Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, where you can learn more about what makes them tick. Let’s see who is visiting us today.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What is your name?
– – Dr Ruth Galloway

How old are you?
– – 48

What is your profession?
– – Forensic archaeologist

Do you have a significant other?
– – It’s complicated, but no.

Any children?
– – A daughter, Kate, aged 8

Do you have any sibling(s)?
– – Older brother, Simon

Cats, dogs or other pets?
– – A cat called Flint

What town do you live in?
– – I live near Titchwell, on the North North Norfolk coast

House or building complex?
– – A small cottage

Do you rent or own?
– – I own

What is your favorite spot in your house?
– – By the sitting room window looking out over the marshes

Who is your best friend?
– – Cathbad, a part-time druid

Amateur sleuth or professional?
– – Amateur

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
– – DCI Harry Nelson

Favorite meal?
– – Spaghetti carbonara

Favorite dessert?
– – Chocolate brownie

Favorite hobby?
– – Reading

Favorite vacation spot?
– – Italy

Favorite color?
– – Green

Favorite author?
– – Ian Rankin

Favorite sports team?
– – I’m not really interested in sport though I do like watching ice-skating and show jumping

Movies or Broadway?
– – Movies, especially old black-and-white films

Are you a morning or a night person?
– – Early bird by necessity

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
– – I’m usually woken by my cat, Flint, or my daughter, Kate. There’s always a rush to get myself and Kate dressed and to provide breakfast for all three of us. Then I drive across the marshes to drop Kate at school before going on to the University of North Norfolk where I’m a lecturer in forensic archaeology. My day consists of giving lectures and seminars, seeing students, marking papers and avoiding my boss, Phil Trent. My specialty is bones and sometimes – since DCI Nelson came into my life – those bones lead me into a murder investigation.

You can read about Ruth in The Dark Angel, the 10th book in the “Ruth Galloway” mystery series. The first book in the series is The Crossing Places.

In this highly atmospheric mystery, Ruth Galloway—“a captivating amateur sleuth” (Louise Penny)—and DCI Nelson investigate a murder in a medieval Italian town where dark secrets are buried as deep as bones.

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.

Purchase Link
# # # # # # # # # # #

About the author
My name’s Elly Griffiths, except it’s not really. My real name is Domenica de Rosa and I’ve written four books under that name. I was born in London in 1963. I did all the right things to become a writer: I read English at King’s College London and, after graduating, worked in a library, for a magazine and then as a publicity assistant at HarperCollins. I loved working in publishing and eventually became Editorial Director for children’s books at HarperCollins. All this completely put me off writing and it wasn’t until I was on maternity leave in 1998 that I wrote what would become my first published novel, The Italian Quarter.

Three other books followed, all about Italy, families and identity. By now we had two children and my husband Andy had just given up his city job to become an archaeologist. We were on holiday in Norfolk, walking across Titchwell Marsh, when Andy mentioned that prehistoric man had thought that marshland was sacred. Because it’s neither land nor sea, but something in-between, they saw it as a kind of bridge to the afterlife. Neither land nor sea, neither life nor death. As he said these words the entire plot of The Crossing Places appeared, full formed, in my head and, walking towards me out of the mist, I saw Dr Ruth Galloway. I didn’t think that this new book was significantly different from my ‘Italy’ books but, when she read it, my agent said, ‘This is crime. You need a crime name.’

And that’s how I became Elly Griffiths. Photo credit: Sara Reeve

All comments are welcomed.