1.56k reviews for:

The Crossing Places

Elly Griffiths

3.7 AVERAGE


Too much body-shaming and fatphobia, both internal and external to the FMC.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

" When you have children, suddenly the world seems such a terrifying place. You realize you'd do anything, anything, to keep them safe : steal, lie, kill, you name it. But sometimes there just isn't anything you can do. And that's the hardest thing. "

Ruth is an archeologist and lecturer at the University of North Norfolk. She loves her isolated cottage, books and her cat. Most of all though, she loves her job. When child's bones are discovered buried on the beach, she gets entangled with DCI Harry Nelson on a missing child's case. Between present-day and Iron Age rituals; sacrifice and coded letters; more than one secret will be revealed.

I was looking for an atmospheric thriller and this one definitely caught my attention.

Perfect for a good evening read on a rainy weekend. The setting; these desolated, cold and windy marshlands make a great environment for an archeology themed thriller.

I loved Ruth for her self-sufficiency, intelligence and hard-working attitude. Although I don't condone what they do, Nelson and Ruth relationship's has a undeniable chemistry.

My only complain would be regarding the fat comments. Ruth clearly states that she doesn't want to change her appearance, but the author repeatedly hammers on us how much she weights and make Ruth compare herself to thinner characters.

So far I finished the third's book of the series and clearly not disappointed. Archeology is a twit to my thriller I didn't know I needed.

Recommended for anyone who wants a change in the setting; something less busy where life and death have a pace of their own.

Love it when I find a new mystery series that keeps me turning pages.

The characters are flawed, but still likable. The unusual verb tense gives the story immediacy, but the plot is not rushed. Atmospheric setting that becomes a character- both a hero and a villain, companion and nemesis.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Well written but not for me. I didn't particularly like any of the characters (even the ones we were supposed to) and guessed what had happened fairly early on - I think detective stories and their twists have got a lot cleverer since this was written and published and I'm more used to modern ones

mkhaupt's review

1.0
dark fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The murderer was obvious from page 50. The fatphobia was very off-putting. I don’t love the infidelity subplot. 
dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated