The Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths is a gripping mystery novel that plunges readers into the atmospheric world of forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. When a colleague is found murdered, Ruth is drawn into a complex investigation that leads her to uncover dark secrets buried beneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic seaside town. As Ruth delves deeper into the case, she must confront her own fears and insecurities while navigating through a web of lies, betrayal, and long-buried truths. With its richly drawn characters, evocative setting, and intricate plot twists, The Dying Fall keeps readers guessing until the very end.
Falls play an important role in Wade’s penultimate mystery novel and in the life and death of Captain Charles Rathlyn and his wife, Kate.
This is one of those books which, while full of excellent features, does not quite work for me. The writing is good, the characters mostly well-drawn, the background of racing and country pursuits authentic, the central premise interesting, and yet, overall I was unsatisfied.
It is difficult to explain without giving away some of the essential elements of the plot. However, I will say that I was not convinced that Charles would have married Kate in the first place or that he would have given in to blackmail. The second death was presented very abruptly. Kate’s brother-in-law is introduced , but the author does not really use the character to any effect and there are some loose ends-why did Kate summon her lawyer the day before her death?
The police are, as always, properly represented, and the interplay between the Chief Constable and Superintendent Hant is good reading, although I felt that the latter’s persistence was overdone.
I thought it had good pacing and was well-written. Some advanced vocabulary that had me Googling some words, but I always like that. If you like Dick Francis, I think you will like this, because it has similar vibes (horse stuff and mystery). 4 stars because, as I know what happens now, I probably won't ever re-read it, but it was still good! The very end was just *chef's kiss*.