#30 The Crossing Places

I actually finished this late last night (quarter to midnight), so I managed to read 10 books in January! My goal was to read 8 books a month, but maybe I can do 10.

The Crossing Places  is part of the Ruth Galloway mysteries by Elly Griffiths. Forensic Anthropology professor Ruth Galloway lives in the remote Saltmarshes, a remote area of England with her two cats Flint and Sparky (appropriate names for an anthropologist's cats). The Saltmarshes were sacred to the inhabitants of the Iron Age and were considered not quite land, not quite sea. Ruth is contacted by Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson to examine some human bones that were found. Nelson believes the remains may belong to Lucy Downey, a young girl who has been missing for 10 years. Another young girl goes missing as well. Ruth is increasingly drawn into the case and does ultimately help solve it. She and DCI Nelson have an budding professional and personal relationship.

The Saltmarshes are not real but are based on the Norfolk coast in England and the myths and legends of that area. Detective Nelson receives a series of letters from the kidnapper/murderer with clues to where the bodies can be found. The letters contain references to the Iron Age, Norse mythology, the Bible, and Shakespeare. Griffiths used her husband, an anthropologist, and her aunt's tales and legends of the Norfolk area as inspiration for this series.

The second novel in the series is called the Janus Stone.