Helpful Score: 4
I am completely convinced that Elly Griffiths can not write a bad book. Usually, when an author has great success with their first there is a rush to put out a second that somehow seems to fall flat. Well, that is definitely not the case with this extremely talented writer.
Ruth Galloway , a forensic archaeologist returns to investigate when a builder in Norwich discovers skeletal remains of a child, without the skull, buried under a doorway on the site of an abandoned children's home. As the investigation continues the bones reveal that they are a bit older and are actually from the days when the home was privately owned. With the help of Cathbad - a great character- and Max, Ruth discovers the God of Doors and Openings leading the reader and herself on a very interesting voyage.
Elly Griffiths doesn't just give you a fascinating story, she draws you in with multiple storylines, Roman and Pagan mythology, and modern day Catholicism. Her detail and research both educating and entertaining. But more importantly, each layer is a bit more fascinating then the last and intertwines them all with history and mystery that keeps you reading.
Ruth Galloway , a forensic archaeologist returns to investigate when a builder in Norwich discovers skeletal remains of a child, without the skull, buried under a doorway on the site of an abandoned children's home. As the investigation continues the bones reveal that they are a bit older and are actually from the days when the home was privately owned. With the help of Cathbad - a great character- and Max, Ruth discovers the God of Doors and Openings leading the reader and herself on a very interesting voyage.
Elly Griffiths doesn't just give you a fascinating story, she draws you in with multiple storylines, Roman and Pagan mythology, and modern day Catholicism. Her detail and research both educating and entertaining. But more importantly, each layer is a bit more fascinating then the last and intertwines them all with history and mystery that keeps you reading.
Helpful Score: 3
Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit*, December 31, 2010
This review is from: The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway) (Hardcover)
I knew when I opened the first page of this book that I should have read the first one in the Ruth Galloway mystery series -- The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway) -- so if you haven't read it, stop and remedy that now. This second book immediately made me wish I had "met" the characters previously so I could understand what led to Ruth's pregnancy and to know the relationship she had with her baby's father. That said, and even though her pregnancy takes up a lot of the novel, the book is really a mystery about the murder of a child, and how that child's headless skeleton comes to lie underneath the doorway of an old mansion. Who is the girl and how did she end up there?
Ruth Galloway is 40ish, unmarried, and a slightly overweight forensic archeologist. She is called in as a consultant when bones are found during the demolition of a large, old house (once an orphanage) that is being converted into apartments. Joined by other colleages -- Max and Cathbad -- Ruth begins to assist Detective Police Inspector Harry Nelson in the investigation. The more she delves into the case, the more trouble she has. Who is afraid of what she might find out and how far is that person willing to go to stop her!?
Although the story is not what I would call fast paced, it's the characters and their interactions and dialog that make the book interesting. I really like that the protagonist is a strong, intelligent, and independent middle aged woman. Her friends are interesting and the archelogocial details are fascinating.
I think most who enjoy forensic mystery stories will like this novel -- but be sure to read them in order as I didn't think this one worked well as a stand alone!
A solid 3 1/2 stars.
*Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit = Everything changes but nothing is destroyed.
This review is from: The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway) (Hardcover)
I knew when I opened the first page of this book that I should have read the first one in the Ruth Galloway mystery series -- The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway) -- so if you haven't read it, stop and remedy that now. This second book immediately made me wish I had "met" the characters previously so I could understand what led to Ruth's pregnancy and to know the relationship she had with her baby's father. That said, and even though her pregnancy takes up a lot of the novel, the book is really a mystery about the murder of a child, and how that child's headless skeleton comes to lie underneath the doorway of an old mansion. Who is the girl and how did she end up there?
Ruth Galloway is 40ish, unmarried, and a slightly overweight forensic archeologist. She is called in as a consultant when bones are found during the demolition of a large, old house (once an orphanage) that is being converted into apartments. Joined by other colleages -- Max and Cathbad -- Ruth begins to assist Detective Police Inspector Harry Nelson in the investigation. The more she delves into the case, the more trouble she has. Who is afraid of what she might find out and how far is that person willing to go to stop her!?
Although the story is not what I would call fast paced, it's the characters and their interactions and dialog that make the book interesting. I really like that the protagonist is a strong, intelligent, and independent middle aged woman. Her friends are interesting and the archelogocial details are fascinating.
I think most who enjoy forensic mystery stories will like this novel -- but be sure to read them in order as I didn't think this one worked well as a stand alone!
A solid 3 1/2 stars.
*Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit = Everything changes but nothing is destroyed.
Helpful Score: 2
Second in the series and a very good read.
