Winter 2020

BOOKS GERALDINE GARDNER recommends the series of Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries for lovers of crime fiction who like a bit of archaeology and druids thrown in, Ken Follett has written an epic tale featuring Vikings and warriors and set in fictional Kingsbridge, based around Salisbury, and the tales of a feral swamp girl and a young woman on a quest to find herself round off a selection of books to keep you going through the winter Out&About leisure

L overs of murder mysteries will be pleased to know there are – to date – 12 books in the Dr Ruth Galloway series and promise of more to come. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths introduces us to head of forensic archaeology at the fictional University of North Norfolk Dr Ruth Galloway and to DCI Harry Nelson who calls for her expertise when some old bones are discovered on the Norfolk marshes. What follows is an entertaining and easy-to-read thriller, with the usual red herrings which the author mixes in with her knowledge of the area, as well as archaeological practices. Throw in the odd druid and ancient folklore and you have the perfect read for a chilly winter’s afternoon or evening when there is nothing better than settling into your favourite armchair with a good book in one hand and a glass of something in the other. Elly Griffiths combines vivid descriptions of the bleak Norfolk landscape with a group of colourful characters. Nelson is happily married to the gorgeous Michelle and they have two

which he never resolved. The different strands are all cleverly intertwined as the unlikely pair gradually solve the different mysteries at some cost to their own safety. Without spoiling anything, it is a shared experience with a twist, which keeps the main protagonists inextricably linked and paves the way for future plotlines and joint sleuthing. Nelson’s team at the police station – Sergeants Johnson and Clough and his boss Commander Whitcliffe – soon become familiar characters. As does Ruth’s boss the publicity hungry Phil, her friend Shona and the man who got her into archaeology – Erik. Then there is the purple-cloaked druid Cathbad – aka lab technician Michael Malone. Cathbad has a sixth sense and tends to be in the right – or wrong – place at the right time. He is a fabulous literary creation and a key player throughout the unfolding mystery. The only problem is, if you do enjoy The Crossing Places you will want to keep reading the next one and so on – as I did – and I am now eagerly anticipating book number 13.

daughters, but he is also strangely drawn to the rather frumpy Ruth, who lives alone with her two cats in a desolate part of the marshlands. Ruth Galloway enjoys her solitary existence, but inevitably becomes more involved in the murder investigation, which combines the discovery of some ancient bones with the modern-day kidnapping of a young child. The story also harks back to the disappearance of a young girl 10 years before – Nelson’s first big case and one

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Kya Clark grows up alone in a shack in the swamplands of North Carolina after being abandoned by her family.

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan This is an uplifting debut novel in which celebrated author of short stories Anthony Peardew has spent

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett Follett combines

historic events with the turbulent lives of key characters in his narrative – a young boatbuilder, a Norman noblewoman and at its heart the monks of Shiring Abbey. A prequel to the popular The Pillars of the Earth – this is the tale of Vikings and marauding Welshmen – all set in the fictional county of Shiring – what’s not to love?

half his life collecting lost objects, trying to atone for a promise broken many years before. Now realising he is running out of time, he leaves his house and all its lost treasures to his assistant Laura and needs her to fulfill his legacy.

Her feral approach to life is at odds with the nearby community who view her as the ‘marsh girl’. Racial and social division are woven into what is essentially a coming of age book tied up in a murder mystery – something for everyone.

You can find book reviews on the Newbury Today website www.newburytoday.co.uk/out&about/books Leave your comments and tell us what you think of the books or email geraldine.gardner@newburynews.co.uk

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O&A WINTER 2020