The Night Hawks: Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries 13 (The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries)

A much loved series is now into its teenage stage with no sense of going off the rails or throwing out the familiar and charm of these Dr Ruth Galloway books.Elly Griffiths has become a prodigious author in terms of quantity and quality. Yet she has earned all her laurels and plaudits through hard work and character based fiction. At times The Night Hawks seems so easily woven together you’d be forgiven for thinking that a crime author is an easy life.This belies the class and skill of this talented writer who has, in this Norfolk location created the most wonderful and intriguing police procedurals where this latest offering is another example of this ability; rather than just a rehashing of a tried and tested formula.The books have grown and matured over time and can be read quite easily as standalone novels.Ruth is academic archaeologist and Nelson is an old fashioned copper who leads a close- knit team of detectives. This is the crux of the unfolding plots; police procedurals but dependent on characters and relationships. It is a world Elly’s adoring fans love being part of, and hang on to every nuance and hint indicating a development or cooling off of the on/off “affair” between Ruth and Nelson.But as this episode shows there is so much more here; it isn’t a two person narrative. Ruth and Nelson are not in every scene which allows the story to flow and develop much more freely. Every page has a trusted character to lead things and move the plot along; Elly even imagines through Nelson what Clough who has moved on to a DI in a neighbouring county would say or bring to the incident room.The Night Hawks is a derogatory term; re-invented here by a local group of amateur metal detectorists. They seem to be always around as the body count mounts and suspicion falls on a number of their group.I liked the progression in the lives of the characters. Ruth now head of Archeology at her University and this has allowed a new lecturer to join the staff team.What Elly also does is bring and draw on local mythology, customs, oral traditions and dark supernatural tales. This brings tension, mystery and colour to the story and Elly is a great story teller. You feel she loves this world. Delights to share her imagination and has well-rounded characters. She adores to see where her plots take this cast but she has retained her humour and loyalty to her fans.Frustratingly, despite the joy and quickness this book reads, I had no real idea how the storyline would end. As a crime fiction fan this shows that Elly Griffiths is at the top of her game since she can still baffle me but never fails to thrill and entertain me.

I just felt like reading this book, the next one in a fantastic series. Elly Griffiths never disappoints, another cracking story racing along, with the characters we know so well.

This is number 13 out of a 15 book series, many of which have been shortlisted for awards (picking up quite a few of them). I started this book with high expectations but also a level of sadness as I get closer to the last book.There are 348 pages split into 38 chapters.I didn't read the blurb before I started as I trust that Ellie Griffiths will have created a decent story and it is the development of the characters that keeps me coming back for more.Immediately the story sweeps the reader into the landscape with it's balance of beauty and danger - Ruth is back so all is well with the world (or is it ??).EG gently updates existing reader and gives hints of back story for anyone new to the series (although I would always recommend anyone to start at book 1).The plot follows the well used formula with a recent body and an ancient body, both being found at the start of the book to make sure that Ruth and Nelson need to work together yet again.I love the characters, the humour is great and it is all put together into an intelligently written plot.EG makes noticeable efforts to ensure that the police procedures feel current and never allows her detectives to do anything stupid just for the sake of the drama. Nelson finds that retirement is being offered but he never stops being a vital part of the investigations.This was first published in 2021 and I couldn't help but wonder if there had been consideration of the work that went into the Covid vaccination with it's extensive trials (with the subjects providing themselves free of charge).EG's natural style of writing makes her books stand out from the crowd. Often the narrative moves from one scene to the next using a character or just a thought with the reader almost not noticing the change.It's then a shame that the writer has to taint such a good book with the formulaic (and bizarre) ending. Looking back I decided that there had probably been too many plot strands which needed to be resolved in a short period of time. It could have been more measured and would have been less jarring.Once the standard drama is out of the way, the final couple of chapters are really good, giving some answers and setting up the next book.

I love the Ruth Galloway series, so I was delighted to receive a copy of this book to review. Ruth is now Head of Department at North Norfolk University and has returned from Cambridge to her isolated cottage, with her daughter Kate and her cat.The story deals with the murder of a ‘Night Hawk’ one of a group who go treasure hunting using metal detectors, often in the middle of the night. As usual, Elly Griffiths provides the reader with plenty of red herrings and blind alleys, whilst providing enough clues to solve the mystery, or at least understand the ending when all is revealed.The sense of place Griffiths creates is stunning, I always feel as if I am on the Norfolk coast alongside Ruth and the other wonderful characters, she writes the setting beautifully.I love all of the characters, and Griffiths does such a good job bringing them to life that they feel like life long companions. As a result I care deeply about them and I am, therefore, invested in their lives and the issues they face.The relationship between Ruth and Nelson remains central to the plot and Ruth presents the reader with a real dilemma, because whilst I would love to see Ruth and Nelson together, I don’t want Michelle hurt. That is a difficult thing for a writer to achieve, but Griffiths has managed it, and had managed it exceptionally well.This is the 13th book in the series and I have loved every single one of them, they are compelling and difficult to put down!They would also make a great TV series.Thank you to Quercia and NetGalley for my ARC, which I devoured in a day.

Alas, I have finished this book! Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series is one of very favorites. I pre-ordered this book (the 13th of the series) and then saved it as a treat on my Kindle. I was not disappointed. This series is one that should be read in order because the characters are people that you will get to know and care about as their lives evolve over time. These books feature a wonderful sense of place- in this case Norfolk. Ruth is head of the archeology department now at her university and she continues to consult with the police when old bones appear. The area has been populated for hundreds of years so old bones frequently turn up. This story begins when a group of amateur treasure hunters with metal detectors turn up a burial site. The metal detector group refers to themselves as night hawks. It is not long before a more recent body washes up nearby. The plot is complex but not confusing, and suspects abound. The author keeps the tension level high, and the pages turn quickly. It is best to let the story unfold as intended by the author so there will be no detailed summary of the action here. Trust me, if you haven’t read Elly Griffiths, you want to. Just be sure to start at the beginning. Elly Griffiths’ books very well-written literary mysteries that transcend the genre. If you like a literary mystery with good characters and a strong sense of place like these books, you might also like the series by Ann Cleeves (Vera Stanhope in Northumberland, Jimmy Perez in the Shetland Islands, and Matthew Venn in Two Rivers), Paul Doiron (Mike Bowditch in Maine), Louise Penny (Armand Gamache in the French speaking part of Canada), Jane Harper (Australia), Jean-Luc Bannalec (Commissaire Dupin in Brittany), and Martin Walker (Bruno Chief of Police in the Perigord regions of France). The stories and characters created by these authors are all very different. The authors have nothing in common except great talent and the ability to tell a good story about characters that you can care about. I have already pre-ordered the next book in the Ruth Galloway series.

Forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway is back at the University of North Norfolk as the head of archeology, and she’s finding the administrative work to be quite the headache: aside from teaching, she has been responsible for hiring a new teacher, David Brown, to take on some of her former caseload, and he’s proving to be a real thorn in her side. Throw in the fact that a group of metal detectors calling themselves the Night Hawks find not only a possible Bronze Age horde complete with a skeleton but also a freshly dead body, and Ruth’s work becomes even more complicated as she is asked to help DCI Nelson and his police squad to uncover the identity of the former. When a seclusive couple is also found dead, the bodies begin to pile up faster than anyone would have suspected…. This is, I think, the 13th novel in the Ruth Galloway series, and as ever, Ruth’s personal and professional lives overlap in unexpected ways, particularly with respect to Nelson and his wife Michelle. I love this series, as it combines both hard science (the archeological part), police procedure and, essentially, well-defined people living soap opera lives (but in a good way). I think Ms. Griffiths’ writing becomes more lucid and precise over time, as she delves more deeply into the lives of her characters and as she explores the Norfolk landscape, in itself a character by now. This is one series where the reader really *should* start at the beginning (“The Crossing Places”) to get the full benefit of the story, but the new reader should be glad s/he did because there’s a whole dozen more books to get to after the first! Highly recommended.

I give this book 5 stars! This one I enjoyed more than I can say. I couldn't put it down. The marshes, the tales of the Black Shuck were fascinating and not a little frightening. I could see the various characters in my mind. I can't wait to read more!

Mir hat das Buch gut gefallen. Es war spannend und ich bin auch immer gespannt wie es mit Ruth und Nelson weiter geht.

So far, the best!!! Great plot, masterly paced, with crossing points of view. I loved the way Judy gets her space and Cathbat's small, but important presence. The landscape and sea are always fascinating, as much as the supporting characters. Finally, Kat(i)e is becoming a phenomenal young girl, in whom I see both her parents. Then, Ruth and Nelson (never Harry for me, either!) are still and will ever be my favourite (non-...?) couple, both as smart detectives and hopelessly lovers.This book was such a ride, that kept me on the edge both wanting and dreading to go on, which is a first for me, because I used to read in one go. But, it has been a joy to come to the end: absolutely perfect!And, yes! I'm still crying.Bravo Elly, can't wait for the next one.