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    The Dark Angel
    The Dark Angel
    The Dark Angel
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Dark Angel

    Written by Elly Griffiths

    Narrated by Jane McDowell

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    It's not every day that you're summoned to the Italian countryside on business, so when archaeologist Angelo Morelli asks for Ruth Galloway's help identifying bones found in the tiny hilltop town of Fontana Liri, she jumps at the chance to go, bringing her daughter along with her for a working vacation. Upon arriving, she begins to hear murmurs of Fontana Liri's strong resistance movement during World War II and senses the townspeople are dancing around a deeply buried secret. But how could that be connected to the ancient remains she's been studying? Ruth is just beginning to get her footing in the dig when she's thrown off-guard by the appearance of DCI Nelson. And when Ruth's findings lead them to a modern-day murder, their holidays are both turned upside down, and they race to find out what darkness is lurking in this seemingly picturesque town.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 15, 2018
    ISBN9781501994692
    The Dark Angel
    Author

    Elly Griffiths

    Elly Griffiths is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series, as well as the standalone novels The Stranger Diaries, winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel; The Postscript Murders; and Bleeding Heart Yard. She is the recipient of the CWA Dagger in the Library Award and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She lives in Brighton, England.

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    Reviews for The Dark Angel

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    • 2/5
      I wonder if my tolerance for this series has run its course. What I started it for (the North Norfolk location) is entirely missing in this edition, being mostly set while Ruth is on holiday in Italy, She's invited out by a fellow archeologist (and former one night stand), Angelo, to discuss some bones he has found that are buried in an unusual position, face down. It all get somewhat far fetched, with Angelo thinking his life is being threatened, while there is an earthquake, a murder in the village and we never actually get to the bottom of the burial. Nelson arrives after the earthquake, with Cathbad in tow and they get involved in the case as well. On the home front, Michelle has a scan for the baby and a villain from Nelson's past reappears to cause havoc. Part of me thinks the whole relationship angst is overdone, just talk about it and get it into the open and be done with it. Who knows where the puzzle pieces will fall, but quit with the navel gazing. I feel this has somewhat lost its way. I have one more borrowed, I may quit after that one.
    • 3/5
      While there's a lot of the things that Ruth Galloway readers love in this book -- continuing evolving character relationships, interesting archaeology, and murder intrinsically linked to the past -- it wasn't the strongest book. I feel a bit ambivalent to the Italian setting, annoyed with the who-done-it, and really, really over the ever painful romantic entanglements. Clearly I need to slow down my reading of the series, because I need a little time to miss the characters before returning to their endless tangle.

      It's not terrible, it just didn't blow me away.
    • 3/5
      Another installment of Ruth Galloway's adventures in old bones, young children and mixed emotions. This time, just as she is feeling the need for a holiday while processing the fact that her erstwhile lover's wife has turned up pregnant, an old colleague (and one-night stand) calls on her to come to Italy and "help him with some bones". So off she goes, with her best friend and both of their little children (ages 6 and 4), on a business-and-pleasure trip to sunny Italia. Which turns out to be much hotter than she remembers, yet filled with ominous shadows. Historic ancient rivalries, remnants of WWII partisanship, and a murdered priest make for few care-free days. Meanwhile, back home, Nelson has his own worries and the other women in his life (wife Michelle and daughter Laura) face some troubling issues as well. Even his dog, Bruno, isn't spared a few bad moments. Lots of entertainment value in this series.
    • 4/5
      Dr Galloway is a great character: fiercely independent, intelligent and resourceful but, lest that makes her sounds dismayingly serious and pious, she also has a strong sense of humour, and a strong atheist side. She is head of Forensic Archaeology at the (fictional) University of North Norfolk, based at King’s Lynn, and lives with her daughter Kate in a cottage by the sea. Over the years, her academic role has brought her into contact with the police, helping their enquiries whenever bodies are discovered underground. The contact has gone beyond the purely professional, however, and Kate’s father is DCI Harry Nelson, head of the local CID, although he remains married to his beautiful wife, Michelle. There are other awkwardly tangled relationships within Ruth’s world. One of her closest friends is Michael Malone, more commonly known as Cathbad, who is a leading figure among the local druid community. I realise as I type that how bizarre it must seem to anyone reading this who is not familiar with the books. It does, however, make perfect sense within the world of the books. For all his oddness, and almost universal failure to observe prevailing convention, Cathbad is a wonderfully drawn character, and utterly plausible. He lives with Judy Johnson, a Detective Sergeant on Nelson’s team, and they now have two children. Shona, Ruth’s closest female friend, is in a relationship with Phil, head of the Archaeology department and consequently Ruth’s boss.While the basic premise of each of the novels is fairly similar – a body is found at either an archaeological dig or a construction site, prompting consideration of whether the remains are safely to be considered historical or, if more recent, a police investigation is required – each book stands out on its own merits, and there is never any suggestion of Griffiths employing a formulaic approach. In this instance, Ruth is invited to Italy to help a former colleague who has encountered some interesting features about a body found in a site that he has been excavating, This particular case is slightly out of the normal round of archaeological digs because it has been followed by a television crew. It transpires that Ruth’s archaeologist friend has become rather a star, having appeared in several previous programmes. It is in this capacity that he has invited Ruth to attend so that she can offer her expert opinion. What she doesn’t know at first is that foremost among the irregularities is a mobile phone found with the body. Welcoming a chance to visit Italy again after many years, Ruth accepts the invitation and makes arrangements to go, taking Kate and her friend Shona (along with Shona’s young son) with her. Right from their arrival Ruth , although struck by the beauty of her surroundings, is aware of a sense of undefined menace,I won’t say anything further about the story beyond this basic scene setting. As always, Griffiths develops the story with great care. One of the great joys of this series is how plausible everything is. She depicts the setting, both physically and emotionally, with great detail, lending a comforting robustness. I know nothing about archaeology, but am entirely happy to accept everything that Griffiths, or at least Dr Galloway, tell me about it.For various reasons (perfectly rationally within the purview of the story), DCI Nelson and Cathbad also find themselves in Italy, immersed in the unfolding story, unaware that another story, equally dramatic, is unfolding back in Norfolk.I have found in the past that some detective series peter out after a few instalments, generally because the principal protagonists are simply too flimsily or incompletely drawn to sustain frequent exposure to the reader’s scrutiny. This series is one of the few that is not just managing to keep going, but seems to become stronger with each new instalment.
    • 5/5
      This is one of the cleverest constructs that I have come across in a crime story. What appears to be the main act of villainy turns out to be a throw away and a side crime becomes the main event. I am in such admiration of this because I, as the author intended, was feeling smug. I had worked out the perpetrator soon after the half way stage: I was smug. My self congratulation reached an impossible pinnacle as I was proved to be correct and then... I was amazed as the story came to its end. Once more, I had totally failed to follow the very real, if well hidden clues as to the denouement. BRILLIANT. I wish I could award six stars!
    • 5/5
      This novel takes Ruth out of her familiar setting of North Norfolk, and potentially we have a story uncomplicated by her relationship with Harry Nelson.Ruth hasn't told Nelson that she and Kate are having a fortnight in Italy so she can give some advice to a friend at the University of Rome. However an earthquake in the area Ruth is staying in, together with media reports of injuries, sends Nelson to fly to her side, much to her surprise. And then the local priest is murdered. The earthquake causes damage to the local church and bones that have been long buried are revealed.So now I have caught up with the novels in this series that I had missed out on reading. The events of this novel have filled in the details of events I had half known about.Excellent reading!
    • 2/5
      I liked the plot: an archaeologist prepares to dig up the skeleton of "Toni", but Toni has a cell and he gets a call from the skeleton while filming the t.v. episode on the explanation of Toni's history.An earthquake unearths the skeleton of a man who was murdered during WWII and as the local priest knows the confession of the murderer, he is then murdered.What I abhor is the main male character is is a right-out rotting wanker: DCI Nelson is married to (pregnant) Michelle and they have two daughters. DCI Nelson also has an on/off affair going with archeologist Ruth as well as a 6 year old daughter with her, whom he insists on having a relationship with.Ruth walked away from Nelson, but they recently came back together; so, Michelle began an affair with Tim, a younger police office (whom they all know) and is most likely the father of Michelle's baby (stay tuned for up-coming revelations).Without informing Nelson, Ruth & her daughter go to Italy in order to help with the excavation and evaluation of Toni. When Nelson finds out Ruth has gone he pitches a fit, because you know he is entitled to have two women under his thumb. While in Italy, there is an earthquake; and DCI Nelson, without being asked jumps on a plane with the "Druid", Cathbad (another jerky-boy) and runs to Ruth's side using his worry about his daughter as an excuse.Meanwhile, DCI Nelson's family is being watched by the guy who threatened Nelson after being arrested for burning down his own house, thus murdering his wife & 3 children in it.... Nelson knows this guy is dangerous & confronts the guy, but he still leaves Michelle behind.The entire group: Ruth, Michelle, Nelson, Cathbad, Phil, Shona, & Cathbad's wife are just one big group of unhappy dysfunctional adults enabling each other's double-standards.So this is it for me. In fact had I known it was a Nelson book before I'd gotten interested in Ruth's adventures in Italy, I'd have put it down.
    • 3/5
      Ruth Galloway,a forensic archaeologist,goes to Italy at the request of a Italian colleague (and a former one-night stand). Bones have been found at an excavation that raise a lot of(historical)questions. While Ruth stays in a medieval village in the Lazio region,she is confronted with the strange behaviour of certain characters and of course,murder.This is the 10th book in this series and as with all series,the quality is somewhat variable. The mystery of the Dark Angel feels like a frame story to the story of Ruth's relationship with the father of her daughter,a married D.I.,who's wife is pregnant but perhaps not by him(on/off,on/off, I want you,no,I don't....)Perhaps closure of this particularly relationship might be a good thing for both the characters and for the storyline.
    • 3/5
      Tenth mystery solved - made a nice change to be set in Italy but still involve all the main characters - Kate is becoming an engaging six year old!
    • 3/5
      This chapter in the "Life and Times of Ruth Galloway" was largely set in Italy. For me, I found the mystery quite contrived and Nelson's participation rather strange, even nonsensical. The side story of Mickey Webb invading the house while Nelson was in Italy was admirably suspenseful. However the events that arose from that situation raises the question, what the heck was the point of having Tim in the series? 'Nuff said. Onto The Stone Circle.
    • 3/5
      This one wasn't great. Nelson didn't have a case to investigate. Ruth was in Italy, and spent most of her time registering how hot it was. The idea that her presence would incite an Italian television company to resume filming was unlikely, and I don't understand why her colleague would ask her to help him find out who was trying to kill him. The plot concerning a possible collaborator in WWII was not that gripping and seemed to me not enough of a motivation for murder. Even I am a bit tired of Michelle/Tim/Nelson/Ruth now. I need more of Kate and Cathbad and more actual police work.
    • 4/5
      Ruth is called by an old archaeologist friend to investigate bones found in a medieval Italian hill town where dark secrets are buried as deep as Roman archaeology finds. Meanwhile, back in Norwich, the author conveniently kills off a character in one of the love triangles. Not really fair.
    • 4/5
      Ruth is invited to Italy to work with a former colleague on a Roman dig.But nothing at the dig and in the local town is as it seems, of course. Back home, Nelson is warned that a villain he has put away, and who vowed to get revenge on him, has been put on parole. When he goes to find Ruth and Kate after news of an Italian earthquake, Michelle calls Tim.Griffiths cuts back and forth between Norfolk and Italy and we pursue the plotlines in parallel until they resolve. As has become a bit common in her books, the ending gives each main character a separate spotlight. Sometimes it feels like the multiple endings of one of Beethoven's symphonies.
    • 5/5
      Elly Griffith's Dr. Ruth Galloway series is hands down one of my favourites. The Dark Angel is the 10th book in the series.Ruth is a forensic archaeologist who often works with the police, in addition to her teaching at a local university. This time round, Ruth is invite to Italy by a former colleague who needs her expertise. Ruth decides to make a holiday of it, taking her daughter Kate as well as her friend Shona and her son. The town is small and is seeped in history, much of it involving the war resistance years. This is where the mystery comes in. I always enjoy learning from Ruth (much of the cases are fact based) and appreciate Griffith's plotting.But I have to admit, it's the characters and the personal storylines that keeps me eagerly awaiting each new entry.Griffiths has created a wonderful protagonist in Ruth. She comes across as an actual person, not a super sleuth. She's a single parent at 40 plus, messy, introverted but highly intelligent and curious, shunning the spotlight. She's not beautiful in a conventional sense, but has that 'something' that draws people to her. Kate's father is the married Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson. The evolution of his and Ruth's relationship has kept me quite enthralled from the beginning. With Harry's acknowledgment of Kate as his daughter, things have become even more entangled. Griffiths has added some twists to this storyline that I could not have predicted. And while things are always tied up in the end in regards to the mystery, the personal lives of everyone always gets a little more complicated. This is true for not just the lead character, but for the supporting players as well. (Cathbad, the enigmatic self proclaimed Druid, is my favourite.)The Dark Angel was another excellent entry in this series.
    • 5/5
      The latest entry in Griffiths' superb series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. Normally we encounter Ruth in Norfolk, digging up bones and helping DI Harry Nelson and his crew solve crimes. But this outing finds Ruth in Italy, soaking up the sun while assisting a fellow archaeologist with his Italian television program on Roman ruins.Ruth has her own personal reasons (revealed at the end of the last book) for wanting to get out of Norfolk just now, and so with daughter Katie and friend Shona and her son Louis in tow, they settle into an apartment in the hill town of Castelli d'Angeli. Old secrets come unburied along with some bones, and result in a fresh murder for Ruth to puzzle at. When Harry and Cathbad show up for reasons that are best discovered as you read, we've got ourselves a real whodunit.I thoroughly enjoy this series, so much so that even though I knew a paper copy was coming my way from Beth (via Mamie by way of Katie who I think got it from Suzanne) I still leapt at the chance to borrow the ebook from the library when it came available. Patience has never been one of my virtues.If you're tempted to dig into this series, it's best to start at the beginning with The Crossing Places to fully savor the complicated entanglements the characters find themselves in as the series goes on. And if you're caught up, be aware that this one ends in a tiny cliffhanger that will have you waiting impatiently for the next installment.
    • 5/5
      I’ve been reading Ruth & Nelson from the beginning and this book is one of the best in the series. Ruth is a little depressed dealing with the death of her mother and worry over her father plus her feelings for Nelson, now that Michelle is pregnant. Tim confides in Ruth that he’s been having an affair with Michelle and the baby could be his and so she jumps at an opportunity to go to Italy and help out in an ancient excavation and asks Shona and her 4 yr old Louis to go along with her and Kate. Mysterious things start happening – strange village people, mysterious stalkers in the night, earthquake, power outages, and a priest’s murder. Nelson sees the earthquake on TV and immediately flies to Italy and Cathbad tags along. More strange happenings and a scary intruder back home at Nelson’s house before it’s all resolved. Anxiously awaiting the next book.
    • 4/5
      Note: Spoilers for previous books in this series.This is the tenth book in the Ruth Galloway Mystery Series. Ruth Galloway, 46, is a self-described overweight forensic archeologist at the (fictional) University of North Norfolk, who occasionally works with Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson, 48, of the Norfolk Police. Since Ruth is an expert on bones, the two teamed up to solve several crimes, and Ruth became seconded to the Serious Crime Unit, which is headed by Nelson.Nelson works at the King’s Lynn Police Station. In actuality, King’s Lynn is a seaport in Norfolk, England and Norwich is a town in Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of its most important. Thus old bones do in fact get excavated quite frequently. Griffiths integrates many interesting historical aspects of this region into her story lines.Although Harry is married with two adult daughters (Laura, 24 and Rebecca, 22), Ruth and Harry share a daughter, Kate, 6. Harry’s wife Michelle allows Harry to see Kate but insists that Harry only see Ruth in a professional capacity. Harry’s first daughters do not know about Kate. Nor do they know that Michelle had her own affair, with Tim Healthfield, a detective sergeant who used to be on Nelson’s team but has now moved back to Essex. But Tim and Michelle have been back in touch, and Tim knows Michelle, 46, is pregnant again, and the baby might be his. Nelson has some fear of this himself, even though Michelle told him (dishonestly) that she and Tim “never consummated” their relationship. Time will tell, however, since Tim is black. Before Michelle’s announcement, Nelson had been considering leaving her for Ruth. “But now things were back where they were, only with added tensions.”Members of Nelson’s crime team are also recurring characters. Judy Johnson, one of Nelson’s detective sergeants, is married to Cathbad, a druid, and a friend of Ruth’s. Judy’s partner David (Cloughie) Clough is getting married as this book begins. When Ruth returns home from the wedding, she finds a phone message from a fellow archeology professor, Angelo Morelli of the University of Rome. They met years ago at a conference. Angelo asks her to come to Italy and check out some unusual bones he found while digging in the Liri Valley, not far from Rome. He has a place for her to stay, at his late grandfather’s apartment in Castello degli Angeli, in Lazio, and he says she can bring Katie, her BFF Shona, and Shona’s son Louis with her and make it a (working) vacation.Ruth is enchanted by the beauty of the area and the charming people she meets, such as the local priest, Don Tomaso. At a fair in town square, Don Tomaso encourages Ruth to eat more:“You must eat,’ says Don Tomaso. ‘You young women are too thin.’ It’s almost enough to make Ruth become a Catholic.”Meanwhile, back in King’s Lynn, Micky Webb has been released from prison after serving ten years for having his wife and children killed. Nelson is the one who put him away, and Webb swore he would get even with Nelson one day. But now he claims he “got religion” in prison and is a new man.Nelson goes to check on Micky and his new wife, Louise, an evangelical, who speaks about God “as if he’s God Smith who lives next door.” Nelson warns Micky he is watching him, and Micky swears on his new-found faith and dedication to forgiveness.At the same time, Nelson finds out from Phil that Ruth and Katie are out of the country and is upset: “Anything could happen to them. To his child. To Ruth.”When Nelson hears there has been an earthquake in the area where Ruth and Katie are staying and he can’t reach Ruth on the phone, he, along with Cathbad, fly out there to check on them.Thus they have a bit of a vacation together, although it involves beach time, which makes Ruth feel self-conscious, especially vis-a-vis svelte Shona:“Pull yourself together, she tells herself, fat is a feminist issue. Just because she doesn’t conform to society’s ideal of what a woman should look like, it doesn’t mean she should feel ashamed, she should celebrate her curves. All the same, she wishes she’d brought a wrap of some kind.”The author does a nice job showing the contrasting worldviews of Ruth and Nelson. Ironically, at the beach, Nelson looks at Ruth and thinks:“He’d been surprised by how good Ruth looked in her swimming costume. He’s noticed before that the fewer clothes Ruth wears, the thinner she looks. In the severely cut costume, she looks curvaceous rather than overweight. . . [And as for Shona] 'The bikini she has on doesn’t look as if it would survive proper swimming anyway. Ruth is wearing a far more sensible costume.'”Then a murder occurs in the village, and Ruth is the one who finds the body. Both she and Nelson collaborate to find the perpetrator.Back in King’s Lynn, Nelson's daughter Laura accompanies her mother for a scan to check on the baby, and it seems as if all is well. But trouble finds them nevertheless, and the tension builds in both countries simultaneously in a frightening denouement.Evaluation: I really enjoy this series, with its well-drawn characters who seem very much like real people. Both Nelson and Ruth have wonderfully wry senses of humor, much more in evidence in this book than in some of the preceding books. I also love that one comes away from these books learning a great deal more than how to commit a murder. And after each book, I am always left with the feeling that I can’t wait for the next one.
    • 4/5
      In the last several months I have read an inordinate amount of novels set in Italy. Was surprised to find in this book, which is set in England, that I would once again be traveling to Italy, in particular Castello degli Angeli. A town slowly dying, all it's young people moving to Rome for employment opportunities. It is also a town with a long memory, memories and tragedies from the second World War.Ruth is called to Italy when an old friend finds bones and needs a bone expert. Wanting to get away from home, due to the emotional turmoil caused by the ever changing situation with Nelson. She takes Kate, and Shonna and Louis travels with them. Things will develop in Italy, unexpected situations, but things will also happen back home.I enjoy this very character oriented series, the mix of characters, including a druid. It is interesting, I always learn something new pertaining to archeology and past civilizations. The personal developments and changing relationships are also enjoyable, though I admit to wanting to shake Nelson in more than one situation. For some reason, with this series, I feel as if I am actually a character in the story, than a reader watching from afar. ARC from Edelweiss.
    • 4/5
      3.5 starsWhen I started reading this, I couldn’t help but think about how far these characters have come. There’s a personal story arc that has evolved at a snappy pace from the beginning & it shows no sign of slowing down here. As the book opens, we find Ruth in a bit of a funk. Nothing like going to a wedding to make you reflect on your life as a singe mom. Especially when the father of your daughter is there with his pregnant wife. So when the chance to check out old bones in Italy comes along, Ruth packs up Kate & runs away. Angelo Morelli is a charismatic Italian archeologist with a problem. Someone is messing with his dig site & his head. He need some publicity to bolster interest & funding so calls old friend Dr. Ruth Galloway. In short order Ruth arrives in the beautiful small town of Castello degli Angeli with Kate, best friend Shona & her son. But from the start, it’s clear not everyone is happy about her visit.There are several plot lines that emerge from the Italian side of the story. A mysterious immigrant named Samir, the local cleric anxious to talk to Ruth & a mystery from WWll involving Angelo’s grandfather. Back in King’s Lynn, Nelson gets news a convicted killer has been released. He’s responsible for putting the guy away & remembers his threat to get to get even. Probably not a good time to dash off to Italy.A large part of the book, much more than previous ones, is devoted to the entangled love lives of Ruth, Nelson, Michelle & Tim. At times, it felt like the author is getting ready to tie up some long standing story arcs in the next instalment & uses this book to clear her plate. The ending certainly takes care of one aspect…..lordie, I did NOT see that coming. The result (for me) was the plot lines dealing with mystery & archeology were underserved. I desperately wanted to know more about Angelo’s grandfather time in the resistance & learn Samir’s history as I found him an intriguing character. These are glossed over & the whole Italian side of the story kind of fizzles down to a neatly tied up resolution. There’s a lot more going on back in Norfolk but Ruth & Nelson are absent for all of it. We also spend significant time listening in on the inner thoughts of our 4 star-crossed lovers as each considers their situation. So…not my favourite in the series. I love Ruth. In many ways she is an every-woman who you can relate to & I enjoy that the focus has always been on her strength & intelligence instead of her appearance. When an author gets to the tenth book in a series, you can’t expect every one to be a 5 star read so personally, I’m going to consider this one a small bump in the road & look forward to catching up with the gang in #11.
    • 5/5
      The Dark Angel, Elly Griffiths' tenth Ruth Galloway mystery, is a little light on the mystery and a little heavier on the personal lives of the characters-- but since I find this particular cast among the very best (and most interesting) in crime fiction, I don't particularly mind. It was really good to see Ruth in a completely different setting, to see that she did get out and about, see new places, know other people, before settling down in King's Lynn with her work and eventual motherhood. But-- wouldn't you know it-- she overpacks for this holiday and manages to bring her troubles with her.The mystery, weighted as it is in the Italian Resistance movement during World War II, is an interesting one, but there's so much going on in the characters' lives that it did take a bit of a backseat. There are developments in Ruth's life, and I like how we are now getting another point of view on proceedings, that of Nelson's daughter Laura.I love Elly Griffiths' atmospheric settings and her mysteries that always have a foundation in archaeology, but if you're a character-driven reader like I am, you're going to love the cast in this series. A Ruth Galloway mystery always feels like a "slice of life" to me. I enjoy this series so much that I can't wait for the US edition to be released; I buy the UK edition so I can get my hands on it quicker. For those of you who have much more patience than I, you'll be able to get your hands on The Dark Angel in mid-May. For those of you who aren't acquainted with Ruth and Nelson and the rest of the gang, please start with the first book, The Crossing Places-- and don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the rest of the books in the series once you've finished it.