This book doesn’t quite fit the series, for a start most of the action takes place in Italy. But forget the bones, this story is all about the characters.
Ruth is invited to Italy to provide expert advice at a Roman dig by Dr Angelo Morelli, another former lover! She is keen on the idea of a break after learning that DCI Nelson’s wife, Michelle, is pregnant again. Nelson is the father of Ruth’s daughter, 7 year old Kate. There’s also some uncertainty about the father of Michelle’s baby-to-be. It’s complicated. Ruth invites her friend Shona and her son Louis along to Italy for company and childminding. Dr Morelli has made accomodation available in the charming hillside town of Castello degli Angeli. The dig is nothing exciting for the overall story arc.
In a convenient plot device (I struggled with this) there is a minor earthquake and Ruth’s phone is off so Nelson hears about it and assumes the worst and is on a plane to Italy the next morning, accompanied by Cathbad. Of course. The earthquake has disrupted the local graveyard behind the church and a skeleton is uncovered that shouldn’t be there. The next thing we know, Ruth is embroiled in yet another murder investigation.
Meanwhile, back in England, tragedy strikes. And it has a unfortunate impact on Ruth and Nelson’s non-relationship. I really can’t say any more. I think this book was weaker than the rest of the series but I’m already onto the next one. And then I’m almost there! 3.5. Stars rounded up but it’s a close thing! But by the time you get to book 10 you’re in it for the long haul.

The Dark Angel: Ruth Galloway, Book 10
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©2018 Elly Griffiths (P)2018 Quercus Editions Limited
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Product details
Listening Length | 9 hours and 52 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Elly Griffiths |
Narrator | Jane McDowell |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com.au Release Date | 08 February 2018 |
Publisher | Quercus |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B076W33MQR |
Best Sellers Rank |
26,204 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
130 in Amateur Sleuth Mysteries (Audible Books & Originals) 300 in Cosy Mysteries (Audible Books & Originals) 491 in Women Sleuth Mysteries (Audible Books & Originals) |
Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,483 global ratings
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TOP 500 REVIEWER
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TOP 500 REVIEWER
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"Dr Ruth Galloway is flattered when she receives a letter from Italian archaeologist Dr Angelo Morelli, asking for her help."
Oh, we all do it, are flattered and ready to go forward to help. This is definitely a lesson of be careful of what flatters you!
Ruth, along with her daughter Kate, a friend and her young son travel to Castello degli Angeli to help Dr Morelli, but things don't go according to plan.
It all sounds very hopeful and one would expect that being in Italy we would get a really wonderful opportunity to experience a good dose of archaeology, but it doesn't work that way. Ruth seems to barely look at the bones before happenings in the village life take over and we are, instead, involved in past history and secrets kept since the days of World War II.
It's all very interesting but it changes the balance of what we have come to love about the Ruth Galloway story and, while I wasn't disappointed in the book, I was disappointed in the lack of the archaeology that we are used to getting in this series.
The relationship between Ruth and Nelson is still going strong and that's a worry, as there is no way this can end well, I feel we are doomed for pain some time in the future.
It's a great story, just not one of her best in this series.
Oh, we all do it, are flattered and ready to go forward to help. This is definitely a lesson of be careful of what flatters you!
Ruth, along with her daughter Kate, a friend and her young son travel to Castello degli Angeli to help Dr Morelli, but things don't go according to plan.
It all sounds very hopeful and one would expect that being in Italy we would get a really wonderful opportunity to experience a good dose of archaeology, but it doesn't work that way. Ruth seems to barely look at the bones before happenings in the village life take over and we are, instead, involved in past history and secrets kept since the days of World War II.
It's all very interesting but it changes the balance of what we have come to love about the Ruth Galloway story and, while I wasn't disappointed in the book, I was disappointed in the lack of the archaeology that we are used to getting in this series.
The relationship between Ruth and Nelson is still going strong and that's a worry, as there is no way this can end well, I feel we are doomed for pain some time in the future.
It's a great story, just not one of her best in this series.
Reviewed in Australia on 21 October 2019
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Love, love, loved this book! I feel like Dr Ruth Galloway is my friend, and all her friends are mine too. I felt this book had everything, experiencing staying in another country, intrigue, mystery and all the nitty gritty gossipy bits. I remembered the heat of Italy, the bone wearying trudges up to villages, the warmth and love of life of its inhabitants. Elly Griffiths brings it home so wonderfully. And me, who never reads a book more than once, I am on my third reading, and it probably won't be my last. I am so impatient for the next Ruth Galloway book!
TOP 500 REVIEWER
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This story is difficult to rate, the story line of Ruth, Nelson, Michelle and Tim continues to intrigue me and keeps me wanting to continue reading. The actual mystery this time was not so interesting. I think the reason is that the majority of the story occurs in Italy. I enjoy Norfolk and the weather and the many people who flow through and around Ruth. The booked lacked the usual moodiness that Norfolk delivers to the reader. I’m giving it four stars because of the 21 Century relationships that are riveting. If it just was about the murder it would be 2.5.
Reviewed in Australia on 3 May 2018
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In this novel the focus is on developing the reader’s understanding of the core characters in the series. Crimes are committed and murders are solved but these events are the background to character development. This might sound disappointing but for fans of the series it whets the appetite for the next instalment. I liked the focus. Dr Ruth’s life is messy and Griffiths avoids the trite and sentimental resolution her readers may secretly wish for and offers instead a much more realistic set of possibilities.
Reviewed in Australia on 17 February 2018
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I adore this series and the characters but didn't love this particular novel. It felt a little dry and a bit flat for some reason. I think it was missing Clough's irreverence and Ruth came across particularly staid and humourless this time 'round plus the Italian murder didn't hold my interest. Nevertheless I'm still intrigued to find out what happens next with Nelson and Ruth and eagerly await the next novel.
Reviewed in Australia on 25 October 2018
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I very much enjoy the Ruth Galloway mysteries. The characters are well developed. I believe that you could probably read this as a stand alone story, however it is a much richer experience if you have read the previous novels. Ruth is believable, flawed and intelligent - a great character.
Reviewed in Australia on 19 March 2020
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The change of location added depth to this tale as well as informing readers about a different subject. Thoroughly enjoyable as all the books have been in this series.
Top reviews from other countries

Adrian Drew
3.0 out of 5 stars
A “curate’s egg” - good in parts but with a very weak ending!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2018Verified Purchase
The positives are that for 80% it’s initially beautifully written, with a seemingly clever plot that promises much, and interesting characters that make one believe the book will be an undemanding delight! Set mostly in Italy, this atmospheric new novel seems ideal holiday reading too. However! The last section is appalling. The denouement of the Italian plot is tedious and unbelievable but thankfully the British storyline holds your interest far more - but only for a while. Then, as with her last novel, we have the long-winded, Epilogue. It’s so badly written and unconvincing as to be almost impossible to read without skipping sections. Such a disappointment. This writer needs a good editor to help sort this nonsense out. It’s all such a shame, for the earlier section of the book was a true delight. Elly Griffiths really has problems with her plotting and particularly her endings - this weakness has affected many of her novels but none as so significantly as with The Dark Angel.
31 people found this helpful
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Bookwoman
3.0 out of 5 stars
A very weak Italian Job
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 August 2018Verified Purchase
Elly Griffiths once again proving that's it's possible to like a book and be really annoyed with it at the same time.
This is the tenth instalment in the Ruth Galloway series, and the author obviously fancied a bit of a change - maybe inspired by a nice holiday in Italy? But personally, I'd have preferred to stay at home and do without all those descriptions of the "hilltop village", the pasta, the coffee, the limoncello, the beach ... It's a very weak plot, too, one that's not helped by some very unconvincing off-the-shelf local characters. Did her editor urge her to invent an excuse to fly Nelson and Cathbad out there pronto? Meanwhile, much much more interesting things seem to be happening back in Norfolk - though the Michelle/Tim entanglement, despite the dramatic ending, was as dull and unlikely as ever.
Ruth is still protesting too much about her looks and general ineptitude, of course, but now it's even more irritating, as she seems to have morphed into a sun-kissed femme fatale. Yet another gorgeous, available bloke is finding her attractive, and Nelson (who's as confused as me about why he's there) can't help but admire her in her M & S swimming costume: "she looks curvaceous rather than overweight, she's tanned too, and her hair is longer ..."
I always enjoy the police procedural/archaeological details in these books, too, but they're almost non-existent in this one - I'm not sure whether it could even go into the crime section of the library. Other reviewers have accused the author of sliding into chick-lit, and I think it's perilously close.
Nothing wrong with some decent escapist chick-lit, of course, and this is an easy read, especially if, like me, you've invested in this series. But by uprooting Ruth from her home and profession it's lost its USP, and this is the worst book by far. Even the title feels like an afterthought. So I'll ask the question again: time for a break?
Just scraping three stars.
This is the tenth instalment in the Ruth Galloway series, and the author obviously fancied a bit of a change - maybe inspired by a nice holiday in Italy? But personally, I'd have preferred to stay at home and do without all those descriptions of the "hilltop village", the pasta, the coffee, the limoncello, the beach ... It's a very weak plot, too, one that's not helped by some very unconvincing off-the-shelf local characters. Did her editor urge her to invent an excuse to fly Nelson and Cathbad out there pronto? Meanwhile, much much more interesting things seem to be happening back in Norfolk - though the Michelle/Tim entanglement, despite the dramatic ending, was as dull and unlikely as ever.
Ruth is still protesting too much about her looks and general ineptitude, of course, but now it's even more irritating, as she seems to have morphed into a sun-kissed femme fatale. Yet another gorgeous, available bloke is finding her attractive, and Nelson (who's as confused as me about why he's there) can't help but admire her in her M & S swimming costume: "she looks curvaceous rather than overweight, she's tanned too, and her hair is longer ..."
I always enjoy the police procedural/archaeological details in these books, too, but they're almost non-existent in this one - I'm not sure whether it could even go into the crime section of the library. Other reviewers have accused the author of sliding into chick-lit, and I think it's perilously close.
Nothing wrong with some decent escapist chick-lit, of course, and this is an easy read, especially if, like me, you've invested in this series. But by uprooting Ruth from her home and profession it's lost its USP, and this is the worst book by far. Even the title feels like an afterthought. So I'll ask the question again: time for a break?
Just scraping three stars.
21 people found this helpful
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Budgie
2.0 out of 5 stars
Save your money
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2018Verified Purchase
I waited for ages for this new book to become affordable. I've read all the previous books in the series and enjoyed each one. But! This one was dire! The plot completely unbelievable, the Italian characters even more so. Nelson rushing out to Italy with Cathbad in tow at the drop of a hat! Sorry, just not feasible. The Tim, baby, Michelle storyline just got so Eastenders and as for the his end! Well, what can one say. Even the dog seemed unreal - he's from a long line of police dogs! Really. No training necessary then. They come ready and working out of the box. Lazy story. Lazy characters. Lazy ending. Even Ruth was lazy. No sleuthing at all. One got the impression that Ely Griffiths is tired of the characters and didn't know what to do with them. I shall be considering whether to bother with any more of Dr Ruth Galloway books.
12 people found this helpful
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eppingstrider
5.0 out of 5 stars
gripping, heart-rending and inspirational
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2018Verified Purchase
Picking up from where we left off, the author gives Ruth the chance of a holiday in Italy, where the author’s family originated. That’s a lovely touch! Except that there are deep dark secrets that are nothing to do with the mafia, and the place Ruth stays seems to draw her unwanted attention at strange hours of the night.
In some ways the plot of this book seems contrived (since of course Nelson has to get out there as well), but several further complications in Harry Nelson’s convoluted life appear as a result of events in this and the last book. However, my immediate reaction was ‘gripping, heart-rending and inspirational’. So maybe it is better reviewed fresh!
Where is it all going to end? I start to think the story has nearly run its course, and Ruth should get out of the triangle, or quadrangle, or even quintangle she’s found herself in.
I can’t wait for the next one…
In some ways the plot of this book seems contrived (since of course Nelson has to get out there as well), but several further complications in Harry Nelson’s convoluted life appear as a result of events in this and the last book. However, my immediate reaction was ‘gripping, heart-rending and inspirational’. So maybe it is better reviewed fresh!
Where is it all going to end? I start to think the story has nearly run its course, and Ruth should get out of the triangle, or quadrangle, or even quintangle she’s found herself in.
I can’t wait for the next one…
8 people found this helpful
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noodun
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ho-hum
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2018Verified Purchase
Really not worth the tenner I paid! The story was even less probable than others in the series but the worst of this is the prose. Griffiths flits from one tense to another and it's just very poorly written and edited.
I suspect the same editor has worked on many of these books - it seems that they don't want to hurt a writer's feelings by altering the work. It really felt like an early proof rather than a completed work. Try harder Quercus!
I suspect the same editor has worked on many of these books - it seems that they don't want to hurt a writer's feelings by altering the work. It really felt like an early proof rather than a completed work. Try harder Quercus!
7 people found this helpful
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