Synopses & Reviews
“
A Dying Fall, like all of Griffiths’ work, combines an intriguing plot with well-drawn characters—topped by the ever-fascinating Ruth—and a keen sense of place and history. Connoisseurs of thoughtful suspense will revel in its many pleasures.”—
Richmond Times-Dispatch When Ruth Galloway learns that her old university friend Dan Golding has died in a house fire, she is shocked and saddened. But when she receives a letter that Dan had written just before he died, her sadness turns to suspicion.
The letter tells of a great archaeological discovery, but Dan also says that he is scared for his life. Was Dan’s death linked to his find? The only clue is his mention of the Raven King, an ancient name for King Arthur.
When she arrives in Lancashire, Ruth discovers that the bones reveal a shocking fact about King Arthur—and that the bones have mysteriously vanished. The case draws in DCI Nelson, determined to protect Ruth and their eighteen-month-old daughter, Kate. But someone is willing to kill to keep the bones a secret, and it is beginning to look as if no one is safe.
"Another gem packed with offbeat, well-developed characters and a quirky, challenging mystery."—Kirkus
“As with all Ruth Galloway mysteries, the application of forensic archaeology is intriguing . . . readers are in for a really good time with this flesh-and-blood bone expert."—Booklist, starred
Review
“Macavity Award-winner Crombie examines the corrupting nature of power in her riveting 14th novel featuring Scotland Yard Supt. Duncan Kincaid and Det. Insp. Gemma James.... Crombie gives an insightful look into British police procedures as well as a vivid view of the vagaries of London neighborhoods.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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...[R]eaders who savor excellent writing will find that Ms. Crombie delivers it again. New York Journal of Books
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“Crombie is very talented at putting together a richly atmospheric whodunit.... [A]s a creator, she energetically inhabits the many strange worlds she shows her readers....” Washington Post
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“Ms. Crombie again has turned out a gripping and nicely tailored mystery and added another chapter to her chronicle of Kincaid and Jones.” Washington Times
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“No Mark Upon Her is again deserving of fans devotion due largely to her intelligent, subtle wit and above all, her meticulous attention to detail, from sculling equipment and competitive jealousy to a 3-year-olds birthday party meltdown to the deep bond between a man and his dog.” Miami Herald
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“Her writing is sophisticated and her suspense taut.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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[A] psychological thrill-ride that explores the allure of power, the pull of jealousy, and the seduction of greed. The Tuscon Citizen
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This is a lovely, satisfying British police procedural with many relationship subplots that lend texture. Suspense magazine
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Praise for the Ruth Galloway Mystery Series "Elly Griffiths draws us all the way back to prehistoric times…Highly atmospheric." —
The New York Times Book Review "Galloway is an everywoman, smart, successful and a little bit unsure of herself. Readers will look forward to learning more about her." —
USA Today "Ruth Galloway is a remarkable, delightful character…A must-read for fans of crime and mystery fiction." —
Associated Press "Forensic archeologist and academic Ruth Galloway is a captivating amateur sleuth—an inspired creation. I identified with her insecurities and struggles, and cheered her on. " —Louise Penny, author of the bestselling Armand Gamache series "These books are must-reads." —Deborah Crombie, author of the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series "[Ruth Galloways] an uncommon, down-to-earth heroine whose acute insight, wry humor, and depth of feeling make her a thoroughly engaging companion." —Erin Hart, Agatha and Anthony Award nominated author of Haunted Ground and Lake of Sorrows "A wonderfully rich mixture of ancient and contemporary, superstition and rationality, with a cast of druids, dreamers and assorted tree-huggers as well as some thoroughly modern villains…A great series." —The Guardian "[An] excellent series…Skillful and engaging." —The Globe and Mail "Griffiths is one of Englands freshest mystery writers. Her novels combine a dramatic sense of place with a complicated mystery, and with each new installment, her character of Ruth Galloway becomes more complex and dynamic." —Curled Up with a Good Book "Griffiths does a lot to humanize forensic archaeology and serves up great dollops of historical details in her Ruth Galloway series…Griffiths is great at conveying the archaeologists passion for finds, forensic or historic." —Booklist, starred review "Griffiths is a true mystery writer." —Ann Arbor News
Synopsis
A finely-hued and twisting tale of psychological suspense--a story rich in deadly secrets, salacious lies, and unexpected betrayals--No Mark Upon Her is everything New York Times bestseller Deborah Crombie's fans have come to expect from this exceptional writer . . . and more.
Olympic rowing hopeful and Metropolitan Police officer DCI Rebecca Meredith goes out to train on the river in Henley on a dark afternoon in late October. When, the following morning, her ex-husband realizes she hasn't returned, a search is instituted and a K9 search and rescue team finds Meredith's body in the river.
Scotland Yard superintendent Duncan Kincaid, returning from a family celebration of his marriage to Inspector Gemma James, is called to investigate Meredith's death. He soon finds that both Meredith's rowing colleagues and her ex-husband might have had good reason to want her dead. But when an attempt is made on the life of one of the search and rescue team members who found Meredith's body, Kincaid realizes the case may be more complex and more dangerous than he believed.
It is Gemma, however, who discovers that Meredith's murder may be connected to enemies within the heart of the Met itself, and together Duncan and Gemma must endanger their careers and their lives to bring the killer to justice. . .
Synopsis
New York Times Notable author Deborah Crombie is regularly named among the greats of British-set crime fiction (P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, Elizabeth George et al) for her riveting police procedurals featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, Scotland Yard partners as well as devoted life-mates.
A brilliantly conceived and executed, deeply atmospheric mystery, No Mark Upon Her embroils Kincaid and James in the case of the puzzling drowning of a rower, a Met detective, on the Thames. A finely-hued and twisting tale of psychological suspense—a story rich in deadly secrets, salacious lies, and unexpected betrayals—No Mark Upon Her is everything Crombies fans have come to expect from this exceptional writer…and more.
Synopsis
When a K9 search-and-rescue team discovers a woman's body in the Thames, Scotland Yard superintendent Duncan Kincaid finds himself heading an investigation fraught with complications. The victim, the talented and difficult Rebecca Meredith, was an Olympic rowing contender on the verge of a controversial comeback. She was also a high-ranking detective with the Met—a fact that raises a host of sensitive issues in an already tangled case.
To further complicate the situation, a separate investigation, led by Detective Inspector Gemma James, Kincaid's wife, soon reveals a disturbing—and possibly related—series of crimes, widening the field of suspects. But when someone tries to kill the search-and-rescue team member who found Rebecca's body, the case becomes even more dangerous. Pressured to find answers quickly while protecting the Yard at all costs and with his career and reputation on the line, Kincaid must race to catch the killer before more innocent lives are lost—including his own.
Synopsis
Forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway investigates her most heart-stopping case to date after an old university friend and fellow archeologist is murdered in an arson attack.
About the Author
A native Texan who has lived in both England and Scotland, Deborah Crombie is a three-time Macavity Award winner, an Edgar Award nominee, and a New York Times Notable author. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, including the recent Necessary as Blood and Dreaming of the Bones, which was selected as one of the 100 Best Crime Novels of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. She lives in McKinney, Texas, sharing a house that is more than one hundred years old with her husband, three cats, and two German shepherds.