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The Night Hawks

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Member Reviews

It’s always fun to return to the familiar characters surrounding DI Nelson of the North Norfolk police and archaeologist Ruth Galloway and read about their career challenges and changes, family developments, and personal relationships. That Nelson and Ruth solve a mystery with the aid of this exceptional cast makes the story even more worthwhile. This one touched on biomedical ethics, a paranormal story about a local haunting by an enormous black dog, and, as always in Ruth’s case, the struggles of being a single mom who succeeds in a demanding profession. I loved it and highly recommend the whole series for mystery fans.

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A thoroughly enjoyable crime/murder mystery combining some archaeology with the police procedural. Dr Ruth Galloway is called in when a body is found on the beach and nearby is a skeleton and old metal, detected by the “Night Hawks” a group of amateurs with metal detectors. The book is set in North Norfolk and there’s lots of local colour provided by old legends, the Black Shuck, the Sheringham mermaid and the Norfolk sea-serpent. There’s also illegal drug trials being run by a local mad scientist who’s found dead along with his wife. The plot moved quickly, with plenty of clues and distractions. Even though I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series it was easy to pick up on the connections between the main characters. An entertaining read.

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Earlier this year I devoured Elly Griffiths's charming novel, "The Postscript Murders," which centers on the murder of a mystery writer.

 And so naturally I was pleased to come across her smart new mystery, "The Night Hawks. "

"The Night Hawks" is the 13th in her Ruth Galloway series, and it is a police procedural.  You needn't start with the first book:  Griffiths explicates Ruth's personal and professional background in the first chapter of the convoluted narrative.  Ruth is a forensic archaeologist who is also the new chairman of the archaeology department at the University of North Norfolk.  And she is a consultant to the police, specifically DCI Nelson, her married former lover and the father of their daughter, Kate. 


I love reading novels about work, and about the complicated professional relationships in the workplace. Ruth must contend with a prickly male colleague who seems threatened by her, and also with a group of amateur archaeologists, the Night Hawks, who putter around at night with metal detectors and are lucky enough to discover a site with a Bronze Age corpse. On that same night the Night Hawks find the dead body of a young man on the beach.   Ruth is called in to help with the murder case, and also must supervise the dig.  More murders are committed,  each discovered by one or more members of the Night Hawks.

 
And then near the end it turned into a psychological drama, which I found disappointing and not
quite believable.  But it is possible that I don't read enough police procedurals.

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Thanks NetGalley, Mariner Books and Elly Griffiths for an ARC to review.
Book 13 in Doctor Ruth Galloway series, I haven't read the previous books though I didn't find difficulty following this book.
When the police contacts the forensic archaeologist after a group call themselves The Night Hawks discover a body, Doctor Ruth comes to discover much older bones on site.
Then a murder suicide occurs where again The Night Hawks report the crime.
An engaging fast paced crime book, I loved it.

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The Night Hawks is the 13th novel in the Ruth Galloway mystery series by Elly Griffiths. Griffiths does not disappoint her avid fans of the North Norfolk, England, series featuring forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson. The book explores the myth of the Black Shuck, the Norfolk Sea Serpent, and highlights the metal detectorists group, The Night Hawks. The novel finds Ruth along with her 10 year old daughter, Kate, back from Cambridge, in their seaside cottage in Kings Lynn. While Nelson is Kate's father, Nelson is still married to his wife, Michelle and is torn between his two families. Head of archaeology at the University of North Norfolk, Ruth still retains her role as the special advisor to the police. As the bodies stack up and their relationship intensifies, the moody and atmospheric landscape adds to this tension making this next in series a must read.

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I love all of the Ruth Galloway books. Bronze Age artifacts are discovered on the beach along with a dead body so of course Ruth is asked to help.

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A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't believe it's fair for me to give much a review of this novel. When I requested the review of it, I thought it was a new addition to Griffith's other series, Harbinder Kaur. Since I have not read any the the books in this series, I was at a bit of a loss since I knew nothing of the background of the characters nor the storyline. I can tell you, however, that I did enjoy what I could glean about the characters and the archeological aspect, well, who wouldn't love that. This is obviously a series that I should check out from the beginning...Will add it to be TBR pile.

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Fans of the Dr. Ruth Galloway series will not be disappointed!, Ruth and her daughter Kate (not Katie) are back in their old cottage and while the complexity of solving the requisite murders is intriguing from multiple angles is intriguing it was the inner of Dr. Galloway and DCI Nelson that ultimately captured my attention in this 13th book of the series. No spoilers from me.

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I just love this series. I devoured all the previous installments while the country was in lockdown for the coronavirus, and they were exactly what I needed to brighten my spirits. Ruth Galloway is a forensic archeologist who consults with the location police department in Norfolk. In this entry, she has just returned to Norfolk after a brief stint in another location. Her emotional (and occasionally physical) affair with Detective Nelson still plays a major part in her character's development. We also meet some new characters, like her coworker David, who basically takes the place of her other annoying coworker, Phil, who has now retired, opening up the chair position at the university where Ruth teaches.

The titular Night Hawks are a group of metal detectorists searching for ancient artifacts. They find some old coins ... and a body (of course). Ruth and her cohorts get embroiled in another complicated case with roots in the past and a foot in the present.

One of the highlights of this book, and the series as a whole, is watching the character development. Will Nelson retire? Will he ever leave his wife, Michelle, for Ruth and their daughter, Katie? Will Judy get promoted? What New Age wisdom will their druid friend Cathbad impart?

I look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

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For some reason, I have neglected the Ruth Galloway series recently. Thus I was so pleased to be given an opportunity from Netgalley to review the ARC for The Night Hawks. This is the 13th volume in the series, and my unbiased review.

Myth plays a large part in this chapter in Ruth's life. A body washed ashore near a dig uncovered by Night Hawks, has a tattoo that might represent one of the uncanny Norwalk serpents. More impressive is the Black Shuck, a horrendous hound, a harbinger of death. At Black Dog Farm, both Kate and Ruth see the hound. Will death be stalking them? Cathbad, the Druid by vocation once again offers multiple connections to the eccentrics and new-agers in North Norfolk.

Black Dog farm is the scene of a bloody double homicide. Was it a murder suicide or something else? The Night Hawks, who Ruth states firmly are not archeologists, are dedicated treasure hunters, and history buffs. They have found the body that is under Nelson's jurisdiction, along with Ruth's Bronze age body. As in previous novels members of this group are killed, leading Ruth deeper into solving the mystery.

I won't spoil the current status of my favorite characters except to say I am delighted with how Griffith is treating them.

Not having read the last few books, I was pleased the Griffith takes the time to reacquaint the reader. This helps the novel be read as a stand alone as well as part of a successful series.
Clearly I have been missing wonderful adventures. Back to find the earlier books in this series.

Highly recommended for book clubs and for readers of all ages.

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I love this series. It's smart, interesting, and like visiting old friends. Ruth Galloway is such an interesting character on her own - smart, excellent in her field of work, but always struggling a bit with her work and personal relationships. I like that Ruth is aging relatively naturally over the course of this series, for example Ruth was expecting her daughter, Kate, in the book released about 11 years ago - and Kate is 11 in this current book. That also makes for a nice flow with the characters that surround Ruth - things have changed at the university where she works, and at the police station that she consults for. There have been promotions, retirements, and deaths.
This book is no exception. It begins with the discover of a body, and while the police have some guesses when they arrive on the scene as to what may have happened, it turns out that nothing is what it initially seemed. Throw in a sinister-seeming farm, an apocryphal black dog that might the harbinger of death, plus a few more deaths, and you've got another excellent addition to this series. (And if you're thinking you'd like to read this series - I highly recommend starting from the beginning - as I mentioned, the relationships that develop between the characters really are best read in order.)
Many thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

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Another wonderful adventure with Ruth Galloway! Ruth has become one of my favourite heroines over the last few years; she is so relatable and funny and gives me some Bridget Jones vibes. The Night Hawks gives the reader exactly what they want from this series; an intriguing mystery full of red herrings, snappy dialogue, delightful characters, and, most importantly, the underlying tension of will they / won't they between Ruth and Nelson. Griffiths leaves the reader on a bit of a cliffhanger, as she often does, so I'm already looking forward to the next book.

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Loved it, love Ruth and Nelson but wish there was resolution of the love affair. I guess then the author would have to end the series if Nelson retires or leaves Michelle. The mystery was also better this time, didn’t figure out who the murderer was, which is good because I hate when it’s too easy to figure out!

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Elly Griffiths comes back to Ruth Galloway, now head of archeology at the University of North Norfolk, in The Night Hawks, as amateur treasure hunters discover a bronze age hoard and a body washed up on the shore. Then a murder suicide is reported at a remote farm. DCI Nelson is responsible for both cases. Whodunit? Is there a connection?

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I am a huge fan of Elly Griffiths and after reading the Lantern Men, I new I wanted to read The Night Hawks to see what mystery Dr Galloway would uncover and solve.

The Night Hawks are a group who go hunting at night for treasures using their metal detectors. They’ve found all kinds of fabulous things, but the last thing they ever thought they’d discover was the body of a young male on the beach.

This is where DCI Nelson comes into the picture. Nelson works for the serious crimes unit in Norfolk and wants to figure out who this young dead man is and how he died. Nelson contacts Forensic Archaeologists Dr Ruth Galloway, who is the department head of the local college and asks for her help. It’s a bit awkward as although this is a professional relationship, Galloway and Nelson had an affair 11 years prior which resulted in their beautiful daughter Kate. While this is supposed to strictly be a working professional relationship, Sparks still fly between the two.

As per usual Elly Griffiths writes another captivating, mythical, suspenseful addition to the Ruth Galloway series. I have to say at times the story was a bit creepy and scary, but I guess that is Elly Griffiths point. Regardless of my trepidation, I pushed on and am so glad I did. I can’t wait for book number 14 in the series to come out so I can find out what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Publishing for my advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

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The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

Thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Mariner Books and Elly Griffiths for a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished this one and I'm already looking forward to what happens in the next one. I loved the setting in modern day Norfolk, with the folklore and archaeological excavations. The characters continue to develop, with some new ones added. I found it very fast-paced suspense. Can't wait for the next one!

#TheNightHawks #NetGalley

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I just love Elly Griffiths! Every time I pick up one of her books I know that I will enjoy it, speed through it and wish for the next one to be released right now. Besides having written such wonderful characters, she also always manages to come up with yet another difficult to solve mystery. I'm sure it's not easy but her legions of loyal fans do appreciate it. What I really enjoy as well is the evolution of her characters from book to book. So many books of a similar type seem to let their characters stagnate, which is frustrating, but happily these books do not let that happen!
I can't wait for the next one!

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I'm thrilled to see Ruth back in her beloved Norfolk, this time as head of North Norfolk'' archaeology Department. I am a huge fan of everything fan of everything that I've read by Elly Griffiths, but most especially the Ruth Galloway series. Not only has she created each mystery to me self-contained and well-crafted, but the character development of Ruth, Nelson, and all the secondary characters continues to deepen over the course of the series and makes me hunger for the next installment! Her character development are completely on point and the plots are fantastic. Bring on installment number 14!

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I absolutely love everything I've read by Elly Griffiths but most especially the Ruth Galloway series. Not only is each mystery self-contained and well-crafted, but the character development of Ruth, Nelson, and all the secondary characters continues over the course of the series and makes me impatient for each new instalment. I can't wait for book 14!

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Have you read any of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway mysteries? They're set in modern-day Norfolk, England, where Ruth is an archeologist who is often called out to help with DCI Nelson's investigations.

In The Night Hawks, local metal detector enthusiasts find a body while they're looking for treasure. It turns out to be a young man who lived nearby. And surprise--it's murder! Bodies pile up as Nelson's investigating progresses. Much seems to revolve around Black Dog Farm, a lonely, dark place with a horrific past. As Nelson gets closer to uncovering who the murderer is, he puts more people than himself in danger.

What I appreciated about this book in the series was the characters of police inspector Judy and her partner, Cathbad, who are also friends and neighbors of Ruth. They add interest and depth to the story, in the way that Louise Penny's characters do. The ongoing conflicting elements of Ruth and Nelson's relationship adds tension and I wonder how long they'll let the current situation continue.

If you're a British mystery fan, you'll enjoy The Night Hawks, as well as the other books in this series.

*I received a free e-galley of The Night Hawks from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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