Tuesday, March 27, 2018

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths


First Line: "This grave has lain undisturbed for over two thousand years."

The call could not have come at a better time. Dr. Ruth Galloway needs a break from her personal life, so when archaeologist Angelo Morelli asks her to come to the Italian countryside to consult on the identification of some bones he uncovered, she accepts. She and her best friend Shona pack up their two young children and head off to what will be, for Ruth, a working holiday.

Ruth doesn't even have time to get her bearings at the site of the dig when she senses that World War II rests uneasily, barely beneath the surface of the town and that the townspeople are custodians of a long-buried secret. She's thrown completely off-balance when Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson shows up. Then everything is thrown upside down when Ruth's findings tie into a present-day death. From that point on, Ruth and Nelson find themselves trying to solve a murder Italian style.

The Dark Angel, Elly Griffiths' tenth Ruth Galloway mystery, is a little light on the mystery and a little heavier on the personal lives of the characters-- but since I find this particular cast among the very best (and most interesting) in crime fiction, I don't particularly mind.

It was really good to see Ruth in a completely different setting, to see that she did get out and about, see new places, know other people, before settling down in King's Lynn with her work and eventual motherhood. But-- wouldn't you know it-- she overpacks for this holiday and manages to bring her troubles with her.

The mystery, weighted as it is in the Italian Resistance movement during World War II, is an interesting one, but there's so much going on in the characters' lives that it did take a bit of a backseat. There are developments in Ruth's life, and I like how we are now getting another point of view on proceedings, that of Nelson's daughter Laura.

I love Elly Griffiths' atmospheric settings and her mysteries that always have a foundation in archaeology, but if you're a character-driven reader like I am, you're going to love the cast in this series. A Ruth Galloway mystery always feels like a "slice of life" to me. I enjoy this series so much that I can't wait for the US edition to be released; I buy the UK edition so I can get my hands on it quicker. For those of you who have much more patience than I, you'll be able to get your hands on The Dark Angel in mid-May. For those of you who aren't acquainted with Ruth and Nelson and the rest of the gang, please start with the first book, The Crossing Places-- and don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the rest of the books in the series once you've finished it.


The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
ISBN: 9781784296636
Quercus © 2018
UK Edition
Hardcover, 368 pages

Police Procedural, #10 Dr. Ruth Galloway mystery
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen. 


12 comments:

  1. Will write this one down. For some reason, the title is familiar. I might have read the review on another blog.

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    1. That's very possible, especially if you read UK blogs like I do.

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  2. This is such a well-written series, isn't it, Cathy? I really do like the way the characters evolve over time (although I'm not, perhaps, as crazy about the Ruth/Harry dynamic. But still..). And Griffiths certainly knows how to do a fine setting...

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    1. I'm not crazy about that particular dynamic either.

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  3. I've recently finished this one too and will have my thoughts up next week. I love this series and you did a great job of relating pretty much exactly what I thought. Can't wait for the next one. There are a lot of characters though and it does take some time to catch up with all of them. LOL

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    1. Operating on the same wavelength again, I see! :-)

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  4. I love this series. I had read this is the last book..do you know if this is true? I'll be very sad to let it go.

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    1. I read the same thing, but it's not true, thank heaven!

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  5. I am so glad this is not the last book in the series.

    However, I must say I do like the Ruth/Harry dynamic. It creates tension and interest in the series. Also, where would Kate be without them? I think the series would be less interesting without the dynamics of Ruth and Harry.

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    1. You're right, the dynamic between Ruth and Harry does add to the series; however, that doesn't mean I have to like it. *wink* I like Harry and Ruth just fine; it's the bits with Mrs. Harry that I don't care for-- even though they are realistic.

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  6. I hear this. Harry really is in a bind, isn't he? However, something was revealed at the end of the last book about Mrs. Nelson that was intriguing. Can't wait to see how this plot line plays out.

    I think I'm a romantic so I'll see what happens. Meanwhile, what could be bad about a book set in Italy?

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    1. I've always wanted to go to Italy, but I'm afraid I'd eat my way through the country and not be able to board the plane back home.

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