UK Publishing Date: 2 Feb 2016. 368 pages.

By the time you get to the eighth book in a series it’s easy for it to start to feel a bit stale or hackneyed. That is never a problem with an Elly Griffiths book! I do thoroughly recommend starting this series at the beginning (The Crossing Places) though as you’ll get more out of the characters.

For those that are new to the series Ruth is a single mother to daughter Kate and an archaeologist working at the local University in Norfolk. After consulting with the police on an earlier case Ruth has a complicated relationship with D I Nelson. When she is approached out of the blue by a former archaeologist friend who has received threatening letters she feels obliged to help. Newly ordained as a priest Hilary seems to have attracted some unwanted attention. Not everyone is happy about the arrival of female clergy in the Church of England.

Alongside the religious thread of this story we have the brutal murder of a young actress who had been staying at a local rehab clinic. Are the stories connected or is this just a bizarre coincidence.

Set in Norfolk, this is a quintessentially English story with beautiful descriptions of the Norfolk countryside and the town of Walsingham. Famous for its medieval pilgrimages and church connections the descriptions of the buildings and the local area were so enticing that I ended up looking it up to see if they really existed. You can see many of the buildings for yourself here: http://www.walsingham.org.uk/

The Woman in Blue is an intriguing read with strong likeable characters and an assortment of quirky local characters. You don’t find many Druids called Cathbad in your usual contemporary murder mystery.

Supplied by Net Galley and Quercus in exchange for an honest review.

You can get a copy of the book here:The Woman In Blue: The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries 8 (Ruth Galloway 8)

Categories: 4 Stars Book Review

Tagged as: Crime drama Easter fiction Murder Norfolk Pilgrimage Walsingham Women Priests

angelnet69

Prolific reader, enthusiastic theatre and movie-goer and ex-Olivier Awards judge who spent twenty years working in the music industry in London. Sharing my house with a gorgeous cockapoo called Harry who has taken over completely.
I love sharing my favourite books with friends - nearly always spoiler-free as I hate reading a synopsis of the whole book in other reviews.

#BookAdvocatesUnite