(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for A Room Full of Bones, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Ruth Galloway mysteries.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

When Dr. Ruth Galloway—head of the Forensic Archaeology Department at the University of North Norfolk—is invited to supervise the opening of a medieval coffin, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body.  A fresh one, anyway.  But that's exactly what she discovers when she arrives at the Smith Museum for the unveiling.  The corpse of the curator, Neil Topham, is on the floor with no visible cause of death.  What caused his untimely demise?

Another mysterious death related to the museum makes it obvious that something strange is going on.  DCI Harry Nelson takes the case, calling on Ruth to help with the investigation.  Their digging leads them down strange paths that only create more questions.  As single Ruth and the very-married Harry race to solve the case, they also must deal with their awkward personal connection—their toddler.

I always enjoy my forays with the understated, but always entertaining Ruth Galloway.  A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths, the fourth book in the series, is no exception.  It features an intriguing mystery, a cast of interesting characters, and a plot that kept me turning pages. The mystery didn't go where I thought it was going to, which is always a nice surprise.  Overall, then, this is another entertaining installment in a mystery series I enjoy.  

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Ruth Galloway series, including The Crossing Places; The Janus Stone; The House at Sea's End; A Dying Fall; The Outcast Dead; The Ghost Fields; The Woman in Blue; The Chalk Pit; The Dark Angel; The Stone Circle; The Lantern Men; and The Night Hawk)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a few F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find