Book Note--THE LAST REMAINS by Elly Griffiths

 

Griffiths, Elly THE LAST REMAINS

 The author’s name was unfamiliar to me, but discovered she has written a Ruth Galloway series that is now up to 14 books. This is 15 and is right up to date with a Covid sub-plot. I also was informed that this was the final book in series and was tieing up a lot of loose ends from the earlier books. It might be pleasant to take a peek at some of them.

 

The book is set in Norfolk. Her heroine is Dr. Ruth Galloway, an archaeologist and teacher, at a state “Redbrick” university.  Her department is being closed down and her favorite squeeze is a homicide detective named Nelson.

 

A skeleton is discovered in a bricked-up space during the renovation of an old building and she is called in to help identify the remains. It turns out that the bones are fairly modern and there is evidence of fowl play. This brings the police into the picture. The remains are identified as a young archaeological student who disappeared some twenty years ago and the remainder of the book chronicles the complicated relationships that tie all the characters together.

 

There is a lot of talk of ancient idols, old Norfolk legends, and trips to an ancient mine. A pleasant read.  I give it a 3.5