HONESTLY ONE OF THE MOST CHILLING BOOKS I HAVE READ AND PROBABLY GONNA TAKE ME A WHILE TO READ ANOTHER. Thanks for the trauma.
My heart was pounding each time I flip a page.

I have recommended several other titles by Elly Griffiths: The Postscript Murders; The Stranger Diaries; and The Dark Angel. Her latest is titled THE LOCKED ROOM and again features Ruth Galloway, a forensic archeologist based in Norfolk, England. In this story, Ruth and her daughter, eleven-year-old Kate, bring several concerns to the police unit run by Harry Nelson, Kate's father and Ruth's sometimes lover. This is one of the first books that I have read which directly addresses the 2020 COVID lockdown experience and Griffiths does an excellent job of weaving in points about social distancing, mask wearing, Zoom breakout rooms, and "clapping for the carers" as well as the physical and emotional dangers of the disease. The plot is intricate and includes details about suspicious suicides, unmarried mothers, abuse, kidnapping, rumors of a ghost called The Grey Lady of Tombland, and, of course, an ancient skeleton. Yet, there also is a sense of community and comfort. THE LOCKED ROOM reads quickly – it is entertaining and suspenseful and received a starred review from Booklist.

While cleaning out her mother’s belongings, Ruth finds a photograph of a young girl in front of her Norfolk cottage – years before Ruth lived there. She vows to figure out who the girl is and how her mother came to own such a photo. Nelson and his team are investigating a series of apparent suicides, that may not be suicides at all, but the work of a serial killer. When covid rears its ugly head, though, Ruth and Kate struggle to continue with remote work and schooling, while the police investigation is hampered by covid’s lockdown restrictions.

Unlike many long-running series, this one gets better with every book. Ruth’s secluded cottage is a very familiar place, and the characters feel like old friends. Watching relationships between them grow and change is part of the appeal of this series, and I like the way they work together as a team, even when it’s unintentional. I was as puzzled as Nelson and the rest by the rash of apparent suicides, even though reader figures out before the police do that there’s more than just suicide involved here. Otherwise, why would there be such an emphasis on these deaths? There were only a few suspects to consider, but I wasn’t surprised that the guilty party turned out *not to be the obvious character.

I liked the way Ms. Griffiths worked the early days of Covid-19 into the story, without letting it become an overwhelming story line. The questions, the worry and the reluctance to abide by the lockdown and other restrictions are all portrayed here, and it took me back to the early days of this pandemic that we are still dealing with. I never thought about how difficult it would be for the police to conduct their investigations under these circumstances, and when one of my favorite characters ended up in ICU with the virus, I was near tears. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding when this person recovered and was able to return home.. I am anxious to learn how the comment at the end of the book affects the storyline, and can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

I have read a few books that included Covid-19 and lockdowns, so it was refreshing that someone wrote about it in a realistic fashion. In the Locked Room, Dr. Ruth Galloway is sheltering in place with her daughter and a new neighbor. There are a series of murder suicides that take place near an archeological site so of course Ruth is involved. Ruth’s on and off again lover, DCI Harry Nelson plays a much more prominent role than ever. Once again, Elly Griffiths has a winner on her hand. Can’t wait for the next one.

The fourteenth novel in the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries. Nelson is on the hunt for a murderer when Covid-19 rears its ugly head. But can they find the killer despite lockdown?

Ruth is in London clearing out her mother's belongings when she makes a surprising discovery: a photograph of her Norfolk cottage taken before Ruth lived there. Her mother always hated the cottage, so why does she have a picture of the place? As she died three years ago, Ruth can't exactly ask her, and her father denies all knowledge of the picture. The only clue is written on the back of the photo: Dawn, 1969.

Ruth returns to Norfolk determined to solve the mystery, but then Covid-19 rears its ugly head. Ruth and her daughter are locked down in their cottage, attempting to continue with work and lessons, but, in reality, becoming lonely and frustrated. Happily the house next door is rented by a nice woman called Sally, who they become friendly with while standing on their doorstep clapping for caregivers.

Nelson, meanwhile, has no time to be bored. He's investigating a series of suicides that could be the work of a serial killer plus 2 university students who have disappeared, one of whom has an unhealthy fascination with Ruth.

This book caused me a great deal of anxiety. The shadow of the pandemic and Covid-19 cases looms over the entire story overshadowing dieting, adoptions, almost stalking, will they-won't they, spousal abuse...my fear that one of my favorite characters wouldn't make it through the book had me speed reading so much that I had to slow down and reread segments to make sure the mystery got solved.
My feelings are definitely mixed. I really like this series, but I'm not sure I was ready to read a pandemic mystery.

I've read a few books written during the Covid lock down and was surprised that they either set the books in 2019 or didn't mention a time period and omitted mentioning the pandemic altogether. In addition to not knowing how the pandemic would play out, I understand now why they did this. The Locked Room encompasses that frightening period when our government finally admitted that Covid was a problem that wasn't going away and was highly contagious. With no treatment, the only option was to isolate. How quickly I've put those awful memories in my rear view mirror.

Ruth is called to investigate a skeleton some think to be part of a "plague pit". It is unsettling as parallels are drawn between the centuries old plague world and her current Covid pandemic environment. Ruth's world suddenly becomes narrower with the lock down and distance learning/teaching for her and daughter Kate, Ruth is happy their isolation is not complete as she has a new neighbor.. Zoe is a nurse and has rented the cottage next door and they quickly become friends, sharing glasses of socially distanced wine and conversation.

Meanwhile, Nelson has a bad feeling about a series of suicides among women of a certain age whose deaths shock their families and friends. Did these seemingly happy women really commit suicide? As the investigation continues, links to Ruth's cottage and her new neighbor are uncovered. The lock down restrictions hamper the investigation but Nelson and his team at times circumvent or bend the rules to keep the investigation moving forward.

As with all of Griffiths' Ruth Galloway mysteries, there is drama mixed in with outstanding characters like Cathbad the practicing druid and his DI wife Judy. The only fault I find with Griffiths' writing is her penchant to repeat parts of the story, The tale of the Gray Lady is just one instance that was told repeatedly. All in all, this is another great read and an excellent addition to the Ruth Galloway series.

What is more appropriate than a locked room mystery during COVID lockdown. This 14th book in the Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series is a solid entry, but definitely not one of the best. The mystery, the treatment of the COVID situation, the descriptions and the dialogue all seemed to lack the energy and excitement of earlier entries in the series. Although devoted fans will be eager to read The Locked Room, it is not the most appropriate book for newbies to begin reading the series.. A solid 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

A lot of questions arise in this 14th book in the Ruth Galloway series.
- Sorting through her mother's things after she passed away, Ruth finds a photograph of her cottage in Norfolk. According to the date on the back, the photo was taken years before Ruth was born. Why would her mom have this picture in a box labeled "Private."
- A skeleton has been unearthed during a construction project and Ruth is called in to date it. Could this medieval skeleton have been a victim of the Plague?
- Nelson is investigating several recent suicides. Are the multiple cases simply coincidence or is there a serial killer in Kings Lynn?
- And who is the single woman who has moved in next door to Ruth out on the saltmarsh?
While all of these questions are being explored, Norfolk and the rest of the world begins to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The author very effectively reminds us of how we all felt in early 2020 as news of the pandemic spread. Was it a hoax? Did we need to wear masks? There were shortages. Working, going to school, socializing all stopped or changed dramatically with the lock-downs. People were sick and dying in isolation because friends and family were not allowed to visit. All of this plays out while Ruth, Kate, Nelson, and Cathbad try to get on with their lives.

Like the 13 stories that preceded this one, the book is hard to put down. The murder mystery is compelling, and we all want to know what's going on with Ruth and Nelson!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read and review <i>The Locked Room</i> before the publication date of June 28.
Place a hold now at your local library!

Three years after her late mother’s death, Ruth is finally sorting through her things when she finds a curious relic: a decades-old photograph of Jean’s Norfolk cottage with a peculiar inscription. Ruth returns to the cottage to uncover its meaning as Norfolk’s first cases of COVID-19 make headlines, leaving her and Kate to shelter in place there. They struggle to stave off isolation by clapping for frontline workers each evening and befriending a kind neighbor, Zoe, from a distance. But when Nelson breaks quarantine to rush to Ruth’s cottage and enlist her help in investigating a series of murder-suicides he has connected to an archeological discovery, he finds Zoe is hardly who she says she is. The further Nelson investigates these deaths, the closer they lead him to Ruth’s friendly neighbor—until Ruth, Zoe, and Kate all go missing, and Nelson is left scrambling to find them before it’s too late. This is without a doubt my current favorite series. I look forward to another Ruth and Nelson adventure every year and this one did not disappoint. It tied Covid-19 in the present to plagues in the past to create a relevant and well plotted mystery. I can’t wait to see where these two go next! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This book is part of a series and was the first book I read so I was quite lost for the first third, there were so many characters, many with similar names, it was hard to follow and figure out who was important. After I got clearer, I enjoyed the slow burn mystery set in the pandemic. The main character found a mysterious picture of her house with a name and a date on it. Also the main detective was investigating a series of possibly suspicious suicides

I always enjoy Ruth Galloway books, but this one was probably one of my least favorites. It was well written, and there were no major problems. The one issue that I always have with this series is the focus on Ruth's weight and how self deprecating she is, and this storyline focused very heavily on weight and weight loss., which I did not appreciate.

I'm a sucker for the whole Ruth Galloway series, and while this probably won't make it into my top five of the series, it was still a solid mystery. Major content warning for so much COVID and lockdown stuff. This starts in February 2020 in the UK so I knew what was coming but it was still intense to read about the start of lockdown and relive some of the initial trauma of COVID. The main mystery here is a contemporary one - a suicide that Nelson thinks is just a little suspicious. Ruth finds a body too, probably medieval, but unfortunately that doesn't get much time in the plot once lockdown goes into effect. I guess forensic archaeology professors were not considered essential workers so she and her daughter are basically stuck at home, though she still manages to get wrapped up in a couple of mysteries, as she does. The books in this series that I like the best are the ones where archaeology and modern police work get equal play, but it wasn't really realistic or practical. The suicide case does turn out to be pretty interesting, so this was a pretty satisfying read, though again, beware if you're not ready to read about COVID times yet.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner books for gifting me an advanced copy. Below you'll find my honest review.

I really love Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series. I'm heavily invested in the characters and their lives... so this one threw me for a loop because, just like the rest of us, this world was shaken by Covid-19.

I figured out the murderer, but I enjoyed the story... even if the Covid-19 parts brought back some trauma and made it less of an escape than I usually want from my books.

I'm interested to see where it's going next, because of how it ended.

Guess we'll see soon enough! (Fingers crossed)

Definitely recommend this series, but please read from the beginning. There's a lot of history here and you'll be at a loss if you don't read the rest.

Coronavirus comes to Norfolk.

It's February 2020 and Dr. Ruth Galloway is in London cleaning out her dead mother's personal belongings. Ruth finds a photo of her own marshland cottage with "Dawn 1963" written on the back. How could her mother have a picture of Ruth's cottage, taken thirty years before Ruth ever saw the place?

More than most of the previous Ruth Galloway mysteries, "The Locked Room" focuses on family ties. The titular puzzle centers on a maybe suicide/maybe murder that is not exactly compelling. But how do Ruth and Kate survive lockdown in their isolated cottage? Will Super Jo drive Nelson insane with her hand sanitizing and Zoom meetings? Can Cathbad make home schooling an adventure?

Elly Griffiths evocatively depicts the first flush of fear as coronavirus swept the world. As her modern characters hunker down with cat food and toilet paper, she offers a nice compare and contrast to the 14th century plague that decimated Norwich. The service for the outcast dead seems newly relevant in the year 2020.

The mystery of the locked room gets solved despite the lockdown; familiar relationships strengthen and fray. Since the first Ruth Galloway book in 2010, the best part of the series has been the vivid characters and their complex, absolutely believable connections with each other. It was good to see how they fared during the time no one will ever forget.

Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Ruth Galloway books are my favorite mystery series. This latest story does nothing to dim their shine. Set during the first weeks of COVID-19, it evokes all the bewildering sentiments of that moment. The mystery at the center of the story is just as bewildering: a sequence of suicides, women dying alone leaving nothing behind but questions, Meanwhile, Ruth is trying to connect her present to an old photograph in her late mother’s possession.

There’s little else to say without dropping spoilers. It’s an intricate mystery with all the familiar characters fans of this series have come to love. Perfect for summer reading!

Griffiths has me hooked--I eagerly await each new installment in the Ruth Galloway series, and The Locked Room was just as good as the fourteen preceding books. I can't wait for more!

Dr, Ruth Galloway stars once again the this series by Griffiths. Written about solving murder and mystery during the lockdown, it is illuminating and challenging.

This latest installment in the mystery series about forensic archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is the best yet. Attached to the Serious Crimes Unit of the local police department, she becomes involved in helping with a series of local suicides/possible murders, while also navigating the early days of the COVID pandemic, a mysterious photo of her own cottage that she finds in her mother's possessions after her death, the challenges of single parenting, and her complicated relationship with DCI Nelson. Elly Griffiths' depiction of early lockdown life is on target, and she deftly handles the many elements of her plot, while also injecting subtle humor throughout. Her likeable characters feel like old friends, and she maintains the suspense in both Ruth's professional and personal life till the end. The Locked Room has a satisfying conclusion, yet also leaves readers very eager for the next chapter of Ruth's story. Bravo!

"Pandemic lockdowns have Ruth Galloway feeling isolated from everyone but a new neighbor - until Nelson comes calling, investigating a decades-long string of murder-suicides that’s looming ever closer.

Three years after her late mother’s death, Ruth is finally sorting through her things when she finds a curious relic: a decades-old photograph of Jean’s Norfolk cottage with a peculiar inscription. Ruth returns to the cottage to uncover its meaning as Norfolk’s first cases of COVID-19 make headlines, leaving her and Kate to shelter in place there. They struggle to stave off isolation by clapping for frontline workers each evening and befriending a kind neighbor, Zoe, from a distance. But when Nelson breaks quarantine to rush to Ruth’s cottage and enlist her help in investigating a series of murder-suicides he has connected to an archeological discovery, he finds Zoe is hardly who she says she is. The further Nelson investigates these deaths, the closer they lead him to Ruth’s friendly neighbor - until Ruth, Zoe, and Kate all go missing, and Nelson is left scrambling to find them before it’s too late."

Last year I read my first Elly Griffiths books and now I'm hooked. I can't wait to catch up with all Ruth Galloway has to offer!

Another solid installment in this long-running contemporary mystery series. The early-pandemic setting is thought-provoking and novel, but may be upsetting for some readers!