The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths
Rating: 3 Stars
Description: Forensic archaelogist, Ruth Galloway, finds herself submerged in a Victorian mystery when the remains of a murderess known as Mother Hook are discovered. Much to her dislike she now finds herself on a popular crime show involving the case. At the same time DCI Harry Nelson finds himself dealing what he believes is a simple but tragic case of a mother killing her own children. However, when someone who calls himself the Childminder takes credit and another child is killed things begin to take on a more sinister look.
Genre: Mystery
My Impression: I love archaeological mysteries and this one didn't disappoint. I thought Galloway was tough but still likable and Nelson was sympathetic. The top of the mystery was horrible but it was handled well without too much extra angst. The historical element was great. The main thing that kept this from being a 4 star book for me was Griffiths' use of present tense. Instead of saying "Ruth walked to her car" it would be "Ruth walks to her car". It made the pacing feel very rushed and took me awhile to get used to.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes! Now that I've gotten used to the tense she uses I've added all her previous books to my TBR
Would I Recommend this Book?: Yes! If you like Deborah Crombie I think you'd like this one.
Weird tense and I can see where that would pull you from the story. I do love the premise though.
ReplyDeleteIt was strange how much the tense affected my enjoyment of the book. Hopefully now that I'm better prepared it will be easier to deal with in other books!
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