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The Dark Angel
(Ruth Galloway #10)
by
Dr Ruth Galloway is flattered when she receives a letter from Italian archaeologist Dr Angelo Morelli, asking for her help. He's discovered a group of bones in a tiny hilltop village but doesn't know what to make of them. It's years since Ruth has had a holiday, and even a working holiday to Italy is very welcome!
So Ruth travels to Fontana Liri, accompanied by her daughter
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Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Published
February 8th 2018
by Quercus
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This is the tenth in the series featuring Dr Ruth Galloway, the forensic archaeologist set in Norfolk. Ruth has been experiencing an emotionally stressful time when her hopes of cementing a relationship with DI Harry Nelson are dashed with his wife, Michelle, becoming pregnant. It is the summer holidays, and Ruth is contacted by Professor Angelo Morelli asking her for her expertise in a excavated skeleton in Italy. Angelo is a famous TV archaeologist, and is an ex-lover of Ruth's from her past.
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In the last several months I have read an inordinate amount of novels set in Italy. Was surprised to find in this book, which is set in England, that I would once again be traveling to Italy, in particular Castello degli Angeli. A town slowly dying, all it's young people moving to Rome for employment opportunities. It is also a town with a long memory, memories and tragedies from the second World War.
Ruth is called to Italy when an old friend finds bones and needs a bone expert. Wanting to get a ...more
Ruth is called to Italy when an old friend finds bones and needs a bone expert. Wanting to get a ...more

I want to start by saying this in one of my favorite series and the characters dear to me, because they have always come across as very real. The mystery aspect of the plot in the Ruth Galloway books is not their strong point, but I don't really care, I read them for my love of the characters. As for The Dark Angel, I really enjoyed a solid two thirds of the book and really sped through, though I had intended to pace myself and make it last. But then something happened, and though I won't say an
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It feels a little odd to be reading The Dark Angel, which takes place in Fontana Liri, Italy, while the Coronavirus rages there. But it was nice to be reminded of Italy in a time before all this horror.
Ruth receives a call from a fellow anthropologist, asking if she can come to Italy to examine some bones he has found while conducting an excavation for his tv show. He confides in her that he thinks someone is trying to kill him. “I think he’s confused me with Miss Marple”, she tells Shona, who ...more
Ruth receives a call from a fellow anthropologist, asking if she can come to Italy to examine some bones he has found while conducting an excavation for his tv show. He confides in her that he thinks someone is trying to kill him. “I think he’s confused me with Miss Marple”, she tells Shona, who ...more

Firstly I wonder who wrote the blurb for this book? I quote "To her amazement she also finds Harry Nelson, who is enduring a terrible holiday at a resort nearby. But there is no time to overcome their mutual shock." This not how it happens at all.
Anyway, moving on, The Dark Angel is set in Italy although the author alternates chapters between Italy and England and moves two separate story lines forward simultaneously. The English side ended up interesting me the most despite the fact that there ...more
Anyway, moving on, The Dark Angel is set in Italy although the author alternates chapters between Italy and England and moves two separate story lines forward simultaneously. The English side ended up interesting me the most despite the fact that there ...more

There are serious dangers in waking the spirits of the dead.
Dr. Ruth Galloway, UK bone specialist in archaeology, seems to know this quite often and usually up front and personal. Ruth has been contacted by an old colleague, Angelo Morelli, to examine some unusual bones found in an excavation site in the Liri Valley in Italy.
Dead men usually tell no tales, but this one speaks volumes from the confines of his grave. Buried face down is demeaning at best, but this poor soul has also had a stone l ...more
Dr. Ruth Galloway, UK bone specialist in archaeology, seems to know this quite often and usually up front and personal. Ruth has been contacted by an old colleague, Angelo Morelli, to examine some unusual bones found in an excavation site in the Liri Valley in Italy.
Dead men usually tell no tales, but this one speaks volumes from the confines of his grave. Buried face down is demeaning at best, but this poor soul has also had a stone l ...more

Feb 13, 2018
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
rated it
it was amazing
EXCERPT: Giving your son to God sounds sinister somehow. Ruth once found the body of an Iron Age girl who had been tied down and left on the marshes to die, an offering to some faceless, nameless diety. She thinks of Isaac carrying the wood on which he is going to be sacrificed by his father, a story which pops up quite often in her parent's church, where it seems to be held up as an example of good parenting.
THE BLURB: Dr Ruth Galloway is flattered when she receives a letter from Italian archa ...more
THE BLURB: Dr Ruth Galloway is flattered when she receives a letter from Italian archa ...more

This was disappointing.
I think the author boxed herself in by using Italy as the setting for this book. It was easy enough to get Ruth there with a request to consult on an archeological television show. She, of course, brings her daughter. Ruth's best friend, Shona, also comes along with her son. Shona provides a way to free Ruth from childcare. To get Nelson to Italy, the author writes in an earthquake. It’s minor by Italy’s standards, but it rattles Nelson enough that he races to Italy to mak ...more
I think the author boxed herself in by using Italy as the setting for this book. It was easy enough to get Ruth there with a request to consult on an archeological television show. She, of course, brings her daughter. Ruth's best friend, Shona, also comes along with her son. Shona provides a way to free Ruth from childcare. To get Nelson to Italy, the author writes in an earthquake. It’s minor by Italy’s standards, but it rattles Nelson enough that he races to Italy to mak ...more

Apr 07, 2018
Sandy
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
clean-read,
family-drama,
mystery,
british-cops,
series,
arc-from-publisher,
romance,
british-authors
3.5 stars
When I started reading this, I couldn’t help but think about how far these characters have come. There’s a personal story arc that has evolved at a snappy pace from the beginning & it shows no sign of slowing down here.
As the book opens, we find Ruth in a bit of a funk. Nothing like going to a wedding to make you reflect on your life as a singe mom. Especially when the father of your daughter is there with his pregnant wife. So when the chance to check out old bones in Italy comes alon ...more
When I started reading this, I couldn’t help but think about how far these characters have come. There’s a personal story arc that has evolved at a snappy pace from the beginning & it shows no sign of slowing down here.
As the book opens, we find Ruth in a bit of a funk. Nothing like going to a wedding to make you reflect on your life as a singe mom. Especially when the father of your daughter is there with his pregnant wife. So when the chance to check out old bones in Italy comes alon ...more

I will say from the outset that over the course of the Ruth Galloway books, I have had an up and down relationship with them, but feel almost a sense of guilt if I decide not to pick up the next in the series. The Dark Angel reaches the landmark of ten books, featuring the everywoman character of Galloway, who set apart by her sheer ordinariness, intelligence, frequent crisis of confidence, and somewhat unbelievably tangled personal relationships, has accrued a significant following of readers
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Apr 05, 2018
Kristy
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc,
fiction,
read-in-2018,
pbs-wishlist,
mystery,
women-sleuths,
ebook,
edelweiss,
houghton-mifflin-harcourt,
best-of-2018
Ruth is dealing with a lot on the personal front, including the fact that Nelson's wife, Michelle, is pregnant. Ruth and Nelson's daughter, Kate, is six now, and while Michelle knows about Kate, Nelson's older daughters do not. Nelson was very close to leaving Michelle for Ruth, before he found out his wife was pregnant again. So when Ruth is invited to Italy to assist a former friend, Angelo Morelli, in looking at some bones, she is actually a bit excited at the thought of a holiday/work trip.
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More soap opera than crime solving this time around, but there's nothing wrong with that. Occasionally.
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A week later and I’m still not sure how to put into words my disappointment with this and the last book. Both had interesting mysteries and this Dr Ruth Galloway installment also featured the Italian shore and lots of new characters... BUT...
Quite simply, Ruth’s personal life is quickly dominating these books, and the personal plot lines are starting to resemble a TV soap opera (a term
I caught in another review that finally helped me understand why I’ve been reluctant to write a review).
I just w ...more
Quite simply, Ruth’s personal life is quickly dominating these books, and the personal plot lines are starting to resemble a TV soap opera (a term
I caught in another review that finally helped me understand why I’ve been reluctant to write a review).
I just w ...more

This book doesn’t quite fit the series, for a start most of the action takes place in Italy. But forget the bones, this story is all about the characters.
Ruth is invited to Italy to provide expert advice at a Roman dig by Dr Angelo Morelli, another former lover! She is keen on the idea of a break after learning that DCI Nelson’s wife, Michelle, is pregnant again. Nelson is the father of Ruth’s daughter, 7 year old Kate. There’s also some uncertainty about the father of Michelle’s baby-to-be. It’ ...more
Ruth is invited to Italy to provide expert advice at a Roman dig by Dr Angelo Morelli, another former lover! She is keen on the idea of a break after learning that DCI Nelson’s wife, Michelle, is pregnant again. Nelson is the father of Ruth’s daughter, 7 year old Kate. There’s also some uncertainty about the father of Michelle’s baby-to-be. It’ ...more

Jan 04, 2020
Lisa Vegan
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
goodreads-author,
1-also-at-librarything,
readbooks-female-author-or-illust,
z2020,
zz-4star,
uk,
novel,
cats,
dogs
Buddy read with GR friend Hilary, reading sections at relatively close to the same time and then discussing each at least a bit.
I’m happy that this was my first 2020 book. I love having this mystery series highlighted in my reading record. I’ve been zipping through these books. I had wanted to make them last so I wouldn’t have to start waiting the full length of time between publication dates for the next book(s) but I read books 1-9 between August and December 2019. Now book 10. Book 11 will b ...more
I’m happy that this was my first 2020 book. I love having this mystery series highlighted in my reading record. I’ve been zipping through these books. I had wanted to make them last so I wouldn’t have to start waiting the full length of time between publication dates for the next book(s) but I read books 1-9 between August and December 2019. Now book 10. Book 11 will b ...more

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Ruth, still reeling from the events of the end of the last book, is living day to day, trying to hang out. An old friend calls her up and invites her to help with some bones in Italy, so she packs up Kate, Shona, and Louis and heads to Italy... where of course, murder happens. Meanwhile, back in Norfolk, one of Nelson's cadre of historical arrests is released, and stuff happens at home ...more
Ruth, still reeling from the events of the end of the last book, is living day to day, trying to hang out. An old friend calls her up and invites her to help with some bones in Italy, so she packs up Kate, Shona, and Louis and heads to Italy... where of course, murder happens. Meanwhile, back in Norfolk, one of Nelson's cadre of historical arrests is released, and stuff happens at home ...more

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths (Ruth Galloway, #10)
Another excellent entry in the Ruth Galloway series by this gifted author.
Ruth receives an urgent message from a friend in Italy. a friend whom she has not seen in years. Angelo Morelli needs an archaeologist of Ruth's standing to identify bones which he has uncovered in his native town in Italy. Ruth prepares Kate as well as Shone along with Louis(shone Phil's son) for the journey overseas.
DCI Nelson is notified of the release of murderer Mic ...more
Another excellent entry in the Ruth Galloway series by this gifted author.
Ruth receives an urgent message from a friend in Italy. a friend whom she has not seen in years. Angelo Morelli needs an archaeologist of Ruth's standing to identify bones which he has uncovered in his native town in Italy. Ruth prepares Kate as well as Shone along with Louis(shone Phil's son) for the journey overseas.
DCI Nelson is notified of the release of murderer Mic ...more

The last one of the series so far. This time the book was situated mainly in Italy instead of Norfolk, which made a nice change. I just love the atmosphere and all the characters and I hope book 11 will come out soon. Can't wait!
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The latest Ruth Galloway novel takes her on a business/holiday away from King's Lynn and Norfolk to sunny, hot Italy. She, her friend Shona and their children, Kate and Louis, are traveling because Ruth has been invited by a long-ago colleague to assist with the identification of some bones. He does have ulterior motives: Galloway is well known and these bones are to be televised! But much of the time will be vacation before her oncoming semester.
Meanwhile, at home, in a separate plot line, a ma ...more
Meanwhile, at home, in a separate plot line, a ma ...more

Jan 06, 2020
Hilary
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Hilary by:
Laura
Shelves:
female-author-or-illustrator
Read as a buddy read with Lisa Vegan, reading sections each day and chatting after.
We raced through this one, Laura is right, these are addictive and we both wanted to read the next book soon after!
Although this is another great mystery with some wonderful characters and settings this probably was the least enjoyable book of the series for me in terms of the mystery. Although still good, it wasn't quite as enjoyable or complex as the other mysteries.
The characters are good to be with again, I do ...more
We raced through this one, Laura is right, these are addictive and we both wanted to read the next book soon after!
Although this is another great mystery with some wonderful characters and settings this probably was the least enjoyable book of the series for me in terms of the mystery. Although still good, it wasn't quite as enjoyable or complex as the other mysteries.
The characters are good to be with again, I do ...more

May 03, 2018
Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-2018
If there were an award for the most annoying characters in a book series (that you keep reading, despite the fact) would I award it to Ruth Galloway & DCI Harry Nelson. Sorry, to everyone that loves the series, but Ruth inner monologue about how fat she is and how religion sucks, etc. just rubs me the wrong way. Nelson's thoughts aren't much better. So, when you look at it do they fit very well together. To bad that Nelson is married and his wife is pregnant, although the father of the baby coul
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Ruth Galloway is one of my favorite detectives, and I love this series by Elly Griffiths because it is unique, clever, and smartly written. The Dark Angel, the 10th installment, takes Ruth with her friend Shona and their children in tow to Italy to investigate a group of bones found by an Italian archaeologist in Fontana Liri. While investigating the ancient bones, Ruth is pulled into a modern murder that eventually unveils a secret kept since World War 2. Griffiths’ descriptions of Fontana Liri
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For long-time fans of the delightful Ruth Galloway (newbies should start at the beginning of the series), this takes Ruth out of her usual setting and places her in Italy. With some plot manipulation, Griffiths gets Nelson there, too, and we have two rather thin crime plots unravelling, one at home and one in Italy.
As ever, plot is shown to be Griffiths' weakness - but Ruth is such a great character, and the narrative voice so slyly funny that I can forgive a lot. Here the long-term characters ...more
As ever, plot is shown to be Griffiths' weakness - but Ruth is such a great character, and the narrative voice so slyly funny that I can forgive a lot. Here the long-term characters ...more

First Sentence: ‘This grave has lain undisturbed for over two thousand years.’
Archeologist Ruth Galloway and her daughter are invited to Italy by fellow archaeologist, and television host, Angelo Morelli to help identify bones found in a hillside town. Fontana Liri was Angelo’s ancestral home and where his grandfather played an important part during the resistance movement of WWII. But if the war is over, why are threats, and attempts being made on Angelo’s life? In England, DI Harry Nelson lea ...more
Archeologist Ruth Galloway and her daughter are invited to Italy by fellow archaeologist, and television host, Angelo Morelli to help identify bones found in a hillside town. Fontana Liri was Angelo’s ancestral home and where his grandfather played an important part during the resistance movement of WWII. But if the war is over, why are threats, and attempts being made on Angelo’s life? In England, DI Harry Nelson lea ...more

Ruth Galloway is one of my favorite crime novel characters. She is an academic specializing in ancient bones. A colleague and old friend invites her to Italy to look at some old bones, and Ruth, desperate for a holiday, takes off for 2 weeks in Italy with her 6year-old daughter Kate and friend Shona, and her four year old son.
I would have rated this higher but the crime doesn't occur until well past half the book. I also am not fond of overly long books and felt this could have been a bit shorte ...more
I would have rated this higher but the crime doesn't occur until well past half the book. I also am not fond of overly long books and felt this could have been a bit shorte ...more

3.5 stars.
My least favorite of a quite good series. Not as fresh or compelling, and the relentless theme of baby or toddler in jeopardy (or alternately, mother of same and by extension the point is still baby or toddler in jeopardy) has finally become tiring. I was waiting for that to happen, but the other qualities of the series have offset this odd repeat thus far.
The echo effect at this point removes much of the tension and mystery of the book if you’ve been following the series. I very muc ...more
My least favorite of a quite good series. Not as fresh or compelling, and the relentless theme of baby or toddler in jeopardy (or alternately, mother of same and by extension the point is still baby or toddler in jeopardy) has finally become tiring. I was waiting for that to happen, but the other qualities of the series have offset this odd repeat thus far.
The echo effect at this point removes much of the tension and mystery of the book if you’ve been following the series. I very muc ...more

3.5 "entertaining" stars
Dr Ruth Galloway is quite the talented forensic anthropologist. She is well known so that when she receives an invite from a man Dr Angelo Morelli she jumps at the chance to take a look at a group of bones recently unearthed in a village outside of Rome. Ruth has not had any type of vacation in many a years so she, her daughter, her best friend and her child head off to Italy for some investigating and fun in the sun.
When Ruth and her entourage land, she is confronted wi ...more
Dr Ruth Galloway is quite the talented forensic anthropologist. She is well known so that when she receives an invite from a man Dr Angelo Morelli she jumps at the chance to take a look at a group of bones recently unearthed in a village outside of Rome. Ruth has not had any type of vacation in many a years so she, her daughter, her best friend and her child head off to Italy for some investigating and fun in the sun.
When Ruth and her entourage land, she is confronted wi ...more

4.5 stars
I love the Ruth Galloway series and eagerly look forward to the next book. I try to read slowly to make it last longer but I can never do it. I have to keep turning the pages and this is no exception. I was a little nervous because Ruth goes off to help out on an archaeology study in Italy. She is going to vacation too so takes Shona, Kate, and Louis (Shona's son) with her. I get nervous when authors send their characters to Italy especially after Elizabeth George sent Barbara Havers th ...more
I love the Ruth Galloway series and eagerly look forward to the next book. I try to read slowly to make it last longer but I can never do it. I have to keep turning the pages and this is no exception. I was a little nervous because Ruth goes off to help out on an archaeology study in Italy. She is going to vacation too so takes Shona, Kate, and Louis (Shona's son) with her. I get nervous when authors send their characters to Italy especially after Elizabeth George sent Barbara Havers th ...more

The Dark Angel is the 10th novel in the Dr Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist, series of books. This time Ruth travels to the Liri Valley in Italy for a working holiday to look at some bones, meet up with an old friend, fellow archaeologist Dr Angelo Morelli and to spend time with her daughter Kate. Ruth also takes along her friend Shona, plus her son Louis.
The Dark Angel is like meeting up with old friends. The characters from previous Ruth Galloway novels are carried forward. This novel g ...more
The Dark Angel is like meeting up with old friends. The characters from previous Ruth Galloway novels are carried forward. This novel g ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Play Book Tag: The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths - 4 stars | 1 | 16 | May 29, 2018 10:44PM | |
Kindle British My...: The Dark Angel, by Elly Griffiths | 4 | 34 | Feb 08, 2018 12:11AM |
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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“Look which way the bones lie. The position tells you everything. In Christian burials, bodies are usually buried facing east, supposedly towards heaven. Sometimes priests and religious leaders are buried facing west, so that they can rise facing their people. Facing downwards, you are looking at something else altogether.”
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“How can women like Shona and Michelle keep them draped all day? Ruth’s scarves either fall in her coffee or try to strangle her.”
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