Absolutely loved this--just like all the books by this author. I thought it was very well written and highly recommend. I can't wait for the next in this series.

I'm annoyed as heck that I didn't review this book!
I rated it at 4 stars. That's all I can say. Yes, I want to read more. I have the early books in my t.b.r lists.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an ebook of The Lantern Men for an honest review.
This is #12 in the Ruth Galloway series and this edition finds Ruth living in Cambridge with her daughter Kate and of all people, Frank! Fans of this series will be surprised that Ruth agreed to leave her beloved home near Norfolk and start a new life away from DCI Harry Nelson. Of course, Ruth sees to it that Harry is still apart of his daughter's life and a murder case makes Harry a part of Ruth's life..again.
Is the murderer telling the truth about the dead women or is someone else involved?
There is an intriguing twist with the folk legend of the lantern men that figures in the plot of this story.
As a side story, it's interesting to see if Frank can hold on to Ruth or is the pull of Harry too much for her to resist.

Basically, Elly Griffiths never fails to deliver, and has produced another rivetting Ruth Galloway thriller.

Top notch mystery with complex and believable characters! I've followed this series from the beginning and unlike other series that get stale and dropped by the wayside, this one keeps going strong. The main character is interesting and believable and has a multitude of friends and colleagues that have their own stories going on as well. Everything weaves together to create a complex tapestry of situations and emotions revolving around an interesting mystery.. The core story of Ruth and Nelson never fails to keep the interest, and such an interesting story it is! No spoilers here, but I was glad the book ended on the note that it did. Can't wait for the next one!

I lnow I'm late with this and , as I'm not quite finished, I'll post my review straight onto Amazon

I haven't read Elly Griffiths before and was excited to have a chance to try her new book. I highly recommend! It has all the suspense, thriller, whodunit vibes a reader could ask for. Even though this is book 12 in the Dr. Ruth Galloway series, I found it easy to get into and enjoy. I will be going back and reading the previous books to catch up on the characters backstory and histories.

Much like the characters in this book, I finished it with mixed emotions. I enjoyed it overall, yet at times was frustrated by it. And perhaps that's one of the draws of this series for me - I love a good mystery series, but the added factor in this one is that the characters are all too human.
Much has changed in Ruth Galloway's life since the events of the previous book in the series. She's in a new job at a different university and town, and she and her daughter are living with the new man in her life. On the surface it's all just fine, and she and her daughter have settled in nicely. But when she finds herself drawn back to her old life when an anonymous letter says she should be consulted on a murder investigation, the flames of her doubts are fanned. Pulled back into closer proximity to her old haunts and old friends, she begins to question what (and whom) she really wants. The mystery here is a good one, the human relationships feel all too real (the tension between what the head knows is good and what the heart really wants). The familiar supporting characters are here, with their own charms and issues. I look forward to whatever may be next for Ruth and friends.
My thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Elly Griffiths continues the forensic archaeology misadventures of Ruth Galloway in The Lantern Men. Ruth has left archaeology behind and moved to teach at Cambridge along with her partner Frank. Then DCI Nelson, the father of her daughter Katie, gets her involved in a multiple murder case of young women. His convicted killer Ivor has asked that Ruth dig up another two victims and he will identify the site. Three women are found. Whodunit? There is some doubt that Ivor is the killer. Others are acting strange. Meanwhile Ruth's life is entangled again with Nelson. Where is this all going?

Another wonderful Dr. Ruth Galloway novel. It is actual the 12 in the series and just as exciting as her other 11 in the Dr. Ruth Galloway, Forensic Archaeologist series. Two years have passed since the last novel Standing Stones and much has changed. Ruth is now living with Frank and her daughter Katie and is working as a Professor in Cambridge. DCI Harry Nelson, is a proud father to his newest addition and first son still living with his family in Norfolk. All the regular Norfolk characters are back in this novel which is lovely as I feel a real comradeship with Ruth and Harry’s friends and families. Harry isn’t happy with Ruth and their daughter Katie moving away to Cambridge and living with Frank, but when a Convicted murderer Ivor March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal that he will tell them where the bodies of the women he is charged with killing are buried, only if Ruth Galloway is the one to dig up the bodies. This means Ruth must come back to Norfolk to help solve this case. Of course it’s not this easy and more women’s bodies turn up including a recent similar murder which takes place while Ivor is in custody.
There is also an ancient Norfolk mystery of the Lantern Men that light the way for young women to follow to their deaths. This comes into play with the current murder mystery and suspense. I love the Ruth Galloway mysteries and I enjoy the familiar characters that surround Ruth and Harry. They add so much more to the stories. I can not wait to read the next and 13th book in this very enjoyable series.

Another installment in Ruth Galloway's life. Ruth has moved and is settling i to her new life with a new job and a new love relationship. Of course, a mystery occurs and her archeogical expertise is needed. A twisty mystery that should be read by everyone.

Another chilling exciting book in this series.Well written characters that come alive.The story kept me reading late into the night, Wil be recommending the series .#netgalley#the lanternmen

The usual yoeman job in this series by Griffiths, although I wonder if she is losing interest in these characters. The last couple outings don't seem to have the original verve.

Ruth Galloway has relocated to the ivory towers of Cambridge and has left behind consulting with the police and Harry Nelson. She should be content with her lectureship, her daughter, and her partner, but she admits to jealousy when she hears about her former colleague collaborating with the police. When a serial killer requests her--and only her--to lead the dig for undiscovered victims, Ruth is pulled back into the world of forensic archaeology and Nelson. All the old favorite characters from Norfolk make an appearance and Ruth gets back into the field. Another great chapter in the series.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

This is the 2nd Griffiths I've read but my first since the first Ruth Galloway mystery written. In 2009 when I read THE CROSSING PLACES, Griffiths writing was fresh and Galloway was a unique and vibrant character. Since then, I would say Griffiths (and Galloway) was not exactly progressed but actually regressed a little. I found the writing a little lacking and the story even more implausible than similar mysteries. I still thought it was a good mystery, but not as great as I thought in 2009.

I've really enjoyed all the instalments in Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series, and her July 2020 release, The Lantern Men, was no exception.
Forensic archaeologist and academic Dr. Ruth Galloway's circumstances are different to previous books - she's moved to a new position at the prestigious University of Cambridge, and has relocated with her daughter Kate, now aged 9, from her beloved saltmarsh in Norfolk. She's also in a live-in relationship with American history academic Frank. Kate's father, DCI Harry Nelson, isn't happy about any of these changes, but knows he's in no position to complain.
DI Judy Johnson's investigation into the abduction-murders of two young women has just culminated in the conviction of local artist Ivor March for the crimes. He maintains his innocence, despite the fact that the remains were found buried in his girlfriend's garden, covered in his DNA. While it's not DCI Harry Nelson's investigation, he's convinced that March is also responsible for the disappearance of two other young women from the marshes. Forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is reluctantly drawn into the ongoing police investigation when March offers to disclose the location of the final two sets of remains, but only if Dr. Galloway agrees to conduct the excavation.
Parallels with fenland folklore and a mysterious collective of local artists and writers draw the reader into this engrossing mystery, as all the familiar cast of characters from the series become involved in events as they unfold.
This was a solid novel with a complex plot, as readers have come to expect from Griffiths. The central character is convincing and well-developed - internally conflicted, despite her apparent professional success and more stable personal life. Her ongoing relationship with Nelson remains a substantial sub-plot. Despite Ruth's move to Cambridge, the beautiful but desolate landscape of Norfolk's fens and marshlands are the primary backdrop, as in previous instalments.
Highly recommended, both to existing fans of the Ruth Galloway series, and to new readers. My thanks to the author, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title. #TheLanternMen #NetGalley

It's been years since I read a Ruth Galloway mystery, and it's good to see the author still in good form. The complicated nature of her relationships with her former boss, her web of friends, Russell and his children and wife, are all brought into play; if you've been following along you won't be bored and if not, the casual nature of the comments makes it all clear.

As far as the mystery goes, there are a lot of possibilities for the who dunnit. If you closely pay attention the answer is there, but it didn't stand out for me. Ivor March's wanting Ruth to do the excavation makes sense in hindsight although at the time everyone is confused by why he would confess that easily.

eARC provided by publisher.

I read a couple of Ruth Galloway mysteries a number of years ago and enjoyed them. Thanks to NetGalley I have had the chance to return to her story with the latest book in the series entitled “ The Lantern Men.” The series is part romance novel, part cozy mystery, with a dash of scientific “CSI-style” archeology thrown into the mix. I find the mixture of these three styles a fun storyline mixture that makes for a good read (especially during a worldwide pandemic!).
I enjoyed the mystery —the juxtaposition of a current murder mixed in with solving historical murders by a murderer already in prison. I’ll leave the details of the plot to the imagination of the reader so as to “enjoy the ride,” Some of the romance aspects of the story come across as contrived: I would have liked it if Elly Griffiths had made the love triangle between Ruth and her two men (one current and one former —but still a part of her life) a bit more “electric” but the complaint seems rather minor. Secondly, the main leads in the story all seem rather dour throughout most of the story; a bit more joy mixed into their lives would have made for a more satisfactory read.
In conclusion: “The Lantern Men” was a good enough read that I am going to invest the time (and money) to go back and read the books in the Ruth Galloway series that I skipped the past several years. Again, thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

In The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths we start in the prologue on a journey with a young girl walking her way through England in the hunt for a youth hostel, she is then picked up by some unknown person-leaving us to wonder if she is going to be okay. Chapter 1 starts 11 years later, we meet one of the story's protagonists, Ruth, a forensic archeologist, university lecturer and mother to Kate (a child she shares with Harry Nelson-DCI, from an affair that they shared years before.) Ruth is at a writing retreat in Gray Wells, a place that holds great significance throughout the story. We are then transported to DCI Harry Nelson who is awaiting the results of a trial, Ivor March had been arrested on suspicion of murdering 2 women, and a guilty verdict was returned. What follows is a story of a group of friends, the Lantern Men, the discovery of more victims, and some twists and turns to see if Ivor really is a murderer or if someone else is still lurking in the shadows.

There are a lot of characters in this story to keep straight and many different intersecting relationships that make it a bit muddled at times, but if you're paying attention it shouldn't be too difficult. I enjoyed this story there were some good characters, the story line is solid. I think the layout could use a bit of work, when switching from storyline to story line there was no indication you were changing people/locations at first it can make the story a bit jarring and keeps it from flowing. Overall a good suspenseful story with interesting characters. I learned after I read the book that it was part of a series, but I never felt lost in character dynamics so it can definitely be read as a stand alone novel. I will be going back to find more of Elly Griffiths books.

I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley in return for my review.

I’m a huge fan of Elly Griffiths’ Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, so was delighted to get the opportunity to read and review this latest one, the 12th book in the series!

Although this is part of a series, I think it could be read as a stand-alone book too- although regular readers know all about Ruth’s relationship to DCI Harry Nelson, the author cleverly talks to that, in conversations with new characters for example, so any new readers will know too. There are references to previous events, but nothing which would cause a new reader any problems in following this one.

In The Lantern Men, it’s all change - Ruth and her daughter Kate have moved in with Ruth’s partner Frank, and they’ve left their little remote coastal cottage for Cambridge. However, she’s soon called back to the coast, and back working alongside DCI Nelson.

There are new challenges and dynamics in the book- Ruth’s relationship with Frank vs her relationship with Nelson, and how the two mix, Nelson’s new family situation following the birth of son George, Ruth’s new job and the possibility of another- there are always things to keep the series fresh.

What I also love about these books, is the folklore (if that’s the right word) that accompanies them. In this book, The Lantern Men who haunt the fens. I also love the north Norfolk coast, so I was destined to love this series!

As ever, the book is read far too quickly, but I can go back and take my time with it for a second reading, perhaps finding more detail than I did in my first hurried read! It’ll also keep me going until the next instalment!