I'm not usually a fan of short stories - right when I get into them, they end - but I am a fan of Elly Griffiths, and I was delighted with this collection.

There is something for everyone in this collection - cozy mysteries, ghost stories, and, of course, murder mysteries. Being a fan of Griffiths's Ruth Galloway series, I was pleased to see her featured in some stories. The character Harbinder Kaur even makes an appearance! I also liked how the characters featured in one story appear in passing in another. Stories written from the vantage point of an animal do not appeal to me, but Griffiths won me over with a story told by Ruth's cat, Flint. Overall, I was very pleased with this collection. 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Mariner Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is October 15, 2024.

The Man in Black is a collection of short stories by Elly Griffith. Some of them are ghost stories, others about different kinds of human relationships (married couiples, parents and children, young friends, and some terrifying strangers) but the majority feature mysteries solved by some of the author's series detectives. To my great delight, four of them starred Ruth Galloway at different times in her life. (One was narrated by her cat, Flint! I usually loathe anything told from the perspective of a household pet, but Flint's Fireside Tale was an exception - funny, scary, and charming.)

When I finished The Last Remains over six months ago, I was sorry to say "goodbye" to crime-solving archaelogist Ruth Galloway, but I wasn't ready to move on to another series. The Man in Black made me happy because it introduced me to other cozy detectives like Max Mephisto, Justice Jones, and Harbinder Kaur. I look forward to encountering them again in the novels.

The Man in Black was a real treat. The stories were varied and well-written. It might serve as a good introduction to Elly Griffith's novels, but I think it would be most thoroughly enjoyed by current fans who just can't get enough.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am not typically a short story fan as I like to really settle into the world the characters are in and you just can't really do that in 20 pages or less. However, Elly Griffiths does a great job of weaving these shorts together in a way that allows for more immersion. Some of the stories were quite entertaining and thought-provoking, while some felt unnecessary. I'll admit I have not read the series these are spun off from, so I may be missing context that would have helped them feel more well-rounded.

Sadly I just could not get into this one. For some reason I thought they would be horror stories. I had no knowledge of the characters in the stories and found it a bit confusing. I just think that short stories aren’t my cup of tea

Great content for fans of Elly Griffiths work, this is a short story collection and features characters she's written about many times. I have only read books with Detective Harbinder Kaur before, but appreciated introductions to new characters!

This is a fantastic collection of stories. Each story offers something unique, yet they all connect in intriguing ways. The themes range from folklore and paranormal activities to ghosts and crime/mystery, keeping things fresh and captivating. I especially enjoyed how the author incorporated characters from her various series, and I have a soft spot for the mad druid, Cathbad, who makes several appearances. Honestly, I think he deserves his own book (and if there already is one, someone please point me to it!). If you're looking for an engaging collection with these kinds of themes, I highly recommend giving this one a read!

In an online interview posted in 2020, Griffiths mentioned that she is so fond of her characters that they pop up in other books from time to time.

(Love Your Library, November 2020) As a writer, Griffiths often uses short stories to develop characters. With the exception of Ruth's first Christmas tree, none of these works have been published until now. What a delight they are!

Voices from all of her series—Ruth, Nelson, Justice, Max Mephisto, and my favorite, Harbinder—are all present. The tales vary from homages to the golden age, like Ruth and Nelson's visit to the Nile, to locked rooms and ghost stories. Harbinder is given a bit of an origin story as we watch her on her first day on the job. Even Flint, Ruth's cat, has a chance to shine.

After book 15, Griffiths suggested that she was letting Ruth retire. This collection gives us a smorgasbord of her worlds, and Ruth's inclusion was a welcome bonus.

Very highly recommended.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from NetGalley and Mariner in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book was really difficult to get into, and to finish.a collection of short stories that were for the most part not that engaging to me. Which is disappointing as I really like this author. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

You can never go wrong with Ella Griffiths and this wonderful collection of short stories reinforces why.

I was so happy to receive an advance copy of this book. A collection of short stories that left me wanting more. So nice to get reacquainted with known characters. Excellent!

The Man in Black
Elly Griffiths

This is a lovely and varied collection of stories, full of misdirection and surprises, like a well-planned magic act. There are glimpses into her series books, as well as delightful stand-alone tales, and some that would be good dramas on the old Hitchcock TV program. It would be a good introduction for new fans and a showcase new facets for established readers.
I usually read a short story or two as a "chaser" between longer works, to reset my mind for a new adventure. These are so good that I keep saying, "just one more” and keep reading. I thought about naming a favorite or two, but there are too many. I suspect this is one collection I’ll be returning to every few years, and I seldom re-read.

Author Elly Griffiths writes short stories to experiment with different voices and genres.

And, I can’t think of a better way to sample an author’s work, than to read a collection such as this one! It’s a great way to figure out which of her many series might be a fit for you.

Will you choose the 15 book series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway and her cat Flint? Perhaps, magician Max Mephisto will capture your fancy? Or girl detective, Justice Jones?

I have only read the Harbinder Kaur books, but two of my favorite stories in this collection were “ Max Mephisto and the Disappearing Act.” which takes place in 1920’s Leeds and “Justice Jones and the Etherphone,” which introduced me to her “witty girl detective” as she investigates the ominous prediction of a fortune teller in postwar London.

Of course, I was also partial to “Flint’s Fireside Tale: A Christmas Story narrated by her cat Flint. 😻

But, my FAVORITE was “What I Saw from the Sky” which transported me back to one of my favorite places-Italy.

Some of these stories have been in print before, but most are new, and I discovered that Elly Griffiths’ characters often move between her various series. so it was nice to make the acquaintance of them all!

Although, I can’t say that any of the stories WOWED me- they were all entertaining enough, and I am glad to have read them.

AVAILABLE October 15, 2024

Thank You to Mariner Books for the invitation to read an early copy provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

I think I have read every book written by Elly Griffiths. I am a prolific reader, and what I most like to read are mysteries written by British women authors, whether Griffiths, Ann Cleeves, Jacqueline Winspear, Lucy Connelly, Louise Penny, and so many more I cannot even list. Women who write great mysteries are favorites of mine, and thus I was thrilled to stumble across The Man in Black, a collection of short stories, written by Elly Griffiths.

There are 20-21 short stories. I might have lost count. I read these so quickly that I mostly devoured them. The Ruth Galloway stories are always my favorites, but I also enjoy Mephisto, as well as some other stories that seemed less familiar to me. There are stories of only a few pages and others that are much longer. I enjoyed them all and met again characters whose personalities are quirky and fun, even if occasionally scary. And while I am a dog person, I am quite fond on Flint, whose wisdom is always appealing.

It is always fun to revisit Griffiths haunts and characters. Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. I think readers new to Griffiths will enjoy these stories just as much as those of us who are longtime fans.

This is a book of short stories using characters from Elly Griffiths other books. They are stand alone stories but are even more enjoyable if you know the characters.
I loved how short these stories were. They were quick to read but they were complete stories so you didn't feel like you were missing anything. I loved the different styles of writing the author used. It felt like you were reading a compilation of authors - not just one! And the stories were all very different and unique. There were ghost stories, mysteries and suspense. I was very entertained.
If you have the chance, after you finish this book go check out her other ones. My favorite are the Ruth Galloway series but all are good.
Enjoy!

After reading and loving all 15 books in the “Ruth Galloway “ series, it was great to have a short visit with Ruth again in this book of short stories by Elly Griffiths. Another likable character who shows up is Harbinder Kaur, from a different Griffith series, and I was delighted to get to know Flint the cat better. Many of the intriguing stories feature everyday people from current times or the past; many stories are set around Norfolk, England. Some of the stories will scare you or give you those creepy feelings, and all the stories will delight you.

I highly recommend this book. If you are a longtime fan of Elly Griffith, this collection will allow you to say hello again to Ruth, Nelson, Harbinder, Kate (not Katie), Cathbad and other memorable characters. Many people say they don’t like short stories, but you will really like this collection.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

I am a huge Elly Griffiths fan and loved reading some of her short stories! It was also fun to see all of the characters from her various series appear (or at least be mentioned) in one of the stories in this book and it all fit together perfectly. Since the Dr. Ruth Galloway series ended, it was fun to get a peek into how things are going for those characters after the end of the series.

This book could also totally be read on its own without having read any of Elly Griffith's other books or series. Some of the stories were unrelated to her past characters and some were more mysterious than others, but all were well written and a pleasure to read.

I am not the biggest fan of short stories but there is something in this book for everyone! I enjoyed about 3/4 of these stories! The topics range, so you will not get bored or regret picking this book! I sat and binged today.🤓

This book is a 3/5 stars for me.

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read early in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not sure exactly what I expected in this short story collection from Elly Griffiths, but I found an absolute treasure of a reading experience. This book is filled with lovely vignettes, some featuring characters well-known to Griffiths’ fans and others completely new. I got the sense that some of these were written as exercises as she was planning out some of her books because many felt like there was more to the story. The inclusion of local folklore was especially interesting (a favorite is the St. Lucia Day story). All of the disparate parts come together smoothly in a collection of stories that feels like a hug from the author.

I'm not normally a fan of short stories. I tend to prefer my fiction to be character-driven, and that is tougher to accomplish in a short format - at least to my taste. The notable exception is authors whose work I already know, in which I already have backstory for the characters. I am a long-time fan of Elly Griffiths, enjoying both the Harbinder Kaur and Magic Men/Max Mephisto series. I haven't yet taken on Ruth Galloway, only because I know I will love them and there are a lot to get through - and with my current TBR pile being quite sizeable, I can't take a 2 month break to read all 15...

Clearly, after reading this collection, I'm going to have to say to heck with that rationality, and dive in because I found Ruth, Nelson, Kate and Flint to be exactly as fabulous as I anticipated - and that was in short form! Even without knowing the backstory, I was able to connect to the characters in their various story forms in this book. Griffiths does a magnificent job with character in general, so this didn't surprise me - although the depth of connection I found even in short, disconnected peeks into Ruth's world did.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the chance to revisit Harbinder and Max, of course, and thoroughly enjoyed several of the other discrete stories, although must confess that I found a number of them to feel more like excerpts than full-blown stories of their own. Still, I have always enjoyed Griffiths' writing style and her ability to craft a world in words - and that is definitely on display here, even if I still prefer the longer form versions of her writing!

What a treasure ! Elly Griffiths uses short story to experiment with her story telling and this collection contains the most delightful group of them. If you ever wondered what Ruth Galloway, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto might have done outside of the novels these are tales for you. As a fan of Harbiner I was quite excited! The tales are all short and contain the bright tone that Griffiths applies to all of her work.

This is an excellent collection for a Griffiths fan or a short story connoisseur!
”#mariner #ellygriffiths #themaninblack #harbiner #ruthgalloway #maxmephisto