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Ruth Galloway #12
The Lantern Men
Everything has changed for Dr. Ruth Galloway.
She has a new job, home and partner, and is no longer North Norfolk police's resident forensic archaeologist. That is, until convicted murderer Amyas March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal. Nelson was always sure that March killed more women than he was charged with. Now March confirms this, and offers to show Nelson where the other bodies are buried - but only if Ruth will do the digging.
Curious, but wary, Ruth agrees. March tells Ruth that he killed four more women and that their bodies are buried near a village bordering the fens, said to be haunted by the Lantern Men, mysterious figures holding lights that lure travellers to their deaths.
Is Amyas March himself a lantern man, luring Ruth back to Norfolk? What is his plan, and why is she so crucial to it? And are the killings really over?
She has a new job, home and partner, and is no longer North Norfolk police's resident forensic archaeologist. That is, until convicted murderer Amyas March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal. Nelson was always sure that March killed more women than he was charged with. Now March confirms this, and offers to show Nelson where the other bodies are buried - but only if Ruth will do the digging.
Curious, but wary, Ruth agrees. March tells Ruth that he killed four more women and that their bodies are buried near a village bordering the fens, said to be haunted by the Lantern Men, mysterious figures holding lights that lure travellers to their deaths.
Is Amyas March himself a lantern man, luring Ruth back to Norfolk? What is his plan, and why is she so crucial to it? And are the killings really over?
368 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2020
2050 people are currently reading
4943 people want to read
About the author
Elly Griffiths
73 books9,390 followersElly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly's husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton. Though not her first novel, The Crossing Places is her first crime novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,822 reviews
January 24, 2020
Much has changed in the latest edition of Elly Griffith's forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway series. For a start she is living with the American Frank and her young daughter, Kate in Cambridge, teaching at St Jude's College. She has just completed her latest book at the peaceful writers and artists retreat, Grey Walls, run by Crissy Martin. To her surprise, unusually she finds herself connecting with Crissy, a rare event indeed. In Norfolk, DCI Harry Nelson is not happy that Ruth has moved to Cambridge, and definitely not happy she is living with Frank, and he is unable to see Kate as often either. However, he is happy when serial killer, Ivor March, is found guilty of the murder of two young women buried in his girlfriend, Chantal's garden, the evidence of his culpability sufficient for the jury to convict him.
However, there are two missing women, Nicola Ferris and Jenny McGuire, Nelson is convinced Ivor murdered them too and he wants to bring closure for their grieving families. So he visits Ivor in prison looking to obtain a confession, but Ivor refuses to play ball unless Ruth is involved. It turns out Crissy is Ivor's ex-wife, she and Chantal wholeheartedly believe in his innocence and feel Phil Trent, Ruth's old boss, messed up in the original investigation. In their opinion, Ruth is far more skilled and they are determined to have her on the case. So when Ivor gives a location in the grounds of The Jolly Boatman, despite not liking the man, Ruth agrees to oversee the search for the two women's bodies. She is now back in her beloved Norfolk which she misses desperately. There is folklore in the area of the lantern men leading people astray to their deaths, and in the past Ivor was part of a group of men, the Grey Wall set, referring to themselves as the modern lantern men who rescued women and bought them back to Grey Walls to live for a while.
Ruth and Nelson find more than they expected at The Jolly Boatman and to muddy the waters further, another young woman, a cyclist from the Lynn Wheels club is found murdered. Is this a copycat killing or could there be the remote possibility that Ivor is innocent? It is a joy to return to a well loved set of characters, and there is the introduction of a new team member, Tony Zhang. We catch up with the likes of the prescient druid Cathbad, his wife DI Judy Johnson, DI Cloughie who now runs his own team, Nelson's family and his young son, George, Maddie and all the others. Ruth finds herself suffering panic attacks, it is clear that she is not happy at Cambridge, she misses Nelson, all her dreams of moving on appear to have come to nought. This is a great addition to a great crime series. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC
However, there are two missing women, Nicola Ferris and Jenny McGuire, Nelson is convinced Ivor murdered them too and he wants to bring closure for their grieving families. So he visits Ivor in prison looking to obtain a confession, but Ivor refuses to play ball unless Ruth is involved. It turns out Crissy is Ivor's ex-wife, she and Chantal wholeheartedly believe in his innocence and feel Phil Trent, Ruth's old boss, messed up in the original investigation. In their opinion, Ruth is far more skilled and they are determined to have her on the case. So when Ivor gives a location in the grounds of The Jolly Boatman, despite not liking the man, Ruth agrees to oversee the search for the two women's bodies. She is now back in her beloved Norfolk which she misses desperately. There is folklore in the area of the lantern men leading people astray to their deaths, and in the past Ivor was part of a group of men, the Grey Wall set, referring to themselves as the modern lantern men who rescued women and bought them back to Grey Walls to live for a while.
Ruth and Nelson find more than they expected at The Jolly Boatman and to muddy the waters further, another young woman, a cyclist from the Lynn Wheels club is found murdered. Is this a copycat killing or could there be the remote possibility that Ivor is innocent? It is a joy to return to a well loved set of characters, and there is the introduction of a new team member, Tony Zhang. We catch up with the likes of the prescient druid Cathbad, his wife DI Judy Johnson, DI Cloughie who now runs his own team, Nelson's family and his young son, George, Maddie and all the others. Ruth finds herself suffering panic attacks, it is clear that she is not happy at Cambridge, she misses Nelson, all her dreams of moving on appear to have come to nought. This is a great addition to a great crime series. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC
December 2, 2023
EXCERPT: 'The lantern men. It's an old legend round these parts. Mysterious figures carrying lanterns that haunt the fens and the marshes. If you follow their lights, you're doomed. They can knock you down and leave you for dead.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Everything has changed for Dr Ruth Galloway. She has a new job, a new home and partner, and is no longer North Norfolk Police's resident forensic archaeologist. That is, until convicted murderer Ivor March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal.
Nelson was always sure that March killed more women than he was charged with. Now March has confirmed this and offered to show Nelson where the bodies are buried - but only if Ruth will do the digging.
Curious, but wary, Ruth agrees. March tells Ruth that he killed two more women and that their bodies are buried near a village bordering the fens, said to be haunted by the Lantern Men, mysterious figures holding lights that lure travellers to their deaths.
Is Ivor March himself a Lantern Man, luring Ruth back to Norfolk? What is his plan, and why is she so crucial to it? And are the killings really over?
MY THOUGHTS: I love this series and always eagerly await the publication of a new book in this series. I love following Ruth's on again/off again relationship with Nelson, whom I don't envy at all. It seems to me that he is caught between a rock and a hard place by his love for both Michelle and Ruth. And I admire Michelle enormously. She handles the situation with far more maturity and dignity than I am sure I would ever be able to do. I do have to wonder though, if she ever took up with anyone else, just how well Nelson would react? Would he see it as his escape route to being able to be with Ruth? Or would his jealousy run rampant? But I digress.
We are two years on from the end of the previous book. Ruth and Kate have moved to Cambridge where Ruth is a professor at one of the colleges. They are living with Frank, the American introduced to us in The Stone Circle. I quite liked him initially, but I started to see another side of him, not so likeable, in The Lantern Men. He really is not a good fit for Ruth.
The Lantern Men has, as always with this series, an intriguing plot. Ivor March has been jailed for the murders of two young women. There was plenty of forensic evidence. And yet there's a strong body of people, Cathbad included, that believe him to be innocent. Nelson is not one of them. He is totally convinced of March's guilt and believes that he is also guilty of the murders of two more young women whose bodies have never been found. Then the body of another young woman is found murdered. Is it a copycat? It can't have been Ivor - he is securely held in prison. Or is Ivor indeed innocent?
Now I thought - no, more than thought - I was convinced that I knew the answer, that I had it all figured out. 😂🤣😂🤣 I didn't. Wasn't even close....
Griffiths supporting characters are, as usual, varied, but all quite wonderful. From the serene Crissy Martin, ex-wife of the convicted murderer, to the enigmatic Chantal, Ivor's lover, and the assortment of men, some decidedly creepy, who orbited the charismatic Ivor March and his women, this diverse cast of characters provides plenty of surprises.
Another excellent addition to this series which, I hope, still has many books to come.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have reread The Lantern Men November 2023 - I am reading the whole series from beginning to end - and have upgraded my rating from 4.4 to five stars. I am loving this whole series even more second time around.
The loo in the waiting area had a sign on it saying, 'Patient Toilet.' Well, the WC must be the only thing around here not feeling frustrated. (Patience is definitely not Nelson's strong point!)
THE AUTHOR: Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly's husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton.
DISCLOSURE: Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of the Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Everything has changed for Dr Ruth Galloway. She has a new job, a new home and partner, and is no longer North Norfolk Police's resident forensic archaeologist. That is, until convicted murderer Ivor March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal.
Nelson was always sure that March killed more women than he was charged with. Now March has confirmed this and offered to show Nelson where the bodies are buried - but only if Ruth will do the digging.
Curious, but wary, Ruth agrees. March tells Ruth that he killed two more women and that their bodies are buried near a village bordering the fens, said to be haunted by the Lantern Men, mysterious figures holding lights that lure travellers to their deaths.
Is Ivor March himself a Lantern Man, luring Ruth back to Norfolk? What is his plan, and why is she so crucial to it? And are the killings really over?
MY THOUGHTS: I love this series and always eagerly await the publication of a new book in this series. I love following Ruth's on again/off again relationship with Nelson, whom I don't envy at all. It seems to me that he is caught between a rock and a hard place by his love for both Michelle and Ruth. And I admire Michelle enormously. She handles the situation with far more maturity and dignity than I am sure I would ever be able to do. I do have to wonder though, if she ever took up with anyone else, just how well Nelson would react? Would he see it as his escape route to being able to be with Ruth? Or would his jealousy run rampant? But I digress.
We are two years on from the end of the previous book. Ruth and Kate have moved to Cambridge where Ruth is a professor at one of the colleges. They are living with Frank, the American introduced to us in The Stone Circle. I quite liked him initially, but I started to see another side of him, not so likeable, in The Lantern Men. He really is not a good fit for Ruth.
The Lantern Men has, as always with this series, an intriguing plot. Ivor March has been jailed for the murders of two young women. There was plenty of forensic evidence. And yet there's a strong body of people, Cathbad included, that believe him to be innocent. Nelson is not one of them. He is totally convinced of March's guilt and believes that he is also guilty of the murders of two more young women whose bodies have never been found. Then the body of another young woman is found murdered. Is it a copycat? It can't have been Ivor - he is securely held in prison. Or is Ivor indeed innocent?
Now I thought - no, more than thought - I was convinced that I knew the answer, that I had it all figured out. 😂🤣😂🤣 I didn't. Wasn't even close....
Griffiths supporting characters are, as usual, varied, but all quite wonderful. From the serene Crissy Martin, ex-wife of the convicted murderer, to the enigmatic Chantal, Ivor's lover, and the assortment of men, some decidedly creepy, who orbited the charismatic Ivor March and his women, this diverse cast of characters provides plenty of surprises.
Another excellent addition to this series which, I hope, still has many books to come.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have reread The Lantern Men November 2023 - I am reading the whole series from beginning to end - and have upgraded my rating from 4.4 to five stars. I am loving this whole series even more second time around.
The loo in the waiting area had a sign on it saying, 'Patient Toilet.' Well, the WC must be the only thing around here not feeling frustrated. (Patience is definitely not Nelson's strong point!)
THE AUTHOR: Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly's husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton.
DISCLOSURE: Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of the Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 7, 2020
3.5 stars, rounded up
It was a bit of a shock to me to start The Lantern Men and realize it’s two years later and Ruth no longer lives on the Fens. No, she’s ensconced as a professor at Cambridge and is living with Frank. Time has moved on in the two years since The Stone Circle. Dave and Judy are DIs. Judy was actually lead on the case that put Ivor March behind bars for killing two women. Of course, it’s believed he killed two other women but those bodies were never found. He agrees to say where the bodies are buried, but only if Ruth handles the excavation. This serves to bring Ruth back to the Fens and the investigation.
This remains one of my favorite series and it’s always a joy to spend time with Ruth, Nelson and the gang. Griffiths spun a wonderful tale and the book seemed to fly by. As always, I love how she weaves folk tales and history into the storylines. I was on edge just because Ruth was. She’s suffering panic attacks and for good reason. Her life may appear calm on the surface but you can tell it’s not really working for her.
As always, my idea of who was behind the crimes was wrong. That said, I found the climax of the book unrealistic and it was one of the least satisfying of the series. Flip side, I was pleased by the ending as far as Ruth is concerned.
My thanks to netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of this book.
It was a bit of a shock to me to start The Lantern Men and realize it’s two years later and Ruth no longer lives on the Fens. No, she’s ensconced as a professor at Cambridge and is living with Frank. Time has moved on in the two years since The Stone Circle. Dave and Judy are DIs. Judy was actually lead on the case that put Ivor March behind bars for killing two women. Of course, it’s believed he killed two other women but those bodies were never found. He agrees to say where the bodies are buried, but only if Ruth handles the excavation. This serves to bring Ruth back to the Fens and the investigation.
This remains one of my favorite series and it’s always a joy to spend time with Ruth, Nelson and the gang. Griffiths spun a wonderful tale and the book seemed to fly by. As always, I love how she weaves folk tales and history into the storylines. I was on edge just because Ruth was. She’s suffering panic attacks and for good reason. Her life may appear calm on the surface but you can tell it’s not really working for her.
As always, my idea of who was behind the crimes was wrong. That said, I found the climax of the book unrealistic and it was one of the least satisfying of the series. Flip side, I was pleased by the ending as far as Ruth is concerned.
My thanks to netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of this book.
August 14, 2020
Some books do really read themselves.
You can read one of 368 pages and it reads like it was barely 150 pages in total. Others remain unfinished or drag on indeterminately as 320 pages feel like 700 plus pages with no end in sight.
Elly Griffiths is a natural storyteller. Her words flow off the page like the breaths you take. The Lantern Men is the 12th novel in the Ruth Galloway series. Where others may in a formulaic fashion just perpetuate their characters, Elly imbues them with life and vitality. So, this apart from the central tension between Nelson and Ruth is a fresh and original outing for the gang. 2 years have passed; much has changed but some things may never change.
Ruth has taken a new post in Cambridge; academic recognition for her work and experience. She is living with Frank who is devoted to Ruth and doted on her daughter Kate. Nelson is getting on with his life still with Michelle and his focus is perhaps more centred on their son George. Nelson is frustrated that despite getting a guilty verdict on serial killer Ivor March he has been unable to link him to two other missing women whose bodies have not been found.
This is a wonderfully woven crime mystery that is based on a police procedural in the stunning location of Norfolk, England. From the opening prologue the sense of menace never eases up and the story unfolds like a well wrapped Christmas present. There is no tearing away of sheets of paper. It is like a dance of the seven veils as layers are laid bare, like an expectant game of pass the parcel.
The skill of the book is the premise of The Lantern Men and the sense of foreboding that draws women to danger like moths to a candle. This mystical tale of a malevolent presence over marshland and the fens is as scary as Candyman or Dracula. You are brought fully into this sense of myth and legend especially as you perceive a human element buying into the folklore. As characters within find to their cost. It is heart-stopping and breath-taking.
The author has brought us one of the most memorable episodes of this series; reconnecting to the salt marsh and those liminal places between land and sea.
There is also that sense of threat to love ones that makes crime personal and hits home.
The cast of characters are well formed, balanced and all get an outing here; but you quickly guess that the outcome might not favour all.
A writer comfortable with her craft, bringing thought to her work and as always joy to her growing list of readers and fans. A must read in 2020.
You can read one of 368 pages and it reads like it was barely 150 pages in total. Others remain unfinished or drag on indeterminately as 320 pages feel like 700 plus pages with no end in sight.
Elly Griffiths is a natural storyteller. Her words flow off the page like the breaths you take. The Lantern Men is the 12th novel in the Ruth Galloway series. Where others may in a formulaic fashion just perpetuate their characters, Elly imbues them with life and vitality. So, this apart from the central tension between Nelson and Ruth is a fresh and original outing for the gang. 2 years have passed; much has changed but some things may never change.
Ruth has taken a new post in Cambridge; academic recognition for her work and experience. She is living with Frank who is devoted to Ruth and doted on her daughter Kate. Nelson is getting on with his life still with Michelle and his focus is perhaps more centred on their son George. Nelson is frustrated that despite getting a guilty verdict on serial killer Ivor March he has been unable to link him to two other missing women whose bodies have not been found.
This is a wonderfully woven crime mystery that is based on a police procedural in the stunning location of Norfolk, England. From the opening prologue the sense of menace never eases up and the story unfolds like a well wrapped Christmas present. There is no tearing away of sheets of paper. It is like a dance of the seven veils as layers are laid bare, like an expectant game of pass the parcel.
The skill of the book is the premise of The Lantern Men and the sense of foreboding that draws women to danger like moths to a candle. This mystical tale of a malevolent presence over marshland and the fens is as scary as Candyman or Dracula. You are brought fully into this sense of myth and legend especially as you perceive a human element buying into the folklore. As characters within find to their cost. It is heart-stopping and breath-taking.
The author has brought us one of the most memorable episodes of this series; reconnecting to the salt marsh and those liminal places between land and sea.
There is also that sense of threat to love ones that makes crime personal and hits home.
The cast of characters are well formed, balanced and all get an outing here; but you quickly guess that the outcome might not favour all.
A writer comfortable with her craft, bringing thought to her work and as always joy to her growing list of readers and fans. A must read in 2020.
October 19, 2020
Just a quickie review & I'm going to be fairly brutal. I think continued enjoyment of this series may depend on whether you're in it for the romance or the mysteries. I had high hopes the overall story arc was moving on but unfortunately the romantic triangle plot line is alive & well here. I'm really tired of Ruth & Nelson constantly mooning over each other. There's a good mystery here with the usual intriguing archeological angle but their persistent pining intrudes on the plot development & pacing. It's book #12.......fish or cut bait, people.
July 30, 2020
Change is hard and Ruth and Kate have undetaken a big change. No longer in her beloved cottage by the salt marsh, no longer in Norfolk, and no longer living close to Nelson. Life though has a way its own and soon Ruth will once again be drawn into working a case with Nelson. Of course, this brings her right back and of course our favorite characters right with her.
I so enjoy this series. Simmering tensions and emotional ties, a case that is always interesting. A terrific mix between the personal, the mystic with Cathsbad, and an intriguing case. I learn a little, enjoy alot. This case and the inherent danger will effect Ruth personally, when past and present converge. At books end another decision will be made. Who are the lantern men? Myth or truth? To be continued in Griffiths next outing.
ARC from Edelweiss.
I so enjoy this series. Simmering tensions and emotional ties, a case that is always interesting. A terrific mix between the personal, the mystic with Cathsbad, and an intriguing case. I learn a little, enjoy alot. This case and the inherent danger will effect Ruth personally, when past and present converge. At books end another decision will be made. Who are the lantern men? Myth or truth? To be continued in Griffiths next outing.
ARC from Edelweiss.
Read
July 3, 2021Bloody hell I can't believe I'm on book 12 already - soon there will be none left :(
June 21, 2020
DCI Harry Nelson and DI Judy Johnson are pleased that Ivor March has been found guilty of the murder of two young women. While Nelson believes he has killed at least two more women, March is still claiming his innocence of all the murders. However, he tells Nelson he will tell him where to find the other two bodies if Ruth Galloway can be involved in the forensic exhumation of the bodies.
Ruth has moved on since the earlier cases she worked with Nelson. She has left her job at the University of North Norfolk and her cottage on the Northfolk Fens. Much to Nelson's displeasure, she and Katie have moved in with American historian Frank Barker and she has started a new job at St Jude's College in Cambridge. However, since it's the end of the academic year and she has just finished writing a book, she agrees to help Nelson out by being involved in the exhumation of the bodies.
The plot becomes more complicated when a third body is found at the burial site and when a fresh murder occurs. Nelson is not the only one left wondering if there is more to these murders than they first thought and tales of young women being lured by mythic lantern men across the marshes gives the murders a gothic atmosphere.
It was really good to see Ruth back examining bones with Nelson and his crew and surrounded by the familiar characters from the previous books including Nelson's colleagues and family and especially Cathbad, the gentle Druid. The ongoing development of the characters and their relationships is one of the pleasures of reading this series. Ruth Galloway is one of my favourite characters in crime fiction and, although I wasn't entirely convinced by the way the investigation wrapped up, I enjoyed the journey to get there and the weaving of local mythology and the ruggedly beautiful landscape into the crime.
With many thanks to and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for a digital ARC to read
Ruth has moved on since the earlier cases she worked with Nelson. She has left her job at the University of North Norfolk and her cottage on the Northfolk Fens. Much to Nelson's displeasure, she and Katie have moved in with American historian Frank Barker and she has started a new job at St Jude's College in Cambridge. However, since it's the end of the academic year and she has just finished writing a book, she agrees to help Nelson out by being involved in the exhumation of the bodies.
The plot becomes more complicated when a third body is found at the burial site and when a fresh murder occurs. Nelson is not the only one left wondering if there is more to these murders than they first thought and tales of young women being lured by mythic lantern men across the marshes gives the murders a gothic atmosphere.
It was really good to see Ruth back examining bones with Nelson and his crew and surrounded by the familiar characters from the previous books including Nelson's colleagues and family and especially Cathbad, the gentle Druid. The ongoing development of the characters and their relationships is one of the pleasures of reading this series. Ruth Galloway is one of my favourite characters in crime fiction and, although I wasn't entirely convinced by the way the investigation wrapped up, I enjoyed the journey to get there and the weaving of local mythology and the ruggedly beautiful landscape into the crime.
With many thanks to and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for a digital ARC to read
April 21, 2021
Love this series! The Lantern Men opens two years after the end of the previous book and many things have changed in Ruth's life. She is trying out a different path but is not sure if it is working. It does appear that Nelson and the Salt Marsh have spoiled her for anyone and any place else.
I really enjoyed getting back together with all of the characters, but this book also offered an excellent mystery which required Ruth's forensic skills in identifying a number of murdered women and seeking evidence to convict their murderer. She is very good at her job and she discovers more than may be good for her.
There is a very interesting ending and no cliff hanger this time. I can clearly see what Ruth is going to do next and I am looking forward to seeing where it leads.
I really enjoyed getting back together with all of the characters, but this book also offered an excellent mystery which required Ruth's forensic skills in identifying a number of murdered women and seeking evidence to convict their murderer. She is very good at her job and she discovers more than may be good for her.
There is a very interesting ending and no cliff hanger this time. I can clearly see what Ruth is going to do next and I am looking forward to seeing where it leads.
August 17, 2020
This series is so readable! These books are unputdownable page turners that keep you immersed in the story. I find these books very addictive and perfect escapism and especially ideal for reading when you struggle to get interested in a book.
The reason I enjoy this series the most is the characters. Having got to know them so well over these 12 books it's great fun to be with them again. I'm attached to all the characters now, I really like Kate, Ruth and Nelson, all of the characters really. They seem like real people, with flaws and humour and lives that don't always run smoothly.
The mystery was interesting, I liked the theme of the group of artists, I found them fairly realistic representation of artists from that era. I enjoyed the addition of the local folklore and the mentions of places near me I know and love. The conclusion of the mystery did seem farfetched
Part of the story revolved around a cycling club and I found this part researched poorly.
The other very slight downside is that too many times, every book I think, Ruth walks willingly into danger, puts Kate in danger and too many times the non police characters are directly threatened by criminals in the mystery, it does become quite farcical but I've come to expect that so it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the book for me.
The other thing I find unrealistic is the really unhealthy eating, this author seems fixated with junk food. If one or two characters ate like this that would be realistic but all of them! Food is mentioned continually but not one item of fruit or vegetables was mentioned throughout the whole book, forget your 5 a day these characters don't even get their 1 a year between them! I had a note book and some time on my hands when I read this, here's what they ate and drank in the order they come up in the story, it made me laugh! - gin and tonic, steak, chips, cheese, wine, chocolate brownies, beer, wine, prosecco, coffee, fish and chips, lager, chilli con carne with chocolate in it, pimm's, chicken and chips, beer, cake, vegan burger, wine, coke, sausage and mash, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, fish pie, coffee, chocolate, red wine, chocolate truffles, spaghetti bolognese, mixed grill, chips, pizza, brownies, curry, wine, vodka, limoncello, kitkats, chocolate brownies, roast dinner, apple pie, barbecue ribs, coffee, shepherd's pie, wine. I can only assume the author is on a diet and craves these foods so is giving them to her characters! There is a mention of making hummus but the character does not get to do this!
I did really enjoy this story, I loved the humour and there are some wonderful quotes. I'm glad this didn't finish on a cliffhanger as I'm already wanting to read the next book desperately! I usually read this series as a buddy read with Lisa Vegan but after some lockdown hold ups to getting our book we ended up reading the end of the book together which was fun. It's a really good series to read as a book group read or a buddy read because there's lots to talk about and the mysteries keep you guessing as everyone seems suspicious in these books!
The reason I enjoy this series the most is the characters. Having got to know them so well over these 12 books it's great fun to be with them again. I'm attached to all the characters now, I really like Kate, Ruth and Nelson, all of the characters really. They seem like real people, with flaws and humour and lives that don't always run smoothly.
The mystery was interesting, I liked the theme of the group of artists, I found them fairly realistic representation of artists from that era. I enjoyed the addition of the local folklore and the mentions of places near me I know and love. The conclusion of the mystery did seem farfetched
Part of the story revolved around a cycling club and I found this part researched poorly.
The other very slight downside is that too many times, every book I think, Ruth walks willingly into danger, puts Kate in danger and too many times the non police characters are directly threatened by criminals in the mystery, it does become quite farcical but I've come to expect that so it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the book for me.
The other thing I find unrealistic is the really unhealthy eating, this author seems fixated with junk food. If one or two characters ate like this that would be realistic but all of them! Food is mentioned continually but not one item of fruit or vegetables was mentioned throughout the whole book, forget your 5 a day these characters don't even get their 1 a year between them! I had a note book and some time on my hands when I read this, here's what they ate and drank in the order they come up in the story, it made me laugh! - gin and tonic, steak, chips, cheese, wine, chocolate brownies, beer, wine, prosecco, coffee, fish and chips, lager, chilli con carne with chocolate in it, pimm's, chicken and chips, beer, cake, vegan burger, wine, coke, sausage and mash, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, fish pie, coffee, chocolate, red wine, chocolate truffles, spaghetti bolognese, mixed grill, chips, pizza, brownies, curry, wine, vodka, limoncello, kitkats, chocolate brownies, roast dinner, apple pie, barbecue ribs, coffee, shepherd's pie, wine. I can only assume the author is on a diet and craves these foods so is giving them to her characters! There is a mention of making hummus but the character does not get to do this!
I did really enjoy this story, I loved the humour and there are some wonderful quotes. I'm glad this didn't finish on a cliffhanger as I'm already wanting to read the next book desperately! I usually read this series as a buddy read with Lisa Vegan but after some lockdown hold ups to getting our book we ended up reading the end of the book together which was fun. It's a really good series to read as a book group read or a buddy read because there's lots to talk about and the mysteries keep you guessing as everyone seems suspicious in these books!
August 8, 2020
Comfort reading.
Kate might be a future Goodreads member. “It’s my reading journal,’ says Kate. ‘We don’t have to do it but I want to keep up to date.”
Another addictive page turner.
As usual, the humor was great. I liked this mystery a lot. I love the characters, especially the recurring characters. I would have liked even more of Kate and of Ruth and of some of the recurring characters. There was a lot of time spent with the new characters. They were also interesting, and I got enough of a “fix” with the main characters to whom I’m attached, so no complaints.
As usual, there were lots of unhealthy foods consumed. An after swim snack of a Kit Kat candy bar and soon after another snack of a chocolate brownie for a 9 year old? If unusual that would not be such a bad thing but these were no more unhealthy than most of the other foods mentioned.
No, don’t bring Kate there!!! (I’m with Nelson and not Ruth on that one.) For that matter, don’t go there yourself either. (Luckily, that sort of unnecessary behavior didn’t happen often in this book but I could do without it happening at all.
I can enjoy the unintended humor (the food, the soap opera like happenings, the needless putting oneself & others in danger) along with enjoying the humor written to be amusing. I do appreciate the humor in these books. The humor makes them better and makes them seem more real too. The characters do feel like real people. They’re the best part of these books. The characters and the settings. The settings are wonderful, and I learn so much about English places.
It’s enjoyable to make guesses, particularly when reading this mystery book series. This book had so many red herrings but they’re all presented in such a subtle manner. Ditto the extreme suspense. It seems to arise naturally including during many places in the story, not just the obvious ones.
The resolution of the mystery wasn’t as satisfying for me as the guessing. One aspect of what happened seemed more unrealistic to me than anything else in the story.
I was happy that at the end
I love how Elly Griiffths auctions a name to appear as one of the book’s character names in order to benefit a cancer charity. She does this in every book in the series. You don’t know which name until the acknowledgments section at the end. In this book there were two names because another person made a donation and got their name included. I love it! I’d like to see many authors do this sort of thing.
I read the Kindle edition in the Kindle app on my pad. Pandemic style reading. It was hell to wait the extra wait. Two delays actually. One was the inability to borrow the hardcover edition because my library is still closed and the other glitch was that the type of e-edition I first got was unreadable. Axis 360 never ever works for me. Much gratitude to the SFPL staff who helped me and put me first in the queue for the ePub Overdrive and/or Kindle edition. Both of these formats work for me.
This series is my current favorite mystery series. Wonderful, memorable, endearing characters. Fabulous settings. Humor. Not much gore or violence. Interesting archeology, history, folklore. I envy readers yet to read any or most of the books out so far. I read books 1-11 in about 5 months and have to wait 7 months to read book 12. It will be a longer wait for book 13.
It was fun to finish this book at the same time as Hilary. We read the last 60+ pages together. Many of the other books in the series we buddy read so it was really nice to be able to read some of this book at the same time.
If anything, these books keep getting better and better. That is unusual in mystery series books, in my experience.
I have book hangover syndrome and I’m not sure what I’ll read next.
Kate might be a future Goodreads member. “It’s my reading journal,’ says Kate. ‘We don’t have to do it but I want to keep up to date.”
Another addictive page turner.
As usual, the humor was great. I liked this mystery a lot. I love the characters, especially the recurring characters. I would have liked even more of Kate and of Ruth and of some of the recurring characters. There was a lot of time spent with the new characters. They were also interesting, and I got enough of a “fix” with the main characters to whom I’m attached, so no complaints.
As usual, there were lots of unhealthy foods consumed. An after swim snack of a Kit Kat candy bar and soon after another snack of a chocolate brownie for a 9 year old? If unusual that would not be such a bad thing but these were no more unhealthy than most of the other foods mentioned.
No, don’t bring Kate there!!! (I’m with Nelson and not Ruth on that one.) For that matter, don’t go there yourself either. (Luckily, that sort of unnecessary behavior didn’t happen often in this book but I could do without it happening at all.
I can enjoy the unintended humor (the food, the soap opera like happenings, the needless putting oneself & others in danger) along with enjoying the humor written to be amusing. I do appreciate the humor in these books. The humor makes them better and makes them seem more real too. The characters do feel like real people. They’re the best part of these books. The characters and the settings. The settings are wonderful, and I learn so much about English places.
It’s enjoyable to make guesses, particularly when reading this mystery book series. This book had so many red herrings but they’re all presented in such a subtle manner. Ditto the extreme suspense. It seems to arise naturally including during many places in the story, not just the obvious ones.
The resolution of the mystery wasn’t as satisfying for me as the guessing. One aspect of what happened seemed more unrealistic to me than anything else in the story.
I was happy that at the end
I love how Elly Griiffths auctions a name to appear as one of the book’s character names in order to benefit a cancer charity. She does this in every book in the series. You don’t know which name until the acknowledgments section at the end. In this book there were two names because another person made a donation and got their name included. I love it! I’d like to see many authors do this sort of thing.
I read the Kindle edition in the Kindle app on my pad. Pandemic style reading. It was hell to wait the extra wait. Two delays actually. One was the inability to borrow the hardcover edition because my library is still closed and the other glitch was that the type of e-edition I first got was unreadable. Axis 360 never ever works for me. Much gratitude to the SFPL staff who helped me and put me first in the queue for the ePub Overdrive and/or Kindle edition. Both of these formats work for me.
This series is my current favorite mystery series. Wonderful, memorable, endearing characters. Fabulous settings. Humor. Not much gore or violence. Interesting archeology, history, folklore. I envy readers yet to read any or most of the books out so far. I read books 1-11 in about 5 months and have to wait 7 months to read book 12. It will be a longer wait for book 13.
It was fun to finish this book at the same time as Hilary. We read the last 60+ pages together. Many of the other books in the series we buddy read so it was really nice to be able to read some of this book at the same time.
If anything, these books keep getting better and better. That is unusual in mystery series books, in my experience.
I have book hangover syndrome and I’m not sure what I’ll read next.
April 7, 2020
Although I enjoyed it, it wasn't her best book in the series. It took a long time before it really got going.
May 31, 2020
Tiny beams of light in the distance seeming to come closer and closer in the Saltmarsh. Is what you see reality? Or is it the Lantern Men paying a visit from Norfolk legends.....mysterious figures prowling the marshes at night. Either way, the creep is setting in.
Elly Griffiths brings us in touch with familiar characters in this latest edition in the series. Dr. Ruth Galloway, senior lecturer and forensic archaeologist, has set in motion many changes in her life. She's now teaching at St. Jude College in Cambridge. She and nine year old daughter Kate are living with Ruth's American love interest, Frank Barker. This means a distance in miles from DCI Harry Nelson who is the father of Kate. There is tension and there will always be tension between Harry and Ruth.
And for a gamut of reasons, Ruth decides to venture out to Grey Walls for a writing retreat in order to finish her next book. She becomes fast friends with Crissy Martin who runs the retreat. Remember that name.
In the meantime, DCI Harry Nelson and DI Judy Johnson are interviewing Ivor March who has been arrested for the murders of two young women. March buried the bodies in the garden of his present girlfriend's home. Chantal still believes that he is innocent even with DNA saying otherwise. Now Marsh insists that Ruth do the forensic digging. Oh, and by the way, Crissy happens to be March's ex-wife.
Griffiths has us guessing if March is innocent or not and gives us a look back in time to other members of Grey Walls. We're also introduced to DI Tony Zhang of the Norfolk Serious Crime Unit who seems to engage with both heart and mind in his early introduction to the police force. And there's a new murder to be investigated even with March in jail. Copy cat crime or what?
The Lantern Men seems to be circling around change for Ruth. Decisions made recently and more to come it seems. Looks like #13 will be opening some new doors in the not too distant future for Ruth. The last page leans in that direction. Yes, be patient.
I received a copy of The Lantern Men through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers and Elly Griffiths for the opportunity.
Elly Griffiths brings us in touch with familiar characters in this latest edition in the series. Dr. Ruth Galloway, senior lecturer and forensic archaeologist, has set in motion many changes in her life. She's now teaching at St. Jude College in Cambridge. She and nine year old daughter Kate are living with Ruth's American love interest, Frank Barker. This means a distance in miles from DCI Harry Nelson who is the father of Kate. There is tension and there will always be tension between Harry and Ruth.
And for a gamut of reasons, Ruth decides to venture out to Grey Walls for a writing retreat in order to finish her next book. She becomes fast friends with Crissy Martin who runs the retreat. Remember that name.
In the meantime, DCI Harry Nelson and DI Judy Johnson are interviewing Ivor March who has been arrested for the murders of two young women. March buried the bodies in the garden of his present girlfriend's home. Chantal still believes that he is innocent even with DNA saying otherwise. Now Marsh insists that Ruth do the forensic digging. Oh, and by the way, Crissy happens to be March's ex-wife.
Griffiths has us guessing if March is innocent or not and gives us a look back in time to other members of Grey Walls. We're also introduced to DI Tony Zhang of the Norfolk Serious Crime Unit who seems to engage with both heart and mind in his early introduction to the police force. And there's a new murder to be investigated even with March in jail. Copy cat crime or what?
The Lantern Men seems to be circling around change for Ruth. Decisions made recently and more to come it seems. Looks like #13 will be opening some new doors in the not too distant future for Ruth. The last page leans in that direction. Yes, be patient.
I received a copy of The Lantern Men through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers and Elly Griffiths for the opportunity.
December 31, 2020
That was awesome! Two years have passed and Ruth has moved to Cambridge with Frank, and Kate and Flint of course. She hasn’t forgotten Nelson but has managed to park her feelings somewhat and have a contented life. All that is about to change however.
While Nelson is pleased when Ivor March is found guilty of murdering two women, he would still love to convict him for two other deaths he is sure that March committed. The two women were found buried in the garden of March’s girlfriend’s house. There was enough DNA evidence to convict him but no sign of the other bodies. Then, strangely, March says he will talk to Nelson if he brings along Dr Ruth Galloway. He tells them where to find the further bodies and wants Ruth to dig them up - Phil (Ruth’s former boss at UNN) supervised the earlier dig and, apparently, missed things. Well, he IS an idiot!
So they dig up the two bodies, and then they find a third body! It all gets very complicated and it’s New Year’s Eve and my brain hurts so I don’t feel like explaining the whole thing. There are plenty of other great reviews of this book. But it has a very exciting conclusion as a killer plots to do away with Ruth when it seems she has twigged who it may be. Will Nelson be able to save her yet again? And how would this affect their non-relationship? Mwah ha ha (twirls imaginary moustache)!
While Nelson is pleased when Ivor March is found guilty of murdering two women, he would still love to convict him for two other deaths he is sure that March committed. The two women were found buried in the garden of March’s girlfriend’s house. There was enough DNA evidence to convict him but no sign of the other bodies. Then, strangely, March says he will talk to Nelson if he brings along Dr Ruth Galloway. He tells them where to find the further bodies and wants Ruth to dig them up - Phil (Ruth’s former boss at UNN) supervised the earlier dig and, apparently, missed things. Well, he IS an idiot!
So they dig up the two bodies, and then they find a third body! It all gets very complicated and it’s New Year’s Eve and my brain hurts so I don’t feel like explaining the whole thing. There are plenty of other great reviews of this book. But it has a very exciting conclusion as a killer plots to do away with Ruth when it seems she has twigged who it may be. Will Nelson be able to save her yet again? And how would this affect their non-relationship? Mwah ha ha (twirls imaginary moustache)!
October 25, 2024
As always, with an Elly Griffiths book, I was riveted and couldn’t wait to find out who the villain was! I just love the way that I’ve been stumped by the last several books. I can’t wait to see what Ruth Galloway gets up to in her next adventure!
TW:
Murder, mention of S&M, kidnapping.
TW:
Murder, mention of S&M, kidnapping.
April 30, 2020
4.5 stars
I have to admit my secret addiction to the Ruth Galloway series. For some reason this won't be out for months in the U.S. (so unfair) so I ordered it from Book Depository (free shipping) as my Corona gift to myself. If I have to be holed up I should be reading something good.
Griffiths is not afraid to take her characters on big steps. Heaven knows that Harry Nelson's (Detective Chief Inspector) wife, Michelle, could have been a stereotype and yet her journey has been quite surprising. In this one, Ruth has left her beloved Saltmarsh house and the UNN (University of North Norfolk) and is teaching at Cambridge University. She is living with Frank who is great with her daughter, Kate. Note: these are not spoilers as they are on the blurb on the back of the book.
Nelson is working on a case involving a serial killer who kills young, blond women. Even though he's is prison, Nelson is sure he is responsible for at least two more. The killer agrees to give the location to the girl's bodies if Ruth is put in charge of the recovery of the remains. Ruth agrees and just like that the gang is all back together. Cloughie has moved on to greener pastures but he makes an appearance too.
I dropped this 1/2 star because there is what I think is a highly improbable encounter in Ruth's old house. Neither her actions or what occurs seems likely to me but what do I know? The book ends on a satisfying note and promises lots more changes in books to come. That's what keeps this series so fresh and exciting.
I have to admit my secret addiction to the Ruth Galloway series. For some reason this won't be out for months in the U.S. (so unfair) so I ordered it from Book Depository (free shipping) as my Corona gift to myself. If I have to be holed up I should be reading something good.
Griffiths is not afraid to take her characters on big steps. Heaven knows that Harry Nelson's (Detective Chief Inspector) wife, Michelle, could have been a stereotype and yet her journey has been quite surprising. In this one, Ruth has left her beloved Saltmarsh house and the UNN (University of North Norfolk) and is teaching at Cambridge University. She is living with Frank who is great with her daughter, Kate. Note: these are not spoilers as they are on the blurb on the back of the book.
Nelson is working on a case involving a serial killer who kills young, blond women. Even though he's is prison, Nelson is sure he is responsible for at least two more. The killer agrees to give the location to the girl's bodies if Ruth is put in charge of the recovery of the remains. Ruth agrees and just like that the gang is all back together. Cloughie has moved on to greener pastures but he makes an appearance too.
I dropped this 1/2 star because there is what I think is a highly improbable encounter in Ruth's old house. Neither her actions or what occurs seems likely to me but what do I know? The book ends on a satisfying note and promises lots more changes in books to come. That's what keeps this series so fresh and exciting.
November 14, 2020
Thank you Elly Griffiths for another great Dr Ruth Galloway series— and for skipping ahead a few years. I think the time jump really served to reset some of the personal stuff taking away from the mysteries.
Speaking of mysteries— this was packed with old crimes layered with new crimes! Serial killer or killers? A few surprises and the great scenes where Ruth inevitably manages to run across the real villain before anyone else realizes it.
Already looking forward to the next installment— a few questions left unanswered and another change for Galloway and friends? Now the wait begins.
Speaking of mysteries— this was packed with old crimes layered with new crimes! Serial killer or killers? A few surprises and the great scenes where Ruth inevitably manages to run across the real villain before anyone else realizes it.
Already looking forward to the next installment— a few questions left unanswered and another change for Galloway and friends? Now the wait begins.
August 7, 2020
"She had the strangest desire to follow the marsh light.... even though the path might lead to her death."
- 3.5 stars- What a confusing timeline! Did I skip a book? Apparently two years have past since the last one. And Ruth has moved to Cambridge. (What's the point? -- have to read to find out!) Alot of repetition throughout with the photos so I felt this wasn't as good as her previous. What I love is how the author uses the Lantern Man tale and ties it to a serial killer.
- 3.5 stars- What a confusing timeline! Did I skip a book? Apparently two years have past since the last one. And Ruth has moved to Cambridge. (What's the point? -- have to read to find out!) Alot of repetition throughout with the photos so I felt this wasn't as good as her previous. What I love is how the author uses the Lantern Man tale and ties it to a serial killer.
July 18, 2020
In the twelfth book in the excellent Ruth Galloway series, Ruth is now living in Cambridge as part of "Team Rank" (Ruth and Frank). She shares a home with her partner, Frank, and her daughter Kate, now nine. She teaches at the university but misses her small house by the Norfolk sea. When a convicted murder, Ivor March, offers to tell DCI Nelson the location of more bodies, but only if Ruth does the excavation, she finds herself drawn back to Norfolk. He weaves the tale of the Lantern Man, who lures women to their deaths. Nelson has always been convinced March killed more women, so Ruth felts compelled to help. And, of course, she feels her usual draw to Nelson. But the case turns dangerous quickly, pulling Ruth in with it.
I adore all Ruth Galloway books, and I'm so glad the series continues. I was surprised to find the book opening with Ruth away from her beloved Norfolk and its marshes--and giving more permanence to her relationship with Frank. The move only complicates Ruth's own relationship with Nelson, and their chemistry crackles as always. I love how familiar the characters feel--Ruth, Nelson, and young Kate. Ruth's friends, to include Cathbad, the eclectic druid, and his family. Nelson's co-workers. Ruth's co-workers. Each of these books feels like coming home and Griffiths captures each of their individual voices so perfectly. I love Nelson's sarcasm and Ruth's intelligence and desire for solitude--they are all so wonderful.
The case in this book is excellent; Griffiths is an expert at tying together murders in the past with those in the present, and that happens here. It kept me guessing, and it's great that's it's so often Ruth's intelligence--not just Nelson's brawn--that helps resolve things. There are some strong twists that keep things moving as well.
This book will stand-alone, though I always recommend the whole series, because Ruth and Nelson's relationship and character development alone is worth it. 4 stars for this installment, and I'll look forward to #13!
I received a copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
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I adore all Ruth Galloway books, and I'm so glad the series continues. I was surprised to find the book opening with Ruth away from her beloved Norfolk and its marshes--and giving more permanence to her relationship with Frank. The move only complicates Ruth's own relationship with Nelson, and their chemistry crackles as always. I love how familiar the characters feel--Ruth, Nelson, and young Kate. Ruth's friends, to include Cathbad, the eclectic druid, and his family. Nelson's co-workers. Ruth's co-workers. Each of these books feels like coming home and Griffiths captures each of their individual voices so perfectly. I love Nelson's sarcasm and Ruth's intelligence and desire for solitude--they are all so wonderful.
The case in this book is excellent; Griffiths is an expert at tying together murders in the past with those in the present, and that happens here. It kept me guessing, and it's great that's it's so often Ruth's intelligence--not just Nelson's brawn--that helps resolve things. There are some strong twists that keep things moving as well.
This book will stand-alone, though I always recommend the whole series, because Ruth and Nelson's relationship and character development alone is worth it. 4 stars for this installment, and I'll look forward to #13!
I received a copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
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June 22, 2020
The Lantern Men is the twelfth volume in Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series. This is the first book in the series I've read, and I managed just fine. It does, however, have a complex set of characters who have long histories with one another, so I want to go back now and read the rest of the series starting with the first volume: The Crossing Places. Griffiths does the most skillful embedding of background information of any mystery writer I've read. Usually, those sentences filling in background come across as awkward and obvious. Girffiths makes them smooth and fully integrates them into the novel. Bottom line: this is a writer who will let you comfortably start with any volume in her series, but once you've read one volume, you will want to read them all.
This volume opens with the conviction of a man for murdering two women—the police are convinced he's killed four. He agrees from prison that he will reveal where the remaining two bodies are buried, but only if forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway agrees to do the digging. Detective Chief Inspector Nelson, who has taken the lead on these cases is much less comfortable with the arrangement than Galloway is—the two of them had an affair in the past that remains unsettled.
When the two bodies are excavated, a third is also found, and then a new murder similar to the earlier ones occurs. If the guilty man is in prison, who is responsible for the recent murder happened? Why was the killer willing to lead Nelson and Galloway to two bodies without acknowledging the third? And how do these deaths connect to the Lantern Men, characters from folklore who lead their victims into marshes to drown? That's the mystery, and it works wonderfully.
The complexities in the relationships among the recurring characters and the complex group of suspects in this particular volume mean that new revelations crop up at a quick pace, making the book incredibly difficult to put down. Start with this volume or any other in the series, but trust me, you'll wind up reading all of them.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher. The opinions are my own.
This volume opens with the conviction of a man for murdering two women—the police are convinced he's killed four. He agrees from prison that he will reveal where the remaining two bodies are buried, but only if forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway agrees to do the digging. Detective Chief Inspector Nelson, who has taken the lead on these cases is much less comfortable with the arrangement than Galloway is—the two of them had an affair in the past that remains unsettled.
When the two bodies are excavated, a third is also found, and then a new murder similar to the earlier ones occurs. If the guilty man is in prison, who is responsible for the recent murder happened? Why was the killer willing to lead Nelson and Galloway to two bodies without acknowledging the third? And how do these deaths connect to the Lantern Men, characters from folklore who lead their victims into marshes to drown? That's the mystery, and it works wonderfully.
The complexities in the relationships among the recurring characters and the complex group of suspects in this particular volume mean that new revelations crop up at a quick pace, making the book incredibly difficult to put down. Start with this volume or any other in the series, but trust me, you'll wind up reading all of them.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher. The opinions are my own.
August 12, 2020
Well, I am amongst the minority of the less than pleased readers. I've now read all twelve of the series and liked them in varying degrees, but I am really, really tired of the ongoing Ruth and Nelson thing. I'm not sure what to call it...certainly not a romance...obsession? And, I really don't like Nelson much anymore. He's an arrogant bully!
"He feels deeply aggrieved. He is surely within his rights to tell Ruth not to take Katie, HIS daughter, to a house that once belonged to a murderer? How dare Ruth hang up on him like that?"
No discussion...just telling her...bad in any relationship, but when you consider their circumstances, even worse!
"Didn't you see the sign on the door saying that I was with a student, asks Ruth". "No, says Nelson, I haven't got time to read signs.".
He is a complete arse. And then there is Ruth still pining away for him, like some 15 year old...book after book. Girl, get over his selfish controlling self and move on!
I'm happy for those of you who are happy with them but really, I quit. I just wanted to finish this book to make sure I had figured it out right.
"He feels deeply aggrieved. He is surely within his rights to tell Ruth not to take Katie, HIS daughter, to a house that once belonged to a murderer? How dare Ruth hang up on him like that?"
No discussion...just telling her...bad in any relationship, but when you consider their circumstances, even worse!
"Didn't you see the sign on the door saying that I was with a student, asks Ruth". "No, says Nelson, I haven't got time to read signs.".
He is a complete arse. And then there is Ruth still pining away for him, like some 15 year old...book after book. Girl, get over his selfish controlling self and move on!
I'm happy for those of you who are happy with them but really, I quit. I just wanted to finish this book to make sure I had figured it out right.
February 16, 2020
Excellent as always, one of the best. But almost dropped a star for the few unnecessary political references. I hope Ruth goes back to Norfolk, she doesn't seem happy in Cambridge or happy with Frank. Like Nelson, I find him irritating and I don't know why!
March 19, 2020
When your favorite series is as thrilling in book twelve as it was when it began, you know you have struck reading gold. The Lantern Men, #12 in the Ruth Galloway series, by Elly Griffiths is a book that both continues the great storytelling immersed in the mysterious, mythic salt marsh setting of Norfolk with its characters we’ve come to love and is a pivotal point of what the future holds. In other words, the murder mystery has its roots deliciously deep into the mythical connection of the Lantern Men of the marshes, and the always complicated relationships of characters sees some resolution. It is Ruth’s hour of deepest soul searching.
Change looms large in this new tale. Ruth has now been living with the American history scholar Frank and her daughter Kate in Cambridge for two years. Both Frank and Ruth are teaching at Oxford, and Ruth has rented out her house by the salt marshes in Norfolk. While she still sees her friends from Norfolk, she and Frank have carved out their own niche away from it. She is no longer the police expert engaged for cases that DCI Harry Nelson, Kate’s father, investigates for the North Norfolk Police Department. The most recent case she was not involved in was the serial murderer Ivor March, convicted of killing two women and suspected, especially by Nelson, of killing two more. It was Ruth’s former boss, Phil Trent, who was the forensic archeologist on call who dug up the bones in the garden of March’s girlfriend, the bones that proved to be two missing Norfolk women. But, a twist comes up in the Ivor March saga, that brings Ruth front and center again in her old police work. Nelson meets with March at March’s new prison accommodations, and March offers to reveal the location of the other two graves, but he will do so only if Dr. Ruth Galloway does the digging. Ruth feels as if she can’t refuse if it will mean that two more families will receive closure to their tormenting uncertainty. So, it’s back to her familiar stomping grounds to work with Nelson and his team, something she has missed since starting her new life.
The location that March gives to Ruth and Nelson is the garden of an abandoned pub, on the edge of the Cley Marshes. Ruth, who doesn’t know Ivor March, has wondered why he wanted her to do the dig. She doesn’t think she has any connection to him, but then she discovers that his ex-wife runs the writers and artists retreat, Grey Walls, where Ruth has just spent a week to finish her last book. The ex-wife, Crissy Martin, together with Ivor March’s current girlfriend and another former female resident at their retreat, are trying to get March out of jail, claiming he’s innocent. Ruth had heard of the Ivor March case and followed it, but she had no idea that the retreat in the fens was where March had lived with a group of men and women who all participated in different arts and the retreat in the early days of it. Ruth is further surprised that Crissy, whom she liked and even confided in, a rare thing for Ruth, during her week stay, is still connected to her ex-husband and the group of friends. However, only the gardener/artist John and Crissy remain to run the retreat now.
When the dig at the old pub reveals a surprise and the DNA evidence isn’t what Nelson had hoped, things really start to get complicated. Then, another young woman is found dead, and even Nelson has a nagging thought that March could be innocent, although that thought doesn’t linger long. And, of course, the mythic legends, which Nelson finds annoying and Ruth finds fascinating, rear their mysterious heads. This time it is the legend of the Lantern Men. Three of the men, including Ivor March, who had lived at Grey Walls had called themselves the Lantern Men, but contrary to the marsh legend of the Lantern Men leading people to their deaths, March claims that they saved young women who were lost. The dead women speak otherwise, but if March led the “Lantern Men,” is there now a copycat killer?
As with all the Ruth Galloway novels, readers are drawn to the whole cast of characters and their lives and relationships. The changes that Ruth has undergone in the two years since The Stone Circle, #11 in the series, carries over to other characters. Nelson is focusing on his two-year-old son George, but he misses Katie, his daughter with Ruth. DI Cloughie has left Norfolk and got his own patch at the Cambridgeshire CID, but he becomes involved in the Ivor March case, much to readers‘ delight. DI Judy Johnson is still in Norfolk and dealing with Tanya Fuller and her ambition to outshine Judy and everyone else. Of course, Judy has Cathbad, our favorite Druid to keep her calm and centered. A new member of the Norfolk Police is Tony Zhang, who promises to be a great replacement for Cloughie. Cathbad’s oldest child, Maddie, is gaining favor as a character, too, in her job as a journalist. Frank has achieved a major accomplishment in convincing Ruth to move to Cambridge, and he isn’t too pleased about her involvement in the Ivor March case and working with Nelson, but Ruth is still very much her own person. She’s changed where she lives, but there are limits to her compromises.
While I was reading The Lantern Men, I was leading a group discussion for a virtual book club on the first Ruth Galloway mystery, The Crossing Places. It was a fortuitous coincidence for me, as there are quite a few allusions to book one’s events and beginnings in The Lantern Men. The continuity was a serendipitous delight. And, reading both in such proximity allowed me to feel the full force of how much has changed and yet remained the same, especially the power of the salt marsh setting and its role in life and death. Elly Griffiths has given us another outstanding story in this world of which I cannot get enough.
Change looms large in this new tale. Ruth has now been living with the American history scholar Frank and her daughter Kate in Cambridge for two years. Both Frank and Ruth are teaching at Oxford, and Ruth has rented out her house by the salt marshes in Norfolk. While she still sees her friends from Norfolk, she and Frank have carved out their own niche away from it. She is no longer the police expert engaged for cases that DCI Harry Nelson, Kate’s father, investigates for the North Norfolk Police Department. The most recent case she was not involved in was the serial murderer Ivor March, convicted of killing two women and suspected, especially by Nelson, of killing two more. It was Ruth’s former boss, Phil Trent, who was the forensic archeologist on call who dug up the bones in the garden of March’s girlfriend, the bones that proved to be two missing Norfolk women. But, a twist comes up in the Ivor March saga, that brings Ruth front and center again in her old police work. Nelson meets with March at March’s new prison accommodations, and March offers to reveal the location of the other two graves, but he will do so only if Dr. Ruth Galloway does the digging. Ruth feels as if she can’t refuse if it will mean that two more families will receive closure to their tormenting uncertainty. So, it’s back to her familiar stomping grounds to work with Nelson and his team, something she has missed since starting her new life.
The location that March gives to Ruth and Nelson is the garden of an abandoned pub, on the edge of the Cley Marshes. Ruth, who doesn’t know Ivor March, has wondered why he wanted her to do the dig. She doesn’t think she has any connection to him, but then she discovers that his ex-wife runs the writers and artists retreat, Grey Walls, where Ruth has just spent a week to finish her last book. The ex-wife, Crissy Martin, together with Ivor March’s current girlfriend and another former female resident at their retreat, are trying to get March out of jail, claiming he’s innocent. Ruth had heard of the Ivor March case and followed it, but she had no idea that the retreat in the fens was where March had lived with a group of men and women who all participated in different arts and the retreat in the early days of it. Ruth is further surprised that Crissy, whom she liked and even confided in, a rare thing for Ruth, during her week stay, is still connected to her ex-husband and the group of friends. However, only the gardener/artist John and Crissy remain to run the retreat now.
When the dig at the old pub reveals a surprise and the DNA evidence isn’t what Nelson had hoped, things really start to get complicated. Then, another young woman is found dead, and even Nelson has a nagging thought that March could be innocent, although that thought doesn’t linger long. And, of course, the mythic legends, which Nelson finds annoying and Ruth finds fascinating, rear their mysterious heads. This time it is the legend of the Lantern Men. Three of the men, including Ivor March, who had lived at Grey Walls had called themselves the Lantern Men, but contrary to the marsh legend of the Lantern Men leading people to their deaths, March claims that they saved young women who were lost. The dead women speak otherwise, but if March led the “Lantern Men,” is there now a copycat killer?
As with all the Ruth Galloway novels, readers are drawn to the whole cast of characters and their lives and relationships. The changes that Ruth has undergone in the two years since The Stone Circle, #11 in the series, carries over to other characters. Nelson is focusing on his two-year-old son George, but he misses Katie, his daughter with Ruth. DI Cloughie has left Norfolk and got his own patch at the Cambridgeshire CID, but he becomes involved in the Ivor March case, much to readers‘ delight. DI Judy Johnson is still in Norfolk and dealing with Tanya Fuller and her ambition to outshine Judy and everyone else. Of course, Judy has Cathbad, our favorite Druid to keep her calm and centered. A new member of the Norfolk Police is Tony Zhang, who promises to be a great replacement for Cloughie. Cathbad’s oldest child, Maddie, is gaining favor as a character, too, in her job as a journalist. Frank has achieved a major accomplishment in convincing Ruth to move to Cambridge, and he isn’t too pleased about her involvement in the Ivor March case and working with Nelson, but Ruth is still very much her own person. She’s changed where she lives, but there are limits to her compromises.
While I was reading The Lantern Men, I was leading a group discussion for a virtual book club on the first Ruth Galloway mystery, The Crossing Places. It was a fortuitous coincidence for me, as there are quite a few allusions to book one’s events and beginnings in The Lantern Men. The continuity was a serendipitous delight. And, reading both in such proximity allowed me to feel the full force of how much has changed and yet remained the same, especially the power of the salt marsh setting and its role in life and death. Elly Griffiths has given us another outstanding story in this world of which I cannot get enough.
June 11, 2020
Ruth is an forensic archeologist, and she is asked to be present when an alleged serial killer identifies the location of some murder victims. In earlier books in the series, Ruth taught at a Norfolk university, and now she is at Cambridge. Did Ivor murder at least four women? Why does Cathbad think Ivor is not a serial killer? And what happened to a young hitchhiker from Eastern Europe who disappeared 10 years ago? Nelson aims to find out, but Ruth becomes involved in the case, and may be trusting the wrong person. I just couldn’t put this book down--recommended for fans of Louise Penny, Deborah Crombie, and Donna Leon. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2020
This award-winning series gets better and better. The legend of the Lantern Man is the perfect framework for a series of murders that take place near the marsh. A charismatic professor by the name of Ivor March has been convicted to the murder of two women. A mysterious note sends Ruth to interview the murderer and find out where the bodies of two additional women are buried. The plot is multi-layered with women (alive and dead) of a similar type, two burial sites, two separate investigations, and a compelling climax point where all roads converge. I loved all the moving parts and the many ways Griffiths kept us guessing. If jumping on a bike would have gotten me to the end more quickly, I would have done it. We want more Ruth! Please keep the series going, Elly!
April 17, 2020
Maybe it's because of the global pandemic situation at the moment, but I was very disappointed in this 12th instalment of the Ruth Galloway series. I found the plot as flat as the Norfolk saltmarshes it is set in and downright boring! Is it just my mindset or has this series gone downhill?
September 8, 2020
An interesting mystery but I thought it focused more on Ruth's life and a lot less on the forensic archeology that I find so intriguing in this series.
September 6, 2025
Once again another awesome read from the “Ruth Galloway” series!
March 30, 2022
4.5 stars
June 25, 2022
*3.5* This series has been both a pleasure to read, and also a source of frustration.
Can it really have been 12 books, and 10 years of Ruth's life pining away for Nelson? I first fell in love with Ruth, a forensic archaeologists, by her forward thinking, completely genuine, intelligent, yet self-deprecating attitude. But I'm tired of waiting for the Nelson drama to fix itself. Their simmering passions, and in earlier books, their frantic coupling (that produce their daughter while Nelson was married), have turned into a soap opera and I'm done wondering when they'll either realize they are perfectly imperfect together, or let the whole thing go, and be happy in other relationships.
I have no idea how Nelson's wife Michelle, has been able to handle all of this over the past ten years. (Obv if you've read the series, she's had her share of drama as well)
Despite my complaining about the relationship angst, the mysteries in these books are tight, well thought out, engaging, and never too gory. These books are filled with folklore and rich with historical facts.
Griffiths weaves her secondary characters so well that I've come to feel as if they are family. Every time I sink into another story, I can't wait to hear how Ruth's friends are doing, or to learn what Nelson's co-workers are up to.
Can it really have been 12 books, and 10 years of Ruth's life pining away for Nelson? I first fell in love with Ruth, a forensic archaeologists, by her forward thinking, completely genuine, intelligent, yet self-deprecating attitude. But I'm tired of waiting for the Nelson drama to fix itself. Their simmering passions, and in earlier books, their frantic coupling (that produce their daughter while Nelson was married), have turned into a soap opera and I'm done wondering when they'll either realize they are perfectly imperfect together, or let the whole thing go, and be happy in other relationships.
I have no idea how Nelson's wife Michelle, has been able to handle all of this over the past ten years. (Obv if you've read the series, she's had her share of drama as well)
Despite my complaining about the relationship angst, the mysteries in these books are tight, well thought out, engaging, and never too gory. These books are filled with folklore and rich with historical facts.
Griffiths weaves her secondary characters so well that I've come to feel as if they are family. Every time I sink into another story, I can't wait to hear how Ruth's friends are doing, or to learn what Nelson's co-workers are up to.
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