Monday, January 31, 2011

The Crossing Places/The Janus Stones

Ruth Galloway is a forensic archeologist who lives on the saltmarsh in a desolate area of Norfolk in England. A prickly loner, she enjoys her quiet life by the marshland away from other people's personalities and expectations. The marsh was very important to early settlers of the area and so yields many archeological discoveries. In the first book Ruth is asked by Detective Nelson to consult on the bones of a child which he believes may be those of a child missing for the past ten years. Ruth determines the bones are over 2, 000 years old, so when another child goes missing, he asks Ruth for her help.
In the second book, he asks for her help in investigating the disappearance of two children from a Catholic orphanage in 1973. At a construction site, a headless skull is found beneath a doorway and Ruth is asked to determine if they are recent. Could it be one of the missing children?
You will enjoy the characters in this series. Ruth is a smart and quirky woman who does not mind being thought of as eccentric. She also has very eccentric friends including one who labels himself a druid. She and the married Detective Nelson have a great regard and affection for each other. Both books contain archeological and historical facts to entertain you and the mysteries will keep you turning the pages.
Author Elly Griffiths' husband gave up a city job and became an archeologist. Her aunt lives on the coast of Norfolk. This is where she gets her inspiration.

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