Human bones are found at an ancient burial site. But are these the remains of a little girl who disappeared from a street party celebrating the wedding of Charles and Diana?

The story revolves around 2 complex relationships, the investigating officers and their families and the family and friends of the missing girl and the 2 are inextricably linked..

The setting is beautiful and atmospheric and the theme of the stone circles really interesting. The characters are believable and the links between them add to the tension. Although this is one of a series and it would help to have read the rest of the series it still reads well as a stand-alone.

Some good twists as the plot develops and a satisfying conclusion with all ends tied up.

A fast paced book which I recommend.

Great to meet up with old friends, though for me they have lost spark and energy. I loved the plot well written and compelling. I liked the development of some of the existing characters that bring a different dimension to the back story. Michelles baby is born and all is well. I will still be looking forward to book 12 in this series.

With thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review. I am pleased Elly Griffiths has released another book so soon after her last book The Stranger Diaries.

The story starts with DCI Harry Nelson`s wife Michelle heavily pregnant.
They are both excited but are anxious that the baby`s father maybe Tim, a man Michelle had an affair with. The

Ruth knows that Harry will never leave Michelle and contemp!ates applying for a job at Cambridge.

Meanwhile Harry receives an anonymous letter at work that alludes to a past case. The letter then was written by a Dr Eric Anderson who drowned. In the present Eric`s son Leif is working on an archaeological dig in Norfolk, Ruth goes to visit the dig when two bodies are found.

The first body is 12 year old Margaret Lacey, who vanished 30 years earlier from a street party celebrating Charles and Diana's wedding. The second body is of a stone age girl.

Neighbour and local loner John Mostyn was the prime suspect at the time but never charged. DS Dave Clough and Judy Johnson visit Margaret`s family Mother Karen, stepfather Pete and sister Annie. Karen said she knew Mostyn but never thought he took Margaret.

The day after Mostyn supplied a DNA swab to the police he was found in a shopping centre dead. He was murdered at home execution style and then dumped at the centre.. Meanwhile Michelle delivered a healthy baby boy called George. Michelle went to a mother and baby group and became friends with a young mum called Star and her daughter Ava. Harry later found out that Star was Annie`s daughter.

When Star`s daughter is taken, Michelle promises Harry will find Ava. Did the person who murder Margaret come back to Ava?

Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite go to authors. I have read all 11 Ruth Galloway books, her books are like seeing old dear friends. I especially enjoy the mix of police procedural with archaeology and ancient Norfolk legends. There were red herrings galore and gave a gasp of surprise when the killer was revealed.

I recommend this book. If you are new to Ruth Galloway however you should start with book 1.

I am a huge fan of Elly Griffiths and was eagerly awaiting publication of this book. I was not disappointed! I love the Ruth Galloway series and this episode is another masterpiece. Ruth and her friends/colleagues really come alive and their lives and stories evolve with every book. The backdrop to their lives involves archaeology, murder and detection with many twists and turns along the way. I have never once predicted the perpetrator correctly and from half way through this book just could not stop reading until I knew the answer. The only down side is that I will have to wait for the next book to follow the lives of my favourite characters. Well done Elly Griffiths and thank you so much for Ruth Galloway.

Right from the start I have enjoyed this series. The soap opera of the characters lives is as much a part of the entertainment as the solving of the crime. This book is number eleven in the series and whilst I enjoyed reading it and have given it four stars, I feel that the series is now wearing rather thin. Many aspects of the story are a revisiting of book one and the relationship between Nelson and Ruth is becoming rather tedious. Overall I would say that the book is quick to read, reasonably entertaining and who can not fail to like Ruth, but maybe it's time to move on.

I have a confession. This is the first Ruth Galloway which I’ve read. As in read in book form. All the others I listened to in audiobook form in the car whilst commuting. I received this latest installment, however, from Netgalley (oh happy days!) and I was actually a little apprehensive about how I would feel reading it in this format. After all, I have noticed many times that Griffiths isn’t technically the best writer in the world. Would some of the love I have for these books diminish, I wondered.

Well, the answer was an emphatic ‘no’. This is my favourite Ruth to date. Not only has Griffiths, I think, improved and rarely makes the small errors I often noted in her earlier books but there was also the advantage of being able to read this without being restricted to the speed of the narrator. I flew through it in a couple of nights.

In this installment Ruth is called into help the police when some modern bones are found on an archaeological site. They turn out to be those of a young girl who went missing in 1981. DCI Nelson and the gang have only just reopened the case when a baby is kidnapped, a crime which seems to be linked to the 1981 one. To add to the suspense, Nelson and Ruth both receive creepy letters similar to those they received in the first Ruth book, The Crossing Places.

I recommend you read The Crossing Places (and all the other Ruth books) before you think about reading The Stone Circle. Sure, all the books in the series can be read as standalones but reading the earlier novels makes you fully appreciate the characters.

I am always amazed at how many substantial scenes Griffiths gives the supporting characters. Judy, in particular, gets to be front and centre of the investigation this time. But Clough, Tanya, Michelle, Laura, Cathbad, Shona and even Kate all get some excellent moments. Erik is the only character I truly dislike. I guess he does add some tension though.

Some of the reveals with the characters’ personal lives in The Stone Circle were sweet, some shocking and unexpected, some heartbreaking. All seemed exactly right this time around.

Griffiths apparently only originally agreed to ten Ruth books. Obviously she’s delivered one extra and I can’t speculate from this book’s ending whether or not she’ll continue. Of course, I hope and pray she does but if she decides to pull the pin and concentrate on something else, I am content with the series finishing here. I think my own imagination can fill in what I think will happen with Ruth and Nelson and co.

Of course I highly recommend this book. 5 out of 5.

An old crime revisited when some bones are found in the beach. A new crime when a man is shot and a baby abducted. Didn't have a clue,good thriller.

I just love Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway series, so I was over the moon to receive a review copy of The Stone Circle from NetGalley prepublication. This book really did not disappoint. It was such a good read I devoured it over the course of a day and a half. Unfortunately I had to stop to cook and eat but I did that as quickly as possible!
The author is so good at characterisations and building up tension that I couldn’t put the book down.
Ruth’s self deprecating comments always make me chuckle and in this book it was her observations on her new Fitbit that made me laugh! “Ruth fears her relationship with the Fitbit is already an unhealthy one. She worries about it’s good opinion of her ( otherwise why not take it off?)”
The love triangle betweeen Ruth, Nelson and Michelle was also compelling. How is it all going to end? Michelle’s baby is born in this book but is it Harry’s or Michelle’s dead lover, Tim’s ?
The crime story concerns the discovery of a child’s bones in an archaeological dig which are much more recent than the location would suggest. Nelson and the team start to investigate who the child is and then how she died.
There are links to earlier novels and Ruth’s deceased mentor, Erik when his son appears at the excavation and Ruth and Nelson receive some strange literary notes, similar to those they received in the earlier book when Erik died. Obviously not from him this time?
The main theme of the novel seems to be family as the author examines Nelson’s situation with his 3 daughters including Kate, his child with Ruth and his feelings for the new baby .
The family of the dead child is of course looked at in the course of the investigation. Finally , Erik’s relationship with his son Leif is also examined.
This is a great book and now I’m devastated that I’m going to have to wait a while for the next one.
Definitely worth purchasing when it’s published this month.

I have just finished reading The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths, I thoroughly enjoyed it, it had a good plot and story line and the new and familiar characters are amazing, lots of twists and turns in the book and my emotions were flung all over the place with the situation between Ruth, Nelson, Michelle and their daughters, then the child going missing added another emotion. These books seem to go from strength to strength.

Dr Ruth Galloway and DI Nelson are embroiled in another case at the site of the wood henge that featured in an earlier story in the series. This time there are two bodies - one from the bronze age and one from the 1980's necessitating a cold case investigation. alongside the well plotted murder story is also the ongoing relationship between the main protagonists and their families which made the latest in the series a compulsive read. Another winner from the reliable Griffiths,

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of the Stone Circle, the eleventh novel to feature archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway and Norfolk DCI Harry Nelson.

Nelson is baffled to receive a letter telling him to look for a dead girl in a stone circle because the writing style harks back to a previous case and he knows that the author is dead and that the previous letters were never made public. In the meantime Ruth uncovers fairly modern bones in an old Iron Age henge.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Stone Circle which is the usual mix of police procedural and Ruth and Nelson’s ongoing personal situation. It should be noted that while the procedural stands on its own any new reader would be advised to read the series in order to get the best from the complicated personal situation, although, having said that, in this case I wish I’d re-read The Crossing Places first as there are so many references to it and it is so long since I first read it. Otherwise the novel is great. I’ve been having problems with my concentration recently and this is the first novel in a while that sent out the siren’s call to pull me back in and keep me there.

The procedural plot is stronger than some of the other novels in the series, sending the reader down various blind alleys and making them wonder, not just whodunnit but about the motives of the other characters. I found it quite baffling and intriguing and the eventual solutions quite unexpected. It makes for an interesting read. Of course, I don’t really read this series for the crime element as I’m much more interested in the Ruth and Nelson saga. Normally I’m the first to complain about long running themes that aren’t quickly resolved (like Gretchen and Archie or Sandy Grace) but Ms Griffiths plays a blinder with this scenario and has made it very addictive, probably because it is constantly evolving and relatable in human terms, being so ordinary. Nelson’s wife, Michelle, has baby George early in the novel but that is just the starting point of more drama as events unfold.

The Stone Circle is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I've read all of the Ruth Galloway books and have thoroughly enjoyed them. I appreciate that there are some who would say that the plot line is formulaic and this one is. The usual elements are all there, the tension between Ruth and Nelson, the odd ball characters, the interplay between Judy and Clough, and the amazing scenery - it's all there and in spades this time as the plot hinges on what happened in the first book. Having said all that I did really enjoy this book, it was like catching up with an old friend. Almost finished it one sitting but meals got in the way.

Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series can do absolutely no wrong, I it just keeps going from strength to strength. Ruth and Nelson both complicated,flawed utterly real individuals are a joy as are the supporting characters who continue to evolve with each book.
Events in this novel deal with some of the aftermath of the previous book The Dark Angel so I would suggest reading that (or the whole series) first.
Once again the landscape is almost a character in itself and the plot concerning missing children for Nelson and children’s bones for Ruth is filled with menace and links to the past for both of them in different ways.
I love the way that the rites,legends and superstions of the past and the otherworldly character Cathbad blend seamlessly with the domestic drama of Ruth and Nelsons lives.
Do you ever read a book and then wish you hadn’t read it just so you could read it again for the first time ? That feeling sums up this whole series !

Ah back with my friends Ruth, Nelson and Flint. This series is the equivalent of a duvet, fire and cup of tea in January. Warm, reassuring and not too taxing.

All the usual components are present - a couple of bodies, a mad Viking, a druid, a love triangle and a mystery. Marvellous!

recommend this book - this appealed to me because of Val Macdermid's recommendation and I can see that there are similarities with hers and Elly's books. I've never visited Norfolk but this book ( despite the murders!) makes it feel like a magical place to visit! Enjoyed the characters and want to read more!

I read The Crossing Places a while ago, but none of the series in between, so in effect I was approaching this book as a stand alone novel. It works just as well as such and there is no ‘over explanation ‘ of the history of the characters - just enough to fill the reader in without making them think they should go back and read the previous books.
Very enjoyable, a well written mystery with characters you quickly come to know and care about. I look forward to No 12 and must go and catch up on 2 - 10!

I absolutely adore this series. With Dr Ruth Galloway, Elly Griffiths has created a hero for the 21st century. A strong, independent, educated, intelligent woman who likes things done her way but does, on occasion, fall foul of human frailties. The whole concept is genius, and why we haven't seen Ruth on the small, (or big), screen remains one of life's unsolved mysteries. The Stone Circle is no exception to this fabulous series. Another story that sweeps you up and then holds you firmly in its grasp until the very last word. There really is nothing to fault here. Carefully thought out and well researched plots, paths of true love not running smoothly, police officers that can work together without one of them being a secret drug addict/alcoholic/white slave trader and they have families and lives outside of 'The Job'. It's all just sublime, and I highly recommend you get cracking on this series if you haven't yet done so. Elly Griffiths has created the Mary Poppins of novels because they're "practically perfect in every way". The only thing that could make these books completely perfect is being made into a TV series. I read the books and I listen to the audio version. Sheer and utter brilliance. Thank you Ms Griffiths - this is DIVINE

Dr Ruth Galloway is back in the latest book in the series by Elly Griffiths

The Stone Circle is another engaging read and whilst it has a number of links to previous books in the series it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

The story moves along at a rapid pace which reflects on one of the main crimes whilst also continuing to develop the main characters' own stories

Another highly recommended read

A clever addition to the series. There's a new case but one that links up to the first book The Crossing Places and it also ties up a few threads from other books in the series. You might want to read the other books before this one to get the most out of it.

There's a fascinating mystery about stone circles in the countryside and this was very interesting. Stanton Drew is very real and it was a unique place to have the mystery unfold. The idea of circles - the circle of life and the circling back to events of the past was a strong theme and it made for an interesting theme.

Whilst the book reads much like the others in the series, there's more character development here and a flash back to other cases which, circle imagery again, seems to loop all the books into a circle of their own.

Strong characters and an even stronger setting make this a winner. Always a gripping plot. This should be on telly!

Elly Griffiths is my favourite crime writer and I love her Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries. These feature Ruth (a forensic archaeologist) and Nelson (a Detective Chief Inspector) investigating a series of murders, usually with some historical/archaeology connection. There are also other reoccurring characters, such as the druid Cathbad (I adore Cathbad!) and Nelson's police colleagues.

The Stone Circle is the eleventh book in this series and references the first one, The Crossing Places. You don't need to have read all the books in the series to enjoy this book, but you would get more enjoyment out of this story if you have.

DCI Harry Nelson has been receiving anonymous letters telling him to 'Go to the Stone Circle and rescue the innocent buried there'. They remind him of an earlier case (The Crossing Places), but the author of those letters is long dead. Or are they? Meanwhile, Ruth is working on an archaeological dig known as 'the stone circle' and discovers a skeleton...

I love these books because of the characters and the humour, especially the way Nelson deals with the modern world - he's a bit of a dinosaur! I also admire the way Ruth is comfortable with her life and happy to go it alone, not needing a man. There are lots of historical details and stuff about archaeology, and although I always feel very smug when I guess the villain's identity, with this book I only worked out one of the plot twists.

The Stone Circle is the perfect read, especially if you love traditional murder mysteries with brilliant characters and a clever puzzle to solve. I do wish someone would hurry up and make a TV series out of it!

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book, which will be published on 7th February 2019.

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.