Monday, March 03, 2014

The Year in Books - March

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/elly+griffiths/the+outcast+dead/10025443/

In March I'm reading The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths, the sixth book in her crime series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson.  I started reading this at the weekend and as always I'm straight into the story and don't want to put the book down.  I love the characters of Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson, not to mention Flint, Ruth's cat, daughter Kate and Druid friend Cathbad and the descriptions of the lonely salt marsh where Ruth's cottage is situated.  This book is set around an archaeological dig in the grounds of Norwich Castle and already I'm intrigued by the story and it's link back to an earlier book.  Along with Stephen Booth, Ann Cleeves and Susan Hill with her Simon Serailler novels,  Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite modern crime writers at the moment.

I enjoyed reading February's book Summer in February so much so that I've downloaded it onto my Kindle to read again later this year as the book I read had to go back to the library.  Other books I read in February are, as usual, on my sidebar.  

Linking with The Year in Books at Laura's  A Circle of Pine Trees blog

31 comments:

  1. I have my fingers crossed that the library van will bring this new Elly Griffiths for me next time it comes. They seem to take longer to get new books than in the past.

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    1. I do hope you get the book from your mobile library to read very soon, I've nearly finished reading it and have been captivated all through. I had to wait about 5 weeks for the book to be available from our local library as there was quite a queue:)

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  2. Sounds like my kind of book I haven't come across this author before.

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    1. I've loved Elly Griffiths's books since the first one and I would recommend reading the first and following them chronologically as although they stand alone as each book the relationships between the main characters develop over the six books so well:)

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  3. I can't wait to read this one, it's one of my favourite series.

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  4. Might give this book a go - like the sound of it. Just started 'Perfect' by Rachel Joyce (who wrote The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry) - it was £2.99 with The Telegraph. Have just got tickets for a play you mentioned - the August Bank Holiday Lark for May in Oxford. Abby x

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    1. Hope you enjoy the play, Abby! I've just read a review from their next venue in Lancashire which said it was the best play they had ever seen! It was very good:)

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  5. I like the sound of The Outcast Dead and any book with a cat in it is good! I have never heard of Elly Griffiths and will have to seek her out. x

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    1. I love the cat! Elly Griffiths has created some wonderful characters in her novels - each book stands alone but if you read from the first novel you follow the development of the relationships between the characters:)

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  6. I'm not a crime novel fan but I have to say this does sound intriguing and look forward to hearing more about it. Happy reading.
    Patricia x

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    1. The Elly Griffiths books are so much more than just crime novels. Ruth's work and the archaeological details are intriguing and the characters and their relationships are fascinating too as they build over the six books:)












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  7. I must admit I don't read crime novels, although I sometimes try a historical crime novel for the history (rather than the crime aspect). I always like to know about good ones, though, so I can suggest them to others who love them!

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    1. I like historical crime novels too, Wendy I've been reading Imogen Robertson's books recently and enjoying those also the Maisie Dobbs novels set in the WW1, 1920s and 30s are so well written by Jaqueline Winspear:)

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  8. I still haven't seen Summer in February, nor read the book - a big omission as we live not far from the Munnings Museum and must visit this Spring! Thank you for the reminder.

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    1. The museum sounds wonderful, Marianne I do hope you get to visit. The book is really good and I enjoyed reading it. I haven't seen the film yet - we missed it at the cinema last year so I may buy the DVD:)

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  9. I've never read much "Crime" - I should start xxx

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    1. You might like the Maisie Dobbs novels written by Jacqueline Winspear as they are set in the 20s and 30s or Stephen Booth whose modern day police novels are set in fictional Edendale which is in the Peak District - I love reading them as I know most of the settings he uses:)

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  10. I'm really enjoying it it Sue and glad Cathbad is still included I have about three chapters left to read and want to know the outcome but don't want it to end. I've read most of the Vera Stanhope novels but haven't tried the Shetland ones yet:)

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  11. Hello - I've read a few books by this writer (passed on to me by my mother-in-law)... I don't usually read crime/mystery-type books other than Agatha Christie, but have enjoyed these.
    That's the good thing about recommendations: they get you trying new genres and authors, don't they?
    Sarah.

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    1. Hello Sarah, they are good bookes aren't they? There is so much more to them than just the crimes. I love how the development of the relationships between the characters evolves through each book and of course the descriptions of the countryside and salt marshes on the coast. I also like the fact that I know most of the places Elly Griffiths uses in her books from when we used to live in the east of England so that helps too:)

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  12. I've just added The Outcast Dead to my Amazon wishlist as per a recommendation from another blogger - although I think I need to read the earlier Ruth Galloway books first. Hopefully I'll get to read them and not let them just stay on a wishlist!

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    1. The books do stand alone as good stories but if you read from the first one you get more involved in the lives of the main characters and the way their relationships develop over the six books. I always find the mixture of history and crime so interesting and I like the characters of Ruth Galloway and Harry Nelson:)

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  13. I have not come across this author yet but will have a week look on Audible to see if some of the books in the series are available as audio. For some unknown reason I like to listen to crime fiction more than to read it. Thank you for the recommendation. Cx

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    1. I know what you mean about listening to crime fiction - usually in the car on long journeys - especially if the narrator is good. The books all stand alone but if you read them in order you can appreciate the growing relationships between the main characters. I hope you enjoy listening:)

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  14. Are they all set in Norfolk? I think I might enjoy those - but I'd like to start earlier in the series, not book six!

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    1. The are all set in and around Kings Lynn and the coast beyond - just one book strays to the North West for a time. Do start at the first one if you can as the relationships between the main characters build and strengthen with each book and you get to know them. The books all have a history/archaeology element to them. I always thoroughly enjoy reading each book:)

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    2. Just bought The Crossing Places. I lived in Kings Lynn for a couple of years so I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into it. Thanks for the recommendation.

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    3. Hope you enjoy reading The Crossing Places. We lived not far from Kings Lynn when we lived in Spalding - we used to visit there occasionally, there are some wonderful historic buildings there:)

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  15. Unputdownable books are the best!

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    1. That's very true, Laura and this one was unputdownable:)

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