Review by Booklist Review
Griffiths offers up a gripping assortment of pieces, generously peppered with the ethereal air and folklore that permeate her novels. Many are elegant ghost stories in the Gothic tradition, but there are a number of mystery and suspense entries as well. Several feature Ruth Galloway. The best is arguably "Flint's Fireside Tale," where Ruth's beloved cat, knowing how much humans like a ghost story at Christmas, delivers an eerie narrative about a mysterious visitor who "smelt a thousand years old." There are several holiday tales, including the poignant "The Farewell Boat," about a phantom ship with brightly colored sails that bring messages from the beyond. Max Mephisto appears (like magic!) and a flashback in time brings Harbinder Kaur and Ruth together, providing some enlightening backstory for Harbinder fans. A flash-forward finds Ruth and Nelson on a Nile cruise, in a bold homage to Christie that projects a perfect ending to their story. A stand-alone, "The Stranger by R.M. Holland," honors Poe's place in the genesis of crime fiction. The author craftily manages three series, but a fourth, featuring PI Justice Jones, whom we meet in "Justice Jones and the Etherphone," would be welcome
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Griffiths (The Last Word) features her favorite characters from her beloved mystery series, as well as some new protagonists, in this fun short story collection. Starting with the titular story featuring Dr. Ruth Galloway, each of these tales has a mystery to explore and most have a surprise twist at the end, which is sure to delight readers. In "Articulation," an unnamed forensic archaeologist is called to investigate bones found on the site where a house is being built, and the case's wrap-up doesn't necessarily play out to the letter of the law. "The Stranger by R.M. Holland," in the form of a narrator's message to a stranger with whom they're sharing a train compartment, is a fantastical and thrilling ghost story that feels like it could be told around a campfire. Familiarity with characters from Griffith's earlier novels might be helpful for some stories (such as "Flint's Fireside Tale," told from the perspective of Ruth's cat) but is certainly not necessary in order to appreciate the collection as a whole. VERDICT As much as Griffiths's fans will be excited for this collection, mystery readers in general will enjoy these fun mystery and ghost stories. This is a strong purchase for mystery collections.--Sarah Sullivan
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Nineteen short stories featuring some of the acclaimed British mystery writer's most beloved characters The collection offers a mix of previously published stories and new work following the adventures of detectives Justice Jones and Harbinder Kaur, magician Max Mephisto, and Griffiths' most famous character, forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway. What makes these fictions so delightful is the gentle humor that underlies each narrative and the kinds of mysteries Griffiths explores. Some, like "The Valley of the Queens," which in its River Nile setting recalls Agatha Christie'sDeath on the Nile, are classic whodunits. Others, like "The Village Church," which features the apparitions of a long-dead caretaking couple, verge on the supernatural. Still other stories embed inklings of murder or mystery within stories about characters who, like Galloway, stand apart from the world of criminal investigators. In "Max Mephisto and the Disappearing Act," for example, a young magician learns the art of making women disappear onstage only to find himself privy to a possible, but uninvestigated and unproven, crime of passion involving his married landlord and a singer. Even those characters who, like Justice Jones and Harbinder Kaur, are more involved with murder investigations are often made to feel like outsiders because of their gender, their ethnicity, or both. Griffiths' narrative playfulness is on full display throughout the book, but especially in the concluding story, in which Ruth meets Harbinder as she investigates curious goings-on in the basement of the same theater where Mephisto made his London debut. Skillfully plotted and deliciously quirky, these stories will appeal not only to Griffiths' many fans but to any reader seeking memorable encounters with unforgettable characters. Eclectic and always surprising. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
