I’m a firm fan of Elly Griffiths’ series featuring the wonderful character of Ruth Galloway and always compare approaching a new book by her as being akin to pulling on those old faithful slippers, grabbing a mug of hot chocolate and stuffing yourself with delicious cake. Although, I admit to being a fan of the more gritty and less mainstream crime noir, there is something I find very appealing about this series. You always know that you will be educated and entertained, as well as being engrossed in a damn good murder mystery and ‘Dying Fall’, the newest in the series, is no exception.Our favourite forensic archaeologist finds herself embroiled in the seemingly senseless murder of Dan, an ex-university pal who, like Ruth, has forged a successful career in the field of archaeology and may just have stumbled upon the most significant archaeological find ever in Britain. Could Dan have really discovered the final resting place of King Arthur of the Britons, and who is desperate to claim this find as their own and to what sinister end. As Ruth appears to be the final person that Dan made contact with before his death, she ventures North with her daughter Kate, and Kate’s Druidic godfather, Cathbad, in tow to solve the mystery. Cathbad is further drawn into the mystery, with the suicide of one of his oldest friends, and as the plot unfolds, Ruth and himself find themselves being lured further into danger…. The essential pull of this series lies within Griffiths’ characterisation of Ruth herself. Ruth is an ‘everywoman’ who consistently succumbs to all those little doubts that most women would recognise within their own characters. She’s in her 40′s, worries about her weight, her choice of clothing, her parenting skills as a single mother, and other people’s perceptions of her both professionally and personally. By the same token, she is an exceptionally attractive character, because of her humanity. She is very perceptive to the thoughts and feelings of others, but interestingly this skill fails to extend to her own personal life as she is blighted by her choice of men and aside from her utter devotion to her daughter, Kate, she has not attained a real sense of harmony in her personal relationships. Her personal life is complicated with regular stalwart, DCI Nelson being solidly married, but also being the father of Kate’s daughter, and her faltering relationship with the frankly tedious Max brings her no succour either. However, with her natural intelligence and sense of empathy, she makes for a dogged if reluctant investigator into her friend’s death, and this also adds to her overall charm as a character. Supported by Griffiths’ depiction of the eccentric Cathbad, the emerging character of Ruth’s daughter Kate, and the tension of Ruth’s relationship with the inherently likeable DCI Nelson, these characters all work well within the balance of the book, in addition to the characters, Ruth encounters in association with the central murder mystery.Another point to make about any of Griffiths’ books is the attention to the archaeological and historical strands of the plotting. What I like about the series is how accessible Griffiths’ makes her inclusion of this level of detail as probably most of us only encounter this world through dipping into ‘Time Team’ on the TV! I liked the way that this plot in particular hooked into two of the most seminal mysteries of British history; the existence of King Arthur and the possibility of the discovery of his final resting place, and the recounting of the events surrounding the Pendle witches. By insinuating both of these into the plot, Griffiths, adds another facet of interest to the reader that supports the enjoyment of what, in other hands, could be just a straightforward murder mystery plot. Yes, there are slightly unbelievable plot devices to propel the story onwards, but this in no way detracts from the stronger elements of Griffiths’ writing, and the overall enjoyment to be gained from a well-researched backdrop, and the joy of the interaction between Griffiths’ protagonists. Always a treat…
This may be the last of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series I read. It has nothing to do with Griffiths' writing skills--she's wonderful. Her dialogue is crisp, her settings vibrant and enticing, her plot engaging. I even love most of the characters--who couldn't be enchanted by the Druid Cathbad with a heart of gold and the easy-going attitude toward life we would all love to emulate. I can easily understand why it's a Mary Higgins Clark award-winner.The problem is Ruth Galloway--the main character. I don't like her.But I'm ahead of myself. This latest book penned by Elly Griffiths, "A Dying Fall" (Houghton Mifflin 2013) dwells on that rich content we armchair anthropologists love--ancient bones with stories to tell. In this case, a colleague of Galloway's (Dan Golding) discovers them, contacts Ruth, but dies in a mysterious house fire before he can discuss his find. As luck would have it, the friend's employer (a struggling college) invites Galloway (a well-known expert in this field) to evaluate what should be a 1500-year old skeleton. She quickly realizes the bones that likely caused her friend's death have been replaced by worthless substitutes. It doesn't take long for Golding's killer to set his/her sights on Ruth and worse, her toddler daughter, Ruth uses her considerable intellect, her enigmatic friend Cathbad, and the father of her daughter DCI Nelson to unravel the mystery even as other lives are claimed in the murderer's effort to stop Ruth from uncovering the truth.Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? And it is, despite being one of those present tense books that always take me a few chapters to get used to. Griffiths, like Elizabeth George, puts you smack amidst the English landscape in her scenes, characterizations, language, customs. Here are two examples: "They eat takeaways in front of 'Doctor Who'" "Beyond Ruth's fence, the long grass is tawny and gold with the occasional flash of dark blue water as the marsh leads out to the sea. In the distance, the sand glimmers like a mirage, and further still, the sea comes whispering in to shore, heralded by the seagulls flying high above the waves."Griffiths seamlessly weaves Ruth's personal life into the plot--a daunting task that many author's cannot do--without being distracting. And archeology is a thread always present: "She loves the mixture of painstaking order and backbreaking work, hauling earth about like a navvy one minute and dusting the sand away from a shard of bone the next. She loves the sight of a neat trench, its sides perfectly straight, the soil below exposed in clear layers." "You can't go backwards, only forwards. Every archaeologist knows that. Time is a matter of layers, of strata, each firmly fixed in its own context."But quickly, I tired of Ruth Galloway's short-tempered, curmudgeonly approach to life. Where she started out smart and clever, quickly she became whiny and opinionated, escalating to close-minded. Is that the English stoicism gone amuck? Or is she so full of herself, so wrapped up in the World of Ruth, she can't find room to be understanding, patient, or even consider that others might have a thought worth listening to? When I asked my PLN whether they considered it a mistake to craft an unlikable main character, many thought it was OK if that character was interesting enough.So is Ruth? You decide. If you don't mind difficult main characters, there is an awful lot to recommend this book.
What do You think about A Dying Fall (2013)?
As always, I love the writing of Elly Griffiths and impatiently wait for the next book every time. She grabs from the first sentence with this one and doesn't let go! The story was really good but I wasn't as taken with the actual "mystery." It's really not that difficult to figure it out even though it's supposed to be a real surprise, I think. What I love the most are the characters and she gave me a real scare toward the end of the book. Naughty, naughty! (I'm shaking my finger at her.) If you haven't tried this series, it's well worth starting now!1
—Lela
A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths (Ruth Galloway #5) 6/22 ✔ ★★★★★Ruth receives a letter from a former friend/classmate from 20 years earlier asking for her help in identifying a thrilling archeological find - he thinks he has found the burial site of King Arthur. Shortly after receiving the letter she hears of her friends death under suspicious circumstances. She and Kate head north to investigate but before she even leaves she starts getting threats to stay away. What a great book in a great British series. ★★★★★ *Note - I read this book in one sitting when I should have been doing other things. I became totally immersed in this one.
—Sheila
Oh, I DO love it when a new Elly Griffiths novel is published! Ruth Galloway is an interesting and complex character: forensic anthropologist, something of a nerd, overweight and loves sex. What's not to love? Her child with DI Nelson is now two years old. Ruth has settled happily into motherhood while still loving her career as a forensic anthropologist. (At one point in the book Ruth muses about how it would be if she had just had a conventional marriage and given up her career. She has ZERO interest in the latter.) Ruth receives a letter from a former classmate and friend while she was at "uni." Dan was a bright, handsome, and yes, even dashing, man from a well off upper class family. He was one of three close friends although they've all gone their separate ways and lost touch since they graduated. Now Dan has contacted Ruth out of the blue to tell her of an exciting find: he may have found the skeleton of King Arthur. If so, it is an exciting one. Unfortunately the letter arrives the day after she receives a call from the "uni" foursome telling her that Dan had been killed in a house fire that was NOT an accident. Shortly after getting the letter from Dan, she is asked by the head of the history department at the small university in Lancashire where Dan was working (Archaeology was included in the history curriculum. The university is aimed at preparing people for practical careers, not for academic pursuits.) The department head asks her, in her capacity as one of the top rated forensic archaeologists, to examine the bones. She accepts, but soon starts getting strange text messages warning her not to come. At the same time, DI Nelson has decided that he wants to take a "holiday" but not at some fancy resort as he and his wife had done the last time. Instead he wants to visit his mother and the town in which he grew up. Having lived in the South of England for many years, he has lost touch with his Northern roots, but still harbors a romantic idealism about the area. He is unaware that Ruth is going to be there and is taken aback when he learns that she is there and why. He looks up his old partner, Sandy, and soon is drawn into the investigation. This was a terrific book and really engrossing. One review found the book to be a bit overly long. You could make a case for that. On the other hand, I liked the fact that there was more character building plus the whole King Arthur/Black Raven story which you'll read about is fascinating.
—Larraine
