I have enjoyed all the Ruth Galloway mystery series and this one did not disappoint. The series is well-written and the characters are interesting. I recommend all the Ruth Galloway mysteries to patrons at my library. The Lantern Men was a quick read.

My Goodreads review reads as follows: Started reading it and realized I'd read it before but never reviewed it.

I'm ashamed to say I'm new to the series. But in the plus side, I now have all these lovely books to read. I so enjoyed this.

I love this series. I've paid for most of them on Audible so I can listen on my annual drives across France. A perfect length for those trips and perfect listening. Not so challenging that you have to really concentrate but interesting enough to keep your attention.
The characters are very believable and I like the way that their stories continue behind the mystery - which this time wasn't very credible but who cares ?
It was a shame that Ruth was now based in Cambridge with boring Frank, but the ending was satisfactory in many ways.
I look forward to the next one in Audible with things back in their rightful place.

I am nearing the finish-line to the Ruth Galloway series, with only the most recent left to read, the June-released Nighthawks, before I join the thousands of readers awaiting the next installment. Chatting with a fellow-reader in church today, we agreed it’s time for Dr. Galloway and DCI Nelson to be together, pretty please, Ms Griffiths …

Like the previous eleven, The Lantern Men sees the familiar team, this time initially separated by choice or circumstance, come together to find a serial killer’s missing and murdered women (the women are long-buried and I can vouch, for the squeamish, that nothing gross, or violent appears in the novel; sentiments are terrible, but descriptive physical detail is at a minimum). Here are further details from the publisher’s blurb:

Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway changed her life—until a convicted killer tells her that four of his victims were never found, drawing her back to the place she left behind.

Everything has changed for Ruth Galloway. She has a new job, home, and partner, and she is no longer North Norfolk police’s resident forensic archaeologist. That is, until convicted murderer Ivor March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal. Nelson was always sure that March killed more women than he was charged with. Now March confirms this and offers to show Nelson where the other bodies are buried—but only if Ruth will do the digging.

Curious, but wary, Ruth agrees. March tells Ruth that he killed four more women and that their bodies are buried near a village bordering the fens, said to be haunted by the Lantern Men, mysterious figures holding lights that lure travelers to their deaths.

Is Ivor March himself a lantern man, luring Ruth back to Norfolk? What is his plan, and why is she so crucial to it? And are the killings really over?

I don’t have an order of preference for my beloved Ruth Galloways other than to say The Dark Angel and possibly this one, The Lantern Men, are my least favourite. While I loved everything about the characters’ relationships, I had a few quibbles with the mystery.

When the novel opens, Harry and Michelle’s “baby,” George, is two and a half; Ruth is teaching at Cambridge and living with a fellow academic, Frank Barker (Nelson still fantasizes about deporting American-born Frank and this continues to delight me); Judy Johnson passed her inspector’s exams and will probably take over when Harry retires; Cloughie, whom I adore, heads up his own team in Cambridgeshire. Nelson and Judy have been occupied with solving and convicting Ivor March, but when Ivor asks for Ruth to lead a search into more bodies, and another woman is found dead in a similar MO, the disparate “team” come together to unravel what is more complicated than at first appears.

Griffiths initially splitting up the characters caused me no end of anxiety, but when Ruth and Kate are mesmerized by Harry’s TV media conference about March, I knew all would be well, even if Frank was ever-present and so damnably amiable. Maybe not well-well crime-wise just yet, but well for me to once again enjoy Ruth and Harry, Kate and adoring half-brother, George, Cloughie, Judy, Cathbad and their various children and pets. I’ve especially enjoyed how Griffiths has recently developped the character of Harry’s eldest daughter, Laura, and Cathbad’s Maddie too.

More than anything, I loved being immersed in the characters’ relationships, thoughts, and feelings. Griffiths writes with a combination of humour and pathos and still manages to make her characters unique, distinguishable. For example, I adore DCI Harry Nelson and his can’t-help-myself feelings for Ruth Galloway:

Nelson says yes to coffee. He doesn’t mind instant, unlike Ruth who favours the proper bitter Italian stuff, preferably bought from a shop that pays its fair share of UK taxes. But he mustn’t think about Ruth.

… Ruth had come to Norfolk from London and she, too, loved the marshes. But not enough to stop her buggering off to Cambridge. Don’t think about Ruth.

Humour, pathos, and Harry’s unique argot. I’m with Ruth on coffee and marshes and I too love Harry Nelson. We segue to Ruth, in Cambridge, recalling when she first met Harry: “Ruth thinks of the first time she met Nelson. He had come to ask her advice about some buried bones. She remembers him standing in the corridor, looking too big, too serious, too grown-up for his surroundings.” In Harry, Griffiths writes the most likeable alpha-man hero I’ve read.

What I loved about The Lantern Men was how the characters tried to move on with their lives (maybe not Nelson, he’s a rock of stability and tarnished honour … given the teensy infidelity business). But the pull of the marshes, the call of a case to restore justice and give families answers about their loved ones, and the pleasure of being together bring everyone back into the DCI Nelson fold.

I especially adore exchanges between Harry and Ruth:

‘Nelson, it’s Ruth.’ ‘Ruth! What’s up? Is it Katie?’ A familiar sigh. “Kate’s fine. I was ringing because … well, Phil came to see me today.’ ‘Phil Trent? The dickhead you left in charge of forensic archaeology when you buggered off to Cambridge?’ Another, longer sigh. ‘I didn’t “bugger off”, Nelson, I left for a better job. Just like you did when you moved to Norfolk.’ ‘I’ve regretted it ever since.’ ‘I’m sure that’s not true.’ She’s probably right but Nelson is not in the mood to admit that there’s anything good about any county south of Lancashire. He counters with, ‘It was Katie I was worried about.’ ‘She’s fine,’ says Ruth. ‘Doing really well at school. You came to her last parents’ evening.’ ‘She’s a little star.’ ‘She is … ‘

Comfort and familiarity have set in for Ruth and Harry. One of the best scenes is when they share a companionable lunch, even their orders (roast and Yorkshire pudding for Harry; fish pie for Ruth) tell you everything you need to know about them and how they belong together. When we first met Harry and Ruth, it was all about attraction and need, now their relationship is deeper and where sex didn’t take them, I hope their compatibility does.

As for the mystery, Griffiths always does such a great job of linking crime to local legend. This is true of the story of the “lantern men.” She also does a great job of showing a web of immorality and deceit among a group of people who once lived communally and are the key to discovering what happened to the murdered, buried women. I found the solution lacklustre and the dénouement drawn out, but this isn’t why I read Griffiths’ series. I’ll happily be back for my final volume and anticipate the next one. With Miss Austen, we agree The Lantern Men offered “real comfort,” Emma.

Elly Griffiths’s The Lantern Men is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It was released in July 2020 and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-galley from HMH, via Netgalley, for the purpose of writing this review.

I have read all of the Ruth Galloway mysteries. Every book is better than the last. Elly Griffith’s books are so exciting. I could hardly put this book down.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley a number of months ago. But before I read it, I wanted to read the earlier books in the series. I'm glad I read the series in order, because there's an ongoing soap opera element to the books, and I wouldn't have wanted to spoil that part of the story. In this installment, archeologist Ruth Galloway has moved to Cambridge with her boyfriend, Frank, and daughter Kate. But she hasn't entirely moved on from her feelings for Nelson, the married father of her child. Ruth and Nelson are reunited when a convicted murderer insists on Ruth being the one to dig up the bodies of his murder victims.

Almost all the recurring characters are still here, including Cathbad, Judy, and all the other detectives that are part of Nelson's crew. Each one has a distinct personality, and over the course of the series, I've come to feel like they're my friends. I already have a copy of the next installment of the series, and I'm anxious to dive into it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Now that I'm caught up on the series, I won't have to wait so long to read the next one.

I'm a fan of almost any British mystery, but Elly Griffiths's series featuring Dr. Ruth Galloway is a must-read for me. I love Ruth--she's a smart, independent archeologist and single mother who struggles a little with body positivity. She is so relatable, and also aspirational, and her will-they, won't-they relationship with DCI Harry Nelson has tension even 12 books into the series. The last couple of books have made me question where Ruth and Harry might possibly go from here, but this latest novel is a satisfying, welcome edition, for both their relationship and the series as a whole. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Author of the Dr Ruth Galloway books and the Brighton Mysteries, Griffith has pulled off yet another interesting read with The Lantern Men. Character development and growth is a bit stale, but the story and dialogue is more than enough for even the most critical of readers.

Another great book in this series. I can't believe I've read them all. The beginning worried me a bit, but the end was good. #TheLanternMen #NetGalley

3 1/2 Stars

I have read The Stranger Diaries by this author and I enjoyed it. I didn't know the author has written a series of mystery novels so when I saw this book, I had to request it. I normally would not recommend starting a series right in the middle, but this just made me want to go back and read the others. I fell in love with Ruth Galloway and I think I was able to get into the story even though I hadn't read the previous books. I love a series and getting to follow a character so I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is another wonderful entry in the Ruth Galloway series. Ruth is a forensic anthropologist and, as always, the mysteries need her talents to solve. Reading about Ruth though is so much more than a murder or multiple murder mystery. She is funny and smart and lost and stumbling and competent and somewhat insecure. She is a joy to read about as well as her partner in crime and life, DI Harry Nelson. The Stone Circle was my favorite in this series until now, The Lantern Men shows growth in Ruth and her cast of very interesting characters. I can't wait to read the next in the series. The audio book has a great narrator, Jane McDowell, who does a wonderful job with the many characters. If you haven't read any of the Ruth Galloway series, start with The Stone Circle as you will enjoy the progression. I can't wait for the next in the series!

For those who love the Dr. Ruth and her circle, they are back for the twelfth installment of the series.
There's more mystery, tension, and of course, dead bodies.
Folklore takes a dominate place in this story, specifically about The Lantern Man, a man of legend who lures people to their deaths in the marshes, but of course Dr. Ruth has to determine if the stories are nothing but over active imaginations or something more sinister in mind.

Quick and fun read.

The next offering in Griffiths series does not disappoint. I find myself recommending this author and series to a wide variety of readers and know they won’t be disappointed. I certainly wasn’t.

The Lantern Men is the twelfth book in the Ruth Galloway series by award-winning British author, Elly Griffiths. Forensic anthropologist, Dr Ruth Galloway has settled into a new teaching position in Cambridge, living there in a townhouse with her daughter Kate, her cat Flint (of course!) and Frank Barker. And while Kate’s father, DCI Harry Nelson isn’t too happy about her absence from north Norfolk, Ruth felt something had had to change.

Nelson is relieved that Ivor March has been found guilty of the murder of the two women whose bodies were dug up from his girlfriend’s garden, but he is convinced that March is responsible for the earlier disappearance of two young women of similar appearance, and not willing to leave things as they stand. Yet despite the overwhelming trace and DNA evidence several of March’s women still protest his innocence: the man is apparently charismatic.

Then March offers to reveal the location of the other two if, and only if, Ruth Galloway does the excavation. Ruth agrees to accompany Harry to the prison, where she meets March, finds him very creepy, but agrees to his terms. But both Ruth and Harry are aware, at each encounter, of the flicker of a flame between them, still not doused.

Then Ruth’s former boss, who did the first excavation, is attacked and has his laptop stolen, a third body is found with the other two, and another woman is murdered on the marshes, in much the same manner as the first four. But Ivor March is in prison, so…

As Harry Nelson and his competitive subordinates re-examine the circumstances of the four earlier disappearances, it’s those that attended the Grey Walls retreat that come under the greatest scrutiny, several of whom talk about the local legend of The Lantern Man.

Once again, Griffiths gives the reader an enthralling tale that presents several possible killers whose motives can only be guessed at, and keep the pages turning until the thrilling climax and beyond. Again, excellent British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishers

This is an excellent book that is an easy fast read. Once you start to read it you will find it hard to put it down. This is the first book I read in this series. Although I caught on to the story lines and managed just fine in following along, the characters are very complex and have a deep history with one another, so I will go back in the series and read from the first book on to see them develop. This is a murder mystery of a man who is convicted of killing 2 women, although the police are sure her killed two more. He does agree to say where the bodies of the other two women are. This is a gripping novel that you won't want to miss.

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

Forensic archaeologist, Ruth Galloway, changed her life — until a convicted killer Tells her that four of his victims were never found, drawing her back to the place she had left.

It was a good book. About cold cases and current murders. Did get confusing with the different families, their Kids,, and their ex’s . Well-written plot.
\great characters.

Thank you Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

I really enjoyed this mystery. The main character was a bit annoying at times but she goes in waves for me. Sometimes she is strong and sometimes she is not. I look forward to Griffiths' books every year.

Ruth has moved to Oxford and is teaching at a new university. She is unexpectedly pulled into another investigation after an imprisoned serial killer agrees to reveal the location of several victims, provided that Ruth handles the excavation. In addition to the investigation, Ruth has mixed emotions for her live in beau vs. the father of her child. The book has an intricate plot with rich characterization. I thoroughly enjoined this novel - another great book in the Ruth Galloway series.

I love Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series and this is no exception. This was perfectly paced and a just twisty enough to be surprising. My favorite thing about this series is that the stories are very place-based and atmospheric. Even though Ruth and Kate have moved away from the salt marsh, that atmosphere is still front and center of the story, which draws on a local legend for a spooky mystery that Ruth and company get drawn into.