were varied and well-written.
I highly recommend this book to all fans of short stories.
Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Man in Black by Elly Griffiths is an engaging collection of short stories by this talented mystery writer. I enjoy short stories, but they are very different than full length novels, and I believe, can be more difficult to execute well. The writer has less time to set the stage, unveil the plot, get to the acme, and wrap up the story with a suitable conclusion.
This book includes an eclectic group of suspense stories and moral tales of varying length. For me, most were hits with the occasional less interesting entry. Some are very short and pithy, others unspool more languidly with a longer build up to the point of the tale. Some of the suspenseful stories feature familiar characters from Griffiths’ mystery novels, like Ruth Galloway and Harbinder Kaur. I particularly enjoy tales of touching, warm vignettes of humanity, such as The Red Handkerchief.
In all the stories, the writer exhibits amazing character development in just a few paragraphs or pages.
This is a lovely collection to savor by a very talented author.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Max Mephisto and Ruth Galloway in one book? Count me in. Elly Griffiths’ collection of short stories is the author at her very best, balancing wit and cleverness with suspense. Her familiar characters are all here but so are some new ones. I particularly enjoyed the historical and archaeological contexts of many stories, including an especially ominous and concise one at the beginning. A must for Griffiths’ readers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

This collection is a feast for Elly Griffiths fans. I am one of them and was especially fond of spending more time in Ruth Galloway's world. That has always been my favorite series by the author.

In this collection there is a lot of Ruth and a bit of Max Mephisto(of the Magic Men) and Harbinder Kaur. Some even cross paths from time to time. As a long time reader of Griffiths I do think I am in the group of readers who will enjoy this bunch of stories the most. My friend Jayme also recommends this to readers who might be deciding which series to begin with and she has a wonderful point.

Since I was reading this on the road I will not be rating every single story, but I do have some favorites. My most favorite was "The Red Handkerchief" about a girl and her special Christmas gift for her father. "Justice Jones and the Etherphone" was an exciting post-WW II tale about a young female P.I. who finds herself tangling with a fortuneteller. "Ruth's First Christmas Tree" is one I have read before and has such a sweet ending. "What I Saw From the Sky" is a thrilling tale set in sunny Italy, "Flint's Fireside Tale" is a unique and chilling story from the perspective of Ruth Galloway's beloved cat, and "The Valley of the Queens: A Ruth and Nelson story" transports the duo to the setting of Agatha Christies "Death on the Nile."

What is also interesting about this collection is that it has some creepy stories and some festive ones. There are even a few that combine both. So if you are contemplating this title, you can pick it up now or during the Christmas season and find a story that fits the time of year.

Thank you to Quercus and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy Publication Week!

3 short story stars

Elly Griffiths is a popular and prolific writer with several series, including Ruth Galloway and Harbinder Kaur. I’ve only read the Harbinder Kaur series, but I was curious to read this collection of short stories.

The ones featuring Harbinder were probably the most interesting because I already knew the character. I did enjoy the ones featuring Ruth Galloway, and that series is also on my want-to-read list.

I also enjoyed meeting a new character, Justice Jones in one of the short stories, “Justice Jones and the Etherphone” and I would definitely consider sampling that series too.

There’s a little bit of everything in this collection, from holiday tales, magic, to ghosts and more mystical elements.

While I prefer novels to short stories, this was an interesting departure from my usual mode. I read a few in the airport and that was perfect because it made for short intervals of reading.

The Man in Black And Other Stories
by Elly Griffiths

I enjoy Ruth Galloway's Harbinder Kaur series and look forward to seeing more of her recurring characters with each book in the series. This book of short stories has given me a chance to sample some of her characters outside of the Harbinder Kaur series. I do think that, for me, short stories just aren't enough to allow me to get a feel for characters from long standing series that I've never tried yet. I think this book will be more enjoyable to me in the future, if I pick up Ruth's series other than the Harbinder Kaur series. I suspect others will enjoy this series if they enjoy short stories and if they already are fans of these characters.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for this ARC

The Man in Black and Other Stories by Elly Griffiths is a collection of her short stories featuring some of the characters you may know from her books. I really enjoyed this collection. Elly has written the Ruth Galloway series where Ruth is a forensic archeologist and she consults with the police. Ruth and Nelson are featured in a handful of these stories, but not all of them. I like Elly's characters because they are unique, they don't typically conform to expectations and things do not always go to plan. This collection features a short story from the perspective of Ruth Galloway's cat, Flint. It is suitably creepy and good. Two of my favorites include Max Mephisto and the Disappearing Act set in the 1920s and Justice Jones and the Etherphone - Justice is a girl detective, private investigator and she is looking into a man's mysterious death. There is also a story featuring another of her characters, Harbinder Kaur called Harbinger. I really enjoyed the collection of stories - it is a great way to sample an author's work if you've not read them before or to get more of the writing from an author you enjoy. 4 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and Mariner Books, this book is out today, October 15, 2024.

From the author who has brought the literary world characters such as Ruth Galloway, Justice Jones, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto, comes a selection of short stories, many of them featuring these beloved players.

I was recently introduced to Elly Griffiths and am familiar only with Ruth Galloway whose adventures as an archeologist I enjoy. The stories in The Man in Black include mysteries, suspense, folklore, different kinds of love, grief, loneliness.

Well written, some new characters are introduced. I particularly liked the Ruth Galloway tales, especially since the timelines went back and forth so that I learned some of her history as well as what happens in the future.

I am not a huge short story fan, but I couldn’t put this book down. My favorites in this collection were Ruth’s First Christmas Tree, What I saw from the Sky, and Flint’s Fireside Tale A Christmas Story, told from the perspective of Ruth’s cat, Flint. Regarding the second story, how can you go wrong with the Amalfi Coast, Capri and references to Aperol!?!

What a treat this is for fans of Griffiths' various series- and what a terrific introduction to her work for those who have not read her. This collection of stories give small insights into the various characters but I'm especially fond of those focusing on Ruth Galloway, her family, friends, and cat. Then there's Harbinder and Max Mephisto- so different from the rest. I admit to having broken my usual rule of reading a single short story a day and gulping this one down. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Wonderful collection.

I loved this collection of short stories. Quirky, spooky, funny, mysterious. New characters and old. We get to revisit Max Mephisto, Nelson and Ruth, Cathbad, Harbinder, and others. Such pleasure!