Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
The title of Elly Griffiths 10th novel, The Dark Angel, in the Ruth Galloway Mystery series seems to suggest there is a darkness hovering over Ruth's next archaeological dig. She is contacted by Angelo Morelli, a former friend and lover, to help him identify some bones from the Roman era in Italy. She will be staying in Pompeo's (Angelo's grandfather) old apartment in Castello degli Angeli, a small Italian village that has it's own secrets dating back to the German occupation from World War II. Ruth decides to take Kate, Shona and Louis, Shona's son, along with her. Back in Norfolk, Nelson hears about an earthquake in the area of Italy that Ruth and Kate are visiting. He cannot contact her on the phone and shows up the next morning in Castello degli Angeli much to Ruth's surprise. After Ruth discovers a modern-day body in the village church, their holiday turns upside down as the darkness in this little village is brought to surface.
This book takes place in two different settings, Norfolk and Italy, and the plot switches back and forth throughout the novel. Elly Griffiths' descriptions and history of each setting gives us a feeling like we are visiting there too. This series should be read in order as the characters and storyline develops throughout and the characters start to feel like friends that you really care about. The plot was paced in such a way that each chapter had a cliffhanger which makes you want to read on and kept the pages turning until the surprising ending. Each book does involve a mystery but it's the characters and their relationships that really drive the story. I look forward to each and every installment in order to see how they are developing. This series is by far one of my favorite and I would have to say that The Dark Angel ranks at the top of the series for me. I would suggest that you pick up the first book, The Crossing Places, and promise you that you cannot just read the first one, as this series is contagious! I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book takes place in two different settings, Norfolk and Italy, and the plot switches back and forth throughout the novel. Elly Griffiths' descriptions and history of each setting gives us a feeling like we are visiting there too. This series should be read in order as the characters and storyline develops throughout and the characters start to feel like friends that you really care about. The plot was paced in such a way that each chapter had a cliffhanger which makes you want to read on and kept the pages turning until the surprising ending. Each book does involve a mystery but it's the characters and their relationships that really drive the story. I look forward to each and every installment in order to see how they are developing. This series is by far one of my favorite and I would have to say that The Dark Angel ranks at the top of the series for me. I would suggest that you pick up the first book, The Crossing Places, and promise you that you cannot just read the first one, as this series is contagious! I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tenth in the series with Dr. Ruth Galloway, a forensic anthropologist in Norfolk England. I read this series for the characters and their stories, not so much for the mysteries. In this episode, Ruth is invited to Italy by an old acquaintance. Professor Morelli has turned up some bones and wants to ask her advice. Galloway's on-again off-again affair with DCI Nelson is off again, now that his wife is pregnant, and she jumps at the chance to do some work and have a little holiday in the process. She takes along daughter Kate and her friend Shona plus Shona's son for company. But it seems the Professor only wants her for publicity purposes, so he can get his TV show back on the air. There are some small but disturbing events that hint at secrets from the past, but all seems well enough until an earthquake. Then the local priest is found murdered in the damaged church. I guessed immediately the secret of the grandfather, although I didn't guess the culprit.
Meanwhile, Nelson learns about the earthquake and immediately books a flight for Italy, leaving his pregnant wife to console herself with her lover - but there are dangers at home too.
It's all worthy of a soap opera but with better dialogue. As usual, I wish for more technical details about the bones that Galloway gets called to examine - Griffiths tends to use Galloway's profession to get her into the scene but then not do much with it. But I thought it was amusing when she realizes she's there because she's famous and not for her knowledge - or even her long ago fling with the professor. Nelson is not acting in a real rational manner, haring off to Italy just because Galloway doesn't answer her phone, so we spend half the novel tense with anticipation waiting for what Michelle will do.
Shona and Cathbad are along but don't do much. In fact I'm not sure why Griffiths put Cathbad in at all, his only role was to provide a friend in Italy so he and Nelson could have a place to stay. I guess the friend also provided an entry into the Italian police for Nelson.
There's a very sad event near the end, I have to say I didn't care for that, but it means there won't be any neat solution for the relationship tangle. Poor Nelson, he's going to need some serious therapy if Griffiths keeps piling stuff on him.
A new reader could start here, because there a little explanation given on the backstory of all the characters, but there's some huge character arcs going on that are best read from the beginning.
Meanwhile, Nelson learns about the earthquake and immediately books a flight for Italy, leaving his pregnant wife to console herself with her lover - but there are dangers at home too.
It's all worthy of a soap opera but with better dialogue. As usual, I wish for more technical details about the bones that Galloway gets called to examine - Griffiths tends to use Galloway's profession to get her into the scene but then not do much with it. But I thought it was amusing when she realizes she's there because she's famous and not for her knowledge - or even her long ago fling with the professor. Nelson is not acting in a real rational manner, haring off to Italy just because Galloway doesn't answer her phone, so we spend half the novel tense with anticipation waiting for what Michelle will do.
Shona and Cathbad are along but don't do much. In fact I'm not sure why Griffiths put Cathbad in at all, his only role was to provide a friend in Italy so he and Nelson could have a place to stay. I guess the friend also provided an entry into the Italian police for Nelson.
There's a very sad event near the end, I have to say I didn't care for that, but it means there won't be any neat solution for the relationship tangle. Poor Nelson, he's going to need some serious therapy if Griffiths keeps piling stuff on him.
A new reader could start here, because there a little explanation given on the backstory of all the characters, but there's some huge character arcs going on that are best read from the beginning.
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.
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.
