Dying Fall: A Ruth Galloway Investigation by Elly GriffithsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Synopsis:
"Ruth's old friend Dan Golding thinks he has made a discovery that will change archaeology forever - but he needs Ruth's help. Then, Dan is killed in a fire, leaving Ruth with one clue: the tomb of the Raven King.
DCI Nelson is also rediscovering the past. He meets his friend Sandy Macleod, now at Blackpool CID, who tells him there are mysterious circumstances surrounding Dan's death. A Neo-Nazi group at Dan's University has been making threats and could be involved.
Many of Dan's colleagues seem fearful and have secrets to hide. Ruth is drawn into the mystery, and where she goes, so does her daughter, Kate. This time, it's not just Ruth's life at risk." -Goodreads.com
Review:
Full of wonderful suspense and mystery, A Dying Fall takes Ruth Galloway the archaeological dig of a lifetime; but with warnings and ill wishes, how long of a lifetime? Ruth receives word of the death of a University friend, and as if that's not enough of a shock, a letter arrives from him the next day. She decides to look into this death and what she finds is a web of lust, lies, death and secrets, no to mention a King. Intrigued? Pick up the book and you won't be disappointed!
"Who would want to kill an archaeologist working at an obscure university? Could it possibly be linked to Dan's discovery? It could be big, Dan had said. It could change everything. And now Dan is dead and everything has changed." (loc. 326)
Before I read this book I have already been a great fan of this series, and that was just after an unexpected read of the first book, Crossing Places, last year. This book definitely did not disappoint as I found myself once again in the world of Ruth Galloway and her unexpected adventures. Page by page I was enraptured by the secrets that the small community of Pendle university seemed to hold, and with threats and death in the air, Ruth, her daughter Kate, Nelson and of course Cathbad discover a legend and dig up some appalling secrets. I greatly appreciate the character developments, as well as the development of their relationships. I also love how I always learn something, whether archaeological or history related, in this series. It not only pushes you through a suspenseful, and sometimes witty, mystery, it teaches you through it's references and clue findings. I absolutely love medieval legends such as who "The Raven King" was, and this book provided a new aspect of symbolism and discovery.
"There's a tradition of Britishness about raven; think of the legend that if the ravens leave the Tower of London, Britain will fall." (loc. 1474)
Although this book is fiction, there are some really great facts included as well, and I am very grateful for Elly Griffith's care and research. The author's ability to portray a mysterious british world filled with prejudice, hate and mysticism in this book pans out very well and evokes wonderful suspense with great twists, much like a roller coaster. I was waiting the entire book to work out what the title might mean in relevance to the book, but I soon realized that it's not just a literal title, it's metaphorical as well. I implore mystery fans to take in this book and series, because it's well worth the read!
First Sentence: "At first he isn't even scared." (loc. 29)
Last Sentence: "Nelson looks as if he is about to speak, but in the end he just smiles and, with a flourish, takes Kate from his shoulders and hands her back to Ruth." (loc.3645)
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Quotes
"Maybe humans need animals to help them understand the world." (loc. 1506)
"The moving finger writes and, having writ, movies on." (loc. 2976)
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Expected publication: March 5th 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published December 20th 2012)
ISBN: 0547798164 (ISBN13: 9780547798165)
Galley provided by NetGalley via Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
*Quotes are from uncorrected advanced galleys and may change before going to press. Please refer to the final printed book for official quotes.
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