The Man in Black And Other Stories
by Elly Griffiths

I enjoy Ruth Galloway's Harbinder Kaur series and look forward to seeing more of her recurring characters with each book in the series. This book of short stories has given me a chance to sample some of her characters outside of the Harbinder Kaur series. I do think that, for me, short stories just aren't enough to allow me to get a feel for characters from long standing series that I've never tried yet. I think this book will be more enjoyable to me in the future, if I pick up Ruth's series other than the Harbinder Kaur series. I suspect others will enjoy this series if they enjoy short stories and if they already are fans of these characters.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for this ARC

The Man in Black and Other Stories by Elly Griffiths is a collection of her short stories featuring some of the characters you may know from her books. I really enjoyed this collection. Elly has written the Ruth Galloway series where Ruth is a forensic archeologist and she consults with the police. Ruth and Nelson are featured in a handful of these stories, but not all of them. I like Elly's characters because they are unique, they don't typically conform to expectations and things do not always go to plan. This collection features a short story from the perspective of Ruth Galloway's cat, Flint. It is suitably creepy and good. Two of my favorites include Max Mephisto and the Disappearing Act set in the 1920s and Justice Jones and the Etherphone - Justice is a girl detective, private investigator and she is looking into a man's mysterious death. There is also a story featuring another of her characters, Harbinder Kaur called Harbinger. I really enjoyed the collection of stories - it is a great way to sample an author's work if you've not read them before or to get more of the writing from an author you enjoy. 4 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and Mariner Books, this book is out today, October 15, 2024.

From the author who has brought the literary world characters such as Ruth Galloway, Justice Jones, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto, comes a selection of short stories, many of them featuring these beloved players.

I was recently introduced to Elly Griffiths and am familiar only with Ruth Galloway whose adventures as an archeologist I enjoy. The stories in The Man in Black include mysteries, suspense, folklore, different kinds of love, grief, loneliness.

Well written, some new characters are introduced. I particularly liked the Ruth Galloway tales, especially since the timelines went back and forth so that I learned some of her history as well as what happens in the future.

I am not a huge short story fan, but I couldn’t put this book down. My favorites in this collection were Ruth’s First Christmas Tree, What I saw from the Sky, and Flint’s Fireside Tale A Christmas Story, told from the perspective of Ruth’s cat, Flint. Regarding the second story, how can you go wrong with the Amalfi Coast, Capri and references to Aperol!?!

What a treat this is for fans of Griffiths' various series- and what a terrific introduction to her work for those who have not read her. This collection of stories give small insights into the various characters but I'm especially fond of those focusing on Ruth Galloway, her family, friends, and cat. Then there's Harbinder and Max Mephisto- so different from the rest. I admit to having broken my usual rule of reading a single short story a day and gulping this one down. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Wonderful collection.

I loved this collection of short stories. Quirky, spooky, funny, mysterious. New characters and old. We get to revisit Max Mephisto, Nelson and Ruth, Cathbad, Harbinder, and others. Such pleasure!

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins, for the ARC of this title.

I'm a big fan of Elly Griffiths series, especially the Ruth Galloway series. So this was a fun read that had some things old and some things new. It was great to dive back into the world of Ruth and Nelson and even see a bit of their lives past the last novel. Some of the other stories were familiar but I didn't remember all the details so they were enjoyable to read again.

I can see this book being great for fans of Elly Griffiths but also for people who like to read something a bit spooky during this time of year and around the holidays. Most of the stories in the collection are easily read in one sitting so they can be read one a night over the holidays or leading up to them, when most of us are a bit stressed and need to escape into another world to relax before bed.

Overall, this was just a lovely way to slip back into a favorite world with a favorite writer.

I have read the first three books in the Harbinder Kaur series as well as a couple novels featuring magician Max Mephisto, so I was eager to read this book of short stories. Max and Harbinder are each featured in a couple of stories and those are among my favorites in this collection. I also enjoyed the stories with archeologist Ruth Galloway as the main character. I have heard great things about the Ruth Galloway series, but I've never read any of those novels. After reading these stories, I definitely want to start that series! Another of my favorite stories features Justice Jones, a young woman who has her own detective agency in post-WWII England. The story was engaging and clever.

The other stories in this collection are a mixed bag and I was surprised that not all were mysteries. There are a couple of touching holiday stories that I enjoyed, but some of the others have vague endings and weren't my favorites. Overall, I enjoyed the collection and spending time with characters I already liked and meeting new ones.

I received an advance copy of this ebook courtesy of NetGalley and Mariner Books.

3.5 stars
this was an interesting compilation of short stories. this was my first elly griffiths book which i think left me a little confused at first but, overall it was a good read!

thank you netgalley for the copy. this is my first time reading anything from this author. this is a collection of story all kinda generes. i really liked the harbinger kaur story.and max mephisto and the dissappering act

Fans of Griffiths Ruth Galloway series will love the delve into Ruth and Nelsons new relationship in their short story, especially! And hearing from her cat Flint, is an interesting bit left out from previous books, that makes for a couple of ah-ha moments as well. All the short stories are like ideas that Elly though of adding to a book, but they just didn't quite form, or just were more of a short story idea. It's an interesting look at what might have been left out of a previous book, and what we might look forward to in another. Fans will adore the book, and newbies will relish dipping their toes into the Galloway series as well.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have read precisely one other Elly Griffiths book before picking up this short story collection. I stumbled upon a book in her Ruth Galloway series, A Dying Fall and quickly fell in love with the distinct way that Griffiths writes and her characters. I started scooping up other books in the Ruth Galloway series and plan to read through her backlist. The stories in this collection were at times scary, gothic and spooky, while other times funny and heartwarming. I found with each one that I was fully invested and yet didn't always know where things were going to go. As a reader, I have not loved short stories in the past. However, I have read of a few of Alice Hoffman's including Blackbird House and found that even though short stories like this can be thought provoking and worthwhile. I felt the same way about this collection of stories. Highly suggest if you have at least read a bit of one of the series that Griffiths has written as making those connections might be more fun, but I will say that they made me interested in reading her other series as well. A great collection!

I'm a big fan of Elly Griffiths and was thrilled to have a chance to read this new book, featuring some of my all time favorite characters! My only gripe is that I want more!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I don't normally pick up short story novels but it was Elly Griffith!! She nailed it! They're we even shorts about Ruth Galloway who is one of my favorite characters. Very well done and I highly recommend

I'm not usually a fan of short stories - right when I get into them, they end - but I am a fan of Elly Griffiths, and I was delighted with this collection.

There is something for everyone in this collection - cozy mysteries, ghost stories, and, of course, murder mysteries. Being a fan of Griffiths's Ruth Galloway series, I was pleased to see her featured in some stories. The character Harbinder Kaur even makes an appearance! I also liked how the characters featured in one story appear in passing in another. Stories written from the vantage point of an animal do not appeal to me, but Griffiths won me over with a story told by Ruth's cat, Flint. Overall, I was very pleased with this collection. 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Mariner Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is October 15, 2024.

The Man in Black is a collection of short stories by Elly Griffith. Some of them are ghost stories, others about different kinds of human relationships (married couiples, parents and children, young friends, and some terrifying strangers) but the majority feature mysteries solved by some of the author's series detectives. To my great delight, four of them starred Ruth Galloway at different times in her life. (One was narrated by her cat, Flint! I usually loathe anything told from the perspective of a household pet, but Flint's Fireside Tale was an exception - funny, scary, and charming.)

When I finished The Last Remains over six months ago, I was sorry to say "goodbye" to crime-solving archaelogist Ruth Galloway, but I wasn't ready to move on to another series. The Man in Black made me happy because it introduced me to other cozy detectives like Max Mephisto, Justice Jones, and Harbinder Kaur. I look forward to encountering them again in the novels.

The Man in Black was a real treat. The stories were varied and well-written. It might serve as a good introduction to Elly Griffith's novels, but I think it would be most thoroughly enjoyed by current fans who just can't get enough.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am not typically a short story fan as I like to really settle into the world the characters are in and you just can't really do that in 20 pages or less. However, Elly Griffiths does a great job of weaving these shorts together in a way that allows for more immersion. Some of the stories were quite entertaining and thought-provoking, while some felt unnecessary. I'll admit I have not read the series these are spun off from, so I may be missing context that would have helped them feel more well-rounded.

Sadly I just could not get into this one. For some reason I thought they would be horror stories. I had no knowledge of the characters in the stories and found it a bit confusing. I just think that short stories aren’t my cup of tea

Great content for fans of Elly Griffiths work, this is a short story collection and features characters she's written about many times. I have only read books with Detective Harbinder Kaur before, but appreciated introductions to new characters!

This is a fantastic collection of stories. Each story offers something unique, yet they all connect in intriguing ways. The themes range from folklore and paranormal activities to ghosts and crime/mystery, keeping things fresh and captivating. I especially enjoyed how the author incorporated characters from her various series, and I have a soft spot for the mad druid, Cathbad, who makes several appearances. Honestly, I think he deserves his own book (and if there already is one, someone please point me to it!). If you're looking for an engaging collection with these kinds of themes, I highly recommend giving this one a read!

In an online interview posted in 2020, Griffiths mentioned that she is so fond of her characters that they pop up in other books from time to time.

(Love Your Library, November 2020) As a writer, Griffiths often uses short stories to develop characters. With the exception of Ruth's first Christmas tree, none of these works have been published until now. What a delight they are!

Voices from all of her series—Ruth, Nelson, Justice, Max Mephisto, and my favorite, Harbinder—are all present. The tales vary from homages to the golden age, like Ruth and Nelson's visit to the Nile, to locked rooms and ghost stories. Harbinder is given a bit of an origin story as we watch her on her first day on the job. Even Flint, Ruth's cat, has a chance to shine.

After book 15, Griffiths suggested that she was letting Ruth retire. This collection gives us a smorgasbord of her worlds, and Ruth's inclusion was a welcome bonus.

Very highly recommended.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from NetGalley and Mariner in exchange for an unbiased review.