Reading | Week 25 in 2021

Summer reading is the best, isn’t it? I don’t know what reading three Elly Griffiths book in a week says about me, but I’m here for it. I’ve decided that this will be the summer that I will read exactly what I want, without worrying about a thing!

The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
“The landscape itself is important. This is a liminal zone, between land and water, sea and sky.”

This might be my favorite Ruth Galloway yet! Ruth’s archeological crew finds a body on the saltmarsh that turns out to be a young girl who went missing on the day of Charles and Diana’s wedding in the early 80s. The discovery of her body reopens the cold case and brings to light creepy letters that DCI Nelson had been receiving that were similar to the first mystery Nelson and Ruth worked on together.

I adore Ruth’s slightly rundown cottage by the sea – the hope of a glimpse of it might be the main reason why I read these books! (slight exaggeration.) Griffiths has done an amazing job fleshing out these characters and making them feel like my friends. I am so intrigued by Ruth and Nelson’s relationship!

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths
“Don’t clever people read crime novels?’ asks Edwin, making a list of murder mysteries in his head, starting with Macbeth and including Dickens, Dostoevsky, Charlotte Brontë and Wilkie Collins. He’s a particular fan of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.”

This is the second book in the Harbinder Kaur series. Harbinder is a 30-something detective who lives with her parents above the store they own. They are Sikh and have all of those stereotypical expectations for Harbinder and don’t know that she’s secretly gay. Her familial relationships play into this series really well and I enjoy her interactions with them.

This mystery was a really clever and bookish one. Peggy Smith, a woman living in an assisted living home (called sheltered living in the UK, apparently), suddenly dies. A business card with her name and Murder Consultant is found among her things. One of the carers who worked with Peggy is immediately suspicious and approaches the police, which brings Harbinder onto the case and three unlikely friends together. Soon, someone is murdering writers who have acknowledged Peggy in their books. What are they trying to hide? Who was Peggy? And what is a murder consultant??

This book is described as a modern day Miss Marple and perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz – and I totally agree. Elly Griffiths is in very good company with this one!

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

Earlier I said that The Stone Circle was the best Ruth Galloway yet… and The Lantern Men was an even better follow-up! This one was distinctly creepy with a certain Hannibal Lecter-esque feeling. It centers around a group of artists who run a retreat center. One of the men is arrested and convicted of murdering two young girls and Nelson is certain he’s responsible for the death of more. As always, Ruth is twisted up in this investigation in the strangest ways and is crucial to uncovering the truth.

I don’t want to say much about Ruth’s personal life in this blurb because I know some of my blogging friends haven’t made it to this book yet… but, there are BIG changes that surprised me from start to finish. There’s one more published book after this and I’m a little nervous that it will be the last… what will I do without Ruth??

The Cloud Kingdom by Katrina Charman

We finished another book in this series this week. Now that Thorn has been defeated, Sky and Tag are on a mission to help Blaze find her family. They visit the Cloud Kingdom and are helped along by Fifi, a cute cloudling. But then, something goes wrong and someone kidnaps Blaze! The book ends with yet another cliffhanger, so to the library we will go!

I’ve said it before – but this a very fun series. It’s beautifully illustrated, which keeps everyone interested and engaged. And of course, these three characters have formed a wonderful little family and teach us how to care for each other.

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It feels good to be reading again! AND – I knitted a little last night for the first time in months, so maybe next week I can join the Unraveled link up? If I get past the cuff on the second sleeve of my second Spark cardigan, then I’ll definitely share a picture!

I hope these next couple days treat you well. I’m planning to be back on Friday with a few joyful things – take care!