The Ghost Fields

Are the books in this series really getting better and better, or am I just becoming a Ruth Galloway fan? Whatever the reason I enjoyed this book enormously, and that is despite the fact that I am usually not keen on books written in the present tense. <br /><br />It is always good to catch up with Ruth and Nelson and the rest of the crew. There are some shocks in this book about relationships, and a couple of characters I never really liked much anyway are in the doghouse now as far as I am concerned. If anything bad should happen to them in future books I will not be unhappy.<br /><br />The mystery revolves around a body found in a crashed WW2 plane and a local family. Ruth does a small amount of forensic work, some university lecturing and quite a lot of filming for another TV documentary. There are a few gruesome moments and a lot of problems with the weather. All very exciting.<br /><br />There is a low key, cliff hanger ending relationship wise. I have to get to the next book asap. Yes I know - I am definitely a fan.

EXCERPT: '...Is this it?'<br /><br />Her question is superfluous. Three quarters of a wing and half a cockpit lie exposed at the bottom of the shallow pit. <br /><br />'American,' says Nelson. 'I can tell by the markings.'<br /><br />Ruth shoots him a look. She thinks that Nelson would have been just the sort of boy to collect models of second world war fighter planes. <br /><br />'There was an American airbase near here,' says one of the other men. 'At Lockwell Heath.' Ruth recognizes him as Edward Spens, a local property developer whom she encountered on an earlier case. Spens is tall and good looking; his air of authority is only slightly dented by the fact that he is wearing tennis clothes. The third man, dressed in jeans and a filthy football top, stands slightly aside as if to imply that none of this is his fault. Ruth guesses that he must be the digger driver. <br /><br />She looks at the exposed soil. It has a faintly blue tinge. She kneels down and scoops some earth in her hand, giving it a surreptitious sniff. <br /><br />'What are you doing?' asks Phil. Clearly he's terrified that she's going to embarrass him. <br /><br />'Fuel,' she says. 'Can't you smell it? And look at the blue marks on the soil. That's corroded aluminium. Did you have any idea that this plane was here?'<br /><br />It is Edward Spens who answers. 'Some children found some engine parts in the field long ago, I believe. But no one had any idea that this was buried here, almost intact.'<br /><br />Ruth looks at the cockpit. Although dented and corroded it looks remarkably undamaged, lying almost horizontally at the foot of the crater. She's no geometry expert but wouldn't you expect the prow of a crashed plane to be at a steeper angle?<br /><br />'Where's the body?' she asked. <br /><br />ABOUT 'THE GHOST FIELDS': Norfolk is suffering from record summer heat when a construction crew unearths a macabre discovery—a downed World War II plane with the pilot still inside. Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway quickly realizes that the skeleton couldn’t possibly be the pilot, and DNA tests identify the man as Fred Blackstock, a local aristocrat who had been reported dead at sea. When the remaining members of the Blackstock family learn about the discovery, they seem strangely frightened by the news.<br /><br />Events are further complicated by a TV company that wants to make a film about Norfolk’s deserted air force bases, the so-called Ghost Fields, which have been partially converted into a pig farm run by one of the younger Blackstocks. As production begins, Ruth notices a mysterious man lurking on the outskirts of Fred Blackstock’s memorial service. Then human bones are found on the family’s pig farm. Can the team outrace a looming flood to find a killer?<br /><br />MY THOUGHTS: I love this series and have become very invested in Ruth's life, with and without Nelson, father of her five year old daughter, Katie. One of the things I love most about Ruth is how realistically Elly Griffiths has chosen to portray her. While she is confident and assured in her professional life, she is anything but in her personal life. She fantasises about being married to Nelson but, in reality, she knows that she would kill him within days. To begin with, Nelson obssesses over Katie and how he thinks she should be brought up, leaving Ruth with the feeling that he thinks she's an inadequate mother. She is much older than the other mothers of Katie's contemporaries, and doesn't relate to their lifestyles. She's not a slim, trim, Lululemon mummy. She thinks wicked thoughts about people, things she would like to say, but doesn't dare. I can totally relate to her. <br /><br />There is a very complicated family by the name of Blackstock featured in The Ghost Fields. Landed gentry living in a crumbling pile with very little money but a lot of local clout. They come with a good deal of infidelity, illegitimate children, greed, avarice and a certain amount of insanity. There is a family tree at the beginning of the book to help. <br /><br />Of course the body in the plane is not going to be straightforward. It would seem that the body has been moved there recently from elsewhere. But why? And from where? <br /><br />This is an excellent mystery set against the ongoing relationship between Ruth and Nelson, and their friendship with Druid Cathbad, and his wife Judy, a policewoman who works closely with Nelson, and who is heavily pregnant with her second child. The American, Frank, makes another appearance. And there are goings on in the background of Nelson's life of which he is totally unaware. <br /><br />May 2023 I am currently reading this series in the correct order from beginning to end and enjoying it even more this time around. Accordingly I am upgrading my rating from ⭐⭐⭐⭐.4 to ⭐⭐⭐⭐.6<br /><br />THE AUTHOR: Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly's husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton. <br /><br />DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of The Ghost Fields written by Elly Griffiths, narrated by Clare Corbett and published by Quercus via Overdrive. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. <br /><br />For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com <br /><br />This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/2020/12/21/the-ghost-fields-ruth-galloway-7-by-elly-griffiths/">https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...</a>

<br />It’s the rare mystery author that can combine a good mystery with engaging characters, a quirky sense of humor and a bit of education thrown in. But Griffiths does it easily. Ruth is just a wonderful heroine and I adore her sense of humor. With a possible large discovery of a Bronze Age burial site, the university undertakes a DNA study. When Cathbad announces he is taking part because he's sure he has ancient druidical blood, Ruth tells him she’s not sure they have a section called Mad Druid. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Nelson is investigating the murder of a WWII tail gunner, discovered in the cockpit of a buried plane. It’s soon determined that the dead man is Fred Blackstock, a local aristocrat who supposedly died in a plane crash at sea. <br /><br />As always, the characters feel like friends. In fact, when one of them suffers an attack, I felt a real sense of concern. The personal stories take precedence over the murder inquiry in this book, which was fine by me. <br /><br />I’m so glad I have discovered this series and can only hope Griffiths continues to write these books for a long, long time. <br /><br />

In the seventh series Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson and Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist, are notified that a digger has unearthed an old plane from the Second World War II with a dead pilot inside. Galloway immediately determines the dead body did not die in the crash but had recently been placed inside and killed by a bullet through the head. The Ghost Fields is not only a crime novel, but an intricate story evolving around the main characters keeping the reader well entertained. This was an easy light read, with witty dialogue throughout, and is definitely a winner.

Despite the strange present tense (it never bothered me until this entry— but it’s true that the tense can be disarming), I enjoyed both the mystery, which included several generations of victims in one prominent landholding family, and the personal tensions in Ruth’s private life. <br /><br />Lots of characters to keep track of and lots of victims— some just attacked and others killed. Almost an embarrassing amount of related victims. <br /><br />But never fear, the Norfolk detectives, aided by my favorite archeology professor, solve all amidst a cataclysmic flooding event. Even Cathbad makes a few appearances but it’s Judy and Clough who are featured in secondary threads.<br /><br />One thing I’ve noticed— water and the sea are a constant in this part of England and in the Galloway series. I think I’m going to add Norfolk to my British bucket list of sites to see. <br /><br />On to the next mystery.

<i>A buried WWII plane is found with its pilot still in the cockpit. But Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway soon discover that the man in the plane has been placed there. Who was he and why was he placed inside the plane?</i><br /><br />The Ghosts Fields are the seventh book in the Ruth Galloway series and I have read them all so I was quite happy when I was approved from this book over on NetGalley. Actually, I wasn't supposed to read this book now, but I let it get ahead in the queue since I really wanted to read a crime novel and also wanted to read a book with familiar characters.<br /><br />This book picks up two years after the last book and Ruth daughter Kate now five years old and is starting school. Nelson, Kate's father Nelson is still married to Michelle, but he is as usual quite possessive of both Ruth and Kate. Which in my opinion he has no right to be since he chose to stay with Michelle. This case will bring them together again as they try to find out how the man came to be inside the plane and why after Ruth discover that the man has been dead for years but have been buried somewhere else. Also, when an heiress is attacked it seems that there is someone out there still out for blood...<br /><br />It felt nice to return to Ruth Galloway world and I was pleased that she has stopped (well not completely) obsessing about her weight. Her "relationship" with Nelson isn't the easiest. Having a child with a married cop isn't easy especially since she hasn't really moved on even though she tries.<br /><br />I like cold cases and this case with links to a prominent family turned out to be quite interesting and there is a part in this book what made me think of a special scene from the book /movie/TV-series Hannibal though less gruesome...<br /><br />All and all a good read and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series when it comes out!<br /><br /><i>I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review!</i>

Two years on from Ruth's appearance on TV and with a book under her belt she is singlehandedly going some way towards "putting the University of North Norfolk on the map", less for its archaeological connections and more for the rising crime rates one suspects! In this seventh outing featuring the forensic archaeologist, Dr Ruth Galloway, once again Elly Griffiths has made great use of Norfolk's historical connections to deliver a hugely satisfying puzzle to unravel. Followers of this series will know that wherever DCI Harry Nelson and Dr Ruth Galloway are involved, archaeology can often dig up many more questions than it answers and that is once again the case here all topped off with a side serving of personal drama along the way. <br /><br />The Ghost Fields is a brilliantly plotted affair which hinges on the the eminent Blackstock family and their ancestral connections to the Norfolk landscape. Beginning in July 2013, Norfolk building magnate Edward Spens is capitalising on his plot of newly acquired land and pressing ahead with a development of beachfront apartments, much to the chagrin of local environmental opposition. When the digger strikes metal and reveals the cockpit of a military plane housing a dead pilot, DCI Harry Nelson of the North Norfolk Constabulary is called to the site accompanied by Dr Ruth Galloway, who is seconded to the Serious Crimes Unit alongside her university career. When Ruth reveals that the pilots demise was clearly not accidental, as evinced by the bullet wound through the centre of his forehead, work at the site is halted for a full excavation. With inconsistencies surrounding the preservation of the remains there are suggestions that this find could have been deliberately planted to head off development plans. Dogmatic DCI Harry Nelson's interest in what he considers to be a cold case is limited until he receives the results which prove that the body is none other than part of the well-known family who sold the land to Spens, namely the Blackstock clan.<br /><br />Frederick J. Blackstock left his Norfolk home in 1938 and travelled to America in search of a better life, only to enlist in the American Armed Forces and be billeted to an airbase a stone's throw from his former home. One of three brothers, the youngest of whom is still holding court at Blackstock Hall, Fred was believed to have been shot down at sea and was declared dead... That the family are a mysterious bunch adds to the suspicions and as Ruth uncovers signs of a recent activity in the pet cemetery behind the house, and human remains at the pig farm the family own, working out just what the once eminent Blackstock family have been hiding becomes tougher by the day.. Further upheaval is brought with the appearance of an American TV crew of which Frank Barker numbers, who see as ideal angle for a melodramatic wartime tale of a Norfolk boy returning home and reuniting the American contingent of the Blackstock clan who discover that England is not quite so "temperate" or cosy! It seems foolhardy to raise questions surrounding plot plausibility in this wonderful series, which by and can be overlooked and do not hinder another sublime instalment.<br /><br />Griffiths' delivers a story which evokes memories of the atrocities of the Second World War and the abandoned airfields which are lain to waste in the aftermath, representing unsettling reminders of the lives that were lost. That the story centres on the family that still reside at Blackstock Hall adds a poignancy to the whole affair with the imposing homestead now reduced to a crumbling ruin providing a suitably atmospheric backdrop. The reality behind "the ghost fields" name is brought home in a fittingly moving tribute. <br /><br />Unfortunately, the prophesying druid, Cathbad, takes a backseat in proceedings and his absence meant a lack of the spiritual charm that he brings to Elly Griffith's tales. The flipside though is the chance to see some of the ensemble cast taking more shape; notably Cloughie is furnished with real depth. This all shows that the series is becoming much more than just the Ruth and Nelson circus and bodes well for longevity. I am withholding judgement on DS Tim Heathfield, who stills feels somewhat like a square peg in a round hole and epitomises the definition of wooden. I will admit to developing itchy feet as regards the momentum in the Nelson and Ruth chemistry, craving some signs of life after so much treading water and I think Griffiths navigated this hurdle exceptionally well, setting the next instalment up as a potential make or break climax.<br /><br />The witty first-person narrative is fuelled by effortless humour, often meaning readers feel they are sharing a joke with Griffiths and poking fun at her characters traits and her trademark dry observation is the key. Knowing these characters and their quirks brings a familiarity and the sense that Griffiths is allowing us to share a private joke, whether it be at Phil's failure to comprehend irony or Clough's brush with aristocracy! Griffiths is a born storyteller and a consummate professional when it comes to combining her well crafted characters with an engaging plot. Whilst each of her novels does work as a standalone, it does it a disservice to read without prior knowledge. This is a series best served by reading in order, as the continuing storylines are an essential element of the pleasure! Marvellous.

I do love to start the New Year with a murder mystery, especially one in a favourite series. Ruth Galloway never disappoints. Or is that Elly Griffiths?<br /><br />Time has passed since the last book. Katie is five and starting preschool. Ruth has told her it's okay to call Nelson Daddy. Nelson’s wife, Michelle, has apparently decided that what's sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose and she's flirting hard with a younger guy. Judy is heavily pregnant with Cathbad's child. Cathbad is still in the Druid business, but he seems like a pretty good dad and uncle despite that, although he seems to slipping in the prophecy department. Clough is just Clough, eating pies, drinking beer, and playing football. Frank, the American TV presenter is back, wanting to return to Ruth's good graces. She likes him, but how much? Does she want a permanent relationship? <br /><br />Ruth gets the call when a WWII plane is found with a pilot in the cockpit. But the pilot is known to have bailed before the crash and this body shows signs of being buried elsewhere and posed dramatically just to be discovered. Who is he, why does he have a bullet hole in his forehead, and who is running around creating tableaux with corpses? Can Ruth figure any of this out? <br /><br />Between a convoluted personal life and a twisty case of maybe-murder, there's a lot of ground to cover. I find these books to be compulsively readable. My only regret is that I will now have to control myself for a while instead of immediately grabbing book eight. I truly do want this series to last!<br /><br />

Loved it.

The Ruth Galloway series continues to be one of my favorites. It has what I want and require from a mystery series: an intelligent and sympathetic protagonist; a mixture of mystery and "other", in this case archeology, a personal favorite interest; interesting and developed characters and relationships as well as relationships that grow over time; and of course a mystery that I want answered. Being a long-time Anglophile, the English setting doesn't hurt either!<br /><br />In this episode, during the clearing of a field in preparation for development, a World War Two era plane is discovered. That in itself is not hugely surprising given how many planes flew out of Britain during the war. The surprise is the body in the cockpit. For further details about the body, I refer you to the book, but I also suggest you begin with the first book in the series, <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/5680149.The_Crossing_Places__Ruth_Galloway___1_" title="The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway, #1) by Elly Griffiths" rel="noopener">The Crossing Places</a>