Janus Stone [Hardcover]

Elly Griffiths (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 4, 2010

Ruth Galloway is called in to investigate when builders, demolishing a large old house in Norwich to make way for a housing development, uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway - minus the skull. Is it some ritual sacrifice or just plain straightforward murder? DCI Harry Nelson would like to find out - and fast. It turns out the house was once a children's home. Nelson traces the Catholic priest who used to run the home. Father Hennessey tells him that two children did go missing from the home forty years before - a boy and a girl. They were never found. When carbon dating proves that the child's bones predate the home and relate to a time when the house was privately owned, Ruth is drawn ever more deeply into the case. But as spring turns into summer it becomes clear that someone is trying very hard to put her off the scent by frightening her half to death...

Editorial Reviews

Review

What a fantastic book this is....The tension never fails and it builds to a fantastically gripping climax. This is a real tour-de-force and I can't wait for more.'
Pat Austin, Euro Crime.
--Euro Crime

'Her lead character is engagingly awkward enough to be perversely appealing ... on this evidence Griffiths has wrought something of a miracle' The Times. 'It's always a pleasure when an author's second book lives up to the promise of the first, and this is certainly true of the second in Griffiths's series... There's a satisfying meaty plot - family secrets, insanity and ancient mythology, both pagan and Roman - but it's Griffiths's dryly humorous writing and the appeal of her two main characters that make these books such a treat ... More please.' Guardian. '...it is topically terrifying enough but far more so when it is combined with pagan rites ... bone-chilling stuff' Times.

About the Author

Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly's husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton. The Janus Stone is her second crime novel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Quercus; First Edition edition (February 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1849161585
• ISBN-13: 978-1849161589
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,334,796 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elly Griffiths was born in London in 1963. Her first crime novel The Crossing Places is set on the Norfolk coast where she spent holidays as a child and where her aunt still lives. Her interest in archaeology comes from her husband, Andrew, who gave up his city job to retrain as an archaeologist. She lives in Brighton, on the south coast of England, with her husband and two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Griffiths' talent for suspense doesn't disappoint, November 4, 2010

By 

Cynthia Jacox - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Janus Stone (Paperback)

Elly Griffiths has crafted an engaging mystery that keeps the reader in suspense to the very end. The tale begins when a child's headless skeleton is discovered by archaeologists, sparking a police investigation that attempts to identify the victim and murderer. The setting is the Norfolk coast of Great Britain, so the reader is treated to English geographical references and colloquialisms that add an element of charm to the story. The cast of characters is delightful: a spunky female forensic archaeologist who is dealing with the dilemma of an unwed pregnancy, the brusque Detective Chief Inspector on the case who just happens to be the father of her baby, members of a prominent, wealthy family as well as Catholic clergy that have ties to the site of the archaeological dig, and an array of quirky intellectuals fascinated by ancient mythology. This was my first exposure to Elly Griffiths' work, as I won this book from Goodreads.com, and I am definitely motivated to read her previous novel as well.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Evil can't stay hidden forever.", November 6, 2010

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Janus Stone (Paperback)

Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist with a special interest in bones, teaches postgraduates at the University of North Norfolk and participates in the occasional dig. She lives with her cat in England's wild, desolate, and beautiful Saltmarsh, but will not be alone for long. She is three months pregnant and plans to keep the baby, even though it will mean raising her son or daughter as a single parent.

In "The Janus Stone," by Elly Griffiths, Ruth is preparing for the end of the school term and spending time with a fellow archaeologist, Dr. Max Grey, an expert on Roman Britain. As Grey informs Ruth and her friend, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson, "the Celts and the Romans sometimes used to bury bodies under walls and doors as offerings to the Gods Janus and Terminus." Ruth is called in when the headless skeleton of child is discovered on the site of a luxury apartment complex that is under construction. The body was buried "right under the main doorway." Ruth carefully retrieves and examines the bones, and DCI Nelson of the Serious Crimes Unit takes charge of what will turn out to be a complex and troubling homicide investigation. One individual who may have important information to impart is Father Patrick Hennessey, a retired priest and ex-principal of the Sacred Heart Children's Home, which once stood on the grounds where the small skeleton was found. Once again, Nelson and Ruth will discover that "disturbing the dead [and] meddling with the past" can lead to unforeseen consequences.

Ruth is an immensely appealing protagonist who is unpretentious, resigned to being overweight ("she's never going to look good in a bikini"), highly intelligent, and extremely independent. She has offbeat friends, including a Druid, Cathbad, who sometimes wears a robe and flowing purple cloak, and a flaky university lecturer named Shona, a beautiful woman with a weakness for married men. Ruth is a bit of an amateur detective; she cannot resist the lure of an intriguing case. However, when an anonymous perpetrator threatens her repeatedly, Ruth must decide whether it is time to back off for her own safety.

As in "The Crossing Places," the author depicts her characters skillfully. The dialogue is sharp and witty and the narrative is fast-paced and involving. Griffiths creates evocative settings and provides enough red herrings to keep us guessing. The story's sole weakness is its melodramatic and far-fetched conclusion, during which the psychopath's identity is revealed and a terrified Ruth struggles to keep her wits about her. Aside from this quibble, "The Janus Stone" is an entertaining blend of romance, mythology, mystery, and psychological suspense. Fortunately for Ruth Galloway fans, Elly Griffiths is talented enough to keep her plucky heroine knee-deep in engrossing dilemmas for some time to come.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait for more..., September 23, 2010

By 

Andrea Love "nanajlove" (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Janus Stone (Paperback)

Received for review through netgalley.

The Janus Stone is an exciting murder-mystery, the second offering following Ruth Galloway, forensic archaeologist.

Intrigue and suspense complicate Ruth Galloway's once simple life, as she learns of her pregnancy, deals with the (married) father, and has her life threatened by unknown shadowy players attempting to derail a possible murder investigation.

The characters are wonderfully engaging and the entire story line is filled with subtle nuance. I am looking forward to more stories from this author and plan to read her previous book, The Crossing Places.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."