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A Room Full of Bones (Ruth Galloway #4)

by Elly Griffiths (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 1,179 ratings · 210 reviews

On Halloween night, the Smith Museum in King's Lynn is preparing for an unusual event -- the opening of a coffin containing the bones of a medieval bishop. But when forensic archaelogist Ruth Galloway arrives to supervise, she finds the curator, Neil Topham, dead beside the coffin. Topham's death seems to be related to other uncanny incidents.
Including the arcane and susp...more

Hardcover, 346 pages

Published January 5th 2012 by Quercus (first published December 21st 2011)

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Feb 04, 2012 Julia rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have read and enjoyed the first three books in this series by Elly Griffiths, about forensic archeologist Dr Ruth Galloway. But this one was a disappointment. The storyline is ridiculous, the characters are stereotypes who behave in the silliest of ways, the writing is clunky and the pace is sluggish. It simply doesn't live up to its predecessors. If you're wondering if you need to have read the other books in the series, the answer is no: however if you haven't read them, they're better books...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Naomi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read my full review: http://bit.ly/S6rfrk

My opinion: Lovers of Kathy Reich's will enjoy this British archaeologist who gets into as much trouble as Temperance Brennan, but is much more approachable and imperfect than her American counterpart.

In general, I feel that the writing of Ms. Griffiths is much more approachable than Ms. Reich's current releases. The books still have the feeling of being fresh and the characters not worn out. Furthermore, I enjoy the characters of this book. As stated pr...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Daenerys rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who don't know a thing about forensic archaeology

Shelves: thriller

Well, Elly Griffiths, this is starting to be really repetitive.
Ruth is depressed and overweight and she doesn't feel she's a good mother and she loves the depressing saltmarsh where she lives and she likes her job and blah blah. Yes, we get it.
Nelson is a tough working-class northern guy, and blah blah blah. We get that too, we heard it all before (about three times in three other books, in fact) with exactly the same words you used in this book. If you can't find an original way to give infor...more Well, Elly Griffiths, this is starting to be really repetitive.
Ruth is depressed and overweight and she doesn't feel she's a good mother and she loves the depressing saltmarsh where she lives and she likes her job and blah blah. Yes, we get it.
Nelson is a tough working-class northern guy, and blah blah blah. We get that too, we heard it all before (about three times in three other books, in fact) with exactly the same words you used in this book. If you can't find an original way to give information on your characters to potential new readers, maybe you should try something else, like, I don't know, writing something that ISN'T a series of books with the same characters?
Not copying the two diminutive bits of forensic archaeology information straight from wikipedia would help, too. I suppose it may not make a difference to most readers, but having started a biological anthropology course just 3 months before reading this book I had enough knowledge to get infuriated at how superficial Griffith's presentation of forensic archaeology is. I'm not expecting her to get a degree in forensic sciences or anything, but at least get your facts straight and don't simplify things for the sake of a plot twist.
So, although probably no one cares, here's a list of the most annoying things:
- You do NOT establish the sex of a skeleton based on a single characteristic, and you definitely don't do it with one look. You're not good at suspense anyway, you might as well have written that Ruth spent hours squinting at the skeleton like serious professionals do and then came up with the answer.
- An osteoarchaeologist would definitely not have nightmares and be horrified by cut marks on skulls. No, no and no, it just makes Ruth a character that is very difficult to believe in. If you work with human remains you get past that phase really quickly; or you never go through it, I never did. Does it sound heartless? We're interested in bones, we don't think that's morbid, and we certainly don't have nightmares about it. Ending a chapter in "Those heads had been scalped!" didn't make me go "OMGwhatabarbarousthingtodo!", it just made me roll my eyes and put the book down. (Incidentally, you can actually survive being scalped).
- There is no way you get to PhD level without hearing about NAGPRA and the issue of repatriation of human remains belonging to Native American and Australian Aborigine tribes. It's a sensitive issue and a very interesting one, and I heard about it for the first time during the last year of my BA. Again lots of copying and pasting from wikipedia, lots of generalization, and nothing else.

Will I read more books by Elly Griffiths in the future? Only if she doesn't mention forensic techniques ever again, and if Cathbad is there, because Cathbad is cool. Rant over. (less)

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Apr 10, 2013 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, mystery-thriller

I am going to go with 3 1/2 stars because I like the series so much.

This is the fourth in a series and I have read them all, more or less in order. I read #3 first and then went back to catch up. The stories build off of each other, the characters develop, and key events from prior novels are mentioned so it is best to read them in order to avoid spoilers and get the full enjoyment.

I am a huge fan of this series and I recommend it highly to people who enjoy light mysteries with a good bit of hum...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Sallee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An English mystery about archaeology, tribal rituals, ancient bones. drug smuggling, horses, aboringinal beliefs and the politics of returning ancient human artifacts to the people they came from. Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaelogist is called to examine a coffin that was found during construction on the grounds of a former ancient church. Augustine, a 14th century bishop turns out to be a surprise which I won't devulge here. On the day of the unveiling at the Smith Museum, owned by Lord Smit...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Gloria Feit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dr. Ruth Galloway, the 41-year-old Head of Forensic Archaeology at the University of North Norfolk, returns in this new novel by Elly Griffiths. As the book opens Kate, the baby born to Ruth a result of a one-night stand with Detective Inspector Harry Nelson in an earlier entry in the series, is about to celebrate her first birthday. The relationship between Ruth and Harry is now, however, nearly non-existent: To save his marriage, when his wife realized the truth, he had promised never to see R...more Dr. Ruth Galloway, the 41-year-old Head of Forensic Archaeology at the University of North Norfolk, returns in this new novel by Elly Griffiths. As the book opens Kate, the baby born to Ruth a result of a one-night stand with Detective Inspector Harry Nelson in an earlier entry in the series, is about to celebrate her first birthday. The relationship between Ruth and Harry is now, however, nearly non-existent: To save his marriage, when his wife realized the truth, he had promised never to see Ruth, or Kate, again.

Nelson, head of the county’s Serious Crimes Squad of the King’s Lynn police, now 43 years old and known as many things (male chauvinist pig among them), loves his wife and their two daughters. Despite his intention to remain true to his promise, he encounters Ruth following the discovery of the dead body of the curator of the Smith Museum, where Ruth is to attend what was to be the opening of a coffin containing the remains, it was thought, of a 14th-century bishop.

The man was thought to be in good health, and there is no evidence of foul play. However, when another death occurs within a few days of the first, the police believe there may be more involved than meets the eye, or the medical examiner’s autopsy. There was quite a bit of controversy, it seems, about the museum’s ‘ownership’ of skulls and skeletal remains of Aboriginal Australians, with very strong feelings that they should be repatriated to their native land. There is also a legendary curse associated with anyone who comes in contact with them.

The book is replete with mysticism and lore. The characters created by the author in this series continue to fascinate, and there is much discussion of animal rights as well as the repatriation issue. Having loved the other books in the series, this reader at first thought the book moved at a slower pace than the earlier entries, but by the end, as the various plot lines are resolved, and the suspense quickens, those reservations dissolved, and the book is recommended.
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Oct 02, 2012 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

I loved the fourth entry in the Ruth Galloway mystery series. Elly Griffiths has managed to combine the unrelated but unique topics of Australian Aborigines and horse racing to create a fascinating murder mystery which is directly related to the main character's profession of forensic archaeology. Griffiths keeps the reader on her toes, sending us down quite a few rabbit trails so we never know who to trust in this story with a wide pool of potential suspec...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Mysterious Ed rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: forensic-anthropology, great-britain, amateur-detective, scientist

#4 in the Ruth Galloway series. This series entry was below average. The book is written in the present tense which, whith the hopping from character to character, I found disconcerting. Ruth is supposed to be a rational, athiestic, scientist. Until the final chapters of this book, she is a ditherer. Although she repeatedly says she knows she doesn't believe in such things, she is affected by Australian aboriginal curses and ceremonies, as well as by the curse of fourteenth-century British bisho...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Dana Burgess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Room Full of Bones is the second of Elly Griffiths’ books that I have read. She is one of the exceptions to my personal reading rules – I don’t read British authors and I don’t read books that feature the same protagonist across several volumes. I DO read and thoroughly enjoy British author, Elly Griffiths, ‘Ruth Galloway mysteries’. So what makes these books worth the deviation?
1) Ruth Galloway. She is overweight, down to earth, unassuming, intelligent, insecure, fabulous… I could go on. I lo...more

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Sep 09, 2012 LJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: unlicensed_investigator, mystery, contemporary_post_1945, england, archaeology, female_author

First Sentence: The coffin is definitely a health and safety hazard.

Professor and forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway arrives at a family-owned museum to supervise the opening of the family’s ancestor, a medieval bishop. Instead, she finds the body of the museum curator dead of an apparent heart attack. His death is followed by that of the Museum owner and owner of a horse-training stable, who had received threatening letters regarding the repatriation of Aboriginal skulls to an Australian repre...more First Sentence: The coffin is definitely a health and safety hazard.

Professor and forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway arrives at a family-owned museum to supervise the opening of the family’s ancestor, a medieval bishop. Instead, she finds the body of the museum curator dead of an apparent heart attack. His death is followed by that of the Museum owner and owner of a horse-training stable, who had received threatening letters regarding the repatriation of Aboriginal skulls to an Australian representative. Do the skulls carry a curse, or is there an equally evil but more human motivation going on?

Ms. Griffiths has a very good ear for dialogue and for wry humor. The characters emotions, doubts and insecurities are handled in a way that we can be empathic to them, having perhaps experienced some of them ourselves. However, there are times that the protagonist’s inner dialogue is often stronger and more natural than the verbal exchanges between characters. This is offset by the very evocative descriptions; not only of places, but of feelings and concerns.

The characters are dimensional and although some may feel there is too much back-story given, I very much appreciate an author who does not assume everyone has read the previous books in the series. A weakness comes when the characters’ stories’ overwhelms the mystery and the person for whom you may feel the most sympathy is one of the more secondary characters. Yet there is such realism and near rawness of emotion, it shouldn’t be changed.

The story gives a very interesting presentation of the two sides of the argument regarding the repatriation of art and artifacts. While there are other authors who do include mysticism in their plots, Griffiths combines both the mysticism of the Celtic and Aboriginal beliefs in a very effective way yet also providing a scientific explanation as well.

“A Room Full of Bones” contains several different threads to the story. Some threads are intertwined, some less so, yet they combine to result in a book that may not be Ms. Griffith’s best, but it is still a very good read.

ROOM FULL OF BONES (Unl. Invest-Ruth Galloway-England-Contemporary) – VG
Griffiths, Elly – 4th in series
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012

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Jul 16, 2012 Larraine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A couple of years ago, I picked up the inaugural book in this series, The Crossing Series, for our local library adult reading group. The series features Ruth Galloway, an overweight, introverted forensic anthropologist and archaeology teacher at a local university. The series is set in a seaside area not far from Brighton. This is the fourth book in the series. Ruth will soon be celebrating Kate's birthday. Kate is nearly a year old now and, of course, has changed Ruth's life completely. Kate i...more A couple of years ago, I picked up the inaugural book in this series, The Crossing Series, for our local library adult reading group. The series features Ruth Galloway, an overweight, introverted forensic anthropologist and archaeology teacher at a local university. The series is set in a seaside area not far from Brighton. This is the fourth book in the series. Ruth will soon be celebrating Kate's birthday. Kate is nearly a year old now and, of course, has changed Ruth's life completely. Kate is the result of a one night stand with a local police detective. Their paths cross often since Ruth is also a consultant when bones are discovered. Thanks to Britain's archaeology laws, any bones that are found could mean either a murder or a potentially important archaeological site. A local privately owned museum is celebrating an important find: a coffin containing the body of a 14th century bishop is being opened. The occasion is being celebrated with some celebration. However, Ruth gets there a little earlier and discovers the museum director on the floor with a faint pulse. He dies before he gets to the hospital. The prognosis is uncertain so DI Nelson investigates. His team is also investigating a baffling drug importation case at the same time. Nelson finds letters to the Director warning him about something, but the meaning is unclear. Lord Danforth Smith, a local horse trainer and descendent of the 14th C bishop, is also the proud owner of the museum which has, as the title says, "A Room Full of Bones." The bones were taken by his grandfather who owned mines in Australia and took the bones of native Australians back to Britain when he retired. Ruth is asked by Lord Smith to assess the bones. He has been asked to return them to Australia because the natives believe that their ancestors are not truly at rest unless their bones are returned to their native land. He resists that idea completely of course. As always, Griffiths writes with a great deal of atmosphere and not a little tongue-in-cheek. This is a series that is worth reading, but if you do, start with the first. This is the fourth in the series.
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Jun 24, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You have no idea how I had waited for this book to arrive. I love this series, but unfortunately, this is the slowest most monotonous of the bunch. A rehashing of the last three books, with sections that read more like thoughts than actual sentences. Just so she will not completely lose the reader, there are bits of a new storyline thrown in to keep the reader moving forward.

So, what did we learn? Nelson’s wife does have multiple jealous bones in her body, but just might love her husband enough...more You have no idea how I had waited for this book to arrive. I love this series, but unfortunately, this is the slowest most monotonous of the bunch. A rehashing of the last three books, with sections that read more like thoughts than actual sentences. Just so she will not completely lose the reader, there are bits of a new storyline thrown in to keep the reader moving forward.

So, what did we learn? Nelson’s wife does have multiple jealous bones in her body, but just might love her husband enough to allow Kate in. Unscrupulous people do use animals for purposes other than what they are intended. Do not open coffins when you are told not to and always wear a mask. It is possible for frumpy middle-aged archaeologist to have love interests. Cathbad is an interesting character that has a way of entering into a person’s coma and bringing the person back from the dead and it is quite possible that religious figures could be female.

Yep, that pretty much sums up the whole book.

This book was an insult to her loyal readers, if we are confused by something that the author said we are more than capable of looking over the older books to refresh a series of events.

I admit that I had put this book down several times and picked up others, not one of the characters or the setting had me fully interested in this book. I felt that Ms Griffiths had no interest in writing a book, but was under a contractual bond and therefore threw something together quickly. How said that she chose to insult her readers that way.

A fun fact - Elly Griffith has been writing for years under another name - Domenica de Rosa. The Italian Quarter was published in 2004

“Sophie Richmond is only a quarter Italian yet this quarter has dominated her life in the person of her charismatic grandfather Cesare. Then a journalist starts asking questions about Cesare’s war record and Sophie embarks on a journey into the past which takes her from nineteenth century Naples to London’s Italian quarter and one of the war’s forgotten tragedies. Along the way she also learns something very important about herself…” (less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Room Full Of Bones
by
Elly Griffths

My " in a nutshell" summary...

Ruth, Kate, Nelson...are not allowed to see each other. Nelson and Ruth are sort of involved due to the nature of the crime...Ruth is doing her best to raise Kate without any visits or help from Nelson...who is Kate's father. In this novel...it's all about the bones and heads and Aboriginal skulls that are not where they belong.

My thoughts after reading this book...

That above summary sounds confusing...doesn't it...but the thing...more

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Jun 10, 2012 J.R. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

When forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway arrives early at a museum for the opening of the coffin of a medieval bishop, she finds the body of the curator. The death appears to be natural causes, but the police are called in to be sure.

Detective Inspector Harry Nelson, the married father of Ruth’s one-year-old daughter, arrives and, as might be expected from the state of their relationship at the end of the previous book in the series, the encounter proves awkward.

Nelson, who is in the midst of a...more

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May 10, 2012 Kathleen Hagen added it

A Room Full of Bones, by Elly Griffiths, b-plus, Narrated by Jane McDowell, Produced by Audiogo, downloaded from audible.com.

This is a Ruth Galloway mystery. She is an archiologist. She is asked to a local museum to identify the bones of a medieval bishop when the coffin is opened. It is said that the coffin was not to be opened and that there was an old curse that would follow anyone who did open it. When Ruth gets there, she finds the curator lying dead. At first it appears he had a heart atta...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

This fourth installment of the Ruth Galloway series finds Ruth discovering the body of a museum curator scant minutes before a mysterious coffin is supposed to be opened. Apparently the coffin comes with an ancient curse should it ever be disturbed. This curse combined with the curse of ancient Australian aboriginal bones stored in the museums archives can only mean mortal danger for all involved. As the toll of “the curse” widens even DCI Nelson succumbs. Ruth not only has to deal with the bodi...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Jessy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Room Full of Bones is the fourth installment in the Ruth Galloway mystery series. Harry Nelson and Ruth's relationship has basically become non-existent since Nelson's wife Michelle has figured out that Ruth's daughter Kate is Nelson's love child.

I've never really warmed up to Michelle since she's mostly been a background character up until this point. Ever time Nelson thinks about her or mentions her is mostly about what a beautiful woman she is. I was beginning to think she has no personali...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Su rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was a bit disappointed in this entry in this series. The mystery was not very interesting, and the introduction of the aboriginal shaman next-door neighbor, staying just long enough to be a participant in the mystery and then heading back to Australia...*rolls eyes*

I did like that Griffiths changed up her formula. She takes Nelson off-line, allowing one of the other police officers to step into the spotlight. Heck, even Ruth is less involved in solving the mystery than usual; she's busy with h...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: england, mystery

This latest in the Ruth Galloway mystery series started out okay but then fizzled out. I think the worst part was when all sense was abandoned and one drug tripping hippie type entered the dreams of a friend who was lying in hospital close to dying from a deadly spore he inhaled while standing too near a coffin being opened after a few hundred years. Really? I have been waiting for the series to offer up a little more forensics archeology (that's what the main character supposedly does for a liv...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Babs rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, romantic-suspense, mystery-historical

What an interesting book and new character - at least for me. This was not predictable (as far as I was concerned), was unusual, but not weird and a really refreshing change of pace for me. This book was "all over the place" for me, but in a good way. The characters are adults - not cookie cutter cozy characters. Their problems are real life, but since this is a mystery, they are not the focus, which is a nice diversion and adds an element of interest other than the mystery itself, for me.

My on...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crimepieces

A Room Full of Bones is the fourth book by Elly Griffiths featuring forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway and Norfolk Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson. Griffiths manages to leave the end of each book, if not on a cliffhanger, with enough suspense that you are always keen to see what happens next. The last book The House at Sea’s End had Michelle, the glamorous wife of DCI Harry Nelson beginning to suspect that Ruth’s infant daughter with an unnamed father is her husband’s child. However...more A Room Full of Bones is the fourth book by Elly Griffiths featuring forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway and Norfolk Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson. Griffiths manages to leave the end of each book, if not on a cliffhanger, with enough suspense that you are always keen to see what happens next. The last book The House at Sea’s End had Michelle, the glamorous wife of DCI Harry Nelson beginning to suspect that Ruth’s infant daughter with an unnamed father is her husband’s child. However the author doesn’t plunge us straight into this plot strand but starts the book with the first death that Nelson has to investigate.

Ruth is scheduled to attend the official opening of the mediaeval coffin of a Norfolk Bishop. The prelate is also the ancestor of a prominent Norfolk family, headed by Lord Danforth Smith, who owns the museum where the ceremony will take place. Before the coffin can be opened however, the curator of the museum, Neil Topham, is found dead next to the sarcophagus. Although death is ruled the result of natural causes, Nelson’s interest is sufficiently piqued to look into the background of all the Smith family.

When a second person connected to the mediaeval bishop is found dead rumours circulate of an ancient curse that is affecting all those who come into contact with the body. Meanwhile a group of people are pressurising the museum to return the aboriginal skulls that have been languishing in the museum’s store. Led by the druid Cathbad, he once more plays a catalytic role when danger comes to both Ruth and Nelson.

After the previous three books, I found that I was reading this as much for the characters as the crime that Nelson has to solve. The protagonists are now settling down into their respective roles and many of the subsidiary characters of the previous books are given more substance in this one. These include Shona, now pregnant and living with Phil, Ruth’s boss and Nelson’s wife Michelle, who is given a much sympathetic portrayal as the betrayed wife struggling to come to terms with Nelson and Ruth’s previous relationship and the baby daughter who looks so like her father.

The actual murder investigation was interesting and became more complex than it initially appeared. I’m not sure I completely believed the background to either the deaths or to the subsidiary crime that the Smith family become embroiled in but it was an enjoyable read.

But the true strength of Elly Griffith’s writing is her focus on characterisation and the relationships that interweave between groups of people. She effectively conveys the hurt and complex feelings that can result from unthinking indiscretions and somehow these become integral to the narrative.(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Avadhut rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://avadhutrecommends.wordpress.com/

Summary –

Ruth Galloway is trying to balance her life enjoying her career and perplexed by single motherhood. She is drawn towards the mystery of a medieval bishop and the struggle for the repatriation of aboriginal bones to their homeland. This coupled with two mysterious deaths leads to her reluctant teaming with DCI Nelson to solve puzzles that seem to be mixed up in each other.

Review –

This is the first “Ruth Galloway” book I read though it’s fourth in th...more http://avadhutrecommends.wordpress.com/

Summary –

Ruth Galloway is trying to balance her life enjoying her career and perplexed by single motherhood. She is drawn towards the mystery of a medieval bishop and the struggle for the repatriation of aboriginal bones to their homeland. This coupled with two mysterious deaths leads to her reluctant teaming with DCI Nelson to solve puzzles that seem to be mixed up in each other.

Review –

This is the first “Ruth Galloway” book I read though it’s fourth in the series. Ruth is a forensic archaeologist and a single mother. The book starts with the opening ceremony of a medieval bishop’s coffin, ancestor to the Smith family, owner of the museum. But things take nasty turn when Ruth finds the body of the museum’s curator lying near the coffin. Police investigation is led by DCI Harry Nelson, with whom Ruth shares an awkward relationship. The investigation soon turns serious as death strikes again in a mysterious way. The rumour that those who open the bishop’s coffin will be cursed soon takes hold and a series of threatening letters addressed to the dead curator, when found by Police add to the mystery. An on going police investigation in a drug case also gets mixed up in this case and the mystery deepens.

I thought that the book will be a grim read considering Ruth’s profession. I expected detailed descriptions of human anatomy but A Room Full of Bones was a surprisingly easy read. There are multiple whodunits entangled in each other. I actually found the main case easy to solve but it did not take away the pleasure of reading.

Ruth as a protagonist is an affable character. Nearing forty and actually fat (13 stones to be precise) she is warm and friendly, juggling her career and motherhood. Ruth’s quandary towards her restrained relationship with Nelson and blossoming relation with Max is well penned. Ruth has taken a backseat in the actual investigation and the supporting characters lead the solving of the case. Ruth has an odd group of friend and acquaintances varying from an eccentric Druid to an enigmatic Australian poet and academic with aboriginal roots. All the supporting characters are fully developed and add to the pleasure of reading. There are quite a few references to their past and I think that it will be worth reading the previous books (Though I fear sometimes Griffiths has given away too much).

The struggle for repatriation of Australian aboriginal bones to their motherland for proper burial is a key theme of the story and Griffiths has described this topic quite well. Now that I have started with the series, it certainly will be on the top of my TBR list.(less)

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Nov 22, 2012 Shomeret rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, my-reviews

Ruth Galloway finds herself dealing with the remains of a fictional medieval bishop named Augustine Smith. In this book, Ruth Galloway finds herself dealing with the remains of a fictional medieval bishop named Augustine Smith. There was a mystery involved with the bishop’s bones, yet the sub-plot about the repatriation of Australian aborigine bones was actually much more interesting to me. Frankly, Griffiths often invests more drama in the personal life of her protagonist than in her cases. As...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 31, 2012 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers-and-chillers

Another wonderful book by Elly Griffiths. Oh how I love her protagonist, Ruth Galloway. No sylph-like, green eyed stunner, but a normal person. Conscious of her weight, battling with doughnuts, a single mother, but what is not normal is her brilliance and bravery. I have loved every one of the four books so far, and in fact, I think that I like this the best as it gets deeper into the emotions of Ruth, the father of her child, Nelson, and his wife, Michelle (and what a sympathetic character is M...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Martina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Martina by: Geoff Hughes

Shelves: international, mystery-crime

My edition is an advance copy of the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hardcover edition to publish 3 July 2012 in the US.

I adore this series. You read one page and are immediately drawn into a very special atmosphere and environment and terrific cast of characters. This is #4 in the Ruth Galloway books, and the book opens just before Kate's first birthday. Ruth discovers a dead body the day before the birthday which throws her into the company of Det. Insp. Nelson once again.

Finished, and this may be...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-read

Kate Galloway is now a year old, and Ruth is adjusting to life as a single mom, and to life without personal contact with Nelson. She is called upon to assist at the opening of a long buried coffin which may contain the remains of a medieval bishop. When she arrives at the private museum where the coffin is kept, she discovers the body of the museum curator. Threats against the museum, owned by Lord Danford Smith, have been made by a group called the Elginists. They are demanding that Smith retu...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Sharonm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This fourth in the series featuring Ruth Galloway and the Norfolk coast felt like meeting up with an old friend. In this book, Ruth's relationships with folks involved in the crime rather than her direct involvement in solving it take center stage. The roomful of bones from the title has to do with Aboriginal bones being kept in England, and the mystery centers around efforts to repatriate them. At the beginning of the book, I found the present tense in which Griffiths writes to be annoying and...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Jo at Jaffareadstoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

In A Room Full of Bones we return to the salt-mashes of Norfolk, to a world where the bones of the ancients threaten the peace and tranquillity of the museum in which they are housed. When archaeologist Ruth Galloway arrives at the museum for the opening of an old wooden coffin, she is totally unprepared to find the museum curator lying dead on the floor next to the coffin. What then follows is the story of how a deadly curse, attached to the ancient bones, threatens the peaceful existence of al...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Charra Rede rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well written, with some great twists and anthropological angst, this 4th novel featuring forensic archaeologist, Ruth Galloway is worth a read. I found this while browsing mystery ebooks on my library site, and was hooked in by the idea of a crime-solving single female archaeologist. Set in the UK, the book pivots off the problem with aboriginal bones and cultural artifacts that remain the property of private collectors, and delves into the tragic history of the Australian Indigenous people at t...more

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About Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly's husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton. Though not her first novel, The Crossing Places is her first crime novel.

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Books by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End (Ruth Galloway, #3)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12783927-a-room-full-of-bones?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1325714321l/12783927.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12783927-a-room-full-of-bones?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths[/url]

A Room Full of Bones (Ruth Galloway #4)

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