I have always been a big fan of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway Mysteries. Ruth is back at The University of North Norfolk as Head of Archeology. When the Night Hawks a local metal detector group find some Bronze She artifacts on a beach they also find a body floating in the se.DCI Nelson calls Ruth in to examine the artifacts and ancient bones are also found. Then the Night Hawks also report a murder at a creepy farm. Another great Ruth Galloway Mystery.

I was lucky enough to get this on Netgalley (Thank you, Quercus!) and just finished it last night. This was a superbly written, edge-of-your-seat suspenseful thriller, and the one thing I find most difficult about this series is closing the book when it’s done, knowing I’ll have to wait until next year to get the next book!

In The Night Hawks, Ruth and daughter Kate have returned to Norfolk from Cambridge. Now the head of the archaeology program after Phil retired, Ruth is settling in to her new position when Nelson calls her in to help on a new case; metal detectorists, looking for buried treasure, find a man’s body washed up on the beach. Soon after, a scientist and his wife are found dead in their home, a probable murder-suicide. As the case unfolds, secrets, lies and murder are slowly uncovered, throwing everyone involved into danger.

13 books into this series and it shows no sign of slowing down. As with all the other books, I expected sinister folklore, druids, auras, Nelson’s bad temper, a dizzyingly twisty plot and an explosive ending – and that’s exactly what I got! The legend of the Black Shuck (I think a version of it can be found on every continent, if not every country) made for a creepy element to the site of the murder-suicide and upped the eerie factor for sure. I also loved Cathbad and his unwavering dedication to the myths and legends and how he honors them (actually, I’m a huge Cathbad fan, so that probably goes without saying.)

As for the plot, the young man’s body washed up on the beach and the murder-suicide, that’s where the dizzyingly twisty comes in. Thinking back over the book and “watching” the whole story being pieced together scrap by scrap – wow! Lots of surprises, leading to many suspects and in the end, the whole mess wasn’t anything near what I sleuthed out. It all led up to an explosive, exciting ending and if you’ve been reading this series from the start like I have – get ready for a cliffhanger.

#TheNightHawks
A wonderful criminal suspense novel. It has a dark edge to it and will keep you guessing to the end of the novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy.

In this 13th in the series, Ruth Galloway is now the head of the archaeology department at her university, and she has hired David Brown to take on some of the teaching load. Cathbad, Ruth’s friend and a druid, proclaims David to be surrounded by dark energy, and Ruth certainly finds him trying as she takes on the new administrative load. He’s certainly not the only one with negative energy in this story, however, as there is a very creepy old house, an apparent murder/suicide, a group of metal detectorists that meets in the dark of night, a possible demon dog, a thousands-of-years-old burial site replete with metal weapons, and a few recent deaths, just to name a few of the goings on in the book.

The story is told in the present tense as is the rest of the series, and that helps keep the pace screaming. A reader could start the series here, since Griffiths adds enough detail from the building relationships between the characters to have them make sense, and especially since one of the central characters in the book, David Brown, is new to the series. However, for those who have been along for the ride through the previous books, this one is particularly compelling. As the mysteries come to conclusion and relationships morph, the end of the book is infused with a sense of possibility.

This book is no different from the rest of the series in its very strong sense of location. The reader is transported to the seaside of Norfolk, appreciating it through Ruth’s eyes. The writing about the environment is quite beautiful. The continuing characters are well drawn and sympathetic; although, as a murder mystery, there are villains. The book is both plot AND character driven, and I defy a reader to finish the book and not immediately want the next one to start.

This is the 13th novel to feature Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson. When I sat down to read this, I felt like I was catching up with my old friends in Norfolk. I have read all of the previous books but a few sentences in the book are enough background for both old and new readers to quickly work out the characters and their history. Also, the author makes references about the past plotline so that new readers will want to find out more and read the previous stories. A handy appendix of “Who is who” at the end of the story, is a nice touch, giving further clarity to new and old readers.
A group of amateur archaeologists called the Night Hawks have come across a body along with some bones and swords on the local beach. Ruth is called in to excavate the site and after confirming that the body is indeed a recent death, DCI Nelson and team commence their murder hunt. More victims are then found and the investigation becomes complicated as science and local legends clash. Ruth is concerned about her new colleague as he seems to be involved with the murder case too. There are lots of layers to this story but they are all neatly brought together at the end of the case.
The twist in the story comes as Nelson has to make a decision about his future, this will keep fans guessing and waiting for the next instalment.
As always with Elly Griffiths’ writing style, you feel like you are catching up with friends, her books are page-turners as you are completely enthralled with both an engaging plotline and likeable, easy to relate to characters. The Dr Ruth Galloway series is one of my favourites and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an e ARC of The Night Hawks in return for an honest review.

Confesion: I am a huge fan of Ellie Griffiths' books, especially the Ruth Galloway series. I was delighted to receive this title and it certainly didnt disappont. Again, an engrossing and interesting criminal investigation was made even better by the archaeological detail and the detailed and convincing background story which continues evolving between the central characters. If you haven't read the earlier novels, this won't affect your enjoyment of this book. However, if this is the case, I would recommend you add them to your 'to era's list. I strongly recommend this engrossing novel.

I really enjoyed this latest book in the series about Ruth Galloway. She has come back to Norfolk as head of the Archeology department at North Norfolk University.
A body is found on the beach at night when some metal detectorists, known as the Night Hawks, come across it while searching the dunes for treasure . The Police are called and Nelson wants Ruth to come and consult , her new colleague, David Brown , insists on joining her. Ruth can’t warm to David and is annoyed that he’s insisted on going with her.

Shortly after the first death Nelson is called to what appears to be a murder suicide at Black Dog Farm. In the suicide note it mentions someone is buried in the garden so Ruth is again called in by Nelson to help look for a body.

The book is an exciting read and comes to a dramatic conclusion which kept me guessing until the end.

It is amazing that this series is still originative in its’ plots and the characters. The author is very accomplished in adding the characters to the established story line. The past is a quick flash back without much repetition.

The Night Hawk was filled with many killings, both recent and prehistoric, with many links to the living and the dead. The story gets more mysterious when an evil big dog appears. Truly, the author created another riveting story.


With many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Netgalley for a copy of the book

Loved it! I'm a big fan of this series, which I'd only discovered two months ago. I've been devouring the books ever since and was so happy to see this newest pre-pub book on offer. The characters are very well rounded, especially if you have read any of the previous books in the series, and the storyline is believable. The tension builds steadily in this one until you truly can't turn the pages fast enough--just don't read ahead!

The Night Hawks is the thirteenth instalment in the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries series and is an excellent and captivating addition to Griffiths' oeuvre. There’s nothing forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway hates more than amateur archaeologists, but when a group of them stumble upon Bronze Age artifacts alongside a dead body in North Norfolk, she finds herself thrust into their midst—and into the crosshairs of a string of murders circling ever closer. Ruth is back as head of archaeology at the University of North Norfolk when a group of local metal detectorists—the so-called Night Hawks—uncovers Bronze Age artifacts on the beach, alongside a recently deceased body, just washed ashore. Not long after, the same detectorists uncover a murder-suicide—a scientist and his wife found at their farmhouse, long thought to be haunted by the Black Shuck, a humongous black dog, a harbinger of death. The further DCI Nelson probes into both cases, the more intertwined they become, and the closer they circle to David Brown, the new lecturer Ruth has recently hired, who seems always to turn up wherever Ruth goes.

This is a scintillating, enthralling and engrossing mystery thriller from one of the best in the game at creating intense and atmospheric crime novels. Right from the opening pages you are immersed in the story and begin to really care about the characters as they fight to uncover the truth. It has a slow-burn feel, and a ripped from the headlines plot with plenty of drama, danger, twists and expert use of misdirection. The archeological aspects have been fully researched and it's clear Griffiths knows exactly what she's talking about, therefore, bringing an air of realism and authenticity to proceedings using this knowledge to pen a believable and compulsively readable tale; it's odd to admit this slant involving archaeologists just going about their work is compelling but i find that it really is. Action-packed, expertly plotted and entertaining from the very beginning, this is an adrenaline-pumping, plausible and gritty thrill ride I highly recommend to those who enjoy intelligent, exhilarating and intriguing stories rich in storycraft. Griffiths continues to craft beautifully woven mystery-thrillers and I am pleased the series is still going strong.

I love the lead character of this novel Dr Ruth Galloway, forensic archaeologist, and have made a pledge to read some of the others in the series. The setting is itself exquisitely brooding, the North Norfolk fens, and the author sets out a range of compelling and believeable characters, even a charismatic druid, Cathbad. It was gripping and held my interests all the way through.
Thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for a free ARC.

I haven’t met a book by Elly Griffiths that I don’t love, and what a reader’s dream come true, to have a favorite author who always nails it. Of course, my first love, because I came to it some years before Elly’s later books, is the Ruth Galloway series. Ruth is the perfect character for me, and the stories created around her define great mystery/crime reading. Ruth is a forensic archaeologist who now heads the archeology department at North Norfolk University, and since Norfolk is an area rich in ancient bones, she is in a place of comfort and familiarity in her world. She is also the advisor for the local police on all matters bone, which brings us to Harry Nelson, the chief and Ruth’s biggest complication in her life. It’s impossible to review this series without spoilers for those who are just starting the series, but for those of us already heavily invested, reviewing these books is an opportunity to revel in the glory of their stories. So, don’t read further if you aren’t up to speed in the series. I want all readers to enjoy each development in each book in its natural flow and gobsmacking moments.

Ruth is now back in Norfolk in her cottage by the sea. At the end of book #12, she had left her job as a lecturer at Cambridge, where she had moved with Frank for two years to try and start a new life. It’s Norfolk and her beloved marshland that will forever hold her heart, as well as Harry Nelson. She has been fortunate to time her return when Phil Trent, her old boss, has retired from the head of the archeology department at the University of North Norfolk. The head job seems a natural progression, as Ruth had represented the department in her ties to and work in the community. She’s even been able to keep teaching, something she loves. Katie, Ruth’s ten-year-old daughter, has adapted from the two years in Cambridge back to Norfolk easily, falling back in step with school and her friends. Both Ruth and Katie are back to their old routines that no longer include Frank, who has returned to America. Katie is thrilled to have Nelson, her father, back in her life more, and, of course, Ruth has finally admitted to herself that seeing Nelson will forever give her pleasure, even though he still lives with his wife Michelle. Nelson seems to have also realized that seeing Ruth and talking to her is something he looks forward to. But, the barriers are still up to anything more.

The name of the book, The Night Hawks, refers to the quasi-archeologists who gather at night to use their metal detectors and “knowledge” to search for treasures from the fertile grounds of buried ancient artifacts. They often go out in a group, searching along the seacoast and marshes. One night a group of local night hawks come across a body that has washed up to shore, obviously dead, but without identification and no clear cause of death+. The police are called in, and as it’s the middle of the night, DCI Nelson takes the call as the responder from the Norfolk Police Serious Crimes Unit. The body is at first assumed to be an asylum seeker who had a bad end.

The Night Hawks also stumbled across a site of human bones close to the body of the dead man. Ruth is called in to excavate the site of the skeleton, her expertise always bringing forth fascinating information in the story about the myriad of people who inhabited the land thousands of years earlier. The human thought to be an asylum seeker turns out to be a local man who recently got out of prison. His identity will prove of interest as the story develops. And, the action keeps coming, with another late night call out for Nelson. This time it’s to an isolated farm, Black Dog Farm, where two Night Hawks, part of the group involved in finding the dead man on the beach, have called in hearing multiple gun shots from the farmhouse there. Upon investigation, it’s found that the husband and wife, Dr. David Noakes and Linda Noakes, are both dead from those gun shots. The setting of this farm will be a large part of the book, and the deaths of the doctor and his wife will be far more complicated than first supposed. Ruth will even become involved again in another excavation that relates to the farm and its occupants.

There is lots happening in this thirteenth book of the Ruth Galloway series. Elly Griffiths has managed to give us yet another multi-layered tale with plenty of action and plenty of emotion.

The Night Hawks is the latest in the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. Set on the North Norfolk coast where Ruth is a forensic archaeologist. She lives on the edge of the remote Saltmarsh with her daughter Kate.
Ruth is regularly called on to help the police, particularly when bones are discovered.
In The Night Hawks a group of metal detectorists find a skeleton and DCI Nelson needs Ruth to decide whether they are modern or ancient.
The detectorists are also involved in what maybe a murder suicide in an isolated farmhouse.
As always with this series there are lots of twists in the plot and familiar characters such as Cathbad, the druid and DI Judy Johnson.
I have read and enjoyed all of this series and this maybe be my favorite so far. I love the inter-action between Ruth and Nelson, the fact that Ruth is a single mum balancing a engrossing, professional career and particularly the setting because the North Norfolk coast is one of my favourite places.

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin and Harcourt for the ARC of one of my favourite series. An excellent thriller with a touch of atmosphere set in Norfolk. The storyline is good and the characters are natural with their strength and flaws. Though part of a series, the backstory is not necessary for the plot. My one grief is the conclusion invariably shows Ruth being silly and everyone acting without thinking. 4.5 stars

A great book. The writing was solid and concise. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing until the end. The ending was wonderful. It showed me about all the forms there are of love and made me emotional. A strong book in the series that should not be missed. Truly a great book.

Absolutely fabulous! Elly hits another home run with The Night Hawks. I loved Ruth being "the boss" and how I was unable to figure out "who done it"? Great characters and mystery. I was so hoping that Ruth and Nelson would get back together, but Elly left it for another book. Can't wait for the next one!

Dr Ruth Galloway, forensic archaeologist, is the much-loved star of this murder mystery series. I enjoyed my first encounter with her. Fans who know her better will be delighted to see her return in this 13th book.

The setting is a character in itself – the brooding, beautiful fenlands of North Norfolk. Local myths abound. The most frightening is that of the Black Shuck – a huge hound with red eyes who only appears to those soon destined to die. The language Griffiths uses, together with these scary superstitions, cleverly evoke the dark, mysterious atmosphere that sent tingles down my spine.

Ruth is called in to excavate an old skeleton and treasure hoard found on the beach by a group of metal detectorists called the Night Hawks. She’s alerted by DCI Nelson with whom she has a complicated relationship: he’s the father of her daughter Kate but still lives with his wife. Nelson is more interested in the body of a young man washed up on shore near the treasure. Then two more people are found dead at eerie Black Dog Farm in an apparent murder-suicide. Their son is a member of the Night Hawks, and so is the man who reported the crime.

The plot is packed with tension as Nelson tries to discover if there’s a link between the deaths and who might be next. Why are there more reported sightings of the Black Shuck? And why does Ruth uncover the skeleton of a huge canine in the garden at Black Dog Farm?

I enjoyed the original characters with their mix of superstition, practicality and expertise. Ruth is an accomplished archaeologist, Nelson a dogged and practical detective, and the delightful druid Cathbad adds the required magical touch.

Griffiths is a stylish writer who knows how to weave together the strands of a multi-layered story.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for my digital copy.

With thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and Ellie Griffiths for the ARC.
Description
There’s nothing Ruth Galloway hates more than amateur archaeologists, but when a group of them stumble upon Bronze Age artifacts alongside a dead body, she finds herself thrust into their midst—and into the crosshairs of a string of murders circling ever closer.
Review
4.5 stars from me. Whenever I am in need of a book that is well written and absorbing, I look for a Ruth Galloway story, Ellie Griffiths has never let me down. The Night Hawks is number 13 in the series but I have not read them in strict order (although I did read no 1 very early on), each installment is a stand alone. As with all of the previous, this book has a well crafted plot and conjures a wonderful, atmospheric portrait of North Norfolk and it's coastline. The characters are developed with expertise and Ruth, Nelson, Judy and Cathbad et al feel as real as the people we meet every day. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good well written mystery.

Night Hawks Book Review

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths from NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to read and give an honest review.

:,,, brilliantly written, atmospheric with dynamic and multifaceted cast of characters…

Being a huge fan of Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read and review the thirteenth book “The Night Hawks” and for me although not the best in the series it was a wonderful read.

We pick up with Ruth having left her prestigious position at Cambridge University to replace Phil Trent as head of Archaeology at the University of North Norfolk. When a group of metal detectorists called “The Night Hawks” uncover more than they bargained for DC Harry Nelson is on the case along with his consulting archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway. A body is found on the beach and what seems to be a simple death takes on a sinister turn especially when one of the Night Hawks reports gunshots at the legendary and supposedly haunted Black Dog Farm. As the bodies start to pile up and the race is on to unravel the truth from the legends and catch the killer before it is too late.

As with any Galloway novel we have murder, mayhem, mythology, and archaeology along with a touch of whimsy in the form of Cathbad ,an old druid friend always happy to add his insights to the case. I loved that it felt like the old gang was back together again after Ruth’s departure to Cambridge to move in with her former boyfriend Frank. The author has created the perfect cast of characters which to me is the huge draw of this series, they feel genuine with their strengths and their insecurities which make them unpredictable and interesting. In this entry we have the introduction of a new character, David Brown a new appointment to the university’s Archaeology department. There is an instant combativeness between him, and Ruth and we learn the secrets he has been harbouring.

Always brilliantly written, atmospheric with dynamic and multifaceted cast of characters I would highly recommend reading this book, but I highly recommend reading the whole series in order.

Rule one, is until Ruth knows you, always ensure you use her title.

I started reading the Elly Griffiths books last summer, very late to the party, but read the whole series pretty much back-to-back.

The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries kicked off in 2009, and while Ruth explored the salt marshes with Nelson for the first time, I was embarking on my A Levels and trying to get to grips with Plath and Kesey and Fitzgerald. Plenty happened in the intervening years: Ruth's daughter grew up, Cathbad the druid found love, I watched 1,000 episodes of Silent Witness, Ruth met a handsome American, I met a young financial advisor from Finsbury Park.

And (spoiler alert) while it didn't work out with Ruth's American or my young Financial Advisor, neither of us could have predicted a global pandemic.

Suddenly commute-less, I read very little during the first lockdown. But one of the small, lovely things to come from the pandemic was meeting The Smarts. They're my adopted 80-year-old mates. I do their shopping once a week - I can now find denture cleaning tablets in record speed and my nectar card offers vary wildly.

When I told them about my own writing, Mrs Smart was quick to recommend the Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries, and I ordered a second hand copy of the first one, The Crossing Places. I fully expected it to sit on top of my looming to-be-read pile, but her enthusiasm meant I gave it a go.

I've tried and failed to work out what makes the books so readable. I read the first book in one sitting, ordered the next three, and waited impatiently for them to arrive. They're tightly plotted without being easy to work out and every chapter ends with a hook that means you don't want to put it down - without veering on the side of EastEnders-esque doof doofs.*

*I should clarify there's nothing wrong with the doof-doof approach. I use it frequently.

I think my love of the series boils down to the fact the characters are so gorgeous. Elly masterfully builds not just her principal characters, but a whole cast. Real-life is made up of that complex web of people you meet in different scenarios, surprising friendships and recurring acquaintances, and the novels have these too.

I'll confess, I don't read a lot of series', so maybe it's commonplace. But as someone who is writing standalone novels, and usually only reads them, there's something lovely about opening a new novel that is full of familiar faces.

I finished the twelfth Ruth novel, The Lantern Men, at the start of January. For the first time, Mrs Smart and I were on a level. There were no more cautious phone calls where I updated her on what Ruth was up to, while she tried not to spoil it for me.

Then I got an advance copy of The Night Hawks from NetGalley, and after all Mrs Smart's years of faithful fandom, I overtook her. Again, I read the book in a single day - then immediately phoned her to let her know she would not be disappointed!

The Night Hawks is every bit as gripping and tightly-plotted as its 12 predecessors. Black Dog Farm is one of my favourite settings yet, with the spook-atmosphere and touch of mysticism that is a Griffith's trademark. The family of the murder victims at the farm make for great reading and the ending is one of those super satisfying, shut-the-book-with-a-snap-types.

The other draw of the series is the desire to find out exactly what's going on in the lives of Ruth and Nelson and Cathbad and the squad. The Lantern Men left us with a pretty big bombshell from Ruth, so I'm sure long-term fans will be really keen to find out what happens next...

There's nothing better than loving the first book in the series and knowing you've got 12 more ahead of you, which was exactly what I needed in the gloom of last year. But more than that, Elly's books gave me my reading-mojo back. I read 21 books in total in 2020, and the number would've been much lower without Ruth. In 2021 I'm set to beat that record by the end of February. My agent has asked me to restructure a sub-plot in my manuscript, and it feels like reading 13 Elly Griffith's books was good training for tackling the issue!

More than anything else, though, it was lovely to gossip with Mrs Smart about the lives of the characters. She's such a big fan of Elly's that she had multiple copies of some of the series, which she kindly donated. I'm off to buy her a copy of The Night Hawks in thanks.

And as an apology for having got to read it a month early and teasing her about it whenever I dropped off the bread and milk.