by Elly Griffiths
This book is the first in a series about forensic archaelogist Dr. Ruth Galloway. The book is set in the north of England. The police call in Dr. Galloway to examine some bones. They turn out to be very old bones which makes Dr. Galloway excited but not the police. There are two young girls who have gone missing in the area, one 10 years ago and one recently.
Dr. Galloway starts studying some of the research and the pathways in the marshes and is able to locate the body of the most recent girl who disappeared, in the centre of an ancient round circle. There are people in the neighbourhood who are under suspicion including a protester. The police have received many letters, some typed, some handwritten, teasing them for not being able to locate the girls. The letters quote the bible and use other terminology which might only be used by an archaeologist.
One of Dr. Galloway's cats is brutally murdered and left on her step. She also receives threatening texts saying they know where she is. At one point she feels so threatened she goes to stay with a friend.
Eventually Dr. Galloway is roaming on the marshes and while she is disoriented locates a bird blind in the marshes. She is shocked to discover a girl imprisoned under the blind (the girl who disappeared 10 years before). She and the girl try to get away but they are chased by a man Dr. G thought she could trust an environmental officer/birder.
Fortunately they get away but the birder and a former colleague of Dr. G, who sent some letters to the police because they were angry about a different death the police were involved with, drown in the marshes.
It was a well written mystery but I really dislike the "fat shaming" of Dr G by the author. This is completely insensitive and unnecessary. Because of this I won't be reading any more books in this series.
No comments:
Post a Comment