Beginnings, Ends, and Dr. Ruth Galloway

by Sharon Kitchens

As a storyteller I find for all my reliance upon plans, most often it is instinct that drives me to the beginnings, middles, and ends of my stories. For instance, I’ve been rummaging around in my brain for weeks thinking about posts Michelle and I had thought up for March and April and just not feeling inspired by any of the ideas. And then April 25, 2023 arrived and alas so has the publishing date for the last of the Dr. Ruth Galloway novels - Book 15, The Last Remains.

Across the fourteen books in her Dr. Galloway series, Elly Griffiths (real name Domenica de Rosa) has accomplished something remarkable – a character who has grown and expanded and become more beloved book by book. Beginning with Book 1, The Crossing Places (2009) I began to look forward just a little bit more to the next book. Occasionally, between new releases, listening to earlier books in the series on CloudLibrary.com.

 

What I love about Dr. Ruth Galloway – she’s an intelligent slightly introverted cat lover. A real middle-aged woman who loves pasta, wine, and chocolate dipped biscuits but is also concerned about her weight. She lives in a book-filled cottage on the edge of a salt marsh near Norfolk, England. Hello ideal setting!

 

Her crime solving sometimes romantic partner DCI Harry Nelson keeps me in stitches.

Cathbad the Druid is like a favorite uncle. Flint! Ruth’s cat is a feline charmer. 

 

I find the history fascinating the mysteries intriguing, and the navigation of relationships all rich reading material thanks to Griffiths. I’m grateful to her for gifting us bibliophiles such a wonderful set of stories and wish her all the best with other series. As a storyteller it’s as important to know when to write your end as it is to know when to begin. She’s done what she set out to as I believe Ruth will have – though I won’t know for a few hours when I actually lay hands on the final copy. 

 

Am I sad? Of course! But with every end a new beginning. A few of my my favorite character/based series:

Harry Potter (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) by J. K. Rowling – 7 books

Ellery Hathaway (place is less a character in these books, but New England) by Joanna Schaffhausen – 5 books 

Harry Bosch (Los Angeles) by Michael Connelly – 32 books

Jimmy Perez (the Shetland islands) by Ann Cleeves – 8 books

Aimee Leduc (Paris) by Cara Black – 20 books

And….Hercule Poirot, Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes…