Mystery

The Locked Room

The Locked Room

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  • Create Date：2022-06-30 21:21:39
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Elly Griffiths
  • ISBN：B09721KNMB
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Summary

The fourteenth novel in the acclaimed and bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries。 Ruth and Nelson are on the hunt for a murderer when Covid-19 rears its ugly head。 But can they find the killer despite lockdown？

Ruth is in London clearing out her mother's belongings when she makes a surprising discovery: a photograph of her Norfolk cottage taken before Ruth lived there。 Her mother always hated the cottage， so why does she have a picture of the place？ As she died three years ago， Ruth can't exactly ask her， and her father denies all knowledge of the picture。 The only clue is written on the back of the photo: Dawn， 1969。

Ruth returns to Norfolk determined to solve the mystery， but then Covid-19 rears its ugly head。 Ruth and her daughter are locked down in their cottage， attempting to continue with work and lessons， but， in reality， becoming lonely and frustrated。 Happily the house next door is rented by a nice woman called Sally， who they become friendly with while standing on their doorstep clapping for carers。

Nelson， meanwhile， has no time to be bored。 He's investigating a series of suicides that could be the work of a serial killer。 It's only when he links them to an archaeological discovery that he thinks of Ruth。 He breaks curfew to visit the cottage to find Ruth chatting to her neighbour， whom he remembers as Dawn Lancaster， a carer who was once tried for murdering her employer。 When the deaths continue， Nelson vows to take Ruth and Kate to live with him。 But they， and Dawn， have vanished。

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Reviews

Martina ，

The first crime/mystery novel related to the Covid lockdown I’ve read。 And it is setting high standards！

Beth Rush ，

SPOILER ALERT！！！！！Loved it！ I have to remember the last words after waiting another long long year for the next book。 Michelle to Harry: “Harry， we have to talk”。

Kristen Evans ，

Okay but not my favoriteGood but not her best。 I've read this entire series and the plot in this one is weaker than usual。 It drags - badly， in some parts-but finally gets going about three-quarters of the way through。 Just not a page-turner for me。 Okay but not my favoriteGood but not her best。 I've read this entire series and the plot in this one is weaker than usual。 It drags - badly， in some parts-but finally gets going about three-quarters of the way through。 Just not a page-turner for me。 。。。more

Nelie ，

I am a huge fan of the Ruth Galloway series of mysteries so I listened to this one almost as soon as it was out on Audible （ because I can do things like clean and laundry while listening）。 This newest book in the series did not disappoint。 It takes place during COVID lockdown in the UK and gave a fairly realistic picture of how it hit academia （ at least based in my experience in the US） where everyone suddenly had to do classes in zoom （ while parenting kids learning at home）。 Roth managed thi I am a huge fan of the Ruth Galloway series of mysteries so I listened to this one almost as soon as it was out on Audible （ because I can do things like clean and laundry while listening）。 This newest book in the series did not disappoint。 It takes place during COVID lockdown in the UK and gave a fairly realistic picture of how it hit academia （ at least based in my experience in the US） where everyone suddenly had to do classes in zoom （ while parenting kids learning at home）。 Roth managed this without the worst complications like needing an additional computer and internet bandwidth for both her and her daughter teaching/ being a student。 But the story does get into some detail about other aspects of COVID including how it isolated people being abused at home and no doubt made policing much more difficult。 And lives of characters we know are stricken by it （won’t give away how that turns out at the end） In the meantime there is a murder mystery complete with some connected medieval plague history and legend which ， due to somewhat unbelievable coincidence ， involves Roth in the investigation （ headed of course by Nelson）。 Ruth stays very romantically entangled with （ married） Nelson in this story which I found myself a bit impatient with because she should be smarter after this long but a cliffhanger at the end suggests maybe next book could resolve this （ I hope）。 All I’m all this was a great addition to this series now I have to wait another year for the next one I guess！ 。。。more

Steve ，

The newest entry of the Ruth Galloway criminal forensic archeologist series is as intriguing as the prior adventures。 Adding to the recipe is the ongoing occurrence of Covid 19 and the misery it created。 Though the reader may not wish to be reminded of the pandemic， the author does a superior job of taking us back to those miserable days。Archeologist Ruth Gallaway examines a skeleton， presumably a Black Plague victim。 Was the corpse a crime victim or a casualty of the plague？ Similarities aboun The newest entry of the Ruth Galloway criminal forensic archeologist series is as intriguing as the prior adventures。 Adding to the recipe is the ongoing occurrence of Covid 19 and the misery it created。 Though the reader may not wish to be reminded of the pandemic， the author does a superior job of taking us back to those miserable days。Archeologist Ruth Gallaway examines a skeleton， presumably a Black Plague victim。 Was the corpse a crime victim or a casualty of the plague？ Similarities abound during Covid and the epidemic from centuries ago。Ruth's partner， Nelson， is busy investigating deaths that may or may not be suicides。 The plot points connect nicely， and the reader is left demanding to see more in this outstanding series written as only Elly Griffiths can。 。。。more

Donna Cline ，

Books in this series always a great readI have read all books in Ruth Galloway series; will eagerly await the next book。 Interesting characters， who become real with realistic human foibles。

Terry Goddard ，

I really looked forward to this book， as the previous books were engrossing。 This book did not keep my attention; the characters were much less intense。 I think it is because there were too many that had serious challenges all at the same time。

Joanna ，

I adore this series。 This particular entry brought together COVID and medieval British history very well， but I wish Ruth had spent more time on archaeology。

Luanne Ollivier ，

Elly Griffiths is the author of one of my absolute favorite mystery series - the Ruth Galloway Mysteries。 The latest entry （#16） is The Locked Room。 This series is character driven and those characters are what make this series so very， very good。 The lead is Ruth， a forensic archaeologist in the beautiful Norfolk area of England。 She's head of her department at the University and often consults with the police on cases。 She， her eleven year old daughter Katie and Flint the cat live in an isolat Elly Griffiths is the author of one of my absolute favorite mystery series - the Ruth Galloway Mysteries。 The latest entry （#16） is The Locked Room。 This series is character driven and those characters are what make this series so very， very good。 The lead is Ruth， a forensic archaeologist in the beautiful Norfolk area of England。 She's head of her department at the University and often consults with the police on cases。 She， her eleven year old daughter Katie and Flint the cat live in an isolated cottage on the Saltmarsh 'where the sea and the sky meet'。 （I would love to live in that wee cottage！） I really enjoy Ruth。 I think it's because she isn't a 'cookie-cutter' protagonist。 She is a single mother looking at her fifties。 She's a bit of an introvert， highly intelligent， empathetic and tolerant。 Griffiths has not endowed her with super sleuth abilities， rather she comes off as an actual person - unabashedly and happily herself。 The supporting players are just as well drawn。 I quite like Cathbad， the self proclaimed Druid。 Griffiths gives each and every player a personal story line that moves forward with every new book。 I always feel like I'm settling in with old friends when I pick up the latest。 Faithful readers will agree - the yes/no/maybe so relationship between Ruth and a member of the local constabulary is a big part of that character driven narrative！Now in addition to fab characters， Griffiths always comes up with great crimes for the Norfolk police （and Ruth） to investigate。 In this latest， there's a skeleton found on a construction as well as number of women whose deaths may or may not be suicide。 And Ruth comes across a mysterious photo that's too close to home。 Covid has also just been added to the mix。 The mysteries are well devised and not easy to suss out。 There's always a satisfying ending to the books。。。。with the door left open for the next book。I chose to listen to The Locked Room。 The reader was Jane McDowell， a narrator who has performed this series in the past。 I appreciate the continuity。 She has a calm， well modulated， pleasant voice that suits the character of Ruth。 and matched the mental image I had created。 She captures the subtle nuances of Ruth with her voice。 McDowell's diction is quite clear and the speed of the reading is just right。 She provides different voices for the supporting players。 She has interpreted and presented Griffith's work wonderfully。 I've said it before and I'll say it again - I become much more immersed in a tale when I listen。 I highly， highly recommend this character driven mystery series。 You could certainly read this book as a stand alone， but do yourself a favor and start with the first book， The Crossing Places。 。。。more

Pgchuis ，

This was a disappointment。 I liked the thread about the photo Ruth finds of her cottage in her mother's belongings， but not much else about the book really。 I'm not yet at a point where it entertains me to read about characters at the beginning of the Covid pandemic and the first lockdown， but I suppose that is a personal thing。 There was no real archeology in this book， and the plot made no sense at all to me。 Since this is fictional， all the deaths Nelson found suspicious and every one Ruth en This was a disappointment。 I liked the thread about the photo Ruth finds of her cottage in her mother's belongings， but not much else about the book really。 I'm not yet at a point where it entertains me to read about characters at the beginning of the Covid pandemic and the first lockdown， but I suppose that is a personal thing。 There was no real archeology in this book， and the plot made no sense at all to me。 Since this is fictional， all the deaths Nelson found suspicious and every one Ruth encountered were immediately recognized by Nelson to be linked （and of course they were）， but I didn't see why he leaped to any of the conclusions he did。 。。。more

Linda Atkinson ，

One of my favorite mystery series。 Cannot wait for the next。

Jean Kolinofsky ，

Ruth Galloway’s mother died several years ago。 Her father has now remarried and has asked Ruth to go through the last of her mother’s possessions。 In the bottom of a box is a picture of Ruth’s home with Dawn 1963 written on the back。 It is quite a puzzle since it is dated before Ruth was even born。 She hopes that discovering the history of her cottage will provide answers。 It is 2020 and Covid has not taken over the news as yet， but there are indications of how serious it will become。 There is a Ruth Galloway’s mother died several years ago。 Her father has now remarried and has asked Ruth to go through the last of her mother’s possessions。 In the bottom of a box is a picture of Ruth’s home with Dawn 1963 written on the back。 It is quite a puzzle since it is dated before Ruth was even born。 She hopes that discovering the history of her cottage will provide answers。 It is 2020 and Covid has not taken over the news as yet， but there are indications of how serious it will become。 There is a new resident in the cottage next to Ruth’s。 Zoe is a nurse and they get to know each other while keeping the required distance。 When lockdown begins Ruth feels fortunate to have someone to talk to。Lockdown has also presented challenges to the police。 DI Nelson is called to the scene of what everyone believes is a suicide。 Why would someone put a meal into the microwave and kill themselves as it heats？ Nelson has his team look into recent suicides and they discover a pattern。 Several women who appeared happy with their lives have killed themselves in the past six months。 They can all be tied to a diet program that Zoe also attends。 Nelson is suspicious of Ruth’s new neighbor and discovers an episode in her past that raises red flags。 Ruth is a professor of archaeology and Nelson also suspects one of her students is stalking her。 As Nelson’s team investigates the suicides they have little contact with persons of interest and often conduct their interviews by phone and computer。 One of the team is also quarantined as her husband fights for his life。COVID has been with us for over two years and as Elly Griffiths’ series progressed it was something that could not be ignored。 She builds it into her story， but does not let it take over。 This is the fourteenth book in the Ruth Galloway series and I have been a fan since the first。 Her characters come to life on the pages and it is easy to become involved in their lives。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing this book for my review。 。。。more

Sharon ，

I love the Ruth Galloway series， and the developments of Ruth's story in The Locked Room were both stressful and intriguing。 I can’t wait to see how they influence future books。 I had a moment of not wanting to read on because I was afraid of how a plot line was going to play out， which very rarely happens to me。 My trust in the author got me over that hurdle。I struggled a little at the beginning of the book， partly because I wasn’t sure I was ready to read a book set in the pandemic， but also b I love the Ruth Galloway series， and the developments of Ruth's story in The Locked Room were both stressful and intriguing。 I can’t wait to see how they influence future books。 I had a moment of not wanting to read on because I was afraid of how a plot line was going to play out， which very rarely happens to me。 My trust in the author got me over that hurdle。I struggled a little at the beginning of the book， partly because I wasn’t sure I was ready to read a book set in the pandemic， but also because of some stylistic problems that are atypical of Griffith’s work。 Those dissipated as the story went on， thankfully。 The last quarter of the book had me holding my breath and praying right along with Kate。 I can’t say more without spoilers， so hopefully everyone hurries to read this one so we can all chat about it！Thank you to Mariner Books， Netgalley， and author Elly Griffith for early access to a digital copy of this beautifully plotted book。 。。。more

Dee ，

My first book by this author and there will absolutely be more。 I fell into this book and could not get through it quickly enough。 I wanted to find out what was going to happen。 I was very comfortable with Ruth from the start。 She found a photo of her cottage before she was born while clearing out her mother’s things。 With her mother passed， she had no one to ask why and what was the story of this photo。 She began looking into the why when Nelson showed up and recognized a neighbor as a women on My first book by this author and there will absolutely be more。 I fell into this book and could not get through it quickly enough。 I wanted to find out what was going to happen。 I was very comfortable with Ruth from the start。 She found a photo of her cottage before she was born while clearing out her mother’s things。 With her mother passed， she had no one to ask why and what was the story of this photo。 She began looking into the why when Nelson showed up and recognized a neighbor as a women once tried for murder。 Nelson is looking into a suicide of a woman with the door locked from the outside。 There were several themes going on in this book， including Covid， and all blended very well。 Even though it was the 14th in the series， I felt very comfortable with Ruth and Nelson。 The writing is wonderful。 I will go back and read the others in this series and will explore the other series by the author as well。 。。。more

Debbi Mack ，

Enjoyed this book very much！A riveting story about a British woman dealing with work as an educator and archaeologist during the pandemic， whilst looking after and teaching her own child。 She stumbles across a photo that gets her to asking questions about the very house she lives in。There are various subplots as well， including her affair with a married man （pandemic be damned！） and ghostly goings-on at a place called Tombland--where the Grey Lady lurks。I found the characters engaging and， altho Enjoyed this book very much！A riveting story about a British woman dealing with work as an educator and archaeologist during the pandemic， whilst looking after and teaching her own child。 She stumbles across a photo that gets her to asking questions about the very house she lives in。There are various subplots as well， including her affair with a married man （pandemic be damned！） and ghostly goings-on at a place called Tombland--where the Grey Lady lurks。I found the characters engaging and， although I was able to make a good guess about the ending， the race to find a missing neighbor， plus the suspense over one character's bout with COVID-19， makes for an exciting conclusion。Plus， the book gets extra points for mentioning Jaffa Cakes and Marmite。 :） Yum！ 。。。more

Nancy ，

This is the first time I’ve written a review on Goodreads。 I was in shock when I actually won this book on a Goodreads giveaway （THANK YOU！！！）！ One of my favorite authors！ Newest book that I was waiting to read！ It turns out to be one of the best of the series。 I felt I wanted to point out it had such a good （real） description of how regular people dealt with the early days of CoVid。 The empty streets。 The belief that it was only the flu。 The confusion over how to deal with “rules” of isolation。 This is the first time I’ve written a review on Goodreads。 I was in shock when I actually won this book on a Goodreads giveaway （THANK YOU！！！）！ One of my favorite authors！ Newest book that I was waiting to read！ It turns out to be one of the best of the series。 I felt I wanted to point out it had such a good （real） description of how regular people dealt with the early days of CoVid。 The empty streets。 The belief that it was only the flu。 The confusion over how to deal with “rules” of isolation。 Then there was the story。 I love the characters and this was such a good tale。 I’m not saying anything more （ I’m afraid I’d give away some of the twists） — READ IT！ 。。。more

Evelyn ，

While sorting through some of her mother’s papers， anthropology professor Ruth Galloway finds a picture of her own cottage with “Dawn 1963” written on the back。 What could it mean？ Meanwhile the Covid 19 pandemic is just beginning and Ruth is trying to cope with zoom classes， keeping her daughter Kate occupied at home， Cathbad in intensive care， and a recent string of murder/suicides close to home。 Oh， did I mention her mysterious new neighbor and a student stalker？ Yes， we’re left hanging with While sorting through some of her mother’s papers， anthropology professor Ruth Galloway finds a picture of her own cottage with “Dawn 1963” written on the back。 What could it mean？ Meanwhile the Covid 19 pandemic is just beginning and Ruth is trying to cope with zoom classes， keeping her daughter Kate occupied at home， Cathbad in intensive care， and a recent string of murder/suicides close to home。 Oh， did I mention her mysterious new neighbor and a student stalker？ Yes， we’re left hanging with a teaser again， too。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Samantha Fraenkel ，

I love all the Ruth Galloway mysteries but I found this one particularly good。 Will I ever tire of these characters？ If Griffith keeps writing like this it's unlikely。 As usual， I'm already eagerly anticipating the next book。ARC Provided by Edelweiss I love all the Ruth Galloway mysteries but I found this one particularly good。 Will I ever tire of these characters？ If Griffith keeps writing like this it's unlikely。 As usual， I'm already eagerly anticipating the next book。ARC Provided by Edelweiss 。。。more

Kim ，

This Ruth Galloway installments drops the reader in the middle of the Pandemic and we get a close up look of how a single mother juggles lockdown， home schooling of her daughter， managing her architectural students via zoom classes and tutorials， a dear friend who falls victim to covid， all those other not so fun things that so many have experienced and endured for 2 plus years。 There is a lot going on on this story， the unraveling of a family mystery， the re-ignition of Ruth’s relationship with This Ruth Galloway installments drops the reader in the middle of the Pandemic and we get a close up look of how a single mother juggles lockdown， home schooling of her daughter， managing her architectural students via zoom classes and tutorials， a dear friend who falls victim to covid， all those other not so fun things that so many have experienced and endured for 2 plus years。 There is a lot going on on this story， the unraveling of a family mystery， the re-ignition of Ruth’s relationship with DCI Nelson， a few questionable students who may be up to nefarious activities or they may just be lost and looking for help， several mentions of the plague， a few too many unexplained suicides， a new neighbor with a past and several ambiguous references to “The Grey Lady”。 A whole lot going on。The problem with the Ruth Galloway series is how well they are conceived and written。 It is so hard once you open the book to put it aside until you have finished。 Not a complaint as I happily look forward to the next installment。 Thank you Mariner HarperCollins for a copy。 。。。more

Tad ，

The 14th Ruth Galloway mystery from Elly Griffiths， The Locked Room， starts just as Covid is making its way around the world in 2020。 Ruth is going through her dead mother's things when she comes across an old photograph of the cottage in which Ruth now lives with "Dawn 1963" written on it。 She and her daughter Kate retreat to the isolated cottage to ride out the pandemic。 The isolation is made a little less lonely by a new next-door neighbor， Zoe。Detective Chief Inspector Nelson is investigatin The 14th Ruth Galloway mystery from Elly Griffiths， The Locked Room， starts just as Covid is making its way around the world in 2020。 Ruth is going through her dead mother's things when she comes across an old photograph of the cottage in which Ruth now lives with "Dawn 1963" written on it。 She and her daughter Kate retreat to the isolated cottage to ride out the pandemic。 The isolation is made a little less lonely by a new next-door neighbor， Zoe。Detective Chief Inspector Nelson is investigating a series of women's deaths that appear to be suicide， but may not be。 When one of the cases turns up a link to an archeology discovery that Ruth is linked to， he turns to her for help。 Nelson soon develops suspicions of new neighbor， Zoe， which are only heightened when she goes missing。 The race is on to unravel the mystery of the women's deaths and making sure that no one else dies， all while navigating the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and lockdown rules。This is a fun mystery that fully explores how the pandemic has affected not only daily lives but crimes and crime-solving。 The exploration of parallels between covid and the plague， particularly in the Norfolk setting， is also fascinating。 There is almost equal time spent on exploring the impact of the pandemic as there is on the mystery of the dead women。 The isolation， the uncertainty， and the impacts on work， school， family， and friends -- particularly if they are struck ill -- all weigh heavily on the narrative。The mystery of the women's deaths is very nicely played out。 There is very little evidence of murder， but their general good spirits and other tenuous connections leave enough crumbs to require some ingenious policing to follow the trail。 The strong characters and their complicated relationships with one another combined with interesting archeology and folklore add to a mystery both difficult and fun to solve。 The puzzle of Ruth's mother and her connection to the cottage is added flavor。 The long history between the characters lends extra meaning for fans of the series， but there is more than enough explanation provided to allow new readers to jump right in。 A fun entry in a series that is still going strong。I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher。 。。。more

L。A。 ，

For my first Elly Griffiths book and cheers to her #14 in the Ruth Galloway Mysteries， I must say I can see why she is an award winning author！ Just Wow！！ It will not be my last！ This takes on a Gothic mystery vibe with the enchanting lands of Norfolk Cottages， Tombland， Norwich Cathedral and Augustine Steward's House and the haunting of The Grey Lady。 The Grey Lady was a victim of a plague in the Middle Ages during a time period if you had a plague your house was sealed shut and the family even For my first Elly Griffiths book and cheers to her #14 in the Ruth Galloway Mysteries， I must say I can see why she is an award winning author！ Just Wow！！ It will not be my last！ This takes on a Gothic mystery vibe with the enchanting lands of Norfolk Cottages， Tombland， Norwich Cathedral and Augustine Steward's House and the haunting of The Grey Lady。 The Grey Lady was a victim of a plague in the Middle Ages during a time period if you had a plague your house was sealed shut and the family eventually starved to death。 Bringing us back to our current COVID outbreak， this book takes us back to the beginning when questionable doubt surfaced。 A lot of the COVID restrictions were revisited in the book with the magnitude of social distancing， schools closed and reopened under Distance Learning， masks mandate and unfortunately the loss of loved ones。 The courage and compassion is significant in our revisiting of 2020。 It gives us a look at the beginning， during and hopefully the ending of COVID。 During this lock-down， Ruth Galloway， a professor at the University at Norfolk in the Archaeology Dept studies the remains found outside the borders of a church graveyard。 Either ostracized from the main area due to suicide or a plague victim in a "plague pit"。 At the same time， an elderly lady was found locked in her bedroom from an apparent suicide。 When several women in the area were accounted for as suicides， Ruth and her partner Nelson with the Serious Crimes Unit piece the puzzle together that they are victims of a serial killer。 Nelson is also the father of her daughter Kate and they take on a special relationship even though he is married。 Before the lock down， Ruth's mother passed away and while she was cleaning out her house， she found a portrait of the cottage she currently lives in。 On the back of the photo was written Dawn， 1963。This seems irrelevant except for the fact her mother hated her cottage。 Why would she have it？ I enjoyed the mystery of this photo。 It was an overload of characters， but when I gained an understanding of each one playing their part， it resonated well。 I enjoyed this so much。 The searching and piecing the puzzle together always works for me。 I love a mysterious additive that sidelines the main story。 I'm excited about the next one since it left off with a relationship in the air。 Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Darla ，

Ruth Galloway and Co。 are on the cusp of the COVID pandemic。 Elly Griffiths has them jumping in with both feet。 While it was a bit uncomfortable to revisit that time in our recent history， the move was necessary and well-executed。 Virus afoot or no， there are still ancient bodies to discover and Serious Crimes for DCI Harry Nelson and team to investigate。 As with other books in the series， the history of the area impacts the present。 I thought Griffiths did a spectacular job weaving in COVID， sh Ruth Galloway and Co。 are on the cusp of the COVID pandemic。 Elly Griffiths has them jumping in with both feet。 While it was a bit uncomfortable to revisit that time in our recent history， the move was necessary and well-executed。 Virus afoot or no， there are still ancient bodies to discover and Serious Crimes for DCI Harry Nelson and team to investigate。 As with other books in the series， the history of the area impacts the present。 I thought Griffiths did a spectacular job weaving in COVID， showing the fear， missed cues， and uncertainty that prevailed。 Ruth's daughter Kate is growing up and I loved seeing her character develop and the relationships she has with those in Ruth's sphere。 We also get to see Ruth move forward in her family relationships。 The answer to the mystery at the core of the episode was cleverly hidden by several well-placed red herrings， but was not implausible or ridiculous。 This continues to be a favorite series for me。 Thank you to Mariner Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Laura ，

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book。 Ruth is going through her deceased mothers stuff when she sees a picture of a cottage。 She is hoping to visit the cottage to get some information。 The police are intrigued by several deaths that look like suicide this book kept me guessing until the end。

Ruth Lawton ，

It was very strange reading a book that included covid and our communal UK experience of the first lockdown。 Reliving - through Ruth - how other worldly and frightening that was was strangely reassuring。As ever a fabulous gripping book

Lynda ，

The Dr Ruth Galloway series is just so good… with always some added intrigue… remarkable that Dr Ruth now has a half sister… not sure this is quite believable from previous accounts of her Mum though！ Loved this being based in 2020 and lockdown- just made it so real…

Beachcomber ，

Another excellent addition to the Galloway series， set at the beginning of the pandemic。 Quite odd to read back to that time， from summer 2022， when we didn’t know what was happening， or how long it would last。 Glad that a certain character was OK。。。

Melanie Gordon ，

Thank you to the publisher @marinerbooks for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review！This is the fourteenth book in the Ruth Galloway series， and although I have not read any of the previous books in the series， I now want to pick them all up and read them after reading this one！ What a fun， twisted read！I will admit that I have yet to read a book that takes place during the COVID pandemic that I really enjoyed， until I picked up this one！ This takes place in England， so it was really in Thank you to the publisher @marinerbooks for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review！This is the fourteenth book in the Ruth Galloway series， and although I have not read any of the previous books in the series， I now want to pick them all up and read them after reading this one！ What a fun， twisted read！I will admit that I have yet to read a book that takes place during the COVID pandemic that I really enjoyed， until I picked up this one！ This takes place in England， so it was really interesting to see that perspective on the pandemic， and the author handled the topic really well and with sensitivity。I adored the main character， Dr。 Ruth Galloway， which is one of the main reasons I am really interested in picking up the previous books in this series！ It was really interesting that the author incorporated how difficult the pandemic made it for cops and investigates to do their job during the pandemic， with all of the set rules and restrictions。I really enjoyed the mystery throughout the book， but more so it was the characters that drove this one for me。 They were likable， very well developed， and I found myself thoroughly invested in them。 I do think that reading the previous books in the series would have given me more background to the characters and I would have felt even more so connected to them and their story， but I still really enjoyed them。 I am already looking forward to finding out what is in store next for Dr。 Ruth Galloway！Overall， this was a binge-worthy read， full of just the right amount of mystery， twists， and turns to keep you fully invested and not wanting to put the book down because you are dying to find out more！ If you enjoy a slow burn mystery， and/or books set during the pandemic-I think this one is for you！ 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

It's 2020 and Ruth， whose mother has been dead for 6 years， is finally clearing her things at her father's request when she finds an old photo of her cottage in Norfolk labeled Dawn 1963。 A mystery to be sure but not so much as the one Nelson is struggling with - the suicides （or are they） of women who seemed to have everything positive in their lives。 And it's 2020 and COVID is not only looming， it's here。 Griffiths has seamlessly incorporated COVID into the plot of this excellent entry in the It's 2020 and Ruth， whose mother has been dead for 6 years， is finally clearing her things at her father's request when she finds an old photo of her cottage in Norfolk labeled Dawn 1963。 A mystery to be sure but not so much as the one Nelson is struggling with - the suicides （or are they） of women who seemed to have everything positive in their lives。 And it's 2020 and COVID is not only looming， it's here。 Griffiths has seamlessly incorporated COVID into the plot of this excellent entry in the series including a scenario that is both frightening and realistic。 Ruth's got a new skeleton to work with， found in Tombland， Norwich， which fascinates her students and reinvigorates the old "Grey Lady" story of a ghost wandering around the area。 She's also got a new neighbor and a restless 12 year old daughter Kate。 Nelson's investigation is fascinating。 No spoilers from me on this one。 I'm always caught up in the story not only for the mysteries- which are great- but for the characters， to whom I'm quite attached， as well。 This is no exception。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 It's a terrific read， probably best appreciated by those who have followed Ruth and Nelson， and there's so much possibility ahead for the next one。 I can't wait。 。。。more

Victoria Colotta ，

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A wonderfully constructed mystery using the early realities of COVID to shape how the characters interact and the case unravels。THE LOCKED ROOM is now part of the new wave of books grounding the fictional characters in our current realities。 Griffiths expertly weaves together the emotions and uncertainty surrounding those within this book while still maintaining interest in an investigation of an apparent suicide。 What I loved so much about this book is that the au My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A wonderfully constructed mystery using the early realities of COVID to shape how the characters interact and the case unravels。THE LOCKED ROOM is now part of the new wave of books grounding the fictional characters in our current realities。 Griffiths expertly weaves together the emotions and uncertainty surrounding those within this book while still maintaining interest in an investigation of an apparent suicide。 What I loved so much about this book is that the author’s voice， which I adored in the Harbinder Kaur Series， was still maintained in this。 Though there are different characters and settings， the pace， as well as the intrigue， was there。 Having never read any of the books previously in Ruth Galloway’s journey， there were moments where I would have loved more background。 However， this did not stop me from enjoying the book。 Blending the investigation and the collection of side stories kept my interest and propelled the narrative forward。Honestly， meeting Ruth， her daughter， and this full cast was so enjoyable。 The reality each faces is compelling and honest。 Ruth is a smart， complex character who came across as real。 The flaws seen in the actions as well as the characters themselves only made me identify with them more。Visiting this world for just one book seems to be not enough time for this reader。 I cannot wait to jump in from the beginning and see what cases this amateur sleuth got herself wrapped up in。Reviewer Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。Highly Caffeinated Rating of… ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕✦ ✦ ✦ ✦Follow the Art， Books， & Coffee: Website | Facebook Group | Instagram✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 。。。more

Amanda Slusher ，

Mystery and intrigue。 Great characters。 Great pacing。 I didn't realize this was part of a series when picking it up， so I wished I had had the opportunity to read all the books leading up to this one， but I still enjoyed the read。 The mention of the pandemic was a little disappointing but I'm sure others will enjoy it。 Mystery and intrigue。 Great characters。 Great pacing。 I didn't realize this was part of a series when picking it up， so I wished I had had the opportunity to read all the books leading up to this one， but I still enjoyed the read。 The mention of the pandemic was a little disappointing but I'm sure others will enjoy it。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Locked Room

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Locked Room&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Locked Room&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0