I first heard of her in the newsletter of the Dorothy L. Sayers Society, announcing a talk she will give in June. Then, almost the very next day, a friend mentioned her books in passing. So I thought I should check it out. She writes two different series, and the one I chose features Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist in Norfolk. And I am totally hooked.

Griffiths is the pen name for English writer Domenica de Rosa. Her description of the Norfolk landscape is just wonderful and worth the read for that alone. And, in Ruth Galloway, she has a sympathetic protagonist who deals with life’s everyday joys, sorrows, and choices like anyone else would. Griffiths’ descriptions of Ruth’s thinking make up much of the plots, and these descriptions are spot on.

Fortunately, Griffiths is very prolific, and there are currently 13 Ruth Galloway novels! Her other series is called The Brighton Mysteries and I’ll look forward to reading those as well.

Order is important here, as she really develops the characters. The first book is The Crossing Places.