The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths Book Review

About the Book:

When builders discover a human skeleton during a renovation of a café, they call in archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway, who is preoccupied with the threatened closure of her department and by her ever-complicated relationship with DCI Nelson. The bones turn out to be modern—the remains of Emily Pickering, a young archaeology student who went missing in 2002. Suspicion soon falls on Emily’s Cambridge tutor and also on another archeology enthusiast who was part of the group gathered the weekend before she disappeared—Ruth’s friend Cathbad.

As they investigate, Nelson and his team uncover a tangled web of relationships within the archeology group and look for a link between them and the café where Emily’s bones were found. Then, just when the team seem to be making progress, Cathbad disappears. The trail leads Ruth a to the Neolithic flint mines in Grimes Graves. The race is on, first to find Cathbad and then to exonerate him, but will Ruth and Nelson uncover the truth in time to save their friend?

My Review:

I have enjoyed reading this series and watching Ruth grow and change. Her relationship with Nelson was always complex and remains so. I have found Cathbad a bit of a strange character, especially his Druid aspect. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed getting to know them all and experiencing their interactions. I also like all the references and visits to historical and archaeological places. I have learned much from this series.

This is a cold case mystery when a skeleton is found behind a bricked wall. There are suspects galore so Nelson has his work cut out for him. And then Cathbad goes missing. While most of the novel is tedious investigative procedure, there is a bit of suspense too. And what a suitable ending, coming full circle to the events of the initial novel.

This novel, and the entire series, is a good one for readers who like mysteries with a deep dive into characters and their relationships. 

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Elly Griffiths is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series, as well as the standalone novels The Stranger Diaries, winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, and The Postscript Murders. She is the recipient of the CWA Dagger in the Library Award and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She lives in Brighton, England. Photo © Sara Reeve

HarperCollins Publishers, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)