There is already a neat trench in the narrow gap between the tall cliffs. Nelson looks at it with pleasure . . . Then he looks closer. The trench appears to be full of bones. Elly Griffiths’s Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as “highly atmospheric” ( New York Times Book Review ) and “remarkable” ( Richmond Times-Dispatch ). Now the beloved forensic archeologist returns, called in to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach. Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it difficult to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson—the married father of her daughter, Kate—does not help. The bones, skeletons of six men with their arms bound, turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret? This is the third in the quirky, compelling series starring British forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway, the first of which, The Crossing Places (2009), won the Mary Higgins Clark Award. A group of archaeologists are surveying northeast Norfolk beaches for evidence of coastal erosion. Incidentally, the team has discovered a Paleolithic ax, a Roman bracelet, and shipwrecks. At Broughton Sea’s End, they discover human remains in a gap in the cliff. The remains are a big find—six skeletons in all. Galloway is called in, along with Detective Chief Inspector Nelson, her married lover and the father of her newborn (things are complicated all around). The bones point back to WWII, the Home Guard, and a long-kept, incendiary secret. Moreover, the WWII vet who lets the police in on only the existence of the secret is found murdered. Solid characterization, believable forensic science, great atmosphere, and a mystery that stretches back decades all make this another winner from the talented Griffiths. --Connie Fletcher There is already a neat trench in the narrow gap between the tall cliffs. Nelson looks at it with pleasure . . . Then he looks closer. The trench appears to be full of bones. Elly Griffiths s Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as highly atmospheric ( New York Times Book Review ) and remarkable ( Richmond Times-Dispatch ). Now the beloved forensic archeologist returns, called in to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach. Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it difficult to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson the married father of her daughter, Kate does not help. The bones, skeletons of six men with their arms bound, turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret? PRAISE FOR THE RUTH GALLOWAY MYSTERY SERIES Elly Griffiths draws us all the way back to prehistoric times . . . Highly atmospheric . New York Times Book Review Ruth Galloway is a remarkable, delightful character : brilliant, wry, determined, and independent, almost to a fault readers are sure to clamor for the next book in the series . Associated Press Ruth is one of the more wonderful creations in recent crime fiction. Ann Arbor News Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway stirs up fears and passions among the living even as she unearths Iron Age remains. She s an uncommon, down-to-earth heroine whose acute insight, wry humor, and depth of feeling make her a thoroughly engaging companion . Erin Hart, Agatha and Anthony Award nominated author of Haunted Ground and Lake of Sorrows Elly Griffiths s Ruth Galloway a forensic archaeologist who is prickly, tough, awkward, and vulnerable makes the perfect amateur sleuth, and jaded copper Harry Nelson is the perfect foil. These books are must-reads¬ I can t wait for the next one . Deborah Crombie, author of the Duncan Kincaid\Gemma James series