Thank you Netgalley for providing a free ARC in return for an honest review.

This installment takes place during the months leading up to the pandemic and continues months into it. Ruth and company face the same challenges we all did: fear of the unknown virus, lockdown, working at home while children attended online school, learning to navigate safety protocols, Zoom, and enforcing "appropriate" screen time rules (we all needed and continue to need a break with this). Griffith writes her characters with their usual humor and distinct personalities that lighten the mood of the pandemic and the seriousness of the cases that arise.

As a fan of this series I would say this is one of the weakest titles. I felt it was slow to get going and a bit confusing although one must admit that anything related to covid has been confusing. The last quarter of the book was more what I expect from Elly Griffiths-so fine for those of us who read the series but it definitely won’t tempt people new to the series to explore more books in the series.

This latest Ruth Galloway novel is a success. I have loved watching Ruth develop over the years into a stronger, more self-assured and mature woman.
The Locked Room is also the perfect "pandemic" novel. Set during the covid-19 pandemic's early days, it's hands down the most emotionally accurate pandemic fiction I've encountered.
While this isn't the most light-hearted Ruth novel, it absolutely takes her story to an important & relatable place. Well worth a read!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Mariner Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Another hit by Elly Griffiths. Love the book, love the series.

I love this series!! Elly Griffiths has done it again! 5 stars. So riveting when she stops one story line at a crucial moment & jumps over to where she left off in another story line. Keeps me on the edge of my seat.

This was another great addition to the Ruth Galloway series. This is one of my favorite mystery series, and I was excited to get this latest book. As always, Ruth is a great detective and her interactions with her friends (like my favorite, Cathbad) and Nelson were well-written. I love how organically this series goes through time - I genuinely feel like I've watched Kate grow up before my eyes - although, I didn't care for the covid additions (thought that's just a weird personal thing - since we're still in the pandemic and it's still impacting my life so much, I like being able to escape it with fiction, though I think when we have more distance from the start of the pandemic, this part of the book will feel more important and a true mark of history in the making). The mystery itself was a strong plot and kept me very engaged, and I was sad when the book was over since now I have to wait again for the next week. I highly recommend this series as a whole!

Elly Griffiths wrote that she drew largely on her own diary for the covid memories that resonated so much with me.
The book is set in early February and March of 2020, just as covid crashed into our world and turned everything upside down. The slow burn of the mystery in this latest book takes a back seat to the relationships of Ruth, Kate, Nelson, Cathbad and the rest as they deal with home schooling, working via Zoom, and scoring the last package of penne on the grocery store shelves, and that’s not a bad thing. How to solve a mystery that may or may not be a crime, Ruth’s new neighbor, the Grey Lady who haunts a local area, and a covid diagnosis are all tied together in another brilliant addition to this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book by one of my favorite authors. If you’re new to the Ruth Galloway books, you’re in for a treat.

Couldn’t read this one fast enough! I love the Ruth Galloway series and book #14 did not disappoint. The story is set in February and March of 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. This is the first book I’ve read (other than a short story/novella) with the pandemic as a central theme. It’s not overwhelming, but handled well as Griffiths tells three intertwining stories that deepen the background and histories of Ruth and Nelson and other favorite recurring characters while they also learn to adapt to life during the pandemic. One subplot is very moving and had me worried for a little while. (I won’t say anything else to avoid spoilers.) Fans of the series will definitely enjoy this installment, publishing in the US on June 28, 2022.

I love, love this series! Just when I think I am going to lose interest and cast it aside the next book let’s me know that is not going to happen. They just get better and better and this, set in the midst of the COVID pandemic, is exceptional.

I love the characters, the setting and the story line, always with a background of archeology and history to draw it together. For Ruth, an unknown family secret is exposed and a beloved character is stricken with the virus. And the ending….well let me just say I can’t wait for #15!

This is another winner!

Griffiths’ latest Ruth Galloway (number 14) starts in February 2020 — just as people were beginning to be worried about Covid — and takes us through the first chaotic and terrifying months of the pandemic. The mystery: a set of suicides by apparently cheerful women takes place in the setting of the world shutting itself down.

Griffiths does a good job of bringing back that initial time (which I had happily relegated to the past) and the impact on individuals from students trapped in closed campuses to the increase in domestic violence to the sudden serious hospitalizations of otherwise healthy loved ones. All of our favorite characters are back: archeologist / lecturer and single mother Ruth Galloway, brooding and ultra reliable (and married father of Ruth’s daughter) DCI Nelson, Cathbad the druid, and others. Always chock full of interesting local history — in this case medieval plagues! I always look forward to my annual Gallagher / Nelson mystery.

There is a rhythm to Griffiths’ writing that keeps me moving forwards far past the time I should be taking care of other things. Now I know not to start until there is the option to finish the book in one sitting. The Locked Room is atmospheric, compelling and timely.

Ruth Galloway is sorting through her mother’s things three years after the woman’s death, when she stumbles across an old photo of her mother’s cottage with an odd inscription. At the same time, Covid 19 has reared its ugly head and Ruth finds herself in lockdown, alone with her daughter Kate in her mother’s Norfolk home. She becomes friendly (at a distance) with neighbor Zoe, but everything is turned on it head when Nelson breaks quarantine to get Ruth’s help with a series of murder/suicides that seem to have a connection to a recent archaeological discovery. As Nelson learns more about the murders, he becomes more and more convinced that the friendly Zoe is connected. I love this series; it’s quiet and contemplative, with tremendous character development and a sense of place so immersive, I fell like I am there

This was a dark and twisted book that I couldn't stop reading! 
Gritty and compulsive, this thought-provoking thriller contains several interesting twist.
I never saw coming.
The characters you honestly have no idea which way this story is turning.
And that made it so much fun to me.
I was totally immersed after the very first chapter. And this story never let up.
Y'all don't miss this amazing novel.

Mariner Books,
Thank you for this eARC.
I will post to my platforms and blog close to pub date!

I’ve avoided reading anything that is set during the early days of the pandemic, but this series is one of the few where I will read every single new entry. While there were moments that triggered some rough memories, on the whole this book is Griffiths best of the series. The characters continue to grow and experience some of life’s surprises while the mystery takes a bit of a back seat. This one is about the characters, folks, and that is okay with me. I didn’t really appreciate the focus on characters in Dark Angel, but here it definitely works. The love and care that ties these people together is baked into every single line of dialog.

Elly Griffiths just keeps getting better. Highly recommended.