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Hello fellow Crime, Mystery & Thriller readers! This discussion is about A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths, your discussion leader is Sheri.
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about spoilers

Please note: If you have not finished reading the book spoilers are permitted in this discussion from the start.
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Summary

Ruth’s old friend Dan Golding dies in a house fire. But before he died Dan wrote to Ruth telling her that he had made a ground-breaking archaeological discovery. Could this find be linked to his death and who are the sinister neo-Nazi group who were threatening Dan? Ruth makes the trip to Blackpool to investigate, wary of encroaching on DCI Harry Nelson’s home ground. Soon Ruth is embroiled in a mystery that involves the Pendle Witches, King Arthur and �� scariest of all �� Nelson’s mother. There are forces at work in the town that that threaten all that Ruth holds dear. But, in the final showdown on Blackpool Pleasure Beach, it is Cathbad who faces the greatest danger of all

I am reading the series in sequence and think it’s just ok. I like eccentric characters but it’s becoming unbelievable. This reading revolves around the supposed bones of King Arthur, a dead archaeologist and some neo Nazis. There is very little mystery or suspense in this book. It seems too, that the focus of the story line has changed from investigating and archaeology to that of motherhood. A little bit tired of Nelson too.

Oh dear... I had a feeling about that motherhood thing in the third book, but I thought it might be transient.

I find it confusing when an emphasis on maternal issues takes over a series. You see it more in television shows than in books, but in that case it's sometimes an obvious need to accommodate the pregnancy of a lead actor.

Could it be that an author has decided to focus on a particular readership for whom a focus on mothering is particularly appealing?

In any event, it's too bad that the series has drifted away from the delicious promise of archaeology mixed with crime solving.

Ruth has her baby, Shona has a new baby, and Judy just had a baby. What's more interesting is Ruth's baby's dad is married to someone else, Shona might be married to Phil now but he was married to someone else when she became pregnant, and although Judy recently married her baby's dad is not her husband but he thinks he is. So this series is all over the place and the mystery and suspense is getting less and less.

I have read this entire series so far (except for the latest, which has only been available in the US for less than a week) and just reread this one so that it would be fresh in my mind for the group discussion. It's definitely my favorite series at the moment, because I love Ruth and some of the other characters. Although some of the plots (including this one) have been disappointing, I'm still eager to read about the latest developments in these people's lives every time a new one comes out. Interestingly, I am not at all fascinated by Ruth's relationship with Kate, but Griffith's emphasis on it has never bothered me as it seems to have bothered the rest of you. Ruth is clearly dedicated to her work as an archeologist and university teacher. The fact that she also has a personal life and that it soaks up a lot of her time and energy seems quite realistic to me. I am an academic myself, and my colleagues and I do in fact alternative between work obsessions and family obsessions -- Griffiths has rendered that aspect of Ruth's life very realistically.

Really enjoy this series also, Joan & Tabitha. It’s one of my favourite series.

I love this series, especially Cathbad.

Linda wrote: "I love this series, especially Cathbad."

Everyone needs a friend like Cathbad.