Review by Booklist Review
Winner of a 2020 Edgar for her stand-alone The Stranger Diaries (2019), Griffiths returns to her Ruth Galloway series (after The Lantern Men, 2020), with Ruth back in Norfolk as the newly appointed head of archaeology at the local university. Ever the consummate professional--nothing bothers her more than amateur archaeologists--Ruth finds herself, at the request of DCI Nelson, the father of Ruth's daughter, Kate, investigating a group of metal "detectorists," called the Night Hawks after they uncover Bronze Age artifacts along with a body that has washed ashore. The body count climbs with the discovery of a murder-suicide at a spooky old farmhouse long associated with the enormous, red-eyed Black Shuck, a dog who augurs death. Meanwhile, Kate, now 10, is more eager than ever to take on the world. This thirteenth time out for these characters brings a dramatic ending that leaves Ruth and Nelson's relationship even more complicated. Not to be missed by fans of two UK television series, Detectorists and Time Team, the latter of which is nothing short of a British institution.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Early in Edgar winner Griffith's tightly plotted, well-paced 13th Ruth Galloway mystery (after 2020's The Lantern Men), Ruth, a forensic anthropologist who has just been appointed the head of the archaeology department at the University of North Norfolk, receives a call from Det. Chief Insp. Harry Nelson, her friend and former lover. Nelson asks her to come to Blakeney Point, where a group of "metal detectorists" known as the Night Hawks have found the body of a young man washed up on the beach. Her assistance is needed because the detectorists have also found what could be a hoard of Bronze Age artifacts and, after closer examination, another, much older body. Could either of these deaths be related to the apparent murder-suicide of a local doctor and his wife? The complex relationship between Ruth and the married Nelson, who's the father of Ruth's 10-year-old daughter, is handled intelligently, with no unnecessary melodrama, and serves as an intricate part of the finale. Police procedural fans will be more than satisfied. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (June)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Forensic anthropologist Ruth Galloway finds herself in the midst of three investigations in the 13th entry in this series (after The Lantern Men). A group of metal detectorists calling themselves the Night Hawks stumble across both a corpse and a skeleton along the Norfolk coastline. Galloway and her university colleague David Brown are called in to study the skeleton. The next evening, the Night Hawks are at the scene of a murder-suicide at a country home; shortly afterward, one of the detectorists is murdered. As DCI Harry Nelson and his team work to find the links among the three incidents, Brown's name keeps coming up as a connection. Brown is also meddling in Ruth's life and her longstanding relationship with Harry, so Ruth is inevitably drawn into the investigations. Griffiths once again presents a well-plotted mystery, nicely blending historical elements with a contemporary take on the classic whodunit. There's enough background about the web of characters, so newcomers to the series can catch up. The denouement further raises the stakes in Ruth and Harry's will-they-or-won't-they relationship. VERDICT A strong addition to the series; recommended for readers who enjoy a mystery investigated by relatable characters.--Anitra Gates, Erie Cty. P.L., PA
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