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Ruth Galloway #4
Käärmeen kirous
Salaperäinen kuolema museossa.
Elly Griffiths hurmaa lukijoita juuri sopivasti jännitystä, tunnelmallisia maisemia ja ihmissuhdesolmuja sisältävillä dekkareillaan, joiden päähenkilö on terävä ja rakastettava arkeologi Ruth Galloway. Käärmeen kirous on sarjan neljäs osa.
Suosikkiarkeologi Ruth Galloway palaa lukijoiden iloksi Elly Griffithsin uudessa mysteerissä, jossa kohtaavat unohdetut luut, muinainen kirous ja tosielämän rikollisuus.
Arkeologi Ruth Gallowayn työpäivä saa kylmäävän käänteen, kun museosta löytyy ruumis. Tapausta tutkimaan kutsutaan komisario Harry Nelson, jota kohtaan Ruthilla on kovin ristiriitaisia tunteita. Museota vaaditaan palauttamaan aboriginaalien luiden kokoelma takaisin Australiaan tai Suuren käärmeen kirous tuhoaisi heidät. Kun seuraa toinen salaperäinen kuolema, Ruth joutuu kysymään itseltään, onko kyse todella kirouksesta vai onko tapahtumille sittenkin looginen selitys. Kunnes kirous uhkaa muuttaa kaiken myös Ruthin henkilökohtaisessa elämässä, ja hänen on pakko löytää ratkaisu.
Elly Griffiths hurmaa lukijoita juuri sopivasti jännitystä, tunnelmallisia maisemia ja ihmissuhdesolmuja sisältävillä dekkareillaan, joiden päähenkilö on terävä ja rakastettava arkeologi Ruth Galloway. Käärmeen kirous on sarjan neljäs osa.
Suosikkiarkeologi Ruth Galloway palaa lukijoiden iloksi Elly Griffithsin uudessa mysteerissä, jossa kohtaavat unohdetut luut, muinainen kirous ja tosielämän rikollisuus.
Arkeologi Ruth Gallowayn työpäivä saa kylmäävän käänteen, kun museosta löytyy ruumis. Tapausta tutkimaan kutsutaan komisario Harry Nelson, jota kohtaan Ruthilla on kovin ristiriitaisia tunteita. Museota vaaditaan palauttamaan aboriginaalien luiden kokoelma takaisin Australiaan tai Suuren käärmeen kirous tuhoaisi heidät. Kun seuraa toinen salaperäinen kuolema, Ruth joutuu kysymään itseltään, onko kyse todella kirouksesta vai onko tapahtumille sittenkin looginen selitys. Kunnes kirous uhkaa muuttaa kaiken myös Ruthin henkilökohtaisessa elämässä, ja hänen on pakko löytää ratkaisu.
331 pages, Hardcover
First published December 21, 2011
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About the author
Elly Griffiths
75 books9,481 followersElly 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,122 reviews
September 8, 2025
It is my 4th Ruth Gallaway mystery, so it is clear I am fond of this series and the characters. The mysteries are always interesting and complex. The same can be told about the relationships between the characters. They are complicated, sometimes messy.
Ruth is struggling to be both a perfect single mother and good ar her job. She goes on many guilt trips , but she also know that she needs to somehow find a balance in her life. Some readers were annoyed by her internal dialogue, but for mothers I think it was very relatable.
I will not say much about the plot, only that it involves a saint’s sarcophagus, curses, snakes, horses, dead people and murder, obviously.
Ruth is struggling to be both a perfect single mother and good ar her job. She goes on many guilt trips , but she also know that she needs to somehow find a balance in her life. Some readers were annoyed by her internal dialogue, but for mothers I think it was very relatable.
I will not say much about the plot, only that it involves a saint’s sarcophagus, curses, snakes, horses, dead people and murder, obviously.
April 10, 2023
EXCERPT: At the end of the gallery she steps from tile to carpet and, to her surprise, finds herself in a red-walled Victorian study. A stag's head looms over a painted fireplace and a man sits at a desk, frowning fiercely as he dips his quill into an inkwell.
'Excuse me . . .' begins Ruth, before realising that the man's eyes are dusty and one of his arms is missing. A rope separates her from the figure and his desk but she leans forward and reads the inscription:
Percival, Lord Smith 1830 - 1902,adventurer and taxidermist. Most of the exhibits in this museum were acquired by Lord Smith in the course of a fascinating life. Lord Smith's love of the natural world is shown in his magnificent collection of animals and birds, most of which he shot and stuffed himself.
Funny way to show your love of the natural world, by shooting most of it, thinks Ruth. She notices a brace of guns over the head of the waxwork of Lord Smith. He looks a nasty customer, alive or dead.
There are two ways out of Lord Smith's study. One says 'New World Collection' and one 'Local History'. She pauses, feeling like Alice in Wonderland. A slight sound, a kind of whispering or fluttering, makes her turn towards Local History. She feels in the mood for a soothing collection of Norfolk artefacts. She hopes there are no more waxworks or embalmed animals.
Her wish is granted. The Local History room seems to be empty apart from a coffin on a trestle table and a body lying beside it. A breeze from an open window is riffling through the pages of a guidebook lying on the floor, making a sound like the wings of a trapped bird.
ABOUT 'A ROOM FULL OF BONES': Night falls on Halloween Eve.
The museum in King's Lynn is preparing for an unusual event - the opening of a coffin excavated from the site of a medieval church. But when archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway arrives to supervise, she finds the museum's curator lying dead beside it.
Ruth and Detective Inspector Nelson are forced to cross paths once again when he's called in to investigate the murder, and their past tensions are reignited.
As Ruth becomes further embroiled in the case, she must decide where her loyalties lie - a choice that her very survival depends on.
MY THOUGHTS: I love Ruth! She is intelligent, passionate about her work, and decidedly unglamorous. How refreshing to have a realistic and relatable main character. She mightn't have the most wonderful life skills - like most of us she is just stumbling through - but I love that too. She does things, mostly in her personal life, and I think 'Oh, Ruth!'; but then, I don't know if I would have done any different.
I love that she faces dilemmas and is human and fallible when making her choices. She gets tired, and grumpy, and irritable. She occasionally says things she later regrets. She 'believes' she is being a good mother by eating the chocolates from her daughter's advent calendar, thereby saving Kate's teeth. Sounds like something I would do!
She has an uncomfortable relationship with her parents, born again Christians who, while adoring their granddaughter Kate, are voluably certain that Ruth will go to hell for having a child out of wedlock.
A Room Full of Bones has several mysteries running through it increasing Nelson's workload - that of the dead curator; another unexpected death; and an influx of cheap cocaine into the area. Now I usually dislike the introduction of drug cartels into a story. BUT, it doesn't dominate the storyline, and the solution was something I had never thought of, and really very clever.
Judy Johnson and Dave Clough, who loves the Godfather films and frequently intones 'I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse' when alone with a mirror, play larger roles in this book, and Cathbad continues to both intrigue and infuriate Nelson.
I absolutely love the characters in this series. The mysteries are wonderful and I never manage to work out the solution, but it is really the characters that are the icing on the cake.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#ARoomFullofBones #WaitomoDistrictLibrary
I: @ellygriffiths17 @quercusbooks
T: @ellygriffiths @QuercusBooks
THE AUTHOR: 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.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Waitomo District Library for the loan of A Room Full of Bonesby Elly Griffiths for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Excuse me . . .' begins Ruth, before realising that the man's eyes are dusty and one of his arms is missing. A rope separates her from the figure and his desk but she leans forward and reads the inscription:
Percival, Lord Smith 1830 - 1902,adventurer and taxidermist. Most of the exhibits in this museum were acquired by Lord Smith in the course of a fascinating life. Lord Smith's love of the natural world is shown in his magnificent collection of animals and birds, most of which he shot and stuffed himself.
Funny way to show your love of the natural world, by shooting most of it, thinks Ruth. She notices a brace of guns over the head of the waxwork of Lord Smith. He looks a nasty customer, alive or dead.
There are two ways out of Lord Smith's study. One says 'New World Collection' and one 'Local History'. She pauses, feeling like Alice in Wonderland. A slight sound, a kind of whispering or fluttering, makes her turn towards Local History. She feels in the mood for a soothing collection of Norfolk artefacts. She hopes there are no more waxworks or embalmed animals.
Her wish is granted. The Local History room seems to be empty apart from a coffin on a trestle table and a body lying beside it. A breeze from an open window is riffling through the pages of a guidebook lying on the floor, making a sound like the wings of a trapped bird.
ABOUT 'A ROOM FULL OF BONES': Night falls on Halloween Eve.
The museum in King's Lynn is preparing for an unusual event - the opening of a coffin excavated from the site of a medieval church. But when archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway arrives to supervise, she finds the museum's curator lying dead beside it.
Ruth and Detective Inspector Nelson are forced to cross paths once again when he's called in to investigate the murder, and their past tensions are reignited.
As Ruth becomes further embroiled in the case, she must decide where her loyalties lie - a choice that her very survival depends on.
MY THOUGHTS: I love Ruth! She is intelligent, passionate about her work, and decidedly unglamorous. How refreshing to have a realistic and relatable main character. She mightn't have the most wonderful life skills - like most of us she is just stumbling through - but I love that too. She does things, mostly in her personal life, and I think 'Oh, Ruth!'; but then, I don't know if I would have done any different.
I love that she faces dilemmas and is human and fallible when making her choices. She gets tired, and grumpy, and irritable. She occasionally says things she later regrets. She 'believes' she is being a good mother by eating the chocolates from her daughter's advent calendar, thereby saving Kate's teeth. Sounds like something I would do!
She has an uncomfortable relationship with her parents, born again Christians who, while adoring their granddaughter Kate, are voluably certain that Ruth will go to hell for having a child out of wedlock.
A Room Full of Bones has several mysteries running through it increasing Nelson's workload - that of the dead curator; another unexpected death; and an influx of cheap cocaine into the area. Now I usually dislike the introduction of drug cartels into a story. BUT, it doesn't dominate the storyline, and the solution was something I had never thought of, and really very clever.
Judy Johnson and Dave Clough, who loves the Godfather films and frequently intones 'I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse' when alone with a mirror, play larger roles in this book, and Cathbad continues to both intrigue and infuriate Nelson.
I absolutely love the characters in this series. The mysteries are wonderful and I never manage to work out the solution, but it is really the characters that are the icing on the cake.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#ARoomFullofBones #WaitomoDistrictLibrary
I: @ellygriffiths17 @quercusbooks
T: @ellygriffiths @QuercusBooks
THE AUTHOR: 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.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Waitomo District Library for the loan of A Room Full of Bonesby Elly Griffiths for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
December 26, 2012
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.
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.
October 24, 2019
Book Three in this series ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and at the beginning of book four, it’s resolved. Michele has figured out that Nelson is Kate’s father and has forbidden him from having any contact with Ruth or Kate, except professional. Well, Ruth finding a dead body at the local museum provides the professional excuse for them to again interact. The museum also houses a whole collection of Aborigine bones, which a group called The Elginists are seeking to repatriate back to Australia.
I have become so fond of this group of characters. Griffiths does a great job of making you care for them all, even the secondary characters like Judy, who steps more front and center this time. And I love Cathbad. He’s always in the middle of every murder investigation and always finding an excuse to light a bonfire.
As always, Griffiths manages to blend history, religion and mysticism into the storyline. Here, we get origination stories and the importance of snakes in the various cultures. I always feel like I learn a little something.
This is a wonderful series and I’m so glad I still have so many books left to read.
December 18, 2019
Book four in the series and the one I have enjoyed the least so far. I was not able to get into the Australian mysticism at all and as soon as people started dropping dead I guessed the true cause, which was much more feasible. In fact it was intriguing in its own right and I wish the author had run with that throughout the book and left the Dreaming alone.
Nevertheless it was still a very readable and entertaining book. I adored little Kate, enjoyed Max and of course loved Cathbad. So it was not my favourite book but I am still looking forward to book 5!
Nevertheless it was still a very readable and entertaining book. I adored little Kate, enjoyed Max and of course loved Cathbad. So it was not my favourite book but I am still looking forward to book 5!
December 28, 2023
There’s a formula (or balance) in my favorite mystery series— something like 70-80% mystery/crime threads to about 20-30% main sleuth/ regular character development. So based on that, this entry in the wonderful Dr Ruth Galloway series would only rate three stars because the mystery is barely 50% of the story.
But that’s okay because this book concentrates on the personal lives of Ruth and her friends. This book feels like a major turning point in the Galloway/Nelson relationship. And it’s really a good thing— the “will they or won’t they” was pushing my limits of tolerance for bad idea romances.
That said, I’m looking forward to the next one. More mystery and less relationship distractions would be great!!
(Reviewed 5/16/19)
But that’s okay because this book concentrates on the personal lives of Ruth and her friends. This book feels like a major turning point in the Galloway/Nelson relationship. And it’s really a good thing— the “will they or won’t they” was pushing my limits of tolerance for bad idea romances.
That said, I’m looking forward to the next one. More mystery and less relationship distractions would be great!!
(Reviewed 5/16/19)
March 7, 2016
This is the fourth book in the Ruth Galloway series. It felt to me like this is the weakest so far. The first half of the book includes much discussion of the exploration of Australia, the ravaging of Aboriginal holy relics, and efforts for the repatriation of human remains. I think this was just sort of interesting, too long, and delayed the "meat" of the book. The pace eventually picks up in the second half when the owner of a museum and horse racing stable dies, Nelson falls deathly ill, Ruth encounters Max, Judy uncovers a drug ring, and Cathbad does his thing. As usual, there is the tongue-in-cheek humor and mysticism.
September 11, 2019
I do love this series but I wasn’t really in the mood to read this book. All my books on library hold aren’t ready though and this one came quickly so I decided to read it. That’s the thing about the books in these series though. I love them and thoroughly enjoy them even when not in the mood for them.
This one felt more choppy than the first three books: There are multiple people/places/events in paragraphs in many chapters that often made me eager to get back to the people/places/events that had just been left.
One of those viruses resistant to antibiotics?! Such as ALL of them. Maybe the word meant to use was infection? Or resistant to anti-viral drugs? Or ???
There are some really fine red herrings in this book, including some mixed-up identities, and I found that entertaining. The story is deftly told.
I do love Ruth and so many old and new characters are particularly interesting. Some people and events seemed so real to me I had urges to look them up.
Because this is book 4 and spoilers are easy to come by for those who haven’t read books 1-3:
This one felt more choppy than the first three books: There are multiple people/places/events in paragraphs in many chapters that often made me eager to get back to the people/places/events that had just been left.
One of those viruses resistant to antibiotics?! Such as ALL of them. Maybe the word meant to use was infection? Or resistant to anti-viral drugs? Or ???
There are some really fine red herrings in this book, including some mixed-up identities, and I found that entertaining. The story is deftly told.
I do love Ruth and so many old and new characters are particularly interesting. Some people and events seemed so real to me I had urges to look them up.
Because this is book 4 and spoilers are easy to come by for those who haven’t read books 1-3:
August 7, 2018
It was great to read an enjoyable story after reading some books I didn't like much.
Ruth is not a detective but a forensic archeologist, so you get the story from a different angle. I skipped no. 3 in the series by accident, so that's what I'm going to read now.
Ruth is not a detective but a forensic archeologist, so you get the story from a different angle. I skipped no. 3 in the series by accident, so that's what I'm going to read now.
June 22, 2019
This is a terrific mystery series. Why?
1. The recurring characters are interesting and have depth. The relationships developing between them make me want to leap from one book straight to the next.
2. British countryside near the sea. This is where the main character lives. It's creepy and dark at night. Bonus. What's not to like about the British countryside?
3. Griffiths' writing is easy to fall into. It can make me laugh and cry. She observes human nature keenly and weaves those observations into the books.
4. The audiobooks have all been one narrator so far. I believe it changes for the next two though. But the narration has been really good.
Do I need any more reasons? No.
I hope you enjoy this series and please read them in order. The first one has kind of a big event at the end that sets up the rest of the series, in a way. 💙
1. The recurring characters are interesting and have depth. The relationships developing between them make me want to leap from one book straight to the next.
2. British countryside near the sea. This is where the main character lives. It's creepy and dark at night. Bonus. What's not to like about the British countryside?
3. Griffiths' writing is easy to fall into. It can make me laugh and cry. She observes human nature keenly and weaves those observations into the books.
4. The audiobooks have all been one narrator so far. I believe it changes for the next two though. But the narration has been really good.
Do I need any more reasons? No.
I hope you enjoy this series and please read them in order. The first one has kind of a big event at the end that sets up the rest of the series, in a way. 💙
November 5, 2020
This is the 4th book in the Ruth Galloway series by author Elly Griffiths.
The local museum in King's Lynn is preparing for Halloween night with the opening of a coffin containing the bones of a medieval bishop. Ruth Galloway is one of the supervisors and turns up early to find the museum's curator lying dead beside the coffin. Another case for DI Nelson and it is not long before the dead body of the museum's owner lies dead in his stables too. Although the two deaths look like natural causes it is not thought likely and when threatening letters turn up the case gets even more sinister.
Once again apart from the case itself there is plenty going on in the lives of the main characters. The characters in this series really are the major plus point in this series. Entertaining, likeable and good fun.
The local museum in King's Lynn is preparing for Halloween night with the opening of a coffin containing the bones of a medieval bishop. Ruth Galloway is one of the supervisors and turns up early to find the museum's curator lying dead beside the coffin. Another case for DI Nelson and it is not long before the dead body of the museum's owner lies dead in his stables too. Although the two deaths look like natural causes it is not thought likely and when threatening letters turn up the case gets even more sinister.
Once again apart from the case itself there is plenty going on in the lives of the main characters. The characters in this series really are the major plus point in this series. Entertaining, likeable and good fun.
February 5, 2012
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 than this one!
The story kicks off with the discovery (by Ruth) of a museum curator lying dead next to the coffin of a fourteenth century bishop. The coffin was discovered during the construction of a supermarket and was brought to the museum for an official opening. The bishop was an ancestor of Lord Danforth Smith, a local horse trainer who also owns the museum. It emerges that the museum has been receiving threats connected to a collection of Aboriginal skulls which a group feels should be returned to Australia. The group includes Ruth's new next door neighbour as well as her druid friend Cathbad.
There are several strands to the plot - some of which are unnecessary and seem to have been thrown in simply to provide a few red herrings. I was also irritated by the way that the author feels the need to tell us everything that has happened in the series up until now, to the point of spoiling little twists in the previous books (like what happened to her cat in The Crossing Places). Ruth is almost peripheral to much of the action in this installment - as is Nelson, for that matter. While it wasn't a total write off, it was a disappointment and I very much hope that the next book is an improvement.
The story kicks off with the discovery (by Ruth) of a museum curator lying dead next to the coffin of a fourteenth century bishop. The coffin was discovered during the construction of a supermarket and was brought to the museum for an official opening. The bishop was an ancestor of Lord Danforth Smith, a local horse trainer who also owns the museum. It emerges that the museum has been receiving threats connected to a collection of Aboriginal skulls which a group feels should be returned to Australia. The group includes Ruth's new next door neighbour as well as her druid friend Cathbad.
There are several strands to the plot - some of which are unnecessary and seem to have been thrown in simply to provide a few red herrings. I was also irritated by the way that the author feels the need to tell us everything that has happened in the series up until now, to the point of spoiling little twists in the previous books (like what happened to her cat in The Crossing Places). Ruth is almost peripheral to much of the action in this installment - as is Nelson, for that matter. While it wasn't a total write off, it was a disappointment and I very much hope that the next book is an improvement.
November 11, 2019
This is the fourth book in the series. We revisit old characters and meet some new ones, and the complicated lives and relationships continue to unfold.
This book had a couple of different storylines, a collection of bones that the aboriginal community wants returned and buried, a horse racing yard, a new relationship for Ruth, a surprise for Shona and problems for Michelle and Harry. Some parts worked well, others felt tacked on. I thought the part of the animal rights activist was negatively portrayed and it didn't ring true that also Cathbad being vegetarian but wearing fur didn't seem to make sense.
I thought the parts about
I liked the mystery part of this book although the research seemed rushed or missed in places. however there were many enjoyable elements to this book and some great characters that I am looking forward to being with again in the next story.
This book had a couple of different storylines, a collection of bones that the aboriginal community wants returned and buried, a horse racing yard, a new relationship for Ruth, a surprise for Shona and problems for Michelle and Harry. Some parts worked well, others felt tacked on. I thought the part of the animal rights activist was negatively portrayed and it didn't ring true that also Cathbad being vegetarian but wearing fur didn't seem to make sense.
I thought the parts about
I liked the mystery part of this book although the research seemed rushed or missed in places. however there were many enjoyable elements to this book and some great characters that I am looking forward to being with again in the next story.
January 16, 2022
I didn't enjoy this episode in the Ruth Galloway series as much as the earlier ones. Perhaps because there were many disparate threads running through it to fully engage me but maybe because there wasn't an archaeological mystery at the heart of it.
There's a sudden death at the local museum just before the opening of a historical coffin. Ruth has a new neighbour, an indigenous Australian who is involved with a group called the Elginists who are trying to convince Lord Danforth Smith to repatriate some indigenous bones and skulls, collected by his great grandfather, back to Australia. The police are trying to find out how some top quality cocaine is getting into the country. There is something odd going on at Danforth-Smith's racing stables, besides the oddness of the family members themselves.
I do enjoy the characters in this series, especially Cathbad the Druid and Ruth herself when she's involved in an archaeological investigation. Ruth's one year old daughter Kate is also delightful and I'll be interested to see if Ruth's reignited relationship with Max develops.
There's a sudden death at the local museum just before the opening of a historical coffin. Ruth has a new neighbour, an indigenous Australian who is involved with a group called the Elginists who are trying to convince Lord Danforth Smith to repatriate some indigenous bones and skulls, collected by his great grandfather, back to Australia. The police are trying to find out how some top quality cocaine is getting into the country. There is something odd going on at Danforth-Smith's racing stables, besides the oddness of the family members themselves.
I do enjoy the characters in this series, especially Cathbad the Druid and Ruth herself when she's involved in an archaeological investigation. Ruth's one year old daughter Kate is also delightful and I'll be interested to see if Ruth's reignited relationship with Max develops.
February 7, 2025
I do like a Dr Ruth Galloway book, but I didn't seem to like it as much as some of the others I've read. It's the 4th book. The storyline does make you think about artifacts and returning them to their countries of origin, in this case, aboriginal bones. Some of the terminology in the book is dated, especially in relation to trans using outdated terminology. I also didn't like the body shaming and fat phobia, which, to be fair, I've had an issue with throughout this series. But it was a mix of ancient versus contemporary, dreamland versus hallucinations and a drug ring to be solved. Nelson is very poorly for much of the book, with Judy and Clough solving the crime. Kate is becoming her own character, but my favourite is the druid Cathbad. I hope Ruth knows what she's doing in terms of a new relationship given that Nelson has chosen his wife. Ruth and Nelson took more of a backseat for this one, but I still enjoyed it. 3.5 rounded up as its nearer a 4 than a 3.
February 8, 2021
So far, I have really enjoyed all the books in this series. This one just cements my affection for them. I think their attraction lies in three main themes. First off, I really like Ruth Galloway as a main character. I like her professionalism and her determination to just get on with things. I'm not cut out to be a single mother (or a married mother, for that matter), but I can appreciate her efforts to raise Kate on her own, especially with all the judgement that seems to get loaded onto mothers. They seem to get blamed for everything that goes wrong with children and fathers get off scot free.
Each mystery provides a complete plot line and an interesting archaeological angle, but it is very much the relationships that keep me engaged in this series. Will Ruth stay single? Will Harry's marriage survive his wife's discovery that he is Kate's father? Will Harry and Ruth find a way to communicate about their child that doesn't ruffle everyone further? There are even the other police officers, whose private lives are starting to form part of the fabric of each book.
But one of the biggest draws is the whole theme of spirituality that is a pronounced undercurrent in each volume. Ruth's parents, the born again Christians, have provided Ruth something to rebel against and she has become a materialist. Show the proof or go away. Harry is Catholic and desperately wanted Kate christened, so much so that he made arrangements for the ceremony. In everyday life however, he's a hard headed pragmatist with no patience for mystical goings on. But both Ruth and Harry have Cathbad the Druid in their lives. Cathbad, who often seems to show up at just the right time to prevent disaster, who has an undying love of ceremonies around bonfires, and an annoying tendency to know just the detail that his friends are searching for.
I do love my genre fiction! I'm so glad that I discovered this series and I'm going to try to pace myself, not binge it. Just knowing that there's a new Ruth novel out there waiting is a pleasure in itself.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
Each mystery provides a complete plot line and an interesting archaeological angle, but it is very much the relationships that keep me engaged in this series. Will Ruth stay single? Will Harry's marriage survive his wife's discovery that he is Kate's father? Will Harry and Ruth find a way to communicate about their child that doesn't ruffle everyone further? There are even the other police officers, whose private lives are starting to form part of the fabric of each book.
But one of the biggest draws is the whole theme of spirituality that is a pronounced undercurrent in each volume. Ruth's parents, the born again Christians, have provided Ruth something to rebel against and she has become a materialist. Show the proof or go away. Harry is Catholic and desperately wanted Kate christened, so much so that he made arrangements for the ceremony. In everyday life however, he's a hard headed pragmatist with no patience for mystical goings on. But both Ruth and Harry have Cathbad the Druid in their lives. Cathbad, who often seems to show up at just the right time to prevent disaster, who has an undying love of ceremonies around bonfires, and an annoying tendency to know just the detail that his friends are searching for.
I do love my genre fiction! I'm so glad that I discovered this series and I'm going to try to pace myself, not binge it. Just knowing that there's a new Ruth novel out there waiting is a pleasure in itself.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
April 16, 2023
A Room Full of Bones is another engrossing instalment in Elly Griffiths' series featuring archaeologist Ruth Galloway. The book opens tantalisingly with the planned opening of a recently unearthed medieval coffin in a Norfolk museum, although before the festivities can get underway an unexpected modern death occurs!
As DI Harry Nelson and his team descend to investigate the death of museum curator Neil Topham, Ruth finds herself in the unenviable position of being the person who found the body (this is starting to become a habit!). The investigation leads Sergeants Judy Johnson and Dave Clough to the nearby racing stables owned by Lord Danforth Smith, whose aristocratic ancestor is celebrated by the museum in which the body was found.
Meanwhile, there's a heated stoush brewing over the retention by the Smith family of several Australian Aboriginal skulls, other remains and artifacts, that are currently poorly cared for in the museum's basement. Ruth finds herself embroiled both professionally and personally in the fight to have the remains surrendered for repatriation to Australia. In her capacity as a forensic archaeologist, with a particular specialty in bones, she's asked to assess the boxed remains in situ at the museum - the titular “room full of bones”. Meanwhile, charismatic Australian indigenous poet and academic Bob Woonunga has become her new neighbour on the Saltmarsh. Woonunga is associated with Ruth's friend Cathbad and several others in an organisation called the Elginists, who are concerned with the location and return of indigenous artefacts held within the vaults of British museums.
A second dramatic death draws together the curious results of Ruth’s archaeological examination of Bishop Augustine’s remains with the Slaughter Hill racing stables and a series of threatening anonymous letters that Lord Smith has received. The imagery of snakes is common to both medieval Christianity and Australian dreamtime stories and Elly Griffiths utilises this to full spooky effect has more than one character experiences terrifying hallucinations and portents of death. Are there paranormal elements in play, or is there a more prosaic explanation for what's going on?
A Room Full of Bones also develops ongoing character storylines and relationships, including that between Ruth and DI Nelson, who is the father of her one-year-old daughter, Kate. Nelson's wife, Michelle having become aware of this fact in the closing lines of the previous book has created inevitable complications in Ruth and Harry’s professional and personal relationship. Meanwhile, Cathbad’s covert love affair with married DS Judy Johnson also comes to Ruth's attention for the first time and revelations towards the end of the book indicate fraught times ahead for this couple also.
As always, the Norfolk setting is seamlessly integrated into the plot and used by author Elly Griffiths to add to the tension as the narrative nears conclusion.
As an Australian reader, I found much of the archaeological content of A Room Full of Bones particularly fascinating, as the retention of indigenous human remains and other significant items within both Australian and international museum collections is an ongoing controversy.
I’d enthusiastically recommend A Room Full of Bones, and the entire Ruth Galloway series, to any lover of well plotted and character-driven mysteries. While a fascination with matters archaeological or historical isn't essential, readers with these interests will find the series irresistible! I'm thoroughly enjoying re-reading the series in chronological order, which is helping bring me up to speed with several of the characters' backstories.
As DI Harry Nelson and his team descend to investigate the death of museum curator Neil Topham, Ruth finds herself in the unenviable position of being the person who found the body (this is starting to become a habit!). The investigation leads Sergeants Judy Johnson and Dave Clough to the nearby racing stables owned by Lord Danforth Smith, whose aristocratic ancestor is celebrated by the museum in which the body was found.
Meanwhile, there's a heated stoush brewing over the retention by the Smith family of several Australian Aboriginal skulls, other remains and artifacts, that are currently poorly cared for in the museum's basement. Ruth finds herself embroiled both professionally and personally in the fight to have the remains surrendered for repatriation to Australia. In her capacity as a forensic archaeologist, with a particular specialty in bones, she's asked to assess the boxed remains in situ at the museum - the titular “room full of bones”. Meanwhile, charismatic Australian indigenous poet and academic Bob Woonunga has become her new neighbour on the Saltmarsh. Woonunga is associated with Ruth's friend Cathbad and several others in an organisation called the Elginists, who are concerned with the location and return of indigenous artefacts held within the vaults of British museums.
A second dramatic death draws together the curious results of Ruth’s archaeological examination of Bishop Augustine’s remains with the Slaughter Hill racing stables and a series of threatening anonymous letters that Lord Smith has received. The imagery of snakes is common to both medieval Christianity and Australian dreamtime stories and Elly Griffiths utilises this to full spooky effect has more than one character experiences terrifying hallucinations and portents of death. Are there paranormal elements in play, or is there a more prosaic explanation for what's going on?
A Room Full of Bones also develops ongoing character storylines and relationships, including that between Ruth and DI Nelson, who is the father of her one-year-old daughter, Kate. Nelson's wife, Michelle having become aware of this fact in the closing lines of the previous book has created inevitable complications in Ruth and Harry’s professional and personal relationship. Meanwhile, Cathbad’s covert love affair with married DS Judy Johnson also comes to Ruth's attention for the first time and revelations towards the end of the book indicate fraught times ahead for this couple also.
As always, the Norfolk setting is seamlessly integrated into the plot and used by author Elly Griffiths to add to the tension as the narrative nears conclusion.
As an Australian reader, I found much of the archaeological content of A Room Full of Bones particularly fascinating, as the retention of indigenous human remains and other significant items within both Australian and international museum collections is an ongoing controversy.
I’d enthusiastically recommend A Room Full of Bones, and the entire Ruth Galloway series, to any lover of well plotted and character-driven mysteries. While a fascination with matters archaeological or historical isn't essential, readers with these interests will find the series irresistible! I'm thoroughly enjoying re-reading the series in chronological order, which is helping bring me up to speed with several of the characters' backstories.
January 29, 2022
This is the fourth book in the Ruth Galloway series. I think I was saved from disliking it so much by reading the reviews of others, so I was prepared that Ruth herself did not feature as significantly as she does in the prior books.
This said, I did enjoy the books as much as the others to date in this series. In this Ruth becomes involved in a literal 'room full of bones', that is a room in the basement of a museum owned by Lord Smith, whose grandfather collected aboriginal bones in Australia and took them home for his private collection.
Coincidentally (or not) Ruth discovers she has a new neighbour, a native Australian, Bob Woonunga who is seeking to repatriate the bones, and then of course Cathbad her druid friend seems to be at the centre of it all.
All the usual characters are here including Nelson and things remain as awkward as ever between him and Ruth.
Looking forward to book 5, happy to recommend the series, this would not be a stand alone book.
This said, I did enjoy the books as much as the others to date in this series. In this Ruth becomes involved in a literal 'room full of bones', that is a room in the basement of a museum owned by Lord Smith, whose grandfather collected aboriginal bones in Australia and took them home for his private collection.
Coincidentally (or not) Ruth discovers she has a new neighbour, a native Australian, Bob Woonunga who is seeking to repatriate the bones, and then of course Cathbad her druid friend seems to be at the centre of it all.
All the usual characters are here including Nelson and things remain as awkward as ever between him and Ruth.
Looking forward to book 5, happy to recommend the series, this would not be a stand alone book.
November 27, 2020
This one made me quite emotional Nelson! Cathbad! An Australian theme and the issue of repatriation of aboriginal bones, a link to serpents and a curse. All good stuff. I find this series compulsive reading.
June 27, 2020
I am hooked on this series. I am finding it like a box of chocolates that I can't put down. I am thinking about creating a new shelf for the Galloway series - "coronavirus escapes," which will include anything I have read since March 2020 that helps me avoid the present reality.
Aboriginal bones, animal cruelty, animal rights activists leaving deadly presents (an asp in an envelope? I found that a bit cruel to the asp!), race horses, drug smuggling, a medieval bishop who wasn't what he seemed, Kate turning one - this book packed it all in!
This book had so many different scenarios and plot lines going on that I marveled that Griffiths was able to tie them up so seamlessly at the end. She has a gift for that.
She also has a gift for hooking us on her characters and their storylines. With each book, we become more and more involved in their lives. Again, the whole crew is back as well as a minor character or two from previous books (who might become major?) I enjoyed seeing Kate turn one in this book and attending her birthday party. Much to Ruth's anxiety, it turned out very well, hectic, but fun - fun for the kids anyway!
Ruth's story with Nelson continues and we wonder what will happen in subsequent books now that Michelle knows that Kate is Nelson's daughter. Michelle's deep love for Nelson is shown near the end of the book when she demonstrates how far she is willing to go to save his life. Nelson obviously loves Michelle and their two daughters and wants to save his marriage; however, he wants to be involved in Kate's life too. How this will all work out will be interesting. As for what Ruth wants . . . ?
I love encountering new words and this book presented me with "murmuration," which is defined as "the phenomenon that results when hundreds, sometimes thousands, of starlings fly in swooping, intricately coordinated patterns through the sky." Beautiful!
On to book 5, which is sure to be another great escape from covid craziness.
Aboriginal bones, animal cruelty, animal rights activists leaving deadly presents (an asp in an envelope? I found that a bit cruel to the asp!), race horses, drug smuggling, a medieval bishop who wasn't what he seemed, Kate turning one - this book packed it all in!
This book had so many different scenarios and plot lines going on that I marveled that Griffiths was able to tie them up so seamlessly at the end. She has a gift for that.
She also has a gift for hooking us on her characters and their storylines. With each book, we become more and more involved in their lives. Again, the whole crew is back as well as a minor character or two from previous books (who might become major?) I enjoyed seeing Kate turn one in this book and attending her birthday party. Much to Ruth's anxiety, it turned out very well, hectic, but fun - fun for the kids anyway!
Ruth's story with Nelson continues and we wonder what will happen in subsequent books now that Michelle knows that Kate is Nelson's daughter. Michelle's deep love for Nelson is shown near the end of the book when she demonstrates how far she is willing to go to save his life. Nelson obviously loves Michelle and their two daughters and wants to save his marriage; however, he wants to be involved in Kate's life too. How this will all work out will be interesting. As for what Ruth wants . . . ?
I love encountering new words and this book presented me with "murmuration," which is defined as "the phenomenon that results when hundreds, sometimes thousands, of starlings fly in swooping, intricately coordinated patterns through the sky." Beautiful!
On to book 5, which is sure to be another great escape from covid craziness.
November 30, 2022
Another great instalment in the excellent Ruth Galloway series.
Picking up straight away from the events of the previous book helps serve as a reminder with how enjoyable these novels are.
At the same token the reader is plowed into another enticing mystery as a museums curator is found dead next to a coffin excavated from a medieval church.
Like all crime series, it's the main protagonist that you end up rooting for. Ruth is juggling parenthood to Kate (who's about to turn one) whilst being thrust into this latest mystery.
The story opens just before Halloween, whilst much of the investigation takes place all the way up until Christmas so makes for a perfect wintery read.
Picking up straight away from the events of the previous book helps serve as a reminder with how enjoyable these novels are.
At the same token the reader is plowed into another enticing mystery as a museums curator is found dead next to a coffin excavated from a medieval church.
Like all crime series, it's the main protagonist that you end up rooting for. Ruth is juggling parenthood to Kate (who's about to turn one) whilst being thrust into this latest mystery.
The story opens just before Halloween, whilst much of the investigation takes place all the way up until Christmas so makes for a perfect wintery read.
May 10, 2024
My favorite Ruth Galloway book so far. I loved the high action and the back and forth scenes between the different sets of characters. Lots of thrilling cliffhangers and high suspense!
I’m really enjoying this series. The books are a short break amongst heavier topics.
I’m really enjoying this series. The books are a short break amongst heavier topics.
August 23, 2016
This fourth book in the Dr Ruth Galloway series is once again a hugely satisfying affair which manages to combine a well constructed mystery with another slice of personal drama in the lives of the quirky cast who surround our forensic archaeologist. Despite the third novel ending with a cliffhanger, A Room Full of Bones starts with a typically humorous episode as Ruth rushes round the King's Lynn branch of Somerfield frantically shopping for Kate's first birthday party the following day. She has one final job on her way home at the rather unprepossessing Smith museum, overseeing the opening of the medieval coffin of Bishop Augustine Smith, an ancient ancestor of the family who run the museum. Arriving early, she finds herself met by the dead body of curator Neil Topham, lying beside the unopened coffin. True to form DCI Harry Nelson is having no truck with the talk of a curse surrounding the disturbance of the coffin causing the demise of Topham, preferring instead to take a closer look at the quantity of pure cocaine and the threatening letters from a group called the Elginists, who advocate the repatriation of the the Aborigine skulls, held within the Smith museum, to their original home down under.
Looking into the death and the group behind the letters leaves DCI Nelson and his team stretched to the limit with the altogether more pressing matter of tackling the drugs which are proliferating the county of Norfolk. Suspicions about the pressure group known as the Elginists and the rather aristocratic racehorse trainer, Lord Danforth Smith ensure Nelson keeps digging and when a second death within a week connected to the museum occurs, also attributed to natural causes, Nelson knows that that he is finally getting closer to the truth. Lab assistant at the university by day, druid and godparent by night, Cathbad's usual talent for embroiling himself in matters continues, from his friendship with Ruth's Aussie neighbour to his shadowy connections to the Elginists. Griffiths has an excellent eye for characterisation and as well her regular cast she involves several others who provide an injection of humour, most notably in didgeridoo playing Australian neighbour, Bob Woonunga and the eclectic Smith family.
As the novel progresses Griffiths returns to the continuing personal dramas of the characters, detailing Michelle's reaction on discovering that Nelson is the unnamed father of baby Kate. In a bid to save his marriage Nelson has agreed to stop seeing Kate and only to encounter Ruth when work makes this inevitable. With an empty nest and walking on eggshells around Michelle, Nelson is weighed down by guilt whilst a hurt Ruth attempts to convince herself that she wasn't slightly disappointed by his decision to save his marriage. As is the usual way of their interactions we see Nelson and Ruth tongue-tied and muddling along in a mix of misunderstandings and irritation when they come across each other. As the series progresses and readers learn more about the secondary characters who surround Ruth, the tension between the pairings of Shona and Phil, DS Dave Clough and field archaeologist, Trace and the more recent development of DS Judy Johnson and Cathbad come into their own and these elements become almost as critical to proceedings as the Nelson and Ruth connection.
The pressures that Ruth is faced with differ in all of the cases which she has been involved with and the new consideration here is one-year-old daughter, Kate. Whilst slowly coming to terms with motherhood and the lack of sleep, Ruth is never less than certain that having a child was what she always wanted but, rest assured, her usual dry humour is in fine fettle throughout. Elly Griffith's great strength is in tempering the mystical new age messages from Cathbad, with the no- nonsense attitude of atheist Ruth and the out and out scepticism of Nelson. Emotions run high in A Room Full of Bones but the novel is cleverly plotted and delivers a highly satisfying mystery element, perhaps the most well thought out in the series so far. Long may the soap opera of the Saltmarsh continue!
Looking into the death and the group behind the letters leaves DCI Nelson and his team stretched to the limit with the altogether more pressing matter of tackling the drugs which are proliferating the county of Norfolk. Suspicions about the pressure group known as the Elginists and the rather aristocratic racehorse trainer, Lord Danforth Smith ensure Nelson keeps digging and when a second death within a week connected to the museum occurs, also attributed to natural causes, Nelson knows that that he is finally getting closer to the truth. Lab assistant at the university by day, druid and godparent by night, Cathbad's usual talent for embroiling himself in matters continues, from his friendship with Ruth's Aussie neighbour to his shadowy connections to the Elginists. Griffiths has an excellent eye for characterisation and as well her regular cast she involves several others who provide an injection of humour, most notably in didgeridoo playing Australian neighbour, Bob Woonunga and the eclectic Smith family.
As the novel progresses Griffiths returns to the continuing personal dramas of the characters, detailing Michelle's reaction on discovering that Nelson is the unnamed father of baby Kate. In a bid to save his marriage Nelson has agreed to stop seeing Kate and only to encounter Ruth when work makes this inevitable. With an empty nest and walking on eggshells around Michelle, Nelson is weighed down by guilt whilst a hurt Ruth attempts to convince herself that she wasn't slightly disappointed by his decision to save his marriage. As is the usual way of their interactions we see Nelson and Ruth tongue-tied and muddling along in a mix of misunderstandings and irritation when they come across each other. As the series progresses and readers learn more about the secondary characters who surround Ruth, the tension between the pairings of Shona and Phil, DS Dave Clough and field archaeologist, Trace and the more recent development of DS Judy Johnson and Cathbad come into their own and these elements become almost as critical to proceedings as the Nelson and Ruth connection.
The pressures that Ruth is faced with differ in all of the cases which she has been involved with and the new consideration here is one-year-old daughter, Kate. Whilst slowly coming to terms with motherhood and the lack of sleep, Ruth is never less than certain that having a child was what she always wanted but, rest assured, her usual dry humour is in fine fettle throughout. Elly Griffith's great strength is in tempering the mystical new age messages from Cathbad, with the no- nonsense attitude of atheist Ruth and the out and out scepticism of Nelson. Emotions run high in A Room Full of Bones but the novel is cleverly plotted and delivers a highly satisfying mystery element, perhaps the most well thought out in the series so far. Long may the soap opera of the Saltmarsh continue!
May 26, 2018
I don’t know what to make of the crimes presented in this book. They are contrived at best. There is also som aboriginal spiritual issues going on, due to some bones kept in a private collection. Too many different directions all at once.
What I do enjoy, tremendously, is the permanent cast of characters. Particularly Ruth the archeologist and protagonist. That is why I keep returning to the series. I will continue to do so, and hope that the plotting gets better eventually.
What I do enjoy, tremendously, is the permanent cast of characters. Particularly Ruth the archeologist and protagonist. That is why I keep returning to the series. I will continue to do so, and hope that the plotting gets better eventually.
October 5, 2015
Once again, it obviously doesn’t require much brain power to realise that if you are going to dip your toes into a series of crime novels about archaeologist, Ruth Galloway, number four isn’t the best place to start. Oh well, it was the one the library had and so here we are. Actually the adventures of Ruth, her druid friend, Cathbad, and her one time lover, DCI Harry Nelson (the former two seem, bizarrely, to be involved in all the latter’s cases) read more like a soap-opera than crime fiction. And much like when you start to watch any soap opera, there are some long ago plot strands in the background which remain somewhat opaque, but you can swiftly get a handle on who these people are and what they’re up to. Here we have mysterious deaths, drug smuggling, mysticism and enough horses to make a Dick Francis fan neigh with glee; but the actual mystery is almost incidental to the various inter-personal relationships between this circle of characters and I never felt particularly gripped by these relationships. In short, I found it a bit dull and flatly written. It reads like the kind of cosy, middle-class crime drama (with emphasis on the drama rather than the crime) that you’d watch with half your brain engaged on ITV on a Sunday night – and probably that’s what it’s aiming to be one day.
April 19, 2020
Don't know what happened to the first review I wrote probably did something while playing with my phone!
The first thing I have to say about this book is that is soooo boring and so do yourselves a favour and just DON'T read it especially if you are fan of crime/mystery novels!
This book has 344 pages and only about 70-90 are about the crime and the solving of it! It's all about the personal drama of the two main characters thoughts/feelings that you get glimpses about the crime solving through them!
The dialogues and thoughts of the characters are repetitive, the characters are boring and selfish, the relationships between them shallow and the situations most of the time ridiculous!
For example you can't be in a hospital with a person that just got well and out of ICU and talk about sexual tension or make a baby say "dada" to every male she meets.
Also the author seems to have a fetish with cheating since 99% of her characters are cheating on their partners and worst of all I as a reader can't feel the connections because the author does a poorly job writing about them! One of the characters that is married gets pregnant and just ends things with her lover and it doesn't cross her mind that it might be his or she is so unethical that wants to bestow the child to her husband even though it might not be his!
I've read a stand-alone by this author and she did a decent job but this series of hers is just terrible and I can't believe her publisher continues with it!
I commit the stupidity to buy a box set because it was cheaper but the price I'm paying is high since I can't sell them so I have to read them and I have two more left but I'll do so after a long, long time!
The first thing I have to say about this book is that is soooo boring and so do yourselves a favour and just DON'T read it especially if you are fan of crime/mystery novels!
This book has 344 pages and only about 70-90 are about the crime and the solving of it! It's all about the personal drama of the two main characters thoughts/feelings that you get glimpses about the crime solving through them!
The dialogues and thoughts of the characters are repetitive, the characters are boring and selfish, the relationships between them shallow and the situations most of the time ridiculous!
For example you can't be in a hospital with a person that just got well and out of ICU and talk about sexual tension or make a baby say "dada" to every male she meets.
Also the author seems to have a fetish with cheating since 99% of her characters are cheating on their partners and worst of all I as a reader can't feel the connections because the author does a poorly job writing about them! One of the characters that is married gets pregnant and just ends things with her lover and it doesn't cross her mind that it might be his or she is so unethical that wants to bestow the child to her husband even though it might not be his!
I've read a stand-alone by this author and she did a decent job but this series of hers is just terrible and I can't believe her publisher continues with it!
I commit the stupidity to buy a box set because it was cheaper but the price I'm paying is high since I can't sell them so I have to read them and I have two more left but I'll do so after a long, long time!
September 6, 2012
I'm always pleased to hear that another Elly Griffiths novel is on its way and no less this time. The mystery was a little different in this outing, with Ruth, the forensic archaeologist, more removed from the central action than in prior books. But she is very involved with the central characters and these novels are as much about the characters as the mystery.
The story involves a small, local museum and the planned opening of a recently unearthed casket of a medieval bishop. Moving on from this, we learn of the local nobility's ownership of native bones taken by his ancestor from Australia in the last century. There is unexplained death of course, and hints of more other-worldly happenings alluded to in an earlier book. The story of Ruth, Nelson, the various members of the police, Cathbad the local Druid who always seems to be in the middle of everything, and now a visitor from Australia are all developed further. Quite a mix. There are some forensic surprises too.
In some ways this edition feels less structured or perhaps more far flung with plot, but I didn't mind. I'm glad to know what is happening in all the areas of Ruth's life.
The story involves a small, local museum and the planned opening of a recently unearthed casket of a medieval bishop. Moving on from this, we learn of the local nobility's ownership of native bones taken by his ancestor from Australia in the last century. There is unexplained death of course, and hints of more other-worldly happenings alluded to in an earlier book. The story of Ruth, Nelson, the various members of the police, Cathbad the local Druid who always seems to be in the middle of everything, and now a visitor from Australia are all developed further. Quite a mix. There are some forensic surprises too.
In some ways this edition feels less structured or perhaps more far flung with plot, but I didn't mind. I'm glad to know what is happening in all the areas of Ruth's life.
November 3, 2023
El más flojo de los 3.
La historia tiene mucho tema mistico y paranormal que no me va. El caso se resuelve en pocas páginas y sin apenas investigación.
Algunas partes se me han hecho pesadas y no me aportaban nada.
La historia tiene mucho tema mistico y paranormal que no me va. El caso se resuelve en pocas páginas y sin apenas investigación.
Algunas partes se me han hecho pesadas y no me aportaban nada.
May 23, 2022
I’m starting to think this is becoming more of a romance series than actual crime. Hopefully there is more crime and mystery in no.5
August 2, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the fourth book in the “Ruth Galloway” series and I am loving every one of the books.
This is the fourth book in the “Ruth Galloway” series and I am loving every one of the books.
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