The Last Remains: The unmissable new book in the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries

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Ruth doesn’t get much from Leo, but another member of the group confesses to the police that he saw the much older Leo kissing Emily. Cathbad also owns up to having had feelings for Emily, and Nelson observes that Cathbad’s wife, Judy, somewhat resembles her. Cathbad admits to Ruth that he did have a brief affair with Emily and promises to share this revelation with Judy to keep his conscience clean. When builders renovating a café in King’s Lynn find a human skeleton behind a wall, they call for DCI Harry Nelson and Dr Ruth Galloway, Head of Archaeology at the nearby University of North Norfolk. Ruth is preoccupied with the threatened closure of her department and by her ever-complicated relationship with Nelson. However, she agrees to look at the case. At this point, Ruth and Nelson have been 14-years in this painful dance. And in this, the final instalment, it’s time to put up or shut up. Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. The discovery of a missing woman's bones force Ruth and Nelson to finally confront their feelings for each other as they desperately work to exonerate one of their own in this not-to-be-missed Ruth Galloway mystery from USA Today bestselling author Elly Griffiths.

Of course, no Ruth Galloway adventure would be complete without an appearance from Cathbad. We’re well served here, as he plays a sizeable and significant role in the investigation. Not only did he know Emily and was on her last field trip, but he disappears midway through the investigation. As the story unfolds, there are 'Easter Egg' references to people and events in previous books, which is a nice treat for fans. It's also fun to hear Nelson regularly use his favorite expression, "Jesus Wept." Set in the 1950 and 60s in (unsurprisingly) Brighton, this series begins with The Zig Zag Girl, published in 2014, with the most recent addition, The Midnight Hour, published in 2021. The books feature police officer Edgar Stephens and magician Max Mephisto and are high on period detail and humour as well as containing some masterful plot work.I found the university storyline quite boring and although I enjoyed the introduction of Zoe in the last book she seemed to have no part in this story. The plot is unlikely and stretches plausibility a touch too far but it comes to a satisfying conclusion in the end. The 15th--and supposedly final book--in Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series is basically perfect in every way. I say it in every review of these books, but I find these characters completely beloved, with their own unique expressions and personalities. (I can just picture DCI Nelson exclaiming, "Jesus wept!") We've grown along with Ruth, Nelson, their daughter Kate, Nelson's team, Ruth's druid friend Cathbad, and so many more near and dear characters. I have read that this may well be the last book in this series. While loose ends were tied up at the conclusion of the book, I hope that there will be more! Ruth is a strong, intelligent, capable female main character. I’m sorry it took so long for me to meet her! Out on 25 April in the USA, The Last Remains launched in the UK at the end of January – and had the series faithful laughing and crying in equal measure. If you’re new to the Ruth Galloway series, this is not the book for you, but if you’re a regular you’ll delight in the subtle little reminders of previous novels and the characters they contained. The discovery of a body hidden behind the wall of a Kings Lynn coffee shop is the starting point for a story that has repercussions for many of the regular characters, with Cathbad in particular acting even more oddly than usual. A book to relish and a fitting finale. Read our review here.

When builders renovating a café in King's Lynn unearth a human skeleton, they call for DCI Harry Nelson and Dr Ruth Galloway, Head of Archaeology at the University of North Norfolk. Ruth is preoccupied with the threatened closure of her department and by her ever-complicated relationship with Nelson. The fifteenth in the Ruth Galloway series has so much going on. Nelson is trying to get Ruth and Kate to move in with him, the university has decided to close down Ruth's department, bones that are identified as a former love of Cathbad's surface, and then he disappears. This is just what's a fraction of what's going on and not a complaint. Life is messy and people seldom only have to handle one thing at a time. And the starting point is important for the end. Not vital. You would enjoy the story, but miss the subtleties. At the heart of this book is a fine crime drama, with mystery, suspense, twists, blind alleys, and red herrings. But it all becomes heart-aching as the characters involved are people you know, trust and maybe love a little. Not just Ruth and Nelson. Not even just Cathbad. If I was starting on this book I would be bewildered by the huge cast of characters, some of whom are important to Ruth and Nelson, some to the plot. Many to both. Another suspicious death increases the pressure on Dr. Ruth Galloway’s relationship with DCI Harry Nelson, which has never been resolved despite the daughter they share and the murders they’ve solved together. Griffiths expertly blends a well-wrought procedural with distinctive characters, academic politics, and romance. Fans old and new will be rewarded.” (For The Last Remains) — Publishers Weekly (starred review)No pressure, then, to come up with a fitting finale to a series that has been going strong since 2009, with 16 books in total – but never fear, Griffiths fans, because The Last Remains does not disappoint. The discovery of a missing woman’s bones force Ruth and Nelson to finally confront their feelings for each other as they desperately work to exonerate one of their own in this not-to-be-missed Ruth Galloway mystery from USA Today bestselling author Elly Griffiths. When builders renovating a cafe in King's Lynn find a human skeleton behind a wall, they call for DCI Harry Nelson and Dr Ruth Galloway, Head of Archaeology at the nearby University of North Norfolk. Ruth is preoccupied with the threatened closure of her department and by her ever-complicated relationship with Nelson. However, she agrees to look at the case.