The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

[VivietteConstantine]

I'd read a few good reviews of this series so I thought I'd give it a try. Half a chapter in, and all they seem to talk about is the protagonist's weight and clothes size.

I'm quite uncomfortable with this - it seems completely unnecessary. Is the book worth persevering with? Does it get better?

I had great hopes of a new detective series and am quite disappointed so far.
Also 12 stone is not enormous!!!

I am addicted to Dr Ruth Galloway!! Carry on reading the stories and the relationships between the characters gets better with each book. The weight and size thing is Ruth’s perception of herself (not others perception of her) - the only thing she has confidence in is her professional abilities.

Great series of books, I envy you only being at the beginning of the series.
I recommend you persevere, and hopefully you will fall under the spell so Ms Griffith clever and perceptive writing.

I'm about 4 books in, I'm not overly impressed but I'm reading them now, lol
Angela Marsons is better

I just recently read this as well, but was more preoccupied thinking I had missed a previous book since the author kept mentioning a previous case with the main character Ruth interacting with Cuthbad and the professor (forgot his name).

They are a bit repetitive, with the same people being involved in all the cases. Just finished the last one, and enjoyed it.

Reading them again.
worth persisting. The weight thing is just one of her insecurities but it’s and interesting one as she still hops into bed with some bloke at least once a book.

thry have to be a bit repetitive as you need a recap of the back story incase you are dipping it at somewhere other than the start.

and yes the first book isn’t “ the beginning “ from nothing - but that’s ok for me. It’s a bit more unbelievable when everything is a new netting / arrival from nowhere in a town

I love these books, and agree with PP that the weight comments are about her perception of herself. I have one left to go in the series and keep putting it off because I don't want to have no more left to read!

I think for me it's the mix of characters, the descriptions of the landscapes and that they aren't generally gory unlike some crime books.

Thank you everyone for the opinions - I will persist with it 🙂

I agree with pps that it is Ruth's own insecurities and perception of her own body. I think it's worth persevering.

I've read all the series and would/will read them again. The only one I didn't like as much was the last-but-one. I won't go into why - it wasn't really the plot, and no spoilers from me - but I lost patience with, and sympathy for, Ruth and another character in that one. On the other hand, I suppose it's all credit to the author that she wrote in such a way that I cared about the characters in the first place.

I really wouldn't recommend anyone reads the final book - The Last Remains - without first reading the rest of the series. It refers a lot to, and ties up some loose ends from, all the earlier books. I think it would spoil the series and one wouldn't get as much out of the final book either by reading it first.

I wonder what is happening about the TV series, as it's some years since the BBC bought the option, if I recall correctly.

Been wanting to read this one for ages.

I have one left to go in the series and keep putting it off because I don't want to have no more left to read!
I'm reading the last one again and then will probably read the whole series again at some stage, starting from the beginning!

I think for me it's the mix of characters, the descriptions of the landscapes and that they aren't generally gory unlike some crime books.
I agree with all this, and EG has somehow skilfully made me invest in a couple of characters I wouldn't usually have any liking or sympathy for at all - no spoilers again. The characters are a great mix, while avoiding lazy stereotypes. Norfolk, and especially North Norfolk, really sings out from the pages. I know they are labelled cosy crime or cosy mysteries, but they are serious enough without the need for any gratuitous gore, especially in violence towards women, unlike some other authors I want to like but can't because of that.

I got fed up with the series, as others say they became a repetitive and almost always seemed to finish with an annoying chase somewhere or other.

However, I decided to read the last one-The Last Remains and it was much better and I enjoyed the ends being tied up.

I had also noticed in the book before The Last Remains that there was an abnormal amount of what I'm going to call diversity comments. It was clear that they had just been stuck in to fulfill some idea of being in step with the zeitgeist of the times.

They weren't as heavily done in The Last Remains, although I did lift an eyebrow at the musing on whether the term, 'walkabout' ("A suspect has gone walkabout")was racist before the characters finally deciding that it was.

Newsflash, Elly-it isn't and I very much doubt that you think it is either.

I enjoy the books but Ruth’s a bloody nuisance really. Poking her nose much too far into police cases and then having to be rescued.

They also need better editing. Ruth’s cottage started off as just one bedroom and a couple of books later there are two. And as for any medical details! When you manage to put an iliac crest on top of a skull then you really need to research better. I manage to pick up several inconsistencies/errors in every book.

I didn't have a problem with the main character being neurotic about her weight. It's fairly realistic - women internalising that they need to be thinner. It was the ropey plot and tropey ending that made me dislike it.

Cathbad seems to know everyone in Norfolk and seems on the edge of an awful lot of crimes.

I think with any series they tend to get formulaic and predictable. I guess that spacing them out is the best way to read them. I'm on her second book, The Janus Stone, although I know I read one out of order quite a few years ago.