I'm an enthusiastic fan of the Ruth Galloway series, so I was very excited to get a chance to read an ARC prior to publication. Elly Griffiths did not disappoint with this latest entry in the archaeology professor's busy world. As usual, there is a murder to be solved by DCI Nelson, a connection to bones that draws Ruth into the case, Cathbad's mysticism in the background, and the love triangle of the century, all interwoven. The mystery was well plotted as usual, with many suspects, and the ending was unexpected (that's all I'm going to say). If you like Ruth Galloway, you'll be pleased with this new book!

I look forward to the release of every new book in this series. I relate to Ruth in a way that I can’t fully describe - I think she’s a five on the Enneagram, so maybe that is it. Although the story lines of each book in this series tends to blur together for me, I enjoy every one. I love the setting in Norfolk, and I love every character in the books and feel like I know them after spending so much time with them. I recommend reading this series in order, or many of the story lines will not make as much sense. If you are already a reader of this series, I’ll just say that the ending gives me much hope for the future of Ruth and Nelson’s relationship!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second book by this author, but my first in this series. Not having read the previous books was no problem. And this even though the life situation in which the main character finds herself is overly complicated and probably results from the events in the earlier books. But the author explained well everything that was necessary without revealing too many details.

I liked the main idea. A group of metal detectorists called The Night Hawks find a man's body on the seashore. Soon after, members of this group appear in another investigation. This time it looks like one of its members killed his wife and then shot himself. DCI Nelson, with the help of an archaeologist and his former lover Ruth Galloway, must discover what happened and whether the cases are related.

This is a good mystery. There are many potential suspects, numerous members of The Night Hawks are acting suspiciously. And many of them might have had a motive. The whole thing has a bit of a mystical background related to the legend of Black Shuck, a hound that appears to humans before their death. The latter is not entirely to my taste, I prefer my crime stories stick to reality, but it was okey.

An interesting element of this story is the plotline related to the somewhat complicated life situation of Ruth and Nelson. You can clearly sense the tension in their relationship. The author did an excellent job in this regard. This is something that makes this book stand out and urges you to read the previous and the next books in this series.

The author wrote this novel during the lockdown and decided to weave some threads related to the pandemic into it, but I would like to reassure you that it is not about the current pandemic. Still, it is interesting to see how the current situation in the world has inspired the author.

This is a good and solid story, not only for fans of this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Quercus and Author for this amazing book!

WoW book 13! This is my first book by this author.
It had me hooked from page one, this book had me so intrigued!
The Night Hawks is both a page turning crime novel and another satisfying saga in the lives of the Norfolk murder squad and Ruth and Nelson.
Enjoyable, chilling and very enjoyable!

I can't thank NetGalley, Quercus enough for this awesome book!

I’m a big fan of mysteries with archeology/anthropology involved, so I was happy (and honored) to receive an advance review copy of Elly Griffiths’ latest book, The Night Hawks, featuring forensic archeologist, Dr. Ruth Galloway. As the story opens, we find out that Ruth and her daughter, Kate, are back in the Saltmarsh after a stint in Cambridge, and Ruth is adjusting to her new position as head of the Archeology Department at the University of North Norfolk. We also learn that the Night Hawks of the title are a semi-organized club of “metal detectorists” and although this particular group is properly registered, Ruth is not thrilled that they are active in her neck of the woods.

Amateurs or not, though, the Night Hawks manage to discover a recently deceased body, a cache of Bronze Age artifacts, and a probable Bronze Age skeleton amongst the artifacts, all in one night on the beach at Blakeney Point. So Ruth, who is a consultant for the north Norfolk police, is called in. The story takes off from there, as a couple of nights later some of the same detectorists overhear gunshots from what looks to be a murder-suicide in a remote, sort-of-spooky, farmhouse.

DCI Nelson hates coincidences about as much as Ruth hates detectorists, so he’s personally investigating. Are the two cases - the body in the ocean and the bodies at Black Dog Farm - really related? A bunch of series stalwarts get involved to help figure it out including local druid Cathbad; Nelson’s go-to DCI, Judy Johnson (also Cathbad’s partner); Nelson’s would-be-go-to-DCI, Tanya; and the rest of Nelson’s team. What results is yet another fascinating mystery – a nice mix of forensics and police legwork. Oh, and there’s also a healthy serving of local Norfolk folklore, including the Black Shuck, a huge black dog with red eyes, who predicts the death of anyone who sees him within a week. Or is it within a year? Or is it the death of someone else within a year? Or ??? Well, anyway, the Black Shuck is bad news, and it’s not clear that the Norfolk Sea Serpent is all that much better…

I very much enjoyed The Night Hawks, and I only have a couple of small-ish issues with it. First, but not all that important, is that I am not a fan of mysteries written in the present tense. But after thirteen books in the series, I don’t think Griffiths could change this, even if she wanted to, and once I got a couple of chapters into the book, I didn't notice it all that much. The other issue I have is with Ruth’s and Nelson’s relationship. I get that relationships are messy, and don’t fit into neat little boxes, and you don’t get to pick who you love. And sure, they have a daughter together, and sure, they seem to click on a number of levels. But I still just have trouble with their relationship.

I debated for a while on whether to give The Night Hawks four- or five-stars, but I do try not to give a lot of five-star ratings, just to keep a bit of scale. So in the end, I gave this four-stars, and probably would have given it 4 ½ stars if I could. Please note though that because I don’t give a lot of five-star ratings, a four-star rating is still a great rating from me, and definitely means that I recommend this book! And finally, my thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the review copy!

I had read some of the authors other series Stephens & Mephisto and really enjoyed them. But, this was my first Ruth Galloway and I really, really loved it. I can’t believe that I have jumped in at book #13 because now I feel compelled to go read all the others. I am worried though that knowing where Ruth and Nelson are in their relationship now will ruin the earlier books for me. But I am willing to take the risk.

Ruth is a great character with a life and much success all her own but still a very messy relationship. All of these characters just feel so real and even though I joined them in Book #13 I felt as though they were so relatable. It was easy to get sorta caught up on the main characters like Judy and Cathbad (who is marvelous) but the other cast of characters and suspects were a little hard to keep up with at times. There was certainly enough mystery that I just kept reading and forced myself not to speculate too much on who was guilty, mostly because I was enjoying the relationships.

I really appreciate being approved by the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to access the ARC through NetGalley.

Thirteen books in, and I am still fascinated with this series. Granted, some books are better than others when it comes to interpersonal relationships, and some books are better when it comes to history, but on those occasions when the best parts of those two worlds come together, the reader is devouring each word in a single short weekend.

Once again, Nelson and Ruth are at a crossroads in their relationship. Nelson and his wife, Michelle, realize they need to sort out their family issues. Then add in Nelson’s mother learning the truth about Kate, which leaves every part of the Nelson family dynamic up in the air. Things are about to get messy, but maybe or is it possibly, Michelle and Ruth have found common ground.

There are many characters in this book, and if you ask me -- too many, to the point that I found myself channeling Ruth from time to time with frequent outbursts of, “Who the bloody hell is that?”, which had me laughing out loud.

This is #13 in the Ruth Galloway series and all I have to say is keep them coming, Elly Griffiths! This book has some rather nasty murders, local legends, a creepy house and plenty of suspects. Of course skeletons are also involved. And the ever evolving relationship between Nelson and Ruth is always intriguing.

This is only my second Ruth Galloway mystery but I am already invested in this tightly-knit community of interesting characters – and I also know that this book won’t be the last I read in the series! I discovered Ruth Galloway and her little Norfolk village in March with #11 (yes, I know, this is not reasonable) and this one is #13, but I could catch up without any problem. I won’t say the book can’t read as a standalone, but if you do, be aware that you might soon get addicted like me and that you’ll want to read the rest!

Ruth Galloway is an archaeologist (and now the head of her university department), and so to her, metal detectorists are just annoying amateurs who are messing around and messing things up. I’ve hardly ever seen metal detectorists in my part of the world but I had never thought they actually could find real historical artifacts! But here, not only do they find an old burial site on the Norfolk coastline, but they also discover the body of a recently deceased person. And this person may not have died of natural causes… That’s one of those (happy?) coincidences where Ruth Galloway finds herself once again at a crime scene at the same time as DCI Nelson, who is also the father of her child.

I let myself being entertained by a mystery full of twists and red herrings, but I cared less for the whodunnit than for the interactions between the large cast of characters. Is Ruth going to enjoy her new position at work? Why is her newly recruited professor so cocky? Will Nelson ever consider retirement? What kind of Norfolk tradition and old tales will the mystical druid Cathbad refer to this time? How is it possible for a druid to be happily married to a police inspector? Where is Clough? (that one may have its answer in volume #14 that I missed). Thanks to Griffiths’ great skills at characterization and witty dialogues, I actually cared about this small world as if all these people really existed. (I do wonder how she keeps track of all these people though…)

The book will keep you turning the pages late into the night, and if you’re anything like me, Norfolk coastline will probably be added to your list of destinations to visit one day.

Overall, I felt kinda meh about this book. Not necessarily bad, but not particularly memorable either. Giving it 2.5/5 Stars.

A body is discovered on the beach by a group while metal detecting and Nelson calls Ruth in on the case when more bones are found. That leads them to Black Dog Farm, the scene of a recent murder suicide.

Another great read in the series. All your favorite characters and a couple new ones, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Hawks is my first book in the Dr. Ruth Galloway series. I read The Postscript Murders (a stand-alone book) and enjoyed it so much I wanted to read more from author Elly Griffiths. The Night Hawks is a group of men who look for lost items using metal detectors. They like to think of themselves as amateur archaeologists too. They discover a body one night and this will be only the beginning of bodies as they start to pile up.
The local police (DCI Harry Nelson, the father of Ruth’s daughter, Kate) along with Dr. Ruth Galloway, the archaeologist at a nearby university, work this case filled with lots of drama, mystery, twists and turns along with several surprises along the way. It keeps you guessing until the end. I really enjoyed and highly recommend it.

Within two days, 3 bodies of locals, 1 might-be-4000 old buried skeleton, and Dr. Ruth Galloway, academician and archaeologist, Cathbad the mystic, DI Nelson, and all their cohorts, are all on the discovery path again.
A new excavation site: for buried treasure? local metal detectorists, the Night Hawks, want to find out; for answers to history? the archaeologists want to excavate and research;
Who? What? When? Why?- the police want answers.
The death number rises.
The descriptive narrative draws you into the elemental nature of the Norfolk coast- its clouds, sea, waves and tides, rocky shallows, marshes, sky swooping, swirling birds, shipwrecks and into the spaces of light and darkness that become metaphors for the secrets and intricacies of human relationships and behavior.
With a mythical virus being put forward as fact, the melding of prehistory, dark legends, modern science, mysticism, and environment becomes an excavation in itself- searching for knowledge, truth and understanding of the past and its impact on the present and future.
One particular point of interest was the descriptive element of police procedurals in both collecting evidence, and the balance of protecting the innocent while seeking justice. What is guilt? What is innocence?
This is one of the most immersive and sobering of Elly Griffith’s Galloway/Green series. I await her next episode with some expectations and also apprehension for Ruth and Nelson.

Archeologist and University of North Norfolk professor Dr. Ruth Galloway seems like such an old friend that I was surprised to learn I've read only one other book in this series - and after reading this one, I know I don't want to miss any more. As it opens, a group of local metal detectorists who call themselves the Night Hawks find a dead body on a North Norfolk beach. Ruth wants to learn more about the suspected Bronze Age weapons found near the body, but detective inspector Harry Nelson - Ruth's former paramour and the father of their young daughter Katie, who lives with Ruth - leans toward determining whether the young man's death actually is a murder.

Later, the same group of Night Hawks find two more bodies - this time at the remote Black Dog Farm, also the site that spawned the legend of Black Shuck, a huge dog that is believed by some to be sighted by people right before they die. The dead bodies, though, are a man and wife - and it appears to have been a murder-suicide.

The investigation, understandably, includes looking into a connection between the dead bodies, members of the Night Hawks and that mythical (or not!) pooch. All the while, Ruth must deal with her feelings for the still-married Nelson and her distaste for the new guy in the Archeology Department - the one she hired to replace her when she was named department head. Not only is he a know-it-all pain in the you-know-what, but his behavior makes her suspicious of what he's really up to.

I never really bought into the Black Shuck notion (a little too other-worldly for me, I guess), but on the other hand, it added some interest, albeit offbeat. The end brought at least one surprise and wrapped up loose ends - except one: A cliffhanger that has the potential to change the course of books to come. I, for one, will be waiting. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

A new Ruth Galloway book is always a cause for celebration. It’s like a reunion with dear old friends.
Ruth is back in North Norfolk, now as the head of the Archeology department. She’s quickly coming to appreciate her old boss, Phil, and his worry over the budget. She’s also contending with her replacement, who is managing to immediately get on her nerves. He even tags along when Nelson calls her to the site of a recently found dead body.
There are two crimes being investigated. The first, a body on the beach, and then a possible murder/suicide on a local farm. In both cases, there are links to the Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists.
I just adore Griffiths’ writing. She can capture the essence of a character in just a sentence or two, with an edge of dry humor always thrown in. “Ruth thinks that there was a time when Nelson did consider leaving Michelle, but that time is firmly in the past. The trouble is that Ruth, as an archeologist, feels more comfortable in the past.” All of the characters are fully developed, even the secondary characters like Judy and Cathbad.
But the book isn’t just about the characters. There’s a well done mystery here, too. One I had no clue how it would play out as more folks end up dead. And my God, the suspense! At one point, I was almost afraid to keep reading.
Each book teaches us a little about the history of the fens. This time, not just about the Bronze Age but also the local folklore - the Black Shuck and the Norfolk Sea Serpent. I did get a kick that the new professor has a hypothesis about Central European migrants that brought a virus to the area that killed the native population 4,400 years before. Sort of timely...
Note on my rating - I am notoriously stingy with five stars, usually reserving them for “serious literature”. But I realized a book whose characters brought me such joy deserved those five stars, even if no one would ever consider this “serious”.
My thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book.

Ruth and Kate are back home in their old stomping grounds - Katie a bit older,, but Ruth is now the head of archeology at her beloved university. Some detectorists locate a couple artifacts and then a body. Next to one body is another, more current one. Griffiths weaves in some old folk tales which basically make the haiar on the back of your neck stand up.. While Nelson has always looked out for Kate and her mother, this time it seems like turn about is fair play. A marvelous addition to the series.

Ruth is back home!!!!! Ok, so all those exclamation points are not really needed, but this series deserves lots of kudos--Griffiths manages to introduce new people, new places, take us back to old haunts and make it all seem fresh. Her characters are real and the murders cleverly plotted and solved. A few unsettling issues in this one, as there often are in real life. Fans of the series will not want to miss this one. If thi s is your intro to the series, I am guessing you will want to circle back after reading it and read them all.
Brilliant writing.

Elly Griffiths is playing to her strengths with this (seemingly) effortless, blast to read entry in her Ruth Galloway series. Ruth is back home where she belongs, having broken it off with the unfortunate Frank, and she and Nelson are once again having fated and tense encounters. Ruth is now head of the archaeology department at her university, discovering the paperwork and supervision headaches that come with being in charge. She’s especially annoyed by the “new Ruth”, David, the know-it-all older lecturer she herself has hired. He seems to be tagging along everywhere she goes and trying to tell her what to do.

As the book opens, the “Night Hawks” or metal detectorists, as they are called here, are out on the beach at night looking for artifacts. They discover what they think is a Bronze age hoard, but they also stumble across a body washed up on the shore. Ruth is folded in when the Bronze age hoard is found to include a skeleton. As Ruth heads over to take a look, David tags along.

Ruth gets to work setting up a dig and Nelson gets another call out in the middle of the night – shots fired at the ominous Black Dog Farm. As the police move in they discover what looks to be a murder suicide inside, a husband having apparently shot his wife, then killing himself. The couple’s adult children, while shaken when given the news, also confess to hating their father.The man has left behind a note mentioning a body in the garden, and Nelson once again puts Ruth to work to see what she can find.

Griffiths also folds into her story the myth of the Black Shuck – an black dog that, if seen, indicates a coming death. The black dog sightings and references permeate the book, adding to the gothic feel of the farmhouse and the creepy all-around atmosphere of any scene taking place there.

The two cases are, of course, linked, but it takes Nelson’s determined detective work to discover just how they are connected, and the work isn’t all his. Griffiths always includes his team which at this point includes his second, Judy, who is married to series favorite Cathbad (he has much to say about the Black Shuck), and the overeager and ambitious Tanya.

Underlying all of this is the backdrop of Ruth’s life as a single mother, as a woman taking charge of her professional life, and the tension of having Nelson back in her and Kate’s lives, even at somewhat of a distance. Ruth is a great, fully realized, relatable character. She provides the grounding for this beautifully rendered series, beloved by so many readers, and a big reason for that reader love is Ruth herself. She’s a great creation.

Griffiths has a satisfying and clever wind up to her story, but she also leaves the reader a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. As always, I finished reading a Ruth book already looking forward to the next one.

I don’t normally start a series at the end. The Night Hawks is the 13th in the Ruth Galloway Mystery series. However, I was really intrigued by the premise of an archeologist getting her hands dirty in a series of murders that may or may not be connected. With ties in Norfolk Lore, I was sold. As a stand alone book, it was propulsive and held a cast of characters that you liked and maybe one or two you didn’t. I can see how reading the whole series would deepen those connections. I would give this a solid 4 stars and look forward to more by this author.

Love Elly Griffith’s series and this doesn’t disappoint. Spending time with her characters is always a pleasure.