The Night Hawks

Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries 13

By: Elly Griffiths

Narrated by: Jane McDowell

'SET IN DIVINE NORTH NORFOLK. INTENSELY ATMOSPHERIC AND GREAT' India Knight

Dr Ruth Galloway returns to the moody and beautiful landscape of North Norfolk to confront another killer. A devastating new case for our favourite forensic archaeologist in this acclaimed and bestselling crime series.

The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, are searching for buried treasure when they find a body on the beach in North Norfolk. At first Nelson thinks that the dead man might be an asylum seeker but he turns out to be a local boy, Jem Taylor, recently released from prison. Ruth is more interested in the treasure, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons. Nelson at first thinks that Taylor's death is accidental drowning, but a second death suggests murder.

Nelson is called to an apparent murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. Nelson ignores this, even when the owner's suicide note includes the line, 'He's buried in the garden.' Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog.

All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn't scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm ...

(P)2021 Quercus Editions Limited©2021 Elly Griffiths

Critic reviews

Set in divine north Norfolk ... intensely atmospheric and great. I envy people who haven't come across them yet

Great summer listening

One of the best books in the Ruth Galloway series after a few middle of the road books from Elly Griffiths.

Enjoyably involving next stage in Ruth's life

Elly Griffiths manages, yet again, to weave a satisfyingly involving and complex tale around the life of Dr. Ruth Galloway. I fact, I enjoyed this book even more than the previous one because various candidates for "chief villain" took centre stage as the story unfolded and the uncertainty that that presents to the reader makes the journey hard to put aside for the mundane task of daily life. Jane Mc Dowell gives her usual superb performance as the storyteller.