I love Elly’s Ruth Galloway series and although I usually love the Norfolk set series, the change of location was a breath of fresh air. Once more Griffiths allows Ruth’s complicated relationship with Nelson (will they, won’t they?) to be played out, with Nelson rushing to Italy to make sure Ruth and Kate are okay, will the situation at home becomes even more complicated. Yet another great read from Elly Griffiths!

I've read every single other book in the Ruth Galloway series and loved some more than others, this one falls into the group of not loving it quite as much. I'm not sure if this has a lot to do with the fact that there are now so many books in the series and i just want there to be some kind of conclusion between Ruth and Nelson. Every book gives us just a little more to add to the story and it's becoming a little long winded but i somehow still love it!

This story is not based in the Fens which is another probable reason why i didn't enjoy it as much, i feel that one of the main characters in the books is actually the Fens and not having them there meant there was a bit of a hole in the book for me. I understand that there have to be other environments that Ruth visits but i did miss those low intense Fens. I also felt that there was a distinct lack of archaeology in this book as well. This is another of the reasons i love these books. I like to hear about the scientific elements to do with the bones, ageing them, the information about how people are thought to have lived in the past. It was all missing here. Maybe this was another reason this book didn't sit as well with me. I missed a lot of the characters as well, those who were left behind in the UK.

Overall, this is not a bad book but it does miss a lot of the things i usually love in this series so i do hope we return to a little more archaeology, more Fens, and more of the characters we all love. I'll carry on reading these books in the hope that this happens.

I keep reading these even though my friendship with Ruth might be waning. She's still moping around, prickly about being judged (when she is, in fact, the most judgmental character in the books herself). Everything seems to be a bit of an effort for her. The location was interesting, however, as was the archaeological aspect.

Reviewed online for Crime Review:

The Dark Angel, the latest in Elly Griffiths’ highly enjoyable series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway, has the feel of a rather chaotic charabanc outing where someone always over-indulges on the food and drink, and a small child is bound to throw up before you get to the seaside.

Ruth is a university lecturer who specialises in bones. Usually her expertise is needed close to home in Norfolk. But this time Dr Angelo Morelli, an Italian archaeologist, has asked for her advice after the discovery of bones in Castello degli Angeli, a hilltop village near Rome.

So off Ruth trogs with daughter Kate and best friend Shona and her sprog in tow for what she hopes will be a civilised working holiday. Except, there’s a present day murder, and the rest of the Norfolk gang show up.

It’s crime fiction – of course the lead character will have an unconventional love life! Ruth is resolutely single and continues to have conflicted feelings about DCI Harry Nelson, who is Kate’s’s father. Nelson is married to Michelle and has two grown-up daughters. And Michelle, who had her own fling with Nelson’s police colleague Tim, is pregnant again.

If you prefer your reading matter without an overload of kids, you may wish to pass on The Dark Angel, where grizzling children are never far from the surface! And it’s entirely too neat the way all the usual suspects from Norfolk turn up in Italy.

Ironically, the two weaker books in a strong series have been the ones where the characters have been taken out of Norfolk – A Dying Fall, where Ruth and Co travelled to Lancashire, didn’t quite convince me either. One of the attractions of this series is the Norfolk landscape – particularly Ruth’s remote cottage by the salt marshes – and the way Griffiths weaves in the history of the area, rather as Jim Kelly does with his journalist series.

That said, there are some dark glimpses of how past history impacts on life in modern Italian villages. And Griffiths is always strong when it comes to creating a spooky setting – if you favour rural Italy for your hols, you may end up looking over your shoulder a lot as you wander down narrow streets.

Griffiths has a relaxed way with her characterisation, and I always warm to Ruth, who isn’t the sort of clichéd female lead who survives on lettuce leaves and a six-mile run before breakfast. And I have a soft spot for her druid friend Cathbad who, in the wrong hands, could simply have been a figure of fun. Instead, he’s the sort of intuitive friend every free-thinking woman should have at their side!

The Dark Angel is a more than acceptable holiday read, but it feels a bit too much like treading water as Ruth and her entourage go on tour.

Ely Griffiths just gets better and better, Ruth is turning into a great character who you get to know more about with every page. Some great twists keep this novel going at a pace. A really good read

I have read all of Elly Griffiths’ books , they are all excellent. The latest one being the best so far, set in Italy for most of the book, this is a welcome change though all the usual twists and turns are still there with the invevitable twist at the end
Would highly recommend this book

This is book is number ten in the Dr Ruth Galloway series and it would have been very easy for them to become somewhat similar. This is absolutely not the case and each one has a brand new plot and provides new insights into the characters.

I have read all ten of them and have reviewed The Janus Stone (#2), Ruth's First Christmas Tree (#4.5 - a novella), Dying Fall (#5) and The Woman in Blue (#8). You can read my reviews of these super books by clicking on the title links.

Although Ruth Galloway is the main character in the books, all the other characters are well developed too. In fact, each of the books builds on what we already know of them. Despite the fact that the books are so character led it is still possible to read any of them as a standalone. Personally though, I have enjoyed watching this character development by reading them in order.

I also love the way that Ms. Griffiths describes Norfolk where the books are largely set. I have been to Norfolk a few times and her portrayal of the area really is spot on.

I am always delighted to read the next instalment in the Ruth Galloway series and this was no disappointment. We were given a bit more to chew on in terms of the relationship between Ruth and Nelson, although we are still waiting to see if things can ever be satisfactorily resolved for everyone. Kate is becoming a really vibrant character as well and it was nice to see her and Ruth in a different environment.

Ruth Galloway,a forensic archaeologist,goes to Italy at the request of a Italian colleague (and a former one-night stand). Bones have been found at an excavation that raise a lot of(historical)questions. While Ruth stays in a medieval village in the Lazio region,she is confronted with the strange behaviour of certain characters and of course,murder.
This is the 10th book in this series and as with all series,the quality is somewhat variable. The mystery of the Dark Angel feels like a frame story to the story of Ruth's relationship with the father of her daughter,a married D.I.,who's wife is pregnant but perhaps not by him(on/off,on/off, I want you,no,I don't....)Perhaps closure of this particularly relationship might be a good thing for both the characters and for the storyline.

The Dark Angel picks up immediately we left off in The Chalk Pit. I was very grateful I read them consecutively, since I think I would have lost touch with who's who otherwise.

The author gives Ruth the chance of a holiday in Italy, where the author's family originated. Except that there are deep dark secrets that are nothing to do with the mafia, and the place Ruth stays seems to draw her unwanted attention at strange hours of the night.

I wonder how much the appeal of the series is the Norfolk setting, and how much the strong characters. I enjoyed the change of scenery, but in some ways I felt the plot of this book seemed contrived (since of course Nelson has to get out there as well). Several further complications in Harry Nelson's convoluted life appear as a result of events in this and the last book.  

However, the story itself is tightly plotted as usual, the writing vivid and pacey, and my immediate reaction on finishing was 'gripping, heart-rending and inspirational'.

Where is it all going to end?  I start to think the story has nearly run its course, and Ruth should get out of the triangle, or quadrangle, or even quintangle she's found herself in. I wish that Harry would get out of Kate's life, just as his wife and Ruth probably do!

I can't wait for the next one... but I'm going to have to wait another year, at least!

This is the latest in the Ruth Galloway series of books by Elly Griffiths and for once this isn't predominantly set in Ruth's beloved Norfolk but in Italy! The change in scenery does change the novel in some ways because where we, the reader, are used to the windswept, lonely, brooding coastline of the east coast of England, we are suddenly transported to sunny, hot Italy and neither Kate, nor Nelson feel totally at home here. Whilst a holiday to Rome is a rest from the norm, I was glad when everyone returned home at the end of the story.

An old flame of Ruth's, Dr Angelo Morelli gets in touch and asks her to come over to his home to have a look at some bones that have been discovered on a site he has been filming at. Desperate for a much needed holiday for her and her daughter Kate, Ruth rapidly agrees to go, accompanied by her friend Shona and her son. It's not long after they arrive that Ruth suspects there is more going on in Castello degli Angeli than first met the eye, especially when the local priest is found murdered in his church and a freak earthquake soon has DCI Nelson and the faithful Cathbad boarding a plane to Italy.

Meanwhile, an ex-prisoner with a grudge against Nelson has been released and whilst Harry is away holidaying with his youngest daughter, his wife and daughter are experiencing their own troubles. Nelson clearly can't be in two places at once so who is going to protect Helen in her hour of need?

Obviously anyone who has followed the series throughout knows that there is an underlying story-line going on here with the relationship between Ruth and Nelson, and Michelle and Tim, and for some of us, this is more at the forefront of our minds when reading the story than with the actual crimes that are committed, and yes, I'll admit that it's that way for me - if this baby isn't Tim's I might just cry!!!!! If you haven't discovered this series of books yet, and you love crime fiction, then do try the Dr Ruth Galloway books because you might just fall in love with the characters like I have done.


Happy Reading


Miss Chapters x

Love, love, love Elly Griffiths and her fine cast of characters in the Ruth Galloway novels. Here the usual cast are transported out of their usual dreary Norfolk setting, and are sent to sunny Italy on a working holiday. The murder cases in this one are almost beside the point, being only tenuously linked to the main characters and mostly about what went on during the war. The best bits are the furtherance of the Ruth/Nelson/Michelle/Tim love square, and the dark dealings going on at home while our heroes are enjoying the sunshine.

I loved this book. I love the relationship between Ruth and Nelson. And in Dark Angel I enjoyed the change in setting. It's another reason I enjoy Griffiths' books, how great her settings are. You could feel the sticky heat and smell the warmth and lemons. The ending had me utterly gripped and unable to put the book down, which is what you want in a read. I already can't wait for the next installment. Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway books are one of my favourite series and this outing did not let me down.

This was my first Ruth Galloway novel. I'm definitely going back to the beginning of the series as the characters were deeply human and I'd love to get to know them better! The plot was dark and descriptive. The writing was florid and emotive. Definitely looking forward to reading more by Elly Griffiths.

Still reeling from the fact that the father of her child and sometime lover, DC Nelson, is about to be father again with his wife, Ruth Galloway is pleased to be offered the opportunity to go to Italy on the invite of a former lover/colleague Angelo. He is excavating in the Liri Valley and something odd has happened, his ancient grave contains an iPhone that is sending him texts! Whilst this is part pleasure and part business for Ruth, her hackles are raised by a series of unexplained events and then the death of the local priest, how are these linked to the war? Nelson meanwhile is annoyed that Ruth has taken their daughter Kate away and he follows Ruth to Italy. Back as home however Nelson's wife Michelle has a secret of her own and when a disgruntled former prisoner comes back on the scene there could be a problem.

Even preceding the plot of this book makes it sound both very complex and completely manic but it's not. Over time Griffiths has created a cast of characters that readers really care for and whilst the skeleton with an iPhone is just an easily explained prank, it forms a plot device to create a new environment for some characters to function beyond their norm. This is up with the best of Griffiths novels in that much of the action is underwritten and the character development is at the fore - I really liked a greater emphasis on Nelson's daughter Laura and her issues. This is a series of novels from a writer who knows what she is doing, and what she is doing is really good!

An excellent addition to the Elly Griffiths series. This time set in Italy, the action is just as atmospheric as the previous books. I missed Cathbad, though!

I love everything that Elly produces and Once again this didn’t disappoint. I like the relationships, the mysteries and the emotional fallout. Not just a murder mystery, not that there is anything wrong with that, it connects in a human way. I’m working my way through these out of order and still knowing what’s to come they entertain and intrigue. Great stuff.

Set mostly in Italy, in a small village on the hills just outside of Rome, THE DARK ANGEL is the tenth novel featuring Dr Ruth Galloway. Although I have still a few books to read in this series, I really enjoy it and this last book really kept me glued to the page. For once, I was thankful for my long commute to work because it gave me time to read and I went through this novel in two days.

Ruth Galloway needs a break from watching Harry Nelson, the father of her child and the married man she is love with, spending time with his pregnant wife, so when an Italian archaeologist, Angelo Morelli, asks her to go to Italy to look at a mysterious group of bones, Ruth happily accepts. She decides to turn it into a holiday and she brings her 6-year-old daughter, Kate, her best friend Shona and her son Louis. But, first someone leaves a warning on their door, and then there are other strange events that make Ruth suspect that not everyone in the small Italian village is happy about their arrival.

In the meantime, Harry Nelson has a lot going on in Norfolk. Although he looks happy about his wife’s pregnancy, it also means that his dream of forming a family with Ruth and Kate is over. Additionally, Mickey Webb, a man who threatened him after he put him in prison ten years earlier, is now out and, despite his claims of redemption, Nelson is not completely convinced.

What I like about the characters of this series is that their insecurities and their flaws make them more human and more likable. My favourite character is Cathcart who I find engaging and funny with his predictions and declarations. Ruth is a kick-ass forensic archaeologist, smart and determined, and she is one of my favourite female characters. I love reading about her relationship with Nelson. It is complicated, now more than ever: they love each other and have a daughter together who Nelson can’t recognize, and now his wife is pregnant. But is Nelson the father of the child? Sometimes, reading about their story it’s like watching a soap opera.

If the romantic side of the novel doesn’t have your attention, then you will love the atmospheric Italian setting with its rural villages, the good food and wine, and the culture and the history. Then, there is the suspenseful plot and the captivating writing, so in two words, a fantastic read.

In this, the tenth book in the Ruth Galloway series we are transported to the Italian hills outside Rome, where Ruth has been asked by her ex-fling and fellow archaeologist, Dr Angelo Morelli, to consult on some bones. Ruth, still rebounding from the events of the previous novel, The Chalk Pit, jumps at the chance to escape for a while.
However, as expected things are not all as they seem. The Dark Angel seems to confront tragedy in all its many forms and is a poignant read. I loved the fact that we see Ruth and Nelson, her daughter's father, outside their comfort zones. The change in setting made a nice change from the windswept Norfolk sand marshes, yet brought with it a different kind of malevolence and despite the oppressive heat murder on the doorstep of this old fashioned Italian village brought a chill to my bones.
One of the things I love most about reading a Ruth Galloway story, is the wealth of knowledge I acquire from my comfy armchair and The Dark Angel is no different. The poignancy of a declining Italian hillside village, deserted by its youth and still conscious of the aftermath of fascism in World War two, this is educational as well as enjoyable. With deft strokes, Griffiths paints the picture of a declining village whilst taking into account current events such as the Syrian refugees' plight. The characters are believable and the dual faceted plots playing out simultaneously in the UK and in Italy are fascinating. Cathbad gets plenty of airtime in this one which is always a bonus for me. By the end of the book, I was in tears ... so be warned - have the tissues handy. No spoilers though, so don't ask!