Elly Griffiths

"Brighton, 1950. The body of a girl is found cut into three pieces. Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is convinced the killer is mimicking a famous magic trick--the Zig Zag Girl. The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, is an old war friend of Edgar's. They served together in a shadowy unit called the Magic Men, a special ops troop that used stage tricks to confound the enemy. Max is on the traveling show circuit, touring seaside towns with ventriloquists,...

Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur investigates the seemingly unsuspicious death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition who had a very extensive collection of crime novels, each one dedicated to her and each containing a mysterious post-script.

The chilling discovery of a downed World War II plane with a body inside leads Ruth and DCI Nelson to uncover a wealthy family's secrets in this Ruth Galloway mystery.

It's a blazing hot summer in Norfolk when a construction crew unearths a downed American fighter plane from World War II with a body inside. Forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway determines that the skeleton couldn't possibly be the pilot, and DNA tests identify

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Ruth Galloway—whom #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny calls "a captivating amateur sleuth"—investigates a string of murders deep within the abandoned tunnels of Norwich in award-winning mystery. Winner of the CWA Dagger in the Library Award ¶ Far below Norwich is a maze of old mining tunnels. When Ruth Galloway is called to examine a set of human remains in one of them, she notices the bones are almost...

In this thrilling mystery, "brilliant, feisty, independent" forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson investigate a seemingly cursed collection of Aboriginal skulls that are causing people to die from a mysterious fever—and the next person to fall ill is Nelson himself (Richmond Times-Dispatch).
When Ruth Galloway arrives to supervise the opening of a coffin containing the bones of a medieval bishop, she...

"Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway uncovers the bones of a Victorian murderess while a baby snatcher threatens modern-day Norfolk in this exciting new entry in a beloved series. Every year a ceremony is held in Norwich for the bodies in the paupers' graves: the Service for the Outcast Dead. Ruth has a particular interest in this year's proceedings. Her recent dig at Norwich Castle turned up the body of the notorious Mother Hook, who was hanged...

In "a wonderful, atmospheric mystery" featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson, six bodies of men killed during World War II turn up in Brighton—bringing with them a long-buried, nefarious secret (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Just back from maternity leave, forensic archeologist Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work when she is called in to investigate human bones that have surfaced...

Elizabeth II's coronation is looming, but DI Edgar Stephens is busy investigating the death of a local fortune-teller. Meanwhile, his old pal, the magician Max Mephisto, is rehearsing for his television debut, a coronation day variety show. But upon hearing that their wartime commander, Colonel Cartwright, has been found dead in his flat, the two men join forces to find out what happened.
While Max is stuck in rehearsals, Edgar finds himself...

Ruth Galloway is called in to investigate when builders, demolishing a large old house in Norwich to make way for a housing development, uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway -- minus the skull. Is it some ritual sacrifice or just plain straightforward murder? DCI Harry Nelson would like to find out -- and fast. It turns out the house was once a children's home. Nelson traces the Catholic priest who used to run the home. Father Hennessey...

A magician plays detective when a show girl is murdered in an English resort town in this historical mystery by the Edgar Award-winning author.
 
Brighton, England, 1953. Over the holiday season, Max Mephisto and his daughter Ruby are headlining a variety show at the Brighton Hippodrome. Landing a gig at the city’s biggest theater is a major achievement, and only slightly marred by the less-than-savory supporting...