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Book Review of The Dark Angel (Ruth Galloway, Bk 10)

The Dark Angel (Ruth Galloway, Bk 10)
eadieburke avatar reviewed on + 1617 more book reviews


The title of Elly Griffiths 10th novel, The Dark Angel, in the Ruth Galloway Mystery series seems to suggest there is a darkness hovering over Ruth's next archaeological dig. She is contacted by Angelo Morelli, a former friend and lover, to help him identify some bones from the Roman era in Italy. She will be staying in Pompeo's (Angelo's grandfather) old apartment in Castello degli Angeli, a small Italian village that has it's own secrets dating back to the German occupation from World War II. Ruth decides to take Kate, Shona and Louis, Shona's son, along with her. Back in Norfolk, Nelson hears about an earthquake in the area of Italy that Ruth and Kate are visiting. He cannot contact her on the phone and shows up the next morning in Castello degli Angeli much to Ruth's surprise. After Ruth discovers a modern-day body in the village church, their holiday turns upside down as the darkness in this little village is brought to surface.

This book takes place in two different settings, Norfolk and Italy, and the plot switches back and forth throughout the novel. Elly Griffiths' descriptions and history of each setting gives us a feeling like we are visiting there too. This series should be read in order as the characters and storyline develops throughout and the characters start to feel like friends that you really care about. The plot was paced in such a way that each chapter had a cliffhanger which makes you want to read on and kept the pages turning until the surprising ending. Each book does involve a mystery but it's the characters and their relationships that really drive the story. I look forward to each and every installment in order to see how they are developing. This series is by far one of my favorite and I would have to say that The Dark Angel ranks at the top of the series for me. I would suggest that you pick up the first book, The Crossing Places, and promise you that you cannot just read the first one, as this series is contagious! I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.