The Chalk Pit cover art

The Chalk Pit

The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries 9

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The Chalk Pit

By: Elly Griffiths
Narrated by: Jane McDowell
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About this listen

 'My favourite current crime series . . . a pleasure from start to finish' Val McDermid

Boiled human bones have been found in Norwich's web of underground tunnels. When forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway discovers the bones aren't as old as originally thought, it's time for DCI Nelson to launch a murder inquiry. What was initially just a medieval curiosity has taken a much more sinister nature...

Meanwhile, DS Judy Johnson is investigating the disappearance of a local rough sleeper. The only trace of her is the rumour that she's gone 'underground'. This might be a figure of speech, but with the discovery of the bones and the stories both Ruth and the police have heard of a vast community of rough sleepers living in the old chalk-mining tunnels under Norwich, the clues point in only one direction. Local academic Martin Kellerman knows all about the tunnels and their history - but can his assertions of cannibalism and ritual killing possibly be true?

As the weather gets hotter, tensions rise. A local woman goes missing and the police are under attack. Ruth and Nelson must unravel the dark secrets of The Underground and discover just what gruesome secrets lurk at its heart - before it claims another victim.

(P)2017 Quercus Editions Limited©2017 Elly Griffiths Amateur Sleuths Cosy Detective Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

The Chalk Pit is the most intriguing case written by the prolific Elly Griffiths to date. A five-star thriller
Griffiths has become a dab hand at plotting and cranking up the tension. The murders, and the muddled humanity of the characters, keep us turning the pages
Crime that doesn't sacrifice good writing and clever characterisation for the sake of the plot
Elly Griffiths writes ever-more ingenious detective stories with a powerful sense of place and a varied cast of sympathetic and unusual characters. Her heroine is a winner
Griffiths weaves superstition and myth into her crime novels, skilfully treading a line between credulity and modern methods of detection
Ruth Galloway is one of the most engaging characters in modern crime fiction (Kate Mosse)
Griffiths has mastered the art of combining bizarre plots with contemporary relationship issues beautifully
A spooky and gripping read
Proof that thrillers can increase the pulse rate while tackling more serious issues
Griffiths' great strength lies in her creation of a cast of returning characters that readers can and do care about
Excellent writing, excellent plotting, some utterly riveting detail and always a banging good story
Griffiths is a top drawer crime novelist, and Ruth Galloway is the most believable and likeable protagonist in modern crime fiction
Griffiths has become a dab hand at plotting and cranking up the tension. The murders, and the muddled humanity of the characters, keep us turning the pages
Crime that doesn't sacrifice good writing and clever characterisation for the sake of the plot (Sarra Manning)
All stars
Most relevant
Can’t wait til the next one. Elly Griffiths has outdone herself, and the narration was excellent too.

5 stars

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Her characters are like our family members and friends, as the author you know she loves her cast like her own children. The plot takes us on a journey we need to witness. Missing the escape into Ruth's life already.

Always delivers a great read

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The mystery in number nine of the series starts with the discovery of human bones in an underground pit which seem to have been boiled and picked clean. Nelson, Ruth and the gang investigate this and rumours there’s an entire underground society, living in a labyrinth of tunnels beneath Norfolk. There’s also a murder of a homeless person and a kidnapping of a woman which might be connected to this underground cannibalistic society.

I really enjoyed the mystery plot of this book. It was unique and unusual and oftentimes creepy. The only problem I did have was with its resolution. It seemed rushed and the ends didn’t seem to be tied up exactly right for my liking. But hey, who cares about the mystery plot? We’re all here to read about Ruth and Nelson and their mixed up relationship.

In this installment we actually got a little bit of progress in this area. I was, in fact, reading along quite happily with the outcome… Until Griffiths decided to throw a new spanner in the works. Yes, we were all too happy obviously so she ruthlessly brought us all back down to earth with a thud. *sigh*

This series has quite a long list of supporting characters and I’m sure I’m not the only reader who feels like I know all of them intimately. In The Chalk Pit I’m impressed by Griffiths’ skill at giving most of them a moment to shine.

As usual, I would not recommend this be read as a standalone. I think you need the background on the characters to truly appreciate the book.

Also as usual, the writing is not perfect but I still adore Ruth and Nelson and this series, so 5 out of 5.

Griffiths continues to tease us

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You can always rely on Elly Griffiths for a great read but here I tried the audible version and was nicely surprised. Having read the hard copy I can recommend this format to be just as good...maybe a little better!

Another great story

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I was tempted to score this book harder - three stars - but I accept that I am a fan of the Ruth Galloway series. While the book does not scintillate it does satisfy my desire to hear the story of the main characters continue. The plot of the mystery was OK, but it is the characters that will draw me back if there is another instalment.

A Fair Addition to the Series

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