Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 3
This series is one of my favorites, and The Outcast Dead is the best so far. Griffiths continues her theme of parenthood with two storylines. Mother Hook is an infamous Victorian child murderer who is alleged to have killed at least twenty children in her care and sold their bodies to the resurrection men (grave robbers who sold corpses to medical schools). Against everything, Ruth believes the woman to be innocent, and the reader gets to follow along as she finds information and pieces things together. The second storyline with a mother accused of killing her three children as well as the child abductor is DCI Harry Nelson's bailiwick, and suspense builds as his team tries to find the truth before any more children disappear.
As good as the storylines are, I have to say that Griffiths' cast of characters is superb. Ruth is intelligent and strong, but she's also a single mother who's been living in a sort of limbo. Her house is out in the marshes-- neither land nor sea. She's neither married nor single, really, since she has a very young daughter. She's written a book, but it's yet to be published. It was good to see that there may be changes afoot for one of my favorite characters.
Although Ruth is the star of the series, this is very much an ensemble cast. The father of Ruth's daughter, DCI Harry Nelson, is very much married, and we get to see how these people deal with their mistakes because they certainly haven't been swept under the rug. As Nelson works his cases, readers get to know the team of police officers who work with him, and their lives begin to figure more strongly into each book. This small group of characters have formed a very modern sort of family-- dysfunctional at times, but capable of working together with energy, intelligence, and compassion.
In the mood for a little history, two good mysteries, and a cast of characters so real that they feel like family members? I highly recommend Elly Griffiths' Dr. Ruth Galloway series. I can't get enough!
As good as the storylines are, I have to say that Griffiths' cast of characters is superb. Ruth is intelligent and strong, but she's also a single mother who's been living in a sort of limbo. Her house is out in the marshes-- neither land nor sea. She's neither married nor single, really, since she has a very young daughter. She's written a book, but it's yet to be published. It was good to see that there may be changes afoot for one of my favorite characters.
Although Ruth is the star of the series, this is very much an ensemble cast. The father of Ruth's daughter, DCI Harry Nelson, is very much married, and we get to see how these people deal with their mistakes because they certainly haven't been swept under the rug. As Nelson works his cases, readers get to know the team of police officers who work with him, and their lives begin to figure more strongly into each book. This small group of characters have formed a very modern sort of family-- dysfunctional at times, but capable of working together with energy, intelligence, and compassion.
In the mood for a little history, two good mysteries, and a cast of characters so real that they feel like family members? I highly recommend Elly Griffiths' Dr. Ruth Galloway series. I can't get enough!
Another excellent book featuring forensic anthropologist Ruth Galloway; sixth in the series. In this series, there's always a mystery (or two) to be solved, but Griffiths uses it as a more as a theme to illustrate the characters than as a puzzle for the reader to solve. There are three parenthood mysteries here; the first are the bones of "Mother Hook" that Ruth is excavating. Mother Hook was a notorious child murderer in the Victorian age - at least that's the myth. Will the excavation reveal something new? DCI Nelson investigates a mother whose third child has died under suspicious circumstances; the previous two were ruled an accident but three dead kids is just too much. And then a child is kidnapped with a note from "The ChildMinder". I love how Griffiths is developing DCI Nelson's team into great 3D characters, they all get some time in this book. I'm less happy with the Mother Hook subplot - Ruth acts in a way that seems completely contrary to her training. I thought surely that would be an important point but Griffiths doesn't do anything significant with it. The conclusion they draw at the end seems very thinly supported. The child murder investigation takes a back seat to the kidnapping, but that's very suspenseful. Cathbad returns with his usual otherworldly insights, but he's not infallible. IMHO, too much character history for a reader new to this series to fully enjoy it, although Griffiths does a good job filling in the background for each.
Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
Book Description
Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway uncovers the bones of a Victorian murderess while a baby snatcher threatens modern-day Norfolk in this exciting new entry in a beloved series.
Every year a ceremony is held at Norwich Castle for the bodies in the paupers' graves: the Service for the Outcast Dead. Ruth has a particular interest in this year's proceedings. Her recent dig at Norwich Castle turned up the body of the notorious Mother Hook, who was hanged in 1867 for the murder of five children. Now Ruth is the reluctant star of the TV series Women Who Kill, working alongside the program's alluring history expert, Professor Frank Barker.
DCI Harry Nelson is immersed in the case of three children found dead in their home. He is sure that the mother is responsible. Then another child is abducted and a kidnapper dubbed the Childminder claims responsibility. Are there two murderers afoot, or is the Childminder behind all the deaths? The team must race to find out--and the stakes couldn't be any higher when another child goes missing.
My Review
Another great story from Elly Griffiths in the 6th installment of the Ruth Galloway series. Children go missing and it's a rush to find the kidnapper before harm is done to the babies. Great characters and intriguing plots always make Griffiths' books page-turners until the last page. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in order to keep up with the relationships with the characters as they are a intricate part of the stories too. I would recommend starting with the first book in the series and I'm sure you will want to continue as you get to know the Griffith's cast members that keep her books flying off the shelves.
Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway uncovers the bones of a Victorian murderess while a baby snatcher threatens modern-day Norfolk in this exciting new entry in a beloved series.
Every year a ceremony is held at Norwich Castle for the bodies in the paupers' graves: the Service for the Outcast Dead. Ruth has a particular interest in this year's proceedings. Her recent dig at Norwich Castle turned up the body of the notorious Mother Hook, who was hanged in 1867 for the murder of five children. Now Ruth is the reluctant star of the TV series Women Who Kill, working alongside the program's alluring history expert, Professor Frank Barker.
DCI Harry Nelson is immersed in the case of three children found dead in their home. He is sure that the mother is responsible. Then another child is abducted and a kidnapper dubbed the Childminder claims responsibility. Are there two murderers afoot, or is the Childminder behind all the deaths? The team must race to find out--and the stakes couldn't be any higher when another child goes missing.
My Review
Another great story from Elly Griffiths in the 6th installment of the Ruth Galloway series. Children go missing and it's a rush to find the kidnapper before harm is done to the babies. Great characters and intriguing plots always make Griffiths' books page-turners until the last page. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in order to keep up with the relationships with the characters as they are a intricate part of the stories too. I would recommend starting with the first book in the series and I'm sure you will want to continue as you get to know the Griffith's cast members that keep her books flying off the shelves.
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