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The Frozen People

An Ali Dawson Mystery

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The Frozen People

By: Elly Griffiths
Narrated by: Julie Maisey
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About this listen

 SOME MURDERS CAN'T BE SOLVED IN JUST ONE LIFETIME.

'A five-star start to a dazzling new series . . . Smart, original and utterly masterful' Janice Hallett

'A pleasure from finish to start' Anthony Horowitz

'Fresh and exciting with both humour and thrills, Griffiths' first book in her new series knocks it out of the park' Shari Lapena

Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen - or so their inside joke goes. Most people don't know that they travel back in time to complete their research.

The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London in order to clear the name of Cain Templeton, the eccentric great-grandfather of MP Isaac Templeton. Rumour has it that Cain was part of a sinister group called The Collectors; to become a member, you had to kill a woman...

Fearing for her safety in the middle of a freezing Victorian winter, Ali finds herself stuck in time, unable to make her way back to her life, her beloved colleagues, and her son, Finn, who suddenly finds himself in legal trouble in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected?

Get ready for an original, transportive and characterful new crime novel from no. 1 bestselling author Elly Griffiths. Perfect for those missing the Dr Ruth Galloway series and for any crime and historical fiction fans.©2025 Elly Griffiths Crime Crime Thrillers Fantasy Mystery Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Exciting Comedy

Critic Reviews

A new book by Elly Griffiths is always a cause of delight, and this series promises to broaden our horizons. Ali Dawson will capture readers' hearts the way Ruth Galloway did.
Think you know time-travel? Think again! The Frozen People is a five-star start to a dazzling new series. Elly Griffiths has weaved a corker of a mystery that gripped me from page one. Smart, original and utterly masterful.
A pleasure from start to finish.
Fresh and exciting, with both humor and thrills, Griffiths' first book in her new series knocks it out of the park!
Elly Griffiths' new series showcases a writer at the height of her powers, with the confidence to go with the Big Idea. The Frozen People brings together time travel, a compelling Victorian mystery, and characters destined to become familiar names. An exhilarating new crime series with a fabulous genre twist.
In The Frozen People Elly Griffiths brilliantly makes the unbelievable believable - a tour de force.
A new series from Elly Griffiths is always a reason to celebrate and The Frozen People is outstanding. With consummate skill and wit, Elly creates new worlds and characters that feel utterly real. The Frozen People is a remarkable achievement from a crime fiction phenomenon.
The Frozen People has it all: mystery, humour and high stakes for a new group of heroes brought brilliantly to life by an author whose talent continues to dazzle and surprise.
Ending a much-loved crime series to start afresh takes some guts. Of course, Elly Griffiths pulls it off. Warm and engaging characters, a brilliant mystery, a surprise at the end, and - of course - that energising bit of time travel too. Amazing stuff.
Elly Griffiths is one of our very best storytellers, and The Frozen People is an outstanding start to an original new series. Mixing historical and contemporary drama, she weaves a captivating, atmospheric mystery filled with wisdom, wit and compassion. I can't wait for the next instalment.
Those of us missing Ruth Galloway need not worry because Elly Griffiths has presented us with a new character to fall in love with. Detective Ali Dawson is such a personable and relatable character. The Frozen People is wickedly entertaining, clever ... truly spooky. I loved every page.
The Frozen People is an absolute triumph, vivid, suspenseful, fierce and funny - I was all-in from page one.
A brilliant concept executed to perfection by a writer at the absolute top of her game.
I really enjoyed this book. Inventive, surprising, endlessly entertaining while being part murder mystery, part historical thriller, and part speculative fiction. Readers of any genre will enjoy sinking into its murky underworld with a protagonist they will love.
All stars
Most relevant
I loved everything about this book. It was written so I could picture what was happening. It was awesome.

The Frozen People was the most enjoyable book. I couldn’t put it down.

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Unusual story line but became so believable. Looking forward to the next instalment of this series

Brilliant story telling

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It was a slow start and I wasn’t sure at first but then got quite caught up in the story !

Great characters

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Another strong and brilliant female lead! Loved this new book and can't wait for more on the series.

Great new offering from Griffiths

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I loved the historical aspect and time travel is such a wonderful idea that was brought to life in the book

The characters

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I loved the story and the characters. Look forward to the next book in the series. I thought it was well narrated. Fantastic. Thank you Ellie Griffiths!!

The history from 1850

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This book was clearly intended to be part of a series, there are at least two major plot holes, with contrived story lines which did not make sense. Buy reading this you are signing yourself up to the whole series which I won't be.

don't expect an ending

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it was mildly entertaining, but couldn't decide if it was a detective, sci fi, historical drama, and didn't do any of them particularly well.

meh

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not a patch on her other books .will be asking g for a refund asap

Boring

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I really love Elly Griffiths’ books. Unfortunately, this is not up to her usual standard. If there’s a sequel, I won’t bother with it.

Not her best

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