The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway #1) [J0479]

2016 PB in nice clean condition. An Edgar Award Winner. The first entry in this acclaimed British crime series follows archaeologist Ruth Galloway as she investigates a child’s bones found on a nearby beach, thought to be part of a decade-old cold case. Forensic archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is in her late thirties. She lives happily alone with her two cats in a bleak, remote area near the Norfolk coast, land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants—not quite earth, not quite sea. But her routine days of digging up bones and other ancient objects are harshly upended when a child’s bones are found on a desolate beach. In this gripping police procedural, Detective Chief Inspector Nelson calls Galloway for help, believing they are the remains of Lucy Downey, a little girl who went missing a decade ago and whose abductor continues to taunt him with bizarre letters containing references to ritual sacrifice, Shakespeare, and the Bible. Then a second girl goes missing and Nelson receives a new letter—exactly like the ones about Lucy. Is it the same killer? Or a copycat murderer, linked in some way to Ruth’s remote home?

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Really enjoyed this! The setting was perfectly moody for gray autumn days. I liked the archeological and historical aspects of this story, would have loved to read more about it."; "What a complex but fun mystery! Love the main character and the story was so exciting."; "This was my first Elly Griffiths book and I really enjoyed it. I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened."; "An archeologist working in forensics? This book is right up my alley. Glad there are more ahead for me to read."