Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels (*possible spoilers)

I started reading these during lockdown. I loved, loved the Stranger Diaries and the Postscript Murders, but find the Ruth series a bit hit or miss (possibly because I started reading the later books).

Cathbad irritates me, possibly because the first book I read was a later one and people kept saying "Cathbad!" in revered tones, but EG hadn't actually introduced him in that book yet so it was like, who or what the fuck is a Cathbad and why is everyone so obsessed with them/him/her/it. Then when Cathbad did make an appearance it was just some bloke in a cape.

Love EG's use of space and how well she evokes the landscape of Norfolk (despite the geography). I am a bit irritated by her tendency to reel off factual information about characters rather than introduce the information naturally through dialogue. There was one book in particular that was really bad for this, practically every page had something like, "Ruth picks up the phone and calls Frank, the man she's been dating. Frank is from Texas and has three daughters: Lucy who is 23 and studying marine biology at Miami University after dropping out of her previous course in accountancy and has a toddler named Mark; Stephanie who is 19 and lives in England and is currently doing her A Levels in English, Maths, Psychology, and Geography, and has a boyfriend named Roger who is 20 and works in a car garage; and Emma who is 10 and lives with her mother Rachel in Texas. Rachel remarried to a man named Michael, who was born in...." When literally none of these people appear in the book or are even mentioned again. It was like having to read a very dry Wikipedia bio detailing everyone's extended family history whenever a new character arrived. I remember one scene where Nelson's daughter turns up for one page and there's a whole flat exposition paragraph about her, which would have been so easy to put into dialogue.

Only just started this series the other month and just about to start book 9, not read a series this fast in my life. I would like to see Kate Winslet as Ruth and maybe Richard Armitage as Nelson.

I'm still waiting for a copy of The Locked Room to come through from one of the library services I use, or even better for it to be a Kindle deal.

My Elly Griffiths purchase requests were successful and The Locked Room are now on order with me at the top of the queue, but more excitingly, from Netgalley, I now have an advance egalley of Bleeding Heart Yard, featuring Harbinder Kaur from The Stranger Diaries and the Postscript Murders, though maybe not as the central character.

My reservation for The Locked Room came through in April. Unfortunately I had sight problems at the time and was waiting for cataract surgery, and knew I wouldn't be able to read a print copy within 3 weeks. So I cancelled the reservation and am now waiting for it to come through again.

I've also put in a suggestion for purchase for her next new book, due in September, featuring a possible new series character who has a boss called Harbinder Kaur (for anyone who's read The Stranger Diaries or The Postscript Murders).

That's a lot of information / spoilers on a book which isn't published until next February @SaltMarsh . Are you Elly Griffiths in disguise?

Given the title 'The Last Remains',
I have been wondering if book number 15 will be the final book in the series. I read that originally there were to be 10 books - so that's a 50% increase - and presumably the series won't go on forever .

More on The Last Remains, Ruth 15:

The unmissable new book in the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries. Ruth and Nelson are working on a murder case in which Cathbad emerges as the prime suspect. Can they uncover the truth in time to save their friend?

When builders renovating a café in King's Lynn find a human skeleton in the wall, they immediately call for DCI Harry Nelson and Dr Ruth Galloway, Head of Archaeology at the nearby University of North Norfolk. Ruth is preoccupied with the possible closure of her department and by the fact that Nelson and his wife are now living separately. Nevertheless she agrees to take on the case.

She sees immediately that the bones are modern and they are soon identified as the remains of Katherine Sands, who went missing in the 1990s. Katherine attended a spiritual well-being course and suspicion falls on the leader of the course - Ruth's friend, Cathbad.

The Police start to investigate the group and find that there are other missing women, making matters even worse for Cathbad. The trail leads Nelson to the famous Neolithic flint mines in Grimes Graves and to an archaeology group. Ruth agrees to infiltrate the group and there meets a figure from her own past. Soon the race is on to exonerate Cathbad, but will Ruth and Nelson uncover the truth in time to save their friend?

Publisher: Quercus Publishing
ISBN: 9781529409710
Number of pages: 368
Weight: 41 g
Dimensions: 240 x 156 mm

Published 2/2/23 at £22

I forgot to add that The Night Hawks has been shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022. If you would like to vote for the winner, here’s the link: https: harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com/vote/
Voting closes on 8th July.

I bring Ruth news. Elly is halfway through writing Ruth 15, The Last Remains - due out in February 2023 and available to pre-order, or time to get on those library waiting lists!

The book starts when bones are found behind a café in King’s Lynn. They are the last remains of a young woman called Emily Pickering, who disappeared nineteen years ago. The last people to see her alive were three fellow archaeology students, her sinister tutor, and Cathbad…

Sadly Elly's beloved cat, Gus, died unexpectedly but peacefully in April. She says that she misses him so much but definitely still feels his presence in the writing shed.

I recently got The Locked Room (after being on a long waiting list at the library, clearly lots of other Ruth fans out there).
Like a pp, mixed feelings on this one.

However I have recently treated myself to a box set of the first 10 novels from ebay and am enjoying reading through again from the beginning......

Plus did you know Seahenge is on display in the British Museum currently ?

I am reading 'The Locked Room' at present. No big spoiler to say that I just love the names of Cathbad's chickens and I like the way Elly replays that feeling of the first lockdown.

I gave in, bought The Locked Room cheaply on eBay instead of waiting for the paperback, and am now on my second read. Mixed feelings about this one, surprisingly, but I don't want to comment on that too much and spoil anyone's first read!

Loving the Ruth love on this thread I enjoy the books and met Elly (Dominica) at a book event, she's lovely.
Agree that the books can get repetitive ( does anyone remember Ruth going on about her bloody compatmental bag?!)

Anyway for those who are interested in the henge, they're is an online event in May about the excavation fb.me/e/2jLXiGz7h

Hope that link works. 😁

I loved "The Locked Room". One of her best, in my opinion.

I just saw this! I wish I could go and see ‘Ruth’s’ seahenge

www.smh.com.au/world/europe/you-know-about-stonehenge-but-have-you-heard-about-seahenge-20220216-p59wsl.html

I’m so romantic 🤣

It was excellent, I was on the edge of my seat. Now the wait for the next one.

Come to think of it, I wonder if Domenica de Rosa is a mumsnetter, or was when her children were younger?

That is good and tantalising to know! Still reading The Stone Circle here. I found myself wondering whether Ruth would be a mumsnetter and what sort of response she would get if she posted threads about her relationship dilemmas?!

This book is the best of the series. I'd forgotten what the start of lockdown was like.

I agree - very grateful for the lack of spoilers! Glad to hear it's worth waiting for though...

I've just started reading the last three again, starting with The Stone Circle, to keep me going and refresh my memory. I like to get my money's worth from books!

Well finished the book in the early hours. You won't be disappointed. And as usual a cliff hanger

'I have also seen that she has another "other" book due in September - new series character and setting in London, but the series character's boss sounds familiar from The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders

I'm on a library waiting list - 4 reserves for 2 copies still showing as on order - think I'm #2 so will have to start and read quite quickly once it comes through. I do have other books in hand I'm really looking forward to and it's nice to have a new Elly Griffiths book to look forward to.

I read The Night Hawks a little before publication but had to wait for her most recent novel, #6 in another series, and now this one, from the library.

Received my copy of the locked room yesterday. Couldn't put it down. No spoilers but read half the book and it's 11/10 from me!