Audiobook Review: The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

The Night Hawks
Author: Elly Griffiths
Narrator: Jane McDowell
Series: Ruth Galloway (Book 13)
Publication: Recorded Books (June 29, 2021)
Length: 9 hours and 21 minutes

Description There's nothing Ruth Galloway hates more than amateur archaeologists, but when a group of them stumble upon Bronze Age artifacts alongside a dead body, she finds herself thrust into their midst - and into the crosshairs of a string of murders circling ever closer.

Ruth is back as head of archaeology at the University of North Norfolk when a group of local metal detectorists - the so-called Night Hawks - uncovers Bronze Age artifacts on the beach, alongside a recently deceased body, just washed ashore. Not long after, the same detectorists uncover a murder-suicide - a scientist and his wife found at their farmhouse, long thought to be haunted by the Black Shuck, a humongous black dog, a harbinger of death. The further DCI Nelson probes into both cases, the more intertwined they become, and the closer they circle to David Brown, the new lecturer Ruth has recently hired, who seems always to turn up wherever Ruth goes.

My Thoughts: The 13th Ruth Galloway mystery finds Ruth back at the University of North Norfolk, this time as the head of the department. She is called to the scene when a group of amateur archaeologists complete with metal detectors find a cache on Bronze Age artifacts and a body on the beach. A much more recently deceased man's body is also found nearby which bring DCI Nelson into the case too. 

Then a presumed murder-suicide occurs when a scientist and his wife are discovered in their isolated farmhouse which comes complete with the legend of the Black Shuck - a spectral dog who appears to give death warnings to those traveling in the area. 

Ruth is busy dealing with her new responsibilities and a new lecturer David Brown who seems eager to tell Ruth how to do her job and who keeps showing up whenever Ruth is called in by Nelson. Ruth is also dealing emotionally with the remarriage of her 80+ year old father and with her own complicated relationship with Nelson. Nelson himself is dealing with his relationships with Ruth and his wife and is facing pressures at work to retire. 

This was another engaging episode of this series which nicely combines archaeology with murder and is filled with complex characters facing complex problems. Jane McDowell does a great job narrating the series. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.