Reading this book reminded me how much I enjoy Elly Griffiths' books. I started her Ruth Galloway series years ago, but they somehow fell off my radar. I read the first few in the series, enjoyed them, then got sidetracked. I recently read her "The Postscript Murders" with her protagonist DS Harbinder Kaur and loved that book as well.

This outing finds Ruth promoted to the head of the archeology department and dealing with the additional responsibilities that come with it. Additionally, a group of amateur archeology metal detectorists have uncovered an ancient artifact trove with an equally ancient body as well as a recently deceased body, pulling Ruth into investigate that as well. Bodies abound in this book as these detectorists also later find a husband and wife dead on their isolated farm. Are these detectorists really as innocent as they claim? Nelson reels Ruth into helping him with the investigations and their relationship is just as tangled as always.

Although this is the thirteenth book in the series, Griffiths adds enough backstory to allow lapsed readers such as myself to enjoy it almost as a standalone. This is a story with numerous subplots involving the central characters combined with a fast-paced murder mystery replete with wry humor. It is a must read for Elly Griffiths fans and those seeking a well-written cozy mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishing for an Advance Reading Copy. The publication date is June 29, 2021.

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

There is 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.

There were many murders and bodies to discover and solve in this book. Quite a few characters. The plot was well-written. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy Voortrekker my review.

I've been a fan of the Ruth Galloway/DCI Nelson series since the beginning. This latest mystery is wonderfully interwoven with the Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, at its heart. Ruth is naturally suspicious of any group of treasure hunters who work only at night. Nelson is suspicious of how many coincidences link group members to recent murders. And both are leery of the new lecturer Ruth hired; he turns up in the oddest places.
The story quickens as more information and evidence is found by Nelson's team, leading to a slam bang finish. And there is a hint of a future resolution to the Michelle/Nelson/Ruth quandary.

The Night Hawks is the thirteenth installment in the Dr. Ruth Galloway mystery series. A group of metal detectorists in North Norfolk are searching for treasure when they stumble across a body. Ruth is called in to assist in the investigation. Ruth, along with Nelson, his family and quirky friends, work together to solve this complex mystery. The characterization, as always, is rich in this series. Ruth’s personal life again plays a key role in the story. Elly Griffiths leaves the reader looking forward to the next installment not only for the mystery but for the next step in Ruth’s life as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I tried twice to finish this book. I put it down the first time as I couldn't get into the story because of too many characters. Ruth was the only one I could identify with and there was was someone called Cathbad, a man, whose name I found a great distraction. I have the feeling this was part of a series for which anyone who knew the characters would find much easier to follow. I'm giving it two stars for the for the idea of the story and what went into the good writing, Pity about the plethora of characters.

Thanks to the Publisher and Net Gallery for the copy. This book was part of a series and it is the 13th book. I didn't realize this when I picked it up and the rating might be totally different had I read the previous ones in the series.

The story was a good. It was slow-paced and suspenseful. There are different investigations in this plot and I was curious to know how they all tied up. But I had a bit of difficulty relating with the characters which wouldn't have been the case if I read the previous books. And hence I had a hard time being engaged.

I would go back to the first book of the series and read them in order because I really liked the writing. I will reassess and review this again once I read a few of the previous ones.

3.5 stars

In this 13th book in the 'Ruth Galloway' series, the forensic archaeologist becomes involved when treasure hunters discover a present-day corpse near a Bronze Age skeleton. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

After a time living and teaching in Cambridge, Dr. Ruth Galloway has returned to Norfolk with her 10-year-old daughter Kate and their cat Flint. Kate is back in her old primary school and Ruth has returned to the University of North Norfolk as head of the archaeology department. Part of Ruth's reason for returning was to be near Kate's father, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson, with whom Ruth had an affair. Nelson is married with children, and Ruth knows he won't leave his wife and little boy, but Ruth wants Kate to be near her dad.

Norfolk is well known for its buried historical relics, which attract both professional archaeologists and detectorists - amateurs who hunt for treasure with metal detectors. One group of detectorists, who call themselves the Night Hawks, is probing the beach at Blakeney Point when they come across the body of a dead man close to a trench containing pieces of old metal.

DCI Nelson arrives and arranges for his team to investigate the body. Nelson also phones forensic archaeologist Ruth to examine the metal artifacts in the trench. Ruth hurries over, accompanied by a newly hired archaeology professor named David Brown. Brown is a knowledgeable researcher, but he's pushy and intrusive, which annoys Ruth no end.

At first, the authorities think the dead man on Blakeney Point is an illegal immigrant washed up from a sunken boat. However, the deceased turns out to be a local lad called Jem Taylor. Taylor has a snake tattoo, which seems to tie in with regional legends about a Norfolk sea serpent. To add to the eeriness of the incident, Ruth and her team dig up the old metal in the trench and find a skeleton, suspected to be about 5,000 years old.

Professor Brown is VERY excited about the skeleton, which he suspects is one of the Beaker People, a group that migrated from Central Europe to England thousands of years ago. Brown is researching a theory that the Beakers brought a plague that wiped out 90% of the native Britons.

The night after Jem Taylor's body is discovered, DCI Nelson gets another call from the Night Hawks. This time, the treasure hunters were trolling near Black Dog Farm when they heard gunshots coming from the main house. The police storm the residence and find the bodies of the owners: Dr. Douglas Noakes - a pharmaceutical researcher, and his wife Linda - a primary school teacher. The incident is suspected to be a murder-suicide, but Nelson feels three suspicious deaths in two days needs investigating. Moreover, people have reported seeing a harbinger of death called The Black Shuck (a giant black dog) around Black Dog Farm. Nelson doesn't put any credence in this, but local folks do.

It turns out the deaths of the young man and the married couple are more complicated than they first appear, and - as the police investigate - there are additional fatalities. Moreover, various relationships come to light and secrets are revealed.

One of the pleasures of the Ruth Galloway novels are the tidbits about Norfolk - its landscape, atmosphere, and archaeology. I also like the recurring characters, such as the mystical druid Cathbad and his partner, Detective Inspector Judy Johnson.....which seems like an odd pairing, but it works. Finally, it's interesting to follow the personal lives of Ruth and Nelson, which have evolved considerably over the course of the series.

I enjoyed the story and look forward to future books featuring Ruth Galloway.

Thanks to Netgalley, Elly Griffiths, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers for a copy of the book.

I started out loving this series, but I have been fed up to the teeth with the on-again, off-again relationship between Ruth and Nelson. I love Ruth: she is so smart, witty, acerbic, and commonsensical, and Nelson is such a sexist dickwad. Yeah, sure, “the heart wants what it wants,” blah blah blah, but there’s only so long an author can string out a slow-burn romance, and twelve books (that span ten years in Ruth’s life...TEN! A decade of pining for that undeserving, entitled bastard) is just torturously too long.

I read another reader's review of this book on Goodreads who said tsomething like “your reaction to this installment will vary depending on whether you’re reading this series for the mysteries or for the romance.” That explained it. And I wish I’d read that review several books ago! Honestly, it made me realize that I’d completely misunderstood the series from the very beginning. It was always about Ruth and Nelson—the forensic anthropology and all of Ruth’s professional and personal angst—the things I really liked about the series—were just stage dressing. I’ve never wanted to rescue a character from its author more.

Off to find a series with a smart woman detective figure who doesn’t get undermined by her own creator. I’d totally read a spin-off series about Cathbad, though.

Thanks to the Publisher and Net Gallery for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This mystery was part of a series- #13 to be exact. I didn't realize this when I picked it up a and had a bit of difficulty keeping the characters straight, but Im sure that if I had been with them for 12 books they would have been old friends. A 4000 year old man is found buried near a British beach by a team of amateur archeologists. This would have been exciting enough, but they also found a recently dead man. The police and archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway are called in. Shortly thereafter, there is a suspected murder suicide of a Dr and his wife that coincidentally happen to be the parents of one the amateur archeologists. The big mystery is how these cases are tied together.
All of the characters in the book are likable and quirky if a bit underdeveloped . The story is sold if a bit slow. Again it might have been different If I had been with them for 12 previous books.

If you are looking for a creepy, atmospheric thriller, this is the book you must get in 2021. What an awesome book! Makes me regret the fact that I haven't read the earlier 12 books. But the fact that I haven't read the books didn't make any difference in enjoying the book. The author has succinctly described each character so that you can read it as a stand-alone as well.

4.5 stars and putting the other books on the TBR

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I have read all 13 Ruth Galloway books and eagerly await the each additional book. It feels like catching up with a long-time friend who lives an adventurous life as an anthropologist who happens to help the police solve murders. This book has several murders to solve and provides lots of local flavor. It is a welcome addition to my library.

Archaeology is a fascinating subject and used to great advantage in The Night Hawks. Set in present-day England, the story is full of the legend of the Black Shuck, mysteries including murder, love interests and other fun tangles. The swirling atmosphere is wonderful and suspenseful.

Night Hawks are metal detectors who roam the coast of England, searching for artefacts. Ruth Galloway is an archaeologist who isn't fond of Night Hawks and when Bronze Age artefacts are discovered intends to keep them at bay. But the mysteries don't stop there...a body is found and there is a delicious list of plausible suspects. DI Harry Nelson investigates with the help of Ruth. He is married and also the father of Ruth's daughter which adds tension. I like how the ancient past is woven into the present including the legend which is based on an existing one. And that ending! The next in the series has all sorts of possibilities.

If you are hankering after a thriller without gritty graphic scenes of any sort, this is perfect for you. Well, actually, it would be perfect for any mystery reader.

My sincere thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this engrossing book!

I liked this book well enough to be tempted to give it 4.5 Stars. I enjoyed the geographical setting as well as the academic setting. The archaeological details were very interesting. The murder mystery itself was intriguing. I actually did not have the killer pegged.
This book is the 13th in a series which I have never read before, nor have I read anything else by this author. However, I would like to read this series from the beginning. This novel stands well on its own. Certain characteristics make it obviously part of a series, such as the huge number of characters in the book, some of whom are peripheral. They probably played larger roles in previous books. A few flashbacks were sprinkled through the narrative. Since they were irrelevant to the current plot, I skimmed them.
When the killer was revealed, I had to ask myself "now which one was s/he?" Fortunately, the author provided a detailed summary of the motive and how the murderer accomplished the deed.
This was a really enjoyable murder mystery with minimal gore and no sex scenes.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was late to discover Dr. Ruth Galloway from the talented pen of Elly Grifffiths. After binging the series, I was impatiently waiting for The Night Hawks. Thanks to Quercus for an advance digital copy. Dr. Ruth Griffiths, an archaeology professor, has returned to her beloved Norfolk fens after a year-long stint teaching at Cambridge. She is back at North Norfolk University, this time as department head. Of course, her 11-year-old daughter, Kate, seems happy to be back and seeing her father regularly. Her father is DI Nelson, who Ruth met when he needed her help in an investigation. Their one-night encounter produced Kate, and eventually, the girl was accepted by Nelson's wife and two grown daughters.

Nelson and Ruth have collaborated on numerous cases over the years. She is an expert on dating bones, and those turn up regularly in the marshy landscape of Norfolk. She is called out to examine what might be a Dark Ages hoard turned up by The Night Hawks. The Night Hawks are metal detectorists who have to be licensed in England. Nelson is much more interested in a nearby body, a young man Nelson thinks might be an asylum seeker. When he turns out to be a local, recently paroled from prison. A second call comes shortly after to the scene of a murder-suicide at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Then, the members of the Night Hawks start dying one after another. Can the two cases be connected somehow, and or is the spectral black dog of British folklore real?

The Night Hawks is a pivotal book in the Ruth Galloway series. It ends with somewhat of a cliff-hanger, as least as far as the Galloway-Nelson relationship is concerned. Things aren't going so well in the Nelson marriage, and Nelson is being pressured to retire. I know how I want it to go, but other people may feel differently. I don't think Nelson and Ruth could exist for 24 hours in the same household. Of course, many of the characters we love make appearances, especially Cathbad, a self-declared druid and all-around wise soul. I highly recommend The Night Hawks, as I do the rest of the series.

Thanks again to Quercus and NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

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. Elly Griffiths never disappoints and this is one of my favorite of hers.

For transparency's sake Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite authors so I was so excited to get this title for review and safe to say it was AMAZING. This is the most recent release in the Ruth Galloway series and it did not disappoint
The pace is there right from the start and I could not put this down. I read the whole thing in one sitting and immediately wanted to pick up the next one but sadly its not yet written :-(. total 5star read for me loved it.

My favourite forensic archaeologist is back. Ruth Galloway is still trying to find the right balance between her daughter & Nelson. Is there hope for them? A young man has been found on the beach looks like he could be a illegal immigrant but where did he come from? A couple has been found murdered in their house but it is a straightforward murder suicide? DCI Nelson has asked Ruth to help in his case but they don’t realise that both cases are linked. Will Nelson with the help of his team be able to find out the truth about all the cases that are linked? Another great read love seeing all my favourites in this one. Who knows what Nelson will decide? I know that I would love to see him & Ruth together. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book.

It was my first book by this author and it certainly not the last, I think I’ll read the series from the beginning.

The story turns around numerous murders that begins by the discovery of a dead body on the beach that leads to an archeological dig, a few more dead and a ending with a bang.

Along the way, there’s Nelson and his team interacting about the cases and a professor that is acting totally weird, thus making himself a great candidate for being the guilty party.

I liked the fact that, even though this book is part of a series, it was easy to read and I didn’t feel lost about the various relationships that certainly evolved through the series. As an added bonus, I didn’t find who was guilty in the middle of the book.

Archaeologist Ruth Galloway is the central character in this book, along with detective Harry Nelson, who happens to be the father of Ruth’s child, even though he is married to Michelle and they have more children. This makes for an interesting read from a relationship point of view, and coupled with a complex and well designed plot, for an engaging read too. It took a little while to really get into the book, as there were just a few too many characters to keep track of, but once hooked, it didn’t let this reader go until the end. The narrative is exceptionally well paced, with the action building up to an unexpected denouement, and every move in the plot is carefully planned and delivered. I read this book long into the night to find out ‘whodunnit’ - always a sign of inventive, pacy writing.

I'm an unqualified Elly Griffiths fan, and have read every one of her books that's been published in the U.S. Ruth Galloway is a favorite character, but this is not my favorite of the books featuring the archeologist and professor.

The plot is as strong as ever, the sense of place is powerful, and the characters are as well-drawn as usual. I enjoy watching them evolve.

While it was good to follow Ruth back to her cottage on the marshes and her new post at the University of North Norfolk, there were some things that were just a bit too familiar. I found too many instances where a character from the previous books popped up in the narrative, sometimes with a first name only, with no introduction or explanation.

There were also a couple of similes that have appeared in earlier books, such as the nagging thought that is like an apple core stuck in one's teeth.

I'm still a fan, and will always read Griffiths' books -- but I recommend that readers new to the Galloway series start earlier in Ruth's 13-episode story. You won't regret it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance readers copy.