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Ruth Galloway #13
The Night Hawks
'SET IN DIVINE NORTH NORFOLK. INTENSELY ATMOSPHERIC AND GREAT' India Knight
Dr Ruth Galloway returns to the moody and beautiful landscape of North Norfolk to confront another killer. A devastating new case for our favourite forensic archaeologist in this acclaimed and bestselling crime series.
The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, are searching for buried treasure when they find a body on the beach in North Norfolk. At first Nelson thinks that the dead man might be an asylum seeker but he turns out to be a local boy, Jem Taylor, recently released from prison. Ruth is more interested in the treasure, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons. Nelson at first thinks that Taylor's death is accidental drowning, but a second death suggests murder.
Nelson is called to an apparent murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. Nelson ignores this, even when the owner's suicide note includes the line, 'He's buried in the garden.' Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog.
All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn't scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm ...
Dr Ruth Galloway returns to the moody and beautiful landscape of North Norfolk to confront another killer. A devastating new case for our favourite forensic archaeologist in this acclaimed and bestselling crime series.
The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, are searching for buried treasure when they find a body on the beach in North Norfolk. At first Nelson thinks that the dead man might be an asylum seeker but he turns out to be a local boy, Jem Taylor, recently released from prison. Ruth is more interested in the treasure, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons. Nelson at first thinks that Taylor's death is accidental drowning, but a second death suggests murder.
Nelson is called to an apparent murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. Nelson ignores this, even when the owner's suicide note includes the line, 'He's buried in the garden.' Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog.
All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn't scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm ...
368 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2021
1146 people are currently reading
5725 people want to read
About the author
Elly Griffiths
74 books9,418 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 1,841 reviews
November 20, 2021
OMG! This is well written another book ( actually 13th freaking one) of this fast pacing, intriguing series and foolish me haven’t read the previous 12 books! Yes! What a shame!
But interesting fact is the author did a spectacular job by introducing us the characters and summarized their back stories so adroitly! You can catch everything in few pages and you also get connected with the characters, becoming friendly around them because writing style is so realistic, smartly described, genuine, profound starting with dear Dr. Ruth Calloway: snarky, sarcastic, smart, badass forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway.
As far as we learn she left Cambridge, rejected marriage proposal of Frank, returning back to Norfolk hens with her ten years old daughter Kate where Kate’s biological father DI Harry Nelson lives.
The character analysis of the novel is so good! You want to read more about their stories. Cathbad is one of the most interesting characters I’ve introduced. His knowledge about Norfolk myths and legends picked my interest from my beginning. I also loved DI Harry Nelson, his loyalty to his wife, his children ( two of them are adults) , his undeniably love for Ruth and their daughter. He also deals with his big boss Super Jo and does not have any intention to go without fight, rejecting to retire!
The ongoing mystery didn’t attract my attention because the investigation process has a little plot holes. But the dark and haunted atmosphere of Norfolk was so deliciously intriguing, interesting. Especially the story of Black Schuck : a large black dog with hellfire which is harbinger of death. Of course when DI Judy mentioned the black dog curse her colleague Nelson directly rejects to believe in the idea of it!
The story starts with appearance of Night Hawks who are bunch of metal detectorists to search buried treasures of Norfolk at night time. They recently find a dead body as they search through nearby beaches. DI Nelson and team involved with the investigation and he also calls Ruth who finds another ancient skull at the crime scene with her obnoxious colleague David who tangled up with her.
Then another murder-suicide incident of the middle aged couple happens at Black Dog Farm. One of the victims leaves a suicide note says he is buried in the garden. Later Ruth finds a giant dog buried in the garden which revives black shack legend again. Maybe the dog was the last thing they saw before they took their last breath. Spooky, isn’t it! And interesting fact: the Night Hawks called the police and inform them about the gun shouts which helped them to find bodies!
What’s the connection between crimes and Night Hawks and why everything about the crime is connected with the eerie, bleak Black Dog Farm. Even though Ruth is a true badass, she should have second thoughts to go back there to dig more. But eventually she returns there, doesn’t she?
Four fascinating characters, riveting plot, dark, haunting atmosphere stars!
I think I have to read more books of the series ASAP! The characters and Norfolk myths definitely grew on me!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
But interesting fact is the author did a spectacular job by introducing us the characters and summarized their back stories so adroitly! You can catch everything in few pages and you also get connected with the characters, becoming friendly around them because writing style is so realistic, smartly described, genuine, profound starting with dear Dr. Ruth Calloway: snarky, sarcastic, smart, badass forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway.
As far as we learn she left Cambridge, rejected marriage proposal of Frank, returning back to Norfolk hens with her ten years old daughter Kate where Kate’s biological father DI Harry Nelson lives.
The character analysis of the novel is so good! You want to read more about their stories. Cathbad is one of the most interesting characters I’ve introduced. His knowledge about Norfolk myths and legends picked my interest from my beginning. I also loved DI Harry Nelson, his loyalty to his wife, his children ( two of them are adults) , his undeniably love for Ruth and their daughter. He also deals with his big boss Super Jo and does not have any intention to go without fight, rejecting to retire!
The ongoing mystery didn’t attract my attention because the investigation process has a little plot holes. But the dark and haunted atmosphere of Norfolk was so deliciously intriguing, interesting. Especially the story of Black Schuck : a large black dog with hellfire which is harbinger of death. Of course when DI Judy mentioned the black dog curse her colleague Nelson directly rejects to believe in the idea of it!
The story starts with appearance of Night Hawks who are bunch of metal detectorists to search buried treasures of Norfolk at night time. They recently find a dead body as they search through nearby beaches. DI Nelson and team involved with the investigation and he also calls Ruth who finds another ancient skull at the crime scene with her obnoxious colleague David who tangled up with her.
Then another murder-suicide incident of the middle aged couple happens at Black Dog Farm. One of the victims leaves a suicide note says he is buried in the garden. Later Ruth finds a giant dog buried in the garden which revives black shack legend again. Maybe the dog was the last thing they saw before they took their last breath. Spooky, isn’t it! And interesting fact: the Night Hawks called the police and inform them about the gun shouts which helped them to find bodies!
What’s the connection between crimes and Night Hawks and why everything about the crime is connected with the eerie, bleak Black Dog Farm. Even though Ruth is a true badass, she should have second thoughts to go back there to dig more. But eventually she returns there, doesn’t she?
Four fascinating characters, riveting plot, dark, haunting atmosphere stars!
I think I have to read more books of the series ASAP! The characters and Norfolk myths definitely grew on me!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
November 22, 2020
Elly Griffiths's archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway series set in Norfolk is always a delight and this new addition gives us the opportunity to catch up with our much loved characters once again. Ruth has returned to her beloved cottage in Norfolk, having relinquished her prestigious post as a Cambridge lecturer, broken up with Frank, and with Phil Trent's retirement is now head of department at the University of North Norfolk. The eponymous Night Hawks are metal detectorists who go out hunting at night in search of ancient treasures such as Bronze Age coins and other artefacts the area is well known for. On one such excursion they make some interesting finds that include coins, in Cley at Blakeney Point. However, at the same time a dead body is found on the beach and DCI Harry Nelson of Norfolk Police Serious Crimes Unit and his team think it might be an asylum seeker.
An excited Ruth is called in to excavate an ancient body buried with the detectorists finds, accompanied by a recent appointment she has made in her department, David Brown, a man she is finding irritating and who refuses to recognise her position as head of department. The dead body with its distinctive tattoo of the Norfolk Sea Serpent turns out to be a local man recently released from prison, Jem Taylor. Nelson finds himself called out in the middle of the night when the Night Hawks call the police after hearing gunshots at the Black Dog Farm, reputed to be haunted, according to East Anglian folklore and legend, by a giant spectral dog, the Black Shuck, with eyes of hellfire, that appears to people prior to their death. In a narrative with a high body count, at the farm the police discover what appears to be the murder-suicide of research scientist Dr David Noakes and his wife, Linda, a primary school teacher.
The best part of this series are always the characters, such as the offbeat druid, Cathbad, Ruth's dad Arthur, living in Eltham in London, planning to get married again to Gloria, and Ruth's 11 year old daughter, Kate, is going to be a bridesmaid. Nelson is being harassed by Superintendent Jo Archer to take early retirement, something he refuses to consider, although he worries that DI Judy Johnson might leave if there is no possibility of promotion for her. The complicated relationship between Ruth and Nelson continues to play out amidst the grave dangers they find themselves in. This is another terrific addition to what is a favourite series, it is an entertaining and engaging read, although you will need to suspend your sense of disbelief at some of what occurs. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.
An excited Ruth is called in to excavate an ancient body buried with the detectorists finds, accompanied by a recent appointment she has made in her department, David Brown, a man she is finding irritating and who refuses to recognise her position as head of department. The dead body with its distinctive tattoo of the Norfolk Sea Serpent turns out to be a local man recently released from prison, Jem Taylor. Nelson finds himself called out in the middle of the night when the Night Hawks call the police after hearing gunshots at the Black Dog Farm, reputed to be haunted, according to East Anglian folklore and legend, by a giant spectral dog, the Black Shuck, with eyes of hellfire, that appears to people prior to their death. In a narrative with a high body count, at the farm the police discover what appears to be the murder-suicide of research scientist Dr David Noakes and his wife, Linda, a primary school teacher.
The best part of this series are always the characters, such as the offbeat druid, Cathbad, Ruth's dad Arthur, living in Eltham in London, planning to get married again to Gloria, and Ruth's 11 year old daughter, Kate, is going to be a bridesmaid. Nelson is being harassed by Superintendent Jo Archer to take early retirement, something he refuses to consider, although he worries that DI Judy Johnson might leave if there is no possibility of promotion for her. The complicated relationship between Ruth and Nelson continues to play out amidst the grave dangers they find themselves in. This is another terrific addition to what is a favourite series, it is an entertaining and engaging read, although you will need to suspend your sense of disbelief at some of what occurs. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.
January 23, 2024
EXCERPT: It's not until there's a shout of 'Tide!' that they realise the waters are almost upon them. Then there's another cry, coming from Troy, a young hawk stationed at the mouth of one of the estuaries winding back inland. His comrades splash over to him, taking care to keep their machines above water.
'There's something . . .' says Troy. 'I almost fell over it.' He's very young, still a teenager, and his voice wavers and breaks.
Alan, an older detectorist, reaches out in the dark to touch his shoulder. 'What is it, lad?'
But another of the hawks is pointing his torch at the ground by Troy's feet. And they all see it, first some clothes swirling in the incoming tide, a movement that gives the appearance of life. But then, caught in a clump of sea grass, a dead body, its arm outstretched as if asking for help.
ABOUT 'THE NIGHT HAWKS (RUTH GALLOWAY MYSTERIES #13)': Dr Ruth Galloway returns to the moody and beautiful landscape of North Norfolk to confront another killer. A devastating new case for our favourite forensic archaeologist in this acclaimed and bestselling crime series.
The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, are searching for buried treasure when they find a body on the beach in North Norfolk. At first Nelson thinks that the dead man might be an asylum seeker but he turns out to be a local boy, Jem Taylor, recently released from prison. Ruth is more interested in the treasure, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons. Nelson at first thinks that Taylor's death is accidental drowning, but a second death suggests murder.
Nelson is called to an apparent murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. Nelson ignores this, even when the owner's suicide note includes the line, 'He's buried in the garden.' Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog.
All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn't scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm...
MY THOUGHTS: I love this series. It definitely should be read as a series to fully appreciate the ongoing and evolving relationships between the characters.
Ruth is back at UNN, in the top job - head of department - and Frank has returned to America. Her daughter, ten-year-old Kate, is back at her old primary school in her last year before moving on to secondary school. Nelson is under pressure from his boss, Superintendent Jo Archer (Super Jo), to retire. Avoiding her is Nelson's main form of exercise. Cathbad is still raising his and Judy's children and is a practicing Druid. Judy is Nelson's 2-i-c, a DI now who is definitely a woman of two halves. She is an excellent police officer, thorough and dedicated to her job. In her personal life she doesn't much enjoy mixing with other people outside her and Cathbad's tight circle of friends.
The location of this mystery is Blakeney, a name which means Black Island, a place Cathbad describes as 'odd', having 'a lot of psychic energy', and home to the hyter sprites, little spider-like creatures that are said to live in tunnels underneath Blakeney and kidnap children.
Black Dog Farm, said to be home of the Black Shuck, a gigantic black dog with glowing red eyes who is the harbinger of death, has a tragic past, and is now the site of another tragedy.
Elly Griffiths can certainly do atmospheric. Her detailed telling of local legends and the way she weaves them through the fabric of her plots is nothing short of masterful. They add an extra creepy dimension to the already spooky house setting. Add in a dysfunctional family and the stage is set for a gripping and engrossing story that swept me along and had me chafing at the bit to get home from work and finish my read, to find out who was behind these killings and just what their motivation was.
If you have been following my reviews for this series, you will know that my ratings are usually closer to 5 than 4. But there is a loose thread in The Night Hawks left dangling, concerning the dead Doctor's secret room, the activities that were conducted there, and the records contained within. It seemed to me that this was left unfinished and deserved a little more attention than it received from the police.
An excellent addition to the series, that introduces a couple of new characters to the mix. I enjoyed Elly's author's note at the end, and Ruth's biography.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheNightHawks #NetGalley #ellygriffithsauthor @ellygriffiths
#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #murdermystery #detectivefiction
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: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Night Hawks 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/...
'There's something . . .' says Troy. 'I almost fell over it.' He's very young, still a teenager, and his voice wavers and breaks.
Alan, an older detectorist, reaches out in the dark to touch his shoulder. 'What is it, lad?'
But another of the hawks is pointing his torch at the ground by Troy's feet. And they all see it, first some clothes swirling in the incoming tide, a movement that gives the appearance of life. But then, caught in a clump of sea grass, a dead body, its arm outstretched as if asking for help.
ABOUT 'THE NIGHT HAWKS (RUTH GALLOWAY MYSTERIES #13)': Dr Ruth Galloway returns to the moody and beautiful landscape of North Norfolk to confront another killer. A devastating new case for our favourite forensic archaeologist in this acclaimed and bestselling crime series.
The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, are searching for buried treasure when they find a body on the beach in North Norfolk. At first Nelson thinks that the dead man might be an asylum seeker but he turns out to be a local boy, Jem Taylor, recently released from prison. Ruth is more interested in the treasure, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons. Nelson at first thinks that Taylor's death is accidental drowning, but a second death suggests murder.
Nelson is called to an apparent murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. Nelson ignores this, even when the owner's suicide note includes the line, 'He's buried in the garden.' Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog.
All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn't scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm...
MY THOUGHTS: I love this series. It definitely should be read as a series to fully appreciate the ongoing and evolving relationships between the characters.
Ruth is back at UNN, in the top job - head of department - and Frank has returned to America. Her daughter, ten-year-old Kate, is back at her old primary school in her last year before moving on to secondary school. Nelson is under pressure from his boss, Superintendent Jo Archer (Super Jo), to retire. Avoiding her is Nelson's main form of exercise. Cathbad is still raising his and Judy's children and is a practicing Druid. Judy is Nelson's 2-i-c, a DI now who is definitely a woman of two halves. She is an excellent police officer, thorough and dedicated to her job. In her personal life she doesn't much enjoy mixing with other people outside her and Cathbad's tight circle of friends.
The location of this mystery is Blakeney, a name which means Black Island, a place Cathbad describes as 'odd', having 'a lot of psychic energy', and home to the hyter sprites, little spider-like creatures that are said to live in tunnels underneath Blakeney and kidnap children.
Black Dog Farm, said to be home of the Black Shuck, a gigantic black dog with glowing red eyes who is the harbinger of death, has a tragic past, and is now the site of another tragedy.
Elly Griffiths can certainly do atmospheric. Her detailed telling of local legends and the way she weaves them through the fabric of her plots is nothing short of masterful. They add an extra creepy dimension to the already spooky house setting. Add in a dysfunctional family and the stage is set for a gripping and engrossing story that swept me along and had me chafing at the bit to get home from work and finish my read, to find out who was behind these killings and just what their motivation was.
If you have been following my reviews for this series, you will know that my ratings are usually closer to 5 than 4. But there is a loose thread in The Night Hawks left dangling, concerning the dead Doctor's secret room, the activities that were conducted there, and the records contained within. It seemed to me that this was left unfinished and deserved a little more attention than it received from the police.
An excellent addition to the series, that introduces a couple of new characters to the mix. I enjoyed Elly's author's note at the end, and Ruth's biography.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheNightHawks #NetGalley #ellygriffithsauthor @ellygriffiths
#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #murdermystery #detectivefiction
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: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Night Hawks 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/...
July 23, 2021
Oh, I love where the series is heading! Fingers crossed.
There's not much to say about the mystery. It's pretty similar to other Ruth Galloway installments as far as I can tell (I haven't read them all). A body is found near Blakeney Point by amateur detectorists or the Night Hawks. The police were called in, then Ruth. Ruth is a special advisor to the North Norfolk police in forensic analysis. Dr. Ruth's day job is the Head of Archaeology Department at the University of North Norfolk. Ruth has a ten-year-old daughter with a married DCI Harry Nelson. It's complicated. 😉
The mystery didn't wow me. In fact, I think it was too far-fetched. But the character continuity is awesome. You can read the book as a standalone for the mystery, but there are many characters and knowing them adds extra enjoyment to the story.
There's not much to say about the mystery. It's pretty similar to other Ruth Galloway installments as far as I can tell (I haven't read them all). A body is found near Blakeney Point by amateur detectorists or the Night Hawks. The police were called in, then Ruth. Ruth is a special advisor to the North Norfolk police in forensic analysis. Dr. Ruth's day job is the Head of Archaeology Department at the University of North Norfolk. Ruth has a ten-year-old daughter with a married DCI Harry Nelson. It's complicated. 😉
The mystery didn't wow me. In fact, I think it was too far-fetched. But the character continuity is awesome. You can read the book as a standalone for the mystery, but there are many characters and knowing them adds extra enjoyment to the story.
January 5, 2021
In this thirteenth book of the series, forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway has returned to the Norfolk fens that she loves so much. With her refusal of marriage to American historian Frank Barker, she has left Cambridge and taken over as Head of Archaeology from her old boss Phil Trent who has retired. She and her daughter Kate, now ten, are alone again living back in her little cottage on the coast. It's not long however before Kates father, DCI Harry Nelson calls her in to examine some bones found on the beach near the body of a young man.
The best feature of this series is the on-going development of the characters. Ruth is the star with her unconventional independence and her snarky but witty thoughts about people. Nelson is still conflicted by his love for Ruth and his devotion to his wife and family and is doggedly ignoring Super Jo, (his superintendent) and her strong suggestions that he should retire now he has completed thirty years of service. He loves nothing better to be involved in a case but fears DI Judy Johnson will look for promotion elsewhere if he doesn't leave. Judith's husband Cathbad, the Druid is also a star of this series with his knowledge of Norfolk myths and legends and calming influence on all. New archaeology Lecturer David Brown initially annoys Ruth with his enthusiasm, but she has warmed to him by the end of the book and it will be interesting to see where he will find his place in the series.
As further deaths occur to muddy the waters, the plot is very much aided by the strength of the characters Following the discovery of the body on the beach, a research scientist and his wife are found dead in their home. The Night Hawks, a group of licensed metal detectorists who look for ancient relics on the fens at night are very much at the centre of the murder investigation with multiple connections between them and the dead. For me the plot felt a little weak, as we are told the scientist was involved in illegally testing a drug or vaccine, but this was never really elaborated on Despite that quibble, there are lots of interesting background details that all come together to make this an entertaining read. Such as the local legend of a large black dog with hellfire eyes, the Black Schuck, a harbinger of death. Also the bones and archaeological relics found on the beach, possibly belonging to a group of European invaders called the Beakers, who may have brought a virus with them that caused the disappearance of the local inhabitants. 4.5★
With many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for a copy of the book
The best feature of this series is the on-going development of the characters. Ruth is the star with her unconventional independence and her snarky but witty thoughts about people. Nelson is still conflicted by his love for Ruth and his devotion to his wife and family and is doggedly ignoring Super Jo, (his superintendent) and her strong suggestions that he should retire now he has completed thirty years of service. He loves nothing better to be involved in a case but fears DI Judy Johnson will look for promotion elsewhere if he doesn't leave. Judith's husband Cathbad, the Druid is also a star of this series with his knowledge of Norfolk myths and legends and calming influence on all. New archaeology Lecturer David Brown initially annoys Ruth with his enthusiasm, but she has warmed to him by the end of the book and it will be interesting to see where he will find his place in the series.
As further deaths occur to muddy the waters, the plot is very much aided by the strength of the characters Following the discovery of the body on the beach, a research scientist and his wife are found dead in their home. The Night Hawks, a group of licensed metal detectorists who look for ancient relics on the fens at night are very much at the centre of the murder investigation with multiple connections between them and the dead. For me the plot felt a little weak, as we are told the scientist was involved in illegally testing a drug or vaccine, but this was never really elaborated on Despite that quibble, there are lots of interesting background details that all come together to make this an entertaining read. Such as the local legend of a large black dog with hellfire eyes, the Black Schuck, a harbinger of death. Also the bones and archaeological relics found on the beach, possibly belonging to a group of European invaders called the Beakers, who may have brought a virus with them that caused the disappearance of the local inhabitants. 4.5★
With many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for a copy of the book
June 29, 2021
3.5 stars
In this 13th book in the 'Ruth Galloway' series, the forensic archaeologist becomes involved when treasure hunters discover a present-day corpse near a Bronze Age skeleton. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
*****
After a time living and teaching in Cambridge, Dr. Ruth Galloway has returned to Norfolk with her 10-year-old daughter Kate and their cat Flint. Kate is back in her old primary school and Ruth has returned to the University of North Norfolk as head of the archaeology department.
Part of Ruth's reason for returning was to be near Kate's father, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson, with whom Ruth had an affair. Nelson is married with children, and Ruth knows he won't leave his wife and little boy, but Ruth wants Kate to be near her dad.
Norfolk is well known for its buried historical relics, which attract both professional archaeologists and detectorists - amateurs who hunt for treasure with metal detectors.
One group of detectorists, who call themselves the Night Hawks, is probing the beach at Blakeney Point when they come across the body of a dead man close to a trench containing pieces of old metal.
DCI Nelson arrives and arranges for his team to investigate the body. Nelson also phones forensic archaeologist Ruth to examine the metal artifacts in the trench. Ruth hurries over, accompanied by a newly hired archaeology professor named David Brown. Brown is a knowledgeable researcher, but he's pushy and intrusive, which annoys Ruth no end.
At first, the authorities think the dead man on Blakeney Point is an illegal immigrant washed up from a sunken boat. However, the deceased turns out to be a local lad called Jem Taylor. Taylor has a snake tattoo, which seems to tie in with regional legends about a Norfolk sea serpent.
To add to the eeriness of the incident, Ruth and her team dig up the old metal in the trench and find a skeleton, suspected to be about 5,000 years old.
Professor Brown is VERY excited about the skeleton, which he suspects is one of the Beaker People, a group that migrated from Central Europe to England thousands of years ago. Brown is researching a theory that the Beakers brought a plague that wiped out 90% of the native Britons.
The night after Jem Taylor's body is discovered, DCI Nelson gets another call from the Night Hawks. This time, the treasure hunters were trolling near Black Dog Farm when they heard gunshots coming from the main house.
The police storm the residence and find the bodies of the owners: Dr. Douglas Noakes - a pharmaceutical researcher, and his wife Linda - a primary school teacher. The incident is suspected to be a murder-suicide, but Nelson feels three suspicious deaths in two days needs investigating. Moreover, people have reported seeing a harbinger of death called The Black Shuck (a giant black dog) around Black Dog Farm. Nelson doesn't put any credence in this, but local folks do.
It turns out the deaths of the young man and the married couple are more complicated than they first appear, and - as the police investigate - there are additional fatalities. Moreover, various relationships come to light and secrets are revealed.
One of the pleasures of the Ruth Galloway novels are the tidbits about Norfolk - its landscape, atmosphere, and archaeology.
I also like the recurring characters, such as the mystical druid Cathbad and his partner, Detective Inspector Judy Johnson.....which seems like an odd pairing, but it works.
Finally, it's interesting to follow the personal lives of Ruth and Nelson, which have evolved considerably over the course of the series.
I enjoyed the story and look forward to future books featuring Ruth Galloway.
Thanks to Netgalley, Elly Griffiths, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
May 30, 2021
A new Ruth Galloway book is always a cause for celebration. It’s like a reunion with dear old friends.
Ruth is back in North Norfolk, now as the head of the Archeology department. She’s quickly coming to appreciate her old boss, Phil, and his worry over the budget. She’s also contending with her replacement, who is managing to immediately get on her nerves. He even tags along when Nelson calls her to the site of a recently found dead body.
There are two crimes being investigated. The first, a body on the beach, and then a possible murder/suicide on a local farm. In both cases, there are links to the Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists.
I just adore Griffiths’ writing. She can capture the essence of a character in just a sentence or two, with an edge of dry humor always thrown in. “Ruth thinks that there was a time when Nelson did consider leaving Michelle, but that time is firmly in the past. The trouble is that Ruth, as an archeologist, feels more comfortable in the past.” All of the characters are fully developed, even the secondary characters like Judy and Cathbad.
But the book isn’t just about the characters. There’s a well done mystery here, too. One I had no clue how it would play out as more folks end up dead. And my God, the suspense! At one point, I was almost afraid to keep reading.
Each book teaches us a little about the history of the fens. This time, not just about the Bronze Age but also the local folklore - the Black Shuck and the Norfolk Sea Serpent. I did get a kick that the new professor has a hypothesis about Central European migrants that brought a virus to the area that killed the native population 4,400 years before. Sort of timely...
Note on my rating - I am notoriously stingy with five stars, usually reserving them for “serious literature”. But I realized a book whose characters brought me such joy deserved those five stars, even if no one would ever consider this “serious”.
My thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book.
Ruth is back in North Norfolk, now as the head of the Archeology department. She’s quickly coming to appreciate her old boss, Phil, and his worry over the budget. She’s also contending with her replacement, who is managing to immediately get on her nerves. He even tags along when Nelson calls her to the site of a recently found dead body.
There are two crimes being investigated. The first, a body on the beach, and then a possible murder/suicide on a local farm. In both cases, there are links to the Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists.
I just adore Griffiths’ writing. She can capture the essence of a character in just a sentence or two, with an edge of dry humor always thrown in. “Ruth thinks that there was a time when Nelson did consider leaving Michelle, but that time is firmly in the past. The trouble is that Ruth, as an archeologist, feels more comfortable in the past.” All of the characters are fully developed, even the secondary characters like Judy and Cathbad.
But the book isn’t just about the characters. There’s a well done mystery here, too. One I had no clue how it would play out as more folks end up dead. And my God, the suspense! At one point, I was almost afraid to keep reading.
Each book teaches us a little about the history of the fens. This time, not just about the Bronze Age but also the local folklore - the Black Shuck and the Norfolk Sea Serpent. I did get a kick that the new professor has a hypothesis about Central European migrants that brought a virus to the area that killed the native population 4,400 years before. Sort of timely...
Note on my rating - I am notoriously stingy with five stars, usually reserving them for “serious literature”. But I realized a book whose characters brought me such joy deserved those five stars, even if no one would ever consider this “serious”.
My thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book.
April 18, 2021
You know when you're alone in the dark and your brain starts to say: "It's been a while since we've thought about things that go bump in the night....."
The Night Hawks is kinda like that. We've got a group of scientifically centered men with metal detectors that prowl about the beaches in North Norfolk at night. They're somewhat like hunters gravitating towards ancient artifacts and perhaps coins from the Iron Age. They move about carefully so as not to tamper too much with the relics that lie below.
On a moonless night, no one prepared them for a boney foot attached to a long boney leg within the tall sea grass. Alan White, the retired teacher of this bunch, swiftly reaches for a pulse. Not a blip. With shaking hands, Alan puts in a call to the local police and DCI Harry Nelson of the Serious Crimes Unit is on the scene in minutes. The body appears to be a young male about twenty years old with a peculiar snake tattoo slinking up the side of his neck. Who is he and how did he come to be on the beach so late at night?
As the sun comes up, Nelson contacts Dr. Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist. Ruth is the department head of Natural Sciences at the college. She and Nelson share a professional history as well as a personal one. Kate, their ten year old daughter, is the result of a long term affair in the past. Although Nelson has his own family, there's still a flicker between them.
Elly Griffiths fills this one delightfully with legends and myths. We hear the howls of a mysterious dog in the dark and Griffiths sends in the foreboding vibes of the Black Shuck. Whoa to those who recognize his baying as he signals out to humans to be the harbinger of death. And the tattoo on the dead man's neck may well be the appearance of the sinister Norfolk sea serpent off the North Sea coast. Perhaps that explains how the body count is ratcheting up when a local doctor and his wife are found dead on their farm. It looks to be a murder/suicide. But why?
The Night Hawks can be read as a standalone, but those of us familiar with the past novels rally around the usual well-developed characters that have surrounded this series for some time. There have been changes in their lives through the years and Griffiths allows us to marvel at their adaptability. The Night Hawks just adds more depth to this series. And as always, Griffiths makes her readers sift through the situations for the hidden nuggets. Well done, Elly Griffiths, well done.
I received a copy of The Night Hawks through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to Elly Griffiths for the opportunity.
The Night Hawks is kinda like that. We've got a group of scientifically centered men with metal detectors that prowl about the beaches in North Norfolk at night. They're somewhat like hunters gravitating towards ancient artifacts and perhaps coins from the Iron Age. They move about carefully so as not to tamper too much with the relics that lie below.
On a moonless night, no one prepared them for a boney foot attached to a long boney leg within the tall sea grass. Alan White, the retired teacher of this bunch, swiftly reaches for a pulse. Not a blip. With shaking hands, Alan puts in a call to the local police and DCI Harry Nelson of the Serious Crimes Unit is on the scene in minutes. The body appears to be a young male about twenty years old with a peculiar snake tattoo slinking up the side of his neck. Who is he and how did he come to be on the beach so late at night?
As the sun comes up, Nelson contacts Dr. Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist. Ruth is the department head of Natural Sciences at the college. She and Nelson share a professional history as well as a personal one. Kate, their ten year old daughter, is the result of a long term affair in the past. Although Nelson has his own family, there's still a flicker between them.
Elly Griffiths fills this one delightfully with legends and myths. We hear the howls of a mysterious dog in the dark and Griffiths sends in the foreboding vibes of the Black Shuck. Whoa to those who recognize his baying as he signals out to humans to be the harbinger of death. And the tattoo on the dead man's neck may well be the appearance of the sinister Norfolk sea serpent off the North Sea coast. Perhaps that explains how the body count is ratcheting up when a local doctor and his wife are found dead on their farm. It looks to be a murder/suicide. But why?
The Night Hawks can be read as a standalone, but those of us familiar with the past novels rally around the usual well-developed characters that have surrounded this series for some time. There have been changes in their lives through the years and Griffiths allows us to marvel at their adaptability. The Night Hawks just adds more depth to this series. And as always, Griffiths makes her readers sift through the situations for the hidden nuggets. Well done, Elly Griffiths, well done.
I received a copy of The Night Hawks through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to Elly Griffiths for the opportunity.
August 4, 2021
4.5 There is something so special about a new installment of a favored series by a favorite author. Griffiths is beyond talented and I usually respond positively to anything she writes. The Ruth Galloway series has it all, or at least the elements that for me, appeal. Archeology, history, some great characters, interesting crime with many surprises, enticing personal situatiins and a resident druid, Cathbad.
Metal detectorists discover a body and some iron age implements. Ruth is brought in to confirm, but soon modern deaths will engulf her and Nelson. Some characters seem to have connections to both threads and danger is lurking. But from whom and where? An enticing personal scenario at books end, leaves me avidly waiting for the next in series.
ARC from Edelweiss.
Metal detectorists discover a body and some iron age implements. Ruth is brought in to confirm, but soon modern deaths will engulf her and Nelson. Some characters seem to have connections to both threads and danger is lurking. But from whom and where? An enticing personal scenario at books end, leaves me avidly waiting for the next in series.
ARC from Edelweiss.
March 25, 2025
*3.5* This series should honestly be titled Love Is Complicated. I’m exhausted by this love triangle, it’s been dragging on for 13 books! At this point, it feels like the author has written herself into too many corners, making it impossible for anyone to get a satisfying happily ever after.
By the time we reach this book, at least we’re no longer talking about Ruth’s weight or her questionable fashion choices. Her daughter with (married) Detective Nelson is now turning 10. Nelson is still with his beautiful wife, whose own affair back in book one seems to have been conveniently forgotten. How many wrongs make a right?
Nelson had gone home to his wife and other family. She ought to be used to it by now but somehow she isn’t.
Despite her successful career, Ruth is still filled with self-doubt. Will she stay single forever? Does she still love Nelson? Does Nelson love her?
As for the mystery? It’s fine. I’m glad Ruth’s forensic archaeology skills are still in demand, but I really didn't care about solving it.
That said, I love the setting, I love the characters, and I love the unfamiliar slang, it makes the world feel so real. The author has an incredible gift for creating authentic characters. I just wish Ruth would either embrace being single or find someone (other than Nelson) who truly adores her.
By the time we reach this book, at least we’re no longer talking about Ruth’s weight or her questionable fashion choices. Her daughter with (married) Detective Nelson is now turning 10. Nelson is still with his beautiful wife, whose own affair back in book one seems to have been conveniently forgotten. How many wrongs make a right?
Nelson had gone home to his wife and other family. She ought to be used to it by now but somehow she isn’t.
Despite her successful career, Ruth is still filled with self-doubt. Will she stay single forever? Does she still love Nelson? Does Nelson love her?
As for the mystery? It’s fine. I’m glad Ruth’s forensic archaeology skills are still in demand, but I really didn't care about solving it.
That said, I love the setting, I love the characters, and I love the unfamiliar slang, it makes the world feel so real. The author has an incredible gift for creating authentic characters. I just wish Ruth would either embrace being single or find someone (other than Nelson) who truly adores her.
June 12, 2021
It was great to be back with these characters again. This series is so readable, these books are really quick to read and they are certainly page turners.
This mystery takes place in Norfolk and draws on local legend, particularly the legend of Black Shuck, a large ghost dog that is thought to roam our countryside. It is said that if you see him and look into his eyes you will die within the week. This was commonly referred to amongst children when I was young and this was never far from your mind on a particular piece of misty marshland at dusk, near to where I lived. I do enjoy the way Elly Griffiths weaves in local folklore, it certainly adds to the appeal for me.
I did enjoy the mystery but towards the end it got a little far fetched
The ending made me sway towards 3.5 stars but ended up with 4 as I did enjoy this, the Ruth Galloway books are always a great distraction from everyday life and so easy to slip back into, I enjoy the humour and there's always the fun game of speculating whether any of the characters will eat one of their portions of their 5 a day. As often happens with this series it ends on a cliff-hanger and you are left in no doubt the series will continue.
This mystery takes place in Norfolk and draws on local legend, particularly the legend of Black Shuck, a large ghost dog that is thought to roam our countryside. It is said that if you see him and look into his eyes you will die within the week. This was commonly referred to amongst children when I was young and this was never far from your mind on a particular piece of misty marshland at dusk, near to where I lived. I do enjoy the way Elly Griffiths weaves in local folklore, it certainly adds to the appeal for me.
I did enjoy the mystery but towards the end it got a little far fetched
The ending made me sway towards 3.5 stars but ended up with 4 as I did enjoy this, the Ruth Galloway books are always a great distraction from everyday life and so easy to slip back into, I enjoy the humour and there's always the fun game of speculating whether any of the characters will eat one of their portions of their 5 a day. As often happens with this series it ends on a cliff-hanger and you are left in no doubt the series will continue.
January 6, 2021
Ruth Galloway is now back in Norfolk and heads up the archaeology department following Phil’s retirement from the job. She has appointed Daniel Brown to lecture in her former role but Ruth finds him a bit confronting and irritating. He seems to want to insert himself into everything. He also a member of the local night hawks a group of ‘detectorists’ that like to go out at night with their metal detectors looking for buried treasure and artefacts. One night, while investigating a beach, they find more than they bargained for. Along with what appears to be a Bronze Age burial site with grave goods they also stumble across the body of a young man who seems to have just washed up on the shore.
The next night two of the detctorists are passing Black Dog Farm when they hear gunshots and screams, police are called and it looks like a murder (the wife) and a suicide (the husband). But the two Night Hawks who called it in were also on the beach the night before and DCI Nelson doesn’t like coincidences. It all gets very murky as it seems the dead man, Douglas Noakes, while an esteemed scientist was also an abusive husband and father. More deaths follow but it all seems to revolve around Black Dog Farm and some illegal activities being conducted there. There are plenty of suspects.
This was another outstanding addition to this wonderful series. Things get very exciting towards the end when a bunch of people are lured to the farm for a showdown. Someone is shot and Ruth’s new recruit seems to redeem himself in her eyes. Ruth and Nelson’s non-relationship takes an interesting turn. Could they find happiness in the future? I don’t know but I will keep reading to find out. I enjoyed this book a lot and highly recommend it to those who enjoy character driven mysteries. Many thanks to Netgalley, Quercus Books and Elly Griffiths for providing me with a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
The next night two of the detctorists are passing Black Dog Farm when they hear gunshots and screams, police are called and it looks like a murder (the wife) and a suicide (the husband). But the two Night Hawks who called it in were also on the beach the night before and DCI Nelson doesn’t like coincidences. It all gets very murky as it seems the dead man, Douglas Noakes, while an esteemed scientist was also an abusive husband and father. More deaths follow but it all seems to revolve around Black Dog Farm and some illegal activities being conducted there. There are plenty of suspects.
This was another outstanding addition to this wonderful series. Things get very exciting towards the end when a bunch of people are lured to the farm for a showdown. Someone is shot and Ruth’s new recruit seems to redeem himself in her eyes. Ruth and Nelson’s non-relationship takes an interesting turn. Could they find happiness in the future? I don’t know but I will keep reading to find out. I enjoyed this book a lot and highly recommend it to those who enjoy character driven mysteries. Many thanks to Netgalley, Quercus Books and Elly Griffiths for providing me with a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
December 3, 2021
This series is such a pleasure to read. It is always fun to rejoin the gang and see where life has taken them now.
The Night Hawks starts a couple of years after the last book. Ruth has decided not to marry Frank and has returned to her old university and her cottage on the fens. Phil has retired and Ruth has taken his job. Kate is ten years old. All very normal so far but the story is not normal at all.
There are many dead bodies, one very old but the rest current day. There is a ghostly dog, burial goods on the beach and healthy young men dying for no apparent reason. Ruth is called in to assist the police and her relationship with Nelson is stirred up again. I wish there were an easy way to solve the conundrum of Ruth/Nelson/Michelle but I cannot see it. Maybe the author can!
I loved the ending and cannot wait for the next book to see where it takes us!
The Night Hawks starts a couple of years after the last book. Ruth has decided not to marry Frank and has returned to her old university and her cottage on the fens. Phil has retired and Ruth has taken his job. Kate is ten years old. All very normal so far but the story is not normal at all.
There are many dead bodies, one very old but the rest current day. There is a ghostly dog, burial goods on the beach and healthy young men dying for no apparent reason. Ruth is called in to assist the police and her relationship with Nelson is stirred up again. I wish there were an easy way to solve the conundrum of Ruth/Nelson/Michelle but I cannot see it. Maybe the author can!
I loved the ending and cannot wait for the next book to see where it takes us!
September 25, 2021
3.5
I love this series and the characters but Ruth’s “non-digging up dead bodies” storyline feels like a stuck record (Dr Galloway would no doubt appreciate the dated simile).
The mystery should have been better— great bones (sorry for the pun Ruth) but just not enough meat. And the villain was much too easily guessed.
Despite all that negativity, hope springs eternal. What happens next to Ruth and friends remains enough of a mystery for me to wait patiently for the next installment.
PS— I’m always rooting for Ruth.
I love this series and the characters but Ruth’s “non-digging up dead bodies” storyline feels like a stuck record (Dr Galloway would no doubt appreciate the dated simile).
The mystery should have been better— great bones (sorry for the pun Ruth) but just not enough meat. And the villain was much too easily guessed.
Despite all that negativity, hope springs eternal. What happens next to Ruth and friends remains enough of a mystery for me to wait patiently for the next installment.
PS— I’m always rooting for Ruth.
August 10, 2023
It's always cause for celebration when a new Elly Griffiths novel comes out! The Night Hawks is the lucky thirteenth instalment in Griffiths' archaeologically-themed Dr. Ruth Galloway series, and is just as gripping as her legion of fans have come to expect.
A group of "Night Hawks", amateur but registered metal detectorists, come across the body of a young man, while searching for coins in the dunes of the Blakeney National Nature Reserve.
Dr. Ruth Galloway has returned from Cambridge to head up the archaeology department at the University of North Norfolk, her former boss Phil Trent having retired. She's called in by D.C.I. Harry Nelson to consult when an apparently Bronze-age skeleton is unearthed, together with a hoard of ancient weapons, not far from the current crime scene. Within days, a police officer who was a first responder at Blakeney Head has died suddenly and an apparent murder-suicide occurs at a Norfolk farmhouse, two of the "Night Hawks" again happening on the scene. How are the deaths connected, or is the presence of the same witnesses purely coincidental?
Elly Griffiths' plotting is of a superlative standard, as usual. The Night Hawks has a complex, multi-layered plot with many seemingly separate narrative threads, all drawn cleverly together for a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. There's plenty of archaeological material for Ruth to get her trowel into, in addition to themes involving medical ethics, dysfunctional families and local legend.
The main character, Dr. Ruth Galloway, is well-developed and three-dimensional, balancing the challenges of single parenthood with a demanding career. In many ways, she's pleased to be back in familiar territory at UNN, albeit in a management role, with all that entails. She, 11-year-old Kate and Flint are all pleased to be living back at their Saltmarsh cottage. However, a new colleague is antagonising her and her relationship with D.C.I. Nelson, who's also Kate's father, continues to be somewhat prickly.
The wonderful Cathbad, Ruth's multi-talented druid / intuitive friend, plays an important supporting role throughout The Night Hawks, his personality leaping off the page in every scene in which he appears.
While The Night Hawks would be an engrossing read as a standalone, reading as a continuation of the series is especially rewarding, given the wonderful cast of recurring characters and their evolving relationships.
Highly recommended for all readers who enjoy intelligent character-based mysteries and psychological dramas.
My thanks to the author, Elly Griffiths, publisher Quercus Books and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title.
A group of "Night Hawks", amateur but registered metal detectorists, come across the body of a young man, while searching for coins in the dunes of the Blakeney National Nature Reserve.
Dr. Ruth Galloway has returned from Cambridge to head up the archaeology department at the University of North Norfolk, her former boss Phil Trent having retired. She's called in by D.C.I. Harry Nelson to consult when an apparently Bronze-age skeleton is unearthed, together with a hoard of ancient weapons, not far from the current crime scene. Within days, a police officer who was a first responder at Blakeney Head has died suddenly and an apparent murder-suicide occurs at a Norfolk farmhouse, two of the "Night Hawks" again happening on the scene. How are the deaths connected, or is the presence of the same witnesses purely coincidental?
Elly Griffiths' plotting is of a superlative standard, as usual. The Night Hawks has a complex, multi-layered plot with many seemingly separate narrative threads, all drawn cleverly together for a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. There's plenty of archaeological material for Ruth to get her trowel into, in addition to themes involving medical ethics, dysfunctional families and local legend.
The main character, Dr. Ruth Galloway, is well-developed and three-dimensional, balancing the challenges of single parenthood with a demanding career. In many ways, she's pleased to be back in familiar territory at UNN, albeit in a management role, with all that entails. She, 11-year-old Kate and Flint are all pleased to be living back at their Saltmarsh cottage. However, a new colleague is antagonising her and her relationship with D.C.I. Nelson, who's also Kate's father, continues to be somewhat prickly.
The wonderful Cathbad, Ruth's multi-talented druid / intuitive friend, plays an important supporting role throughout The Night Hawks, his personality leaping off the page in every scene in which he appears.
While The Night Hawks would be an engrossing read as a standalone, reading as a continuation of the series is especially rewarding, given the wonderful cast of recurring characters and their evolving relationships.
Highly recommended for all readers who enjoy intelligent character-based mysteries and psychological dramas.
My thanks to the author, Elly Griffiths, publisher Quercus Books and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title.
December 13, 2021
Another wonderful addition to one of my all time favorite series! If you haven't yet had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Dr. Ruth Galloway and Co., I envy you!
June 16, 2022
Treasure hunters who call themselves Night Hawks are prowling a Norfolk beach at night armed with metal detectors, hoping to find a hoard of Bronze Age coins when the story begins. What they find is more than they bargained for and brings DCI Nelson on the scene, and of course forensic archeologist, Dr. Ruth Galloway. The relation between Ruth and Nelson reaches a whole new level of attraction and irritation. I didn't care for Nelson’s new female boss who keeps trying to “have a word” with him and nagging him to retire. We have a cruel and repellant scientist, an arrogant new lecturer in the anthropology department, and a huge legendary black dog whose terrifying appearances portend death. There are murders aplenty, but love shares the stage with crime. How could you ask for anything more? The story is transgressive, surprising, and sometimes even humorous. Another 5-star addition to this series.
June 18, 2021
This is my second book by this author, but my first in this series. Not having read the previous books was no problem. And this even though the life situation in which the main character finds herself is overly complicated and probably results from the events in the earlier books. But the author explained well everything that was necessary without revealing too many details.
I liked the main idea. A group of metal detectorists called The Night Hawks find a man's body on the seashore. Soon after, members of this group appear in another investigation. This time it looks like one of its members killed his wife and then shot himself. DCI Nelson, with the help of an archaeologist and his former lover Ruth Galloway, must discover what happened and whether the cases are related.
This is a good mystery. There are many potential suspects, numerous members of The Night Hawks are acting suspiciously. And many of them might have had a motive. The whole thing has a bit of a mystical background related to the legend of Black Shuck, a hound that appears to humans before their death. The latter is not entirely to my taste, I prefer my crime stories stick to reality, but it was okey.
An interesting element of this story is the plotline related to the somewhat complicated life situation of Ruth and Nelson. You can clearly sense the tension in their relationship. The author did an excellent job in this regard. This is something that makes this book stand out and urges you to read the previous and the next books in this series.
The author wrote this novel during the lockdown and decided to weave some threads related to the pandemic into it, but I would like to reassure you that it is not about the current pandemic. Still, it is interesting to see how the current situation in the world has inspired the author.
This is a good and solid story, not only for fans of this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the main idea. A group of metal detectorists called The Night Hawks find a man's body on the seashore. Soon after, members of this group appear in another investigation. This time it looks like one of its members killed his wife and then shot himself. DCI Nelson, with the help of an archaeologist and his former lover Ruth Galloway, must discover what happened and whether the cases are related.
This is a good mystery. There are many potential suspects, numerous members of The Night Hawks are acting suspiciously. And many of them might have had a motive. The whole thing has a bit of a mystical background related to the legend of Black Shuck, a hound that appears to humans before their death. The latter is not entirely to my taste, I prefer my crime stories stick to reality, but it was okey.
An interesting element of this story is the plotline related to the somewhat complicated life situation of Ruth and Nelson. You can clearly sense the tension in their relationship. The author did an excellent job in this regard. This is something that makes this book stand out and urges you to read the previous and the next books in this series.
The author wrote this novel during the lockdown and decided to weave some threads related to the pandemic into it, but I would like to reassure you that it is not about the current pandemic. Still, it is interesting to see how the current situation in the world has inspired the author.
This is a good and solid story, not only for fans of this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2021
This new Ruth Galloway mystery is firing on all cylinders. Definitely one of my favorites. Ruth is back at the University of North Norfolk and is now head of the department. When an amateur archaeology group discovers a dead body from the present next to old artifacts, Nelson calls Ruth in for her expertise. Before long there are multiple deaths to investigate (along with a Bronze Age skeleton). There is enough work to go around for everyone on DCI Nelson's team and the local coppers. As the investigation moves along, there are connections galore. Would love to see what one of those boards with pictures and connecting string would look like for this book. The character development on this series is really top notch. The police procedural aspect, the archaeological bits, and the local legends (especially the Black Shuck) all work together seamlessly to deliver a satisfying episode in the series with the anticipation of another chapter to come.
Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2021
Captivating and atmospheric mystery featuring archaeologist Ruth Galloway
In the 13th entry in the Ruth Galloway series, we find Ruth and her daughter Kate back in Norfolk. Ruth is now head of the department at the university, dealing with the perils of being in charge. This includes handling David Brown, her replacement as lecturer, who always seems to be in Ruth's business. As for Nelson, his boss Jo wants him to retire--something Nelson is firmly against. Instead, Nelson and team find a body washed up on shore, as well as a skeleton that Ruth believes may date to the Bronze Age. Thrown together again, Nelson and Ruth find themselves investigating a series of murders--all of which relate to a group of local metal detectorists, who keep finding the bodies, and the myth of the Black Shuck, a black dog who forewarns of death.
I love all of the Ruth books, but oh, this one was a particular favorite. It's creepy with the references to the Black Shuck filling you with an ominous sort of fear. There's the usual atmospheric feeling from a Ruth book, especially with Ruth returning to her beloved Norfolk--with the marshes, the sea, and the tides playing their own role in the story.
Griffiths writes with her typical charm and wit where you feel like you know Ruth, Nelson, and the whole gang. Clough shows up and Cathbad, our lovable druid and partner to Judy, Nelson's faithful DI, has a strong role. Everyone seems like an old friend at this point. The book is filled with Nelson and Ruth banter and plenty of tension between the two; it was excellent!
The mystery in this one is superb, as the bodies pile up and Nelson tries to figure out how the Night Hawks relate to his case, and why David Brown seems to follow Ruth everywhere. It kept me guessing, which is something I always appreciate! The Black Shuck myth adds a creepy element on top as well.
Overall, this is a lovely book with an captivating mystery and wonderful characters who are beloved. I'll be so sad when this series ends, but I'm loving it right now. This book will stand alone, but you'll fully appreciate the Ruth and Nelson nuances/dynamic if you read them all. 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in return for an unbiased review.
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In the 13th entry in the Ruth Galloway series, we find Ruth and her daughter Kate back in Norfolk. Ruth is now head of the department at the university, dealing with the perils of being in charge. This includes handling David Brown, her replacement as lecturer, who always seems to be in Ruth's business. As for Nelson, his boss Jo wants him to retire--something Nelson is firmly against. Instead, Nelson and team find a body washed up on shore, as well as a skeleton that Ruth believes may date to the Bronze Age. Thrown together again, Nelson and Ruth find themselves investigating a series of murders--all of which relate to a group of local metal detectorists, who keep finding the bodies, and the myth of the Black Shuck, a black dog who forewarns of death.
I love all of the Ruth books, but oh, this one was a particular favorite. It's creepy with the references to the Black Shuck filling you with an ominous sort of fear. There's the usual atmospheric feeling from a Ruth book, especially with Ruth returning to her beloved Norfolk--with the marshes, the sea, and the tides playing their own role in the story.
Griffiths writes with her typical charm and wit where you feel like you know Ruth, Nelson, and the whole gang. Clough shows up and Cathbad, our lovable druid and partner to Judy, Nelson's faithful DI, has a strong role. Everyone seems like an old friend at this point. The book is filled with Nelson and Ruth banter and plenty of tension between the two; it was excellent!
The mystery in this one is superb, as the bodies pile up and Nelson tries to figure out how the Night Hawks relate to his case, and why David Brown seems to follow Ruth everywhere. It kept me guessing, which is something I always appreciate! The Black Shuck myth adds a creepy element on top as well.
Overall, this is a lovely book with an captivating mystery and wonderful characters who are beloved. I'll be so sad when this series ends, but I'm loving it right now. This book will stand alone, but you'll fully appreciate the Ruth and Nelson nuances/dynamic if you read them all. 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in return for an unbiased review.
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January 15, 2021
The Night Hawks is the thirteenth book in the Ruth Galloway series by award-winning British author, Elly Griffiths. Now Head of Department at the University of North Norfolk, Dr Ruth Galloway is dismayed to find herself spouting the phrases about funding she abhorred when they came from her former boss. Her new hire, archaeologist David Brown, arrogant, smug and irritating, is the target of several.
How he manages to ride along to Blakeney Point when DCI Harry Nelson request-demands her input at the scene of a body washed up (an illegal alien?), she can’t quite understand. The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists who hunt for buried historical artefacts at night (nuisances, in Ruth’s opinion), stumbled over the body near a find of coins and weapons.
David Brown is excited by the likelihood that it’s Bronze Age, and the skeletal remains could be one of the European Beaker People whose virus, he theorises, wiped out Neolithic Britons. He envisages facial reconstructions and museum displays; Ruth fears for her departmental budget.
The next night, one of the Night Hawks alerts Police to a shooting at Black Dog Farm that looks like a murder-suicide: Cambridge researcher Dr Douglas Noakes and his wife Linda. Mention of a body in the suicide note has Ruth and her team digging up the garden, at which David Brown once again appears.
Certain anomalies see Nelson unconvinced that the scene was not staged, and the team are soon looking deeper into the family and associates, as well as the metal detectorists who seem to be on the spot. Diligent investigation by the team gradually reveals noteworthy connections and pertinent facts, but the list of suspects and possible motives seems to expand. And all the while, to the annoyance of his Super, Nelson inserts himself in the action when she feels he should be seriously considering retirement.
“Nelson thinks about retirement for about eight seconds and then dismisses the idea. The force needs his experience and know-how. There are some things you can only learn from years of actually doing the job.”
Meanwhile, the washed-up body is identified as a local; then a young policeman dies unexpectedly, and enquiries lead Nelson’s team to a Cambridge research lab: could there be something illegal going on? In the background to it all is the Norfolk legend of the Black Shuck, a harbinger of evil whose manifestation is making fleeting appearances, unnerving many.
Another murder, a shooting and a hostage taking are all part of the dramatic climax. Once again, Griffiths keeps the reader guessing right up to the final chapters with red herrings and misdirections, and, as always in these stories, she demonstrates how the solving of a crime depends very much on a team effort. In this instalment, the usually unspoken relationship between Ruth and Nelson gets more of an airing, and Cathbad plays a significant role. Clever, exciting and informative: more of Ruth, Nelson and co will be most welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Quercus/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishers
How he manages to ride along to Blakeney Point when DCI Harry Nelson request-demands her input at the scene of a body washed up (an illegal alien?), she can’t quite understand. The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists who hunt for buried historical artefacts at night (nuisances, in Ruth’s opinion), stumbled over the body near a find of coins and weapons.
David Brown is excited by the likelihood that it’s Bronze Age, and the skeletal remains could be one of the European Beaker People whose virus, he theorises, wiped out Neolithic Britons. He envisages facial reconstructions and museum displays; Ruth fears for her departmental budget.
The next night, one of the Night Hawks alerts Police to a shooting at Black Dog Farm that looks like a murder-suicide: Cambridge researcher Dr Douglas Noakes and his wife Linda. Mention of a body in the suicide note has Ruth and her team digging up the garden, at which David Brown once again appears.
Certain anomalies see Nelson unconvinced that the scene was not staged, and the team are soon looking deeper into the family and associates, as well as the metal detectorists who seem to be on the spot. Diligent investigation by the team gradually reveals noteworthy connections and pertinent facts, but the list of suspects and possible motives seems to expand. And all the while, to the annoyance of his Super, Nelson inserts himself in the action when she feels he should be seriously considering retirement.
“Nelson thinks about retirement for about eight seconds and then dismisses the idea. The force needs his experience and know-how. There are some things you can only learn from years of actually doing the job.”
Meanwhile, the washed-up body is identified as a local; then a young policeman dies unexpectedly, and enquiries lead Nelson’s team to a Cambridge research lab: could there be something illegal going on? In the background to it all is the Norfolk legend of the Black Shuck, a harbinger of evil whose manifestation is making fleeting appearances, unnerving many.
Another murder, a shooting and a hostage taking are all part of the dramatic climax. Once again, Griffiths keeps the reader guessing right up to the final chapters with red herrings and misdirections, and, as always in these stories, she demonstrates how the solving of a crime depends very much on a team effort. In this instalment, the usually unspoken relationship between Ruth and Nelson gets more of an airing, and Cathbad plays a significant role. Clever, exciting and informative: more of Ruth, Nelson and co will be most welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Quercus/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishers
November 21, 2020
While Griffiths' plotting may not be the best in class, her story-line is never more than a skeleton (haha!) on which to hang her real strengths: her eccentric bunch of characters, the complications of their entangled lives, and the marvellous, witty writing which has just the right amount of snark to be funny while remaining good-natured.
In this one there is an unusually high body count and some intriguing plot points that never get fully explored: . But, you know, it never bothers me that we know there'll be a silly climax where Ruth is enticed yet again into a blatantly obvious trap - and that's because the emotional fall-out, particularly emotive in this outing, is always worth the contrivance.
It's a shame that Cloughie has been sidelined though it's entirely fitting for his character arc, and his brief visits are like meeting an old friend. And the subversive nature of Ruth's relationship with Nelson continues to undercut the simplistic moralising about fidelity that we so often find in popular fiction: relationships are complicated and it's to Griffiths' credit that she goes there.
This series remains an utter delight and I just can't help but greedily consume each book far too fast!
Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC via NetGalley.
In this one there is an unusually high body count and some intriguing plot points that never get fully explored: . But, you know, it never bothers me that we know there'll be a silly climax where Ruth is enticed yet again into a blatantly obvious trap - and that's because the emotional fall-out, particularly emotive in this outing, is always worth the contrivance.
It's a shame that Cloughie has been sidelined though it's entirely fitting for his character arc, and his brief visits are like meeting an old friend. And the subversive nature of Ruth's relationship with Nelson continues to undercut the simplistic moralising about fidelity that we so often find in popular fiction: relationships are complicated and it's to Griffiths' credit that she goes there.
This series remains an utter delight and I just can't help but greedily consume each book far too fast!
Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC via NetGalley.
September 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As always another excellent read by Elly Griffiths and the “Ruth Galloway Series.”
As always another excellent read by Elly Griffiths and the “Ruth Galloway Series.”
January 3, 2023
This is how it always starts. Nelson asks for your advice and, the next thing you know, you're involved in some horrible murder case, being chased by some madman.'
#13 of the Ruth Galloway novels – a series of crime novels featuring a Norfolk based forensic archaeologist and of particular interest to me given my interests in both Norfolk and archaeology (see my review of “The Janus Stone”).
Ruth is now firmly to the relief of her daughter, cat and this reader back in Norfolk (promoted to head of her Department after Phil’s retirement) – although with a pushy new colleague who has taken her old role.
The book opens - in what is now a classical ancient body/modern body trope in this series - with an eponymous group of night-time metal detectorists out on Blakeney Point simultaneously finding what looks like a Bronze Age hoard (and a skeleton) and a recently deceased body floating in the sea nearby. Shortly after a policeman involved with the investigations dies of some type of infection, followed by the parents of one of the group being discovered dead in their remote farmhouse in what is seemingly a murder/suicide by the father and with a seeming suicide note which refers to a body buried in the garden.
From there three main strands intertwine in the narrative: the Norfolk legend of the Black Shuck (although it’s use here is straight out of the Scooby Doo plot line textbook); illegal medical research (a plot line left rather unexplained); the typically intertwined school pasts of the various members of the Night Hawks group and the links to Ruth’s new colleague
And of course inevitably there is the usual false jeopardy to the main characters (perhaps even more so in this book than others).
From a local colour viewpoint I enjoyed a trip Ruth, her new colleague and their children had to seal watch at Blakeney Point but remain unconvinced the author has really grasped the distance from the Wells Quay to the beach despite apparently drawing on an excellent book I read last year by the Wells Harbour Master.
Overall a middling book in the series.
June 19, 2022
I think The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths is one of the best books in the Ruth Galloway Mysteries series. I was engrossing from the beginning till the end. I sometimes find the characters a bit annoying, but at the same time, I really liked them and the stupid thing they do sometimes. They have become like family and getting a new book in this series is always like getting back in touch with old friends. And some archaeology and a murder or two (or more).
Recommend this series warmly!
Recommend this series warmly!
March 4, 2021
The Night Hawks, men with metal detectors who are treasure hunters, find something much more alarming on the beach: a body. Ruth is called out to see if it is an archaeological find, but it turns out to be a local lad. Nearby at a strange local farmhouse there appears to have been a murder-suicide. Are the two related? Ruth has a new colleague at the university who is not only extremely annoying, but also seems to know more about these cases than he should. Another wonderful mystery by Elly Griffiths which will keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this ARC.
November 16, 2024
I never tire of this series! # 13 is now a favorite. Two more books in the series left and I’m already dreading saying goodbye to these characters. I’m so glad it was recommended to me.
December 13, 2020
This is the 13th book in the Ruth Galloway series by author Elly Griffiths and was is an excellent addition.All the usual characters are here and they do get better with every read. Interesting plot and plenty going on to make this another entertaining read.
The Night Hawks are a group of metal detectorists and they are searching for buried treasure in North Norfolk. While searching the nearby beaches they find a dead body who the police initially think may be an asylum seeker. DCI Nelson is leading the case and discovers that the body is that of a local boy, Jem Taylor who was recently released from prison. First assumptions are that it is an accidental drowning but when a second death occurs it all points to murder. The second murders look like the murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm.
Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. DCI Nelson ignores this, even when the owner’s suicide note includes the line, ‘He’s buried in the garden.’ Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog. All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn’t scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm.
There are so many good characters in this series, Ruth, Nelson, Clough, Cathbad to mention a few and I believe they are the strength of the books. The plots are good but for me it is the group of characters with all their foibles that make this series special.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Quercus for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Night Hawks are a group of metal detectorists and they are searching for buried treasure in North Norfolk. While searching the nearby beaches they find a dead body who the police initially think may be an asylum seeker. DCI Nelson is leading the case and discovers that the body is that of a local boy, Jem Taylor who was recently released from prison. First assumptions are that it is an accidental drowning but when a second death occurs it all points to murder. The second murders look like the murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm.
Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. DCI Nelson ignores this, even when the owner’s suicide note includes the line, ‘He’s buried in the garden.’ Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog. All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn’t scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm.
There are so many good characters in this series, Ruth, Nelson, Clough, Cathbad to mention a few and I believe they are the strength of the books. The plots are good but for me it is the group of characters with all their foibles that make this series special.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Quercus for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2021
Somehow this story leaves me with slilghtly mixed feelings about it. To be clear, the story is great. I loved that basically the possible culprits were there from early on, and then they became fewer and fewer. The mystery around the murders somehow intertwined with the Night Hawks and Dexter is just fine.
Actually, the only character I dislike as a weak part of the story is Paul. The somewhat incomprehensible reasons for his actions did not fit well into the plot because the rest was so good, and if there had been this little additional twist around Paul, it would have been pretty awesome.
In general, what I have not fully enjoyed is how fast time runs in the Ruth Galloway universe. So far there are only 13 titles, and the characters are growing older too fast. Then again, life is change, isn’t it. So, even with a weak Paul, and because I am in love with Ruth Galloway, it is 5 out of 5 stars.
Actually, the only character I dislike as a weak part of the story is Paul. The somewhat incomprehensible reasons for his actions did not fit well into the plot because the rest was so good, and if there had been this little additional twist around Paul, it would have been pretty awesome.
In general, what I have not fully enjoyed is how fast time runs in the Ruth Galloway universe. So far there are only 13 titles, and the characters are growing older too fast. Then again, life is change, isn’t it. So, even with a weak Paul, and because I am in love with Ruth Galloway, it is 5 out of 5 stars.
March 20, 2022
I love this series. Dr. Ruth Galloway and her 10-year-old daughter, Kate, have returned to Norfolk. Ruth is now the Head of Archaeology at the University of North Norfolk. Unfortunately, she has hired David Brown, who she finds irritating and arrogant, to replace her old position as an archaeological lecturer. A body has been discovered by the Night Hawks, a group of amateurs who use metal detectors seeking treasure. A skeleton is found nearby with a hoard of Bronze Age artifacts. A married couple are discovered dead on a remote farm called the Black Shuck. Members of the Night Hawks keep appearing or are connected to the dead. The Black Shuck is a black dog that is a harbinger of death by those who seem him. Norfolk is replete with myths, legends, and superstitions from ancient to modern times that swirl in this atmospheric mystery. The police from DCI Harry Nelson, DI Judy Johnson (and her partner, Druid Cathbad), DS Tanya Fuller to DC Tony Zhang are all back following clues to get answers. Superintendent Jo Archer and DI David Clough even make appearances.
However, the ending involving Ruth, Michelle, and one of the Night Hawkers seemed farfetched to me. How would Michelle, Harry’s wife, even know where to go unless the GPS found the place by name? Michelle was not involved in the investigation. The person’s reasons for Michelle to be there were delusional, and the actions taken were senseless. There was no buildup for this behavior.
However, the ending involving Ruth, Michelle, and one of the Night Hawkers seemed farfetched to me. How would Michelle, Harry’s wife, even know where to go unless the GPS found the place by name? Michelle was not involved in the investigation. The person’s reasons for Michelle to be there were delusional, and the actions taken were senseless. There was no buildup for this behavior.
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