| Publisher | Quercus |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 04 July 2022 |
| ISBN-10 | 1529409675 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1529409673 |
| Format | paperback |
| Pages | 368 |
| Price | £ 8.99 |
The Locked Room
by
Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson are brought together again by an investigation into series of deaths that look like suicide but might be murder. To complicate matters further, their work is hampered by a strange new virus stalking the land.
Review
The Locked Room allows a welcome return to north Norfolk and the characters of Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Nelson, together with the rest of the cast that I’ve come to know and love.
As well as a twisty thriller, there is plenty here to satisfy the followers of the tortuous relationship between the archaeologist and the married policeman, sometimes more Mills and Boon than Silver Dagger, but that's no bad thing. And unlike some series that have pretended the Covid pandemic just hasn't happened, Elly Griffiths sets the action of this story firmly in those first confusing months of 2020. She even gives one of her regular characters a very nasty dose of Covid that leads to hospitalisation and much heartache. Griffiths is a clever writer with such a lightness of touch that she manages to mix mysteries, complex personal relationships, and the dawning horror of lockdown in a credible and satisfying way.
The action starts with the discovery of some human remains in the precinct of Norwich Cathedral. Forensic archaeologist Ruth and her students are called in to investigate. The ancient bones of a woman could be the result of suicide because they lie outside the boundaries of the consecrated ground of the main graveyard. Meanwhile DCI Nelson and his colleagues at Kings Lynn police station are investigating several suspicious deaths that on the surface also seem like suicides. But the women had all appeared to be happy, contented individuals leaving behind stricken and bewildered families. Inevitably, the two investigations overlap.
The usual criminal activity is blended with the myths and legends of Norfolk – of which there seems to be a endless supply – together with gorgeous descriptions of the north Norfolk coast. The investigation into the possible suicides is hampered by lockdown but all roads lead to the inevitable action-packed climax with Ruth and Nelson thrown together in a suitably dangerous and supernatural setting, a haunted house on Tombland Alley in the cathedral grounds with something unpleasant in the cellar.
These are not stories where all the ends are neatly tied up and the same is true for this book, the 14th in the series. Several avenues still lie open; some relationships remain unsettled; not all cases are fully closed and Covid still rules. But I am quite happy with the unfinished business because it means there is more to come.
I did have a couple of little niggles: some threads are introduced and not pursued, and some promising characters go nowhere. This could be distracting for new readers and Elly Griffiths already has a strong cast of characters that she does her best to include in each book. Also, quite a large clue to the identity of the villain is thrown out part of the way through the book, which I picked up and ran with – and I was a little disappointed to be proved right at the end.
But, as ever, I found the book a hugely satisfying read. The Locked Room is a compelling thriller and, more importantly, gave me a chance to catch up with characters who have become so vividly real to me.
As well as a twisty thriller, there is plenty here to satisfy the followers of the tortuous relationship between the archaeologist and the married policeman, sometimes more Mills and Boon than Silver Dagger, but that's no bad thing. And unlike some series that have pretended the Covid pandemic just hasn't happened, Elly Griffiths sets the action of this story firmly in those first confusing months of 2020. She even gives one of her regular characters a very nasty dose of Covid that leads to hospitalisation and much heartache. Griffiths is a clever writer with such a lightness of touch that she manages to mix mysteries, complex personal relationships, and the dawning horror of lockdown in a credible and satisfying way.
The action starts with the discovery of some human remains in the precinct of Norwich Cathedral. Forensic archaeologist Ruth and her students are called in to investigate. The ancient bones of a woman could be the result of suicide because they lie outside the boundaries of the consecrated ground of the main graveyard. Meanwhile DCI Nelson and his colleagues at Kings Lynn police station are investigating several suspicious deaths that on the surface also seem like suicides. But the women had all appeared to be happy, contented individuals leaving behind stricken and bewildered families. Inevitably, the two investigations overlap.
The usual criminal activity is blended with the myths and legends of Norfolk – of which there seems to be a endless supply – together with gorgeous descriptions of the north Norfolk coast. The investigation into the possible suicides is hampered by lockdown but all roads lead to the inevitable action-packed climax with Ruth and Nelson thrown together in a suitably dangerous and supernatural setting, a haunted house on Tombland Alley in the cathedral grounds with something unpleasant in the cellar.
These are not stories where all the ends are neatly tied up and the same is true for this book, the 14th in the series. Several avenues still lie open; some relationships remain unsettled; not all cases are fully closed and Covid still rules. But I am quite happy with the unfinished business because it means there is more to come.
I did have a couple of little niggles: some threads are introduced and not pursued, and some promising characters go nowhere. This could be distracting for new readers and Elly Griffiths already has a strong cast of characters that she does her best to include in each book. Also, quite a large clue to the identity of the villain is thrown out part of the way through the book, which I picked up and ran with – and I was a little disappointed to be proved right at the end.
But, as ever, I found the book a hugely satisfying read. The Locked Room is a compelling thriller and, more importantly, gave me a chance to catch up with characters who have become so vividly real to me.
Reviewed 12 November 2022 by Viv Beeby
