The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths

I have not written about mysteries here in a while and definitely wanted to comment on THE DARK ANGEL by Elly Griffiths, a new addition to her Ruth Galloway series.  For those unfamiliar with the series, the character Ruth lives in Norfolk, England and is a forensic archeologist with a complicated personal life.  The local Detective Chief Inspector, Harry Nelson, fathered Ruth’s child Kate about 6 years ago, but he is still married to his now pregnant wife, Michelle. I mention those details because they figure prominently in the story which is as much about skeletons found in Italy, one ancient and one from a World War II era murder, as it is about who is the father of Michelle’s baby.  More than just a standard mystery (someone else is murdered, too), this tale takes place primarily in Italy where Ruth is invited to offer her professional perspective on a stalled archeological dig. There is an air of menace both in the small Italian village and back in England where a criminal Nelson helped jail is released for good behavior and begins to stalk law enforcement officials. Fans of the series will enjoy this addition, although it works as a stand-alone, too. THE DARK ANGEL received starred reviews from both Booklist and Library Journal; recommended if you are looking for a summer mystery read that takes place in a sunny, holiday venue.  Although slow in parts (plenty of angst over the personal situations), I found myself staying up late to finish THE DARK ANGEL because the suspense builds quickly at the end.