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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
The mystery and the Bones-like Ruth character helped make this a quick read.
The way any character talks about appearances is upsetting. Lots of body shaming of all kinds. All the male characters are terribly sexist but I'm not sure the reader is meant to think that. The book feels really dated because of this.
The way any character talks about appearances is upsetting. Lots of body shaming of all kinds. All the male characters are terribly sexist but I'm not sure the reader is meant to think that. The book feels really dated because of this.
Okay, finally a mystery writer with a voice! Elly Griffiths develops real characters, and writes well! I don't feel like I need to wash my mind clean afterwards (not too much fixation with gore and salacious dead-body details). Also didn't feel like she wasted a lot of language on diversion tactics, red herrings and "the boring middles" as I like to call them. I like our hero, Ruth, I love the atmospherics of the saltmarsh setting, and I like the archeology backdrop. There are currently 15 books in this series, so I assume she'll continue to develop Ruth's character even more -- where she goes, who she becomes, who she loves, likes, hates, etc. Book 1 gives me hope for lovely winter fireside reading.
I've been sucked into Ruth Galloway and her world, consuming four of these mysteries already this month. These are not challenging reads but they are well informed and philosophical, and characters who seem like people you might actually meet in real life. (With the exception of Cathbad. I'm fairly sure I've never met anyone like him.)
One of my friends had recommended the “Ruth Galloway mysteries” to me and although I rarely read mysteries I tore through the first three of these! You know how when you read multiple books by one author they become somewhat predictable. That didn’t happen with these. Looking forward to reading the next!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Fatphobia
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity, Abortion
I came across this series while browsing shelves at a small bookstore and the premise intrigued me. A forensic archeologist, a decade old disappearance, a second child gone missing, etc.
When I was first starting the book, I loved the setting - a saltwater marshland, historic artifacts, etc.
There were two main things that bothered me while reading this book. There is an ongoing theme about the main character, Ruth, having a difficult relationship with her mother stemming from her mom badgering her about God. As a woman who grew up in religion, and am now sometimes agnostic and sometimes atheist (lol) I didn’t find anything particularly offensive. Other reviewers have, but I didn’t see any glaring issues. My issue was that the entire theme of religion seemed out of place. And the “links” to other parts of the story seemed forced and disjointed. The second main thing that bothered me was the theme of Ruth’s weight. At the very beginning of the book, she is getting ready for work and takes a shower. After getting out of the shower she talks about being so fat/overweight etc. It is a continuous comment and she goes on to say later in the book that men wouldn’t be attracted to her because of how fat she is. Her weight is mention in stones, so I converted it to our fancy US pounds and her weight is 175. The book never mentions her height, but if she is… over say 5’2” she isn’t fat. I dream of ever being close to 175. This also seemed like a weird theme and forced into numerous places within the book.
Now for the good part. While the pacing was a bit slow, I loved that every character in the book just seemed a little bit off. To the point that you guess the outcome, and you are sort of right, but then it still feels off, which is right! I always love when a book isn’t “solvable” by chapter 3. I liked that it was buttoned up for the most part at the end, and that while I guessed a few things, I definitely didn’t guess it all.
I have the rest of the series and am looking forward to diving in to the second book. I am hoping each book improves and that the weight and religion aren’t used as out of place themes going forward. On to book 2!
When I was first starting the book, I loved the setting - a saltwater marshland, historic artifacts, etc.
There were two main things that bothered me while reading this book. There is an ongoing theme about the main character, Ruth, having a difficult relationship with her mother stemming from her mom badgering her about God. As a woman who grew up in religion, and am now sometimes agnostic and sometimes atheist (lol) I didn’t find anything particularly offensive. Other reviewers have, but I didn’t see any glaring issues. My issue was that the entire theme of religion seemed out of place. And the “links” to other parts of the story seemed forced and disjointed. The second main thing that bothered me was the theme of Ruth’s weight. At the very beginning of the book, she is getting ready for work and takes a shower. After getting out of the shower she talks about being so fat/overweight etc. It is a continuous comment and she goes on to say later in the book that men wouldn’t be attracted to her because of how fat she is. Her weight is mention in stones, so I converted it to our fancy US pounds and her weight is 175. The book never mentions her height, but if she is… over say 5’2” she isn’t fat. I dream of ever being close to 175. This also seemed like a weird theme and forced into numerous places within the book.
Now for the good part. While the pacing was a bit slow, I loved that every character in the book just seemed a little bit off. To the point that you guess the outcome, and you are sort of right, but then it still feels off, which is right! I always love when a book isn’t “solvable” by chapter 3. I liked that it was buttoned up for the most part at the end, and that while I guessed a few things, I definitely didn’t guess it all.
I have the rest of the series and am looking forward to diving in to the second book. I am hoping each book improves and that the weight and religion aren’t used as out of place themes going forward. On to book 2!
This is such an enjoyable series.
Set in England, our intrepid Ruth is an archeologist, a bone specialist, who helps the police solve murders.
I find the two that I've read so far to be easy reads. There are holes of course as there are with any and every murder mystery series but they are holes I can live with. And it's not gory at all.
I would recommend reading them in order - I did not. I read a later one in this series first and it interfered with the reading of this one because when I was reading this first book, they were looking at a person as a suspect - and this person in the later book turned out to be a friend, so I knew they weren't guilty. Took away a bit from the suspense but that was OK.
I'll continue to read more in this series when I want a cozy read.
Set in England, our intrepid Ruth is an archeologist, a bone specialist, who helps the police solve murders.
I find the two that I've read so far to be easy reads. There are holes of course as there are with any and every murder mystery series but they are holes I can live with. And it's not gory at all.
I would recommend reading them in order - I did not. I read a later one in this series first and it interfered with the reading of this one because when I was reading this first book, they were looking at a person as a suspect - and this person in the later book turned out to be a friend, so I knew they weren't guilty. Took away a bit from the suspense but that was OK.
I'll continue to read more in this series when I want a cozy read.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Palasin lukupiirin vuoksi tähän dekkariin koko sarjan lukemisen jälkeen. Ei tämä toista lukukertaa tarvinnut, mutta pidin lukukokemuksesta edelleen. Oli kyllä aika herättävää lukea taas tuota dieettikulttuuria ja itseinhoa.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Fatphobia, Kidnapping
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated