Clearly,
a book that was published last year does not really qualify for FFB. Yet, I
have been doing this series as reviews for FFB since I started back in December
of 2015. Therefore, I am doing it again this week with The Chalk Pit: A Ruth Galloway Mystery by Elly Griffiths. Make sure
you check out the full list of reading suggestions over at Todd Mason's blog.
As The Chalk Pit: A Ruth Galloway Mystery
begins, Forensic Archeologist Ruth Galloway is beneath the surface of the
ground and not happy about it. She is in one of the many tunnels that are
passageways below Norwhich. She does not like small spaces as it is and being
underground with the reality of all that soil above her pressing down is making
it very hard to cope. The fact that she is down there with Ted is not any help
at all even if he is a good guy she has known for years. What brought them underground
was the recent discovery of bones in a dirt core sample from a boring machine.
Plans for an underground restaurant below The Guildhall are on hold after the
police and Ruth were notified of the bones.
As they work in the tunnel that was
probably part an old chalk mine, it is clear the bones left behind by the
removal of the dirt core are also human and may or may not come from the same
skeleton. The tunnel bones are leg bones, an arm bone, and what are probably
rib bones. Missing is the skull and any pelvic bones among others which means
that identifying the gender is going to be very difficult. The bones also are
very clean and have a dull shine to them. While Ted thinks they are medieval,
Ruth is not sure.
At the same time as Ruth and Ted are
beneath the surface of the ground, DCI Nelson is very much above ground and rather
annoyed over various issues. Part of the problem is that he is forced to deal
with a new and micromanaging boss who would prefer him chained to a desk and doing
paperwork while he would much rather be out working cases. Cases such as the
current issue with missing homeless people. Various homeless women are
disappearing and there are rumors that they have gone underground.
Did they go underground on their own or
have they been abducted in some way and forced underground? No one seems to
know. What is clear is that it seems that a number of homeless people, shunned
by those on the surface, may have taken refuge underground in the numerous
tunnels and shafts under the area. If so, the question is where did they go?
And are the recent murders of other homeless
people connected in some way?
These two storylines as well as some
secondary ongoing plot lines drive several mysteries in The Chalk Pit: A Ruth Galloway
Mystery. A series that continues to push the characters in new
directions and circumstances. That ongoing character evolution is one of the
enjoyable aspects of this series. That angle is present here along with plenty
of informative history and social commentary.
The Chalk Pit: A Ruth Galloway Mystery is another very good read in the
series that began with The Crossing Places.
For another opinion on the book, make sure you read Jeanne’s
review at the Bookblog
of the Bristol Library.
The
books, in order, and my reviews:
The Crossing Places (Reviewed
12/26/15)
The Janus Stone (Reviewed
11/18/2016)
The House at Sea’s
End (Reviewed 12/2/2016)
A Room Full of
Bones (Reviewed 12/30/2016)
A Dying Fall (Reviewed
2/10/2017)
The Outcast Dead (Reviewed 4/21/17)
The
Ghost Fields (Reviewed 7/14/17)
The Chalk Pit: A Ruth Galloway Mystery
Elly Griffiths
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
May 2017
ISBN# 978-0-544-75031-9
Hardback (currently available in eBook
and audio formats as well)
368 Pages
$27.00
Material supplied by
the good folks of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018
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2 comments:
Well-written review, as always.
Thank you. I am having a very hard time writing any review these days...still...so I very much appreciate this. Thank you.
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