I've read a few other books in this series and I was looking forward to this one. The Lantern Men didn't disappoint. The plot was engaging and with a few red herrings thrown into the mix. I also loved several of the characters in the book and their interaction with each other, especially Ruth, Nelson and Cathbad.

The downside was that I felt the pacing was a little bit uneven at times.

Book 12 of the Ruth Galloway series and it does not disappoint! It was so nice to sit down with "old friends." I had a bit of a book hangover from some good books and new that the latest installment in a series I enjoy would be just the cure. If you are new to the series I would suggest going back to the beginning because at this point there is quite a character arc. And that's one of the best parts of this series, that the characters keep moving forward and their stories grow and change. Can't wait for the next one!

Every time I find that a new Ruth Galloway book is due to come out, I get super excited.  I adore spending time with Ruth and watching the evolution of her relationship with Nelson, the father of Ruth's daughter Kate.


Long time readers of the series know that Nelson and Ruth's relationship is a complex one that often leads to cliffhangers in the novels.  I think that this relationship will intrigue readers for as long as Ms. Griffiths writes.  There is something so lovely about a  romantic heroine who is about to turn fifty.


There are so many other interesting characters surrounding Ruth.  There is Frank with whom she now lives; Cathbad, yes the Druid;  Nelson's wife and daughters; Cathbad's reporter daughter and more.  There are also highly evocative settings.


And, of course, there is murder and mystery.  Ivor has just been jailed for multiple murders.  Was he guilty? Who are those with whom he spent time at an artistic retreat?  How will these characters interact and intersect with the series regulars?  Read the book to find out. 


I often find that the case itself intrigues me less than the people in this author's stories.  Still, for the last half hour of reading this title, I was gripped and kept turning the pages eagerly.


This novel could be read as a standalone.  If readers do that, I hope they will go back and read the stories from the very first one to catch up.  Long terms followers of the series will, I think, be delighted by Ruth's return.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fierce devotee and longtime recommender of the Ruth Galloway books. I was excited to be in her world again, but this particular entry in the series left me feeling a little confused. Our beloved Ruth has moved away from the Saltmarsh (which she's always been so passionate about) to live with a man (and she's always been very vocal about this *not* being an option). I know she's trying to distance herself from Nelson, but I wish that feeling had been explored a bit more in depth within the text of the book. In short, this novel felt a bit out of place in the Ruth Galloway universe.

Without a doubt this has become my all time favorite series. Between the will they won't they relationship between Nelson and Ruth and the fascinating archeological tidbits, these stories hold me from page one. Ruth has moved away and started a new life (you know that won't last) and is called back in by a request from Nelson. Missing being part of the crime solving team she agrees to help and once again provides the necessary clues to solve some old murders. I was guessing until the end. I can't wait until next adventures of these two and to see where their relationship goes next. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This is the twelfth outing for Ruth Galloway and her team, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Ruth is now in Cambridge, with her daughter Kate and Frank, and seems settled in her new life.

When a convicted killer confesses to more murders, and says that he will only talk to Ruth, and that he wants her to investigate the possible site of the bodies, she is drawn back into her old role,
It’s good to see that the old team have moved on as well, with various promotions, but the dynamics are still there.
The lantern men refers to a legend of lights on the marshes, leading people to their deaths, and also to a group of men who “rescue” vulnerable women.
There is a little bit of mysticism, a development in her relationship with Nelson, danger for Ruth, and the book ends with a big decision.
Excellent.

Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read this book.

I'd only read the first few book in this series so I kind of cheated by skipping ahead to this one, and wow, so many things have happened! I obviously have a lot to catch up on. I really like Ruth Galloway. She's smart, thoughtful and resourceful. This book can be read as a stand alone but I recommend starting at the beginning and getting to know her and her back story. Ruth gets pulled into a murder case in this book at the request of the suspect himself. There are a lot of twists and turn in this novel and it's a great addition to this wonderful British series.

I have read this series from the beginning and I do come back mainly to find out what is going on with Ruth, Nelson, Judy, Cathbad, etc. They are such a interesting and convoluted group.

Nelson has put Ivor March behind bars for the murders of 2 women but he suspects that there are more. Of course Ruth is pulled into the investigation although she is now living with Frank and teaching in Cambridge. The lack of resolution between Ruth and Nelson drives me crazy! I am always hoping for a happy ending for these two.

The plot does develop a bit slowly but it picks up more after the first half. I thought the final explanation was a bit of a stretch, but this always seems like more of a cozy mystery lacking the gratuitous violence and evil. Not a bad thing. It doesn’t scare me before bed.

Fans of the series will not be disappointed with this latest installment. Thank you to Quercus and Net Galley for the ARC and happy to give my honest opinion.

This--the twelfth book in the series--delivers the wonderful atmosphere and intriguing situations of the previous eleven. The pacing is a little uneven, but the reader who persists will be rewarded with the loving characterizations of the series regulars, as well as some niftily buried surprises.

The latest Ruth Galloway kept me on the edge of my seat. Ruth continues to grow and it’s great seeing her being appreciated for her expertise In her field. Hopefully the next book will tie up the whole Nelson will he or won’t he situation. You need to read the first book in the series to fully understand the events in this book. I wish I had re-read it so the case was fresher in my mind. The reader learns a lot about local folklore and weaves it into a terrifying case. Definitely worth reading! Excellent addition to the series and I can’t wait for the next book!

If you've never read one of Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels you're quite likely to enjoy this one. If you are familiar with the series, though, this is basically the same book she's already written a few times. For me, the series has just run out of steam.

Elly Griffiths does not disappoint. Missing girls, found bodies, Ruth Galloway is caught up in the chase to make this as right as she can.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC of this book for an honest review.

This was ok, now knowing that it is a series and this book is the 12th (I think) I totally understand why it was just ok. That being said I gave it 3 stars since I have not read any of the previous books and the rating should be adjusted due to that. If I am able to in future at some point read the others in the series I will definitely update my review.

This is the twelfth in the Ruth Galloway mystery series featuring forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway and DCI Frank Nelson. Ruth and Nelson have a complicated relationship that has played out over the previous eleven books and this book opens with each of them apparently moving on with their lives. Ruth has moved from her beloved salt marshes to Cambridge. For his part, Nelson has settled into his life with his wife and children. Neither of them is completely happy and that dissatisfaction seeps into every corner of their individual lives.
This book opens with the conviction of Ivor March for the murder of two young women. There have been four young women murdered over the years, and the police are convinced March is a serial killer responsible for all four deaths. Just after the conviction, a letter is sent suggesting there are more bodies to be exhumed, giving the location and suggesting that Ruth be in charge of the process instead of her previous boss Phil, who was in charge of the other exhumation. Ruth agrees and in the process the body of a third young woman is found at the same site.
Nelson is convinced that March is responsible for all four deaths; but his first wife and now his current lover both profess to believe he is innocent of the murders.
As with other books by Griffiths, the book is very atmospheric with the overriding element of swamp/marsh land, long black nights, and unexplained lights appearing across the marsh which have generated folklore stories of a lantern man who lures young women to their death. Griffiths does an excellent job of letting this atmosphere seep into the book and leaving the reader with a slightly uneasy feeling.
I enjoyed that aspect of the book, as I did the plotting of the mystery itself. What I found less than satisfying was the unhappiness of all the characters in the book and how that unhappiness carried through the entire novel, leaving it with a very heavy feeling. It was with some relief that I reached the last tense few chapters of the book leading to the denouement and then the final chapters that provided a wrap-up of this story and hinting at changes to come in the future. The book was well written, but I didn’t so much “enjoy” it as I felt weighed down by it. I still think Griffiths is one of the best mystery writers of modern day, her plots are tight and the books are well written. However, I would like some relief from the overwhelming sense of sadness that pervaded virtually every page of this novel.
My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DCI Harry Nelson and DI Judy Johnson are pleased that Ivor March has been found guilty of the murder of two young women. While Nelson believes he has killed at least two more women, March is still claiming his innocence of all the murders. However, he tells Nelson he will tell him where to find the other two bodies if Ruth Galloway can be involved in the forensic exhumation of the bodies.

Ruth has moved on since the earlier cases she worked with Nelson. She has left her job at the University of North Norfolk and her cottage on the Northfolk Fens. Much to Nelson's displeasure, she and Katie have moved in with American historian Frank Barker and she has started a new job at St Jude's College in Cambridge. However, since it's the end of the academic year and she has just finished writing a book, she agrees to help Nelson out by being involved in the exhumation of the bodies.

The plot becomes more complicated when a third body is found at the burial site and when a fresh murder occurs. Nelson is not the only one left wondering if there is more to these murders than they first thought and tales of young women being lured by mythic lantern men across the marshes gives the murders a gothic atmosphere.

It was really good to see Ruth back examining bones with Nelson and his crew and surrounded by the familiar characters from the previous books including Nelson's colleagues and family and especially Cathbad, the gentle Druid. The ongoing development of the characters and their relationships is one of the pleasures of reading this series. Ruth Galloway is one of my favourite characters in crime fiction and, although I wasn't entirely convinced by the way the investigation wrapped up, I enjoyed the journey to get there and the weaving of local mythology and the ruggedly beautiful landscape into the crime.

A convicted killer goads Nelson into getting Ruth involved in the excavation by making it a requirement to his revealing where he's buried the bodies of two of his victims. All our favorite characters return for the fifteenth in the series, and it's just as satisfying a mystery as the first.

I have loved this series from the very first book and Elly Griffiths does not disappoint. I really enjoyed this one and it kept me guessing the whole way through and was shocked at the very end. I love reading about Dr Ruth Galloway and love reading her continuing story.

Everything has changed for Dr Ruth Galloway.
She has a new job, home and partner, and 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 where the 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 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?

Book twelve of the Ruth Galloway series is hard to write about. Ruth's life has changed. She's moved, has a new job and is living with Frank. But has it changed, really? She misses her old house, her students aren't really different, and she still jumps anytime DCI Nelson asks her to. Is this a bad thing? Not really. I enjoy this series very much. The relationships, both professional and personal, are well developed and the landscape plays into the stories so well.
Definitely not the place to start the series but an excellent entry.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: July 14, 2020
After years of pleading his innocence, convicted murderer Ivor March is finally willing to reveal where his victims are buried. The only stipulation? Ruth Galloway, forensic archaeologist, has to be the one to dig them up herself. Ruth is now a college professor, raising her young daughter with her new partner and has long since left the police department behind. But at the encouragement of her former police partner (and her child’s father), Ruth decides to once again step in and provide closures to the victims’ families. But when Ruth uncovers three bodies, instead of two, the investigation points toward Ivor actually being innocent of his crimes and now Ruth and the police must work together to discover the real murderer.
“The Lantern Men” by Elly Griffiths is the twelfth novel in the Ruth Galloway series. I have not read any of the other eleven Galloway novels, but the premise of this one inspired me to give it a shot. I did not know the characters or their histories, and was not familiar with Griffiths’ work, so this one was definitely a shot in the dark for me.
Although I was able to follow along with the plot easily enough, not reading the earlier Galloway novels made me feel like I was missing the deeper connections between the characters. I enjoyed Griffith’s taut storytelling, and the dramatic police procedural format however. Ruth is funky and intelligent, and Harry Nelson (police detective and Ruth’s former partner) is the stereotypical detective in every way, but he is likable in his own rough and gruff way.
There are a lot of characters in this book, and it is difficult to keep them straight. The police investigators and their various partners, Ruth and Harry’s past and present partners and their children, and all of the suspects from Grey Walls that are being investigated for the murders. Again, they may have been characters that were mentioned in the other Galloway novels, but for a newbie Griffith’s reader, it was taxing to get through them all.
Although it is obviously not necessary, I would definitely recommend reading all of Griffith’s Galloway series from start to finish, in order to understand the romantic and professional nuances of all the characters. That being said, Griffith knows how to write a police procedural! “The Lantern Men” has all the aspects you come to expect from a crime drama, and it was definitely an interesting story. I will have to add Griffith’s other Ruth Galloway novels to my TBR list!

Another great book in the Ruth Galloway series. Not only a great mystery, but great developments in the Ruth-Nelson- Frank storyline. The characters intertwined in the subsequent murders were interesting and the story line was compelling. Can't wait for the next one!