The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths 371 pages

 Archaeologist Ruth Galloway on a dig at Norwich Castle has discovered the remains of Mother Hook—a back in the day type bogeyman or bogeywoman to be more precise—who was hanged in the 1800’s for the murder of five children. Meanwhile the married father of her child DCI Harry Nelson investigates the deaths of three children in one family. And if that wasn’t enough a child is abducted and then another.

As bad as all this sounds, it really isn’t. One of the things I love most about this series is the lack of gore and minimal violence. The Outcast Dead is a fascinating read with odd and likeable characters that just keep getting better in each successive book in the series. I say this a lot but to truly appreciate the characters and their relation to each other it is best to start at the beginning of the series with The Crossing Places.  Every one of Elly Griffiths books has been a one sitting read for me.