I was excited to listen to The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths. I hadn’t read or listened to any books by Elly Griffiths, but had heard good things about her books.

A skeleton is discovered at a building site and so DCI Harry Nelson calls in forensic archeologist Dr Ruth Galloway to determine just how old the skeleton is and how long it had been buried. I found the backdrop of forensic archeology and more broadly archaeology fascinating. The archeology backdrop makes it different and interesting and separates it from the other crime books.

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths is the second book in the Dr Ruth Galloway series and it didn’t disappoint. Despite being the second book, I was able to catch up on Ruth Galloway’s friendships and relationships. I really got to like Ruth Galloway, Harry Nelson and Cathbad. I will definitely continue reading the other books in this series.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Quercus, for making the e-audiobook available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Janus Stone is the second book in the Ruth Galloway series by award-winning British author, Elly Griffiths. The audio version is narrated by Jane McDowell. As Head of Forensic Archaeology at the University of North Norfolk, Ruth Galloway is called in by U of Sussex’s Dr Max Grey when a dig at Swaffham produces a small skeleton minus its skull, buried under a doorway: an offering to one of the Roman gods, Janus or Terminus?

She’s surprised when DCI Harry Nelson turns up there: she hasn’t yet told him she’s three months pregnant with his child. Ruth knows she will have to reveal her pregnancy before it becomes too obvious, and justifiably dreads the reaction of some.

Soon after, Ruth attends a demolition site at the request of the field archaeologist, when another small skeleton is found, again minus skull, again buried under a doorway, where a children’s home existed more than thirty years previous. Ruth calls in DCI Harry Nelson in case the bones prove to be more recent than Iron Age, as the burial looks more modern. The developer, Edward Spens is building seventy-five modern units, and is displeased when Nelson puts the work on hold citing a possible murder investigation.

Nelson’s sidekick, Sergeant Clough is convinced that in any home run by Catholic nuns and priests, there’s bound to be abuse, possibly foul play, but interviews with former staff and residents show no evidence of this. What might be significant is the mysterious disappearance of siblings Martin and Elizabeth Black, in 1973.

But post-mortem evidence eventually proves the bones too old to be children’s home residents, and Nelson’s investigation heads in a direction that is uncomfortable for some, not that that will stop him probing where he sees fit. He is distracted, though, when he learns that he is to be a father for the third time, and not quite sure how he feels about that.

Meanwhile, Ruth has the decidedly uncomfortable sensation that someone is watching, someone apparently fixated on her, who starts leaving vaguely sinister messages and objects both at the digs and on her doorstep. Nelson’s reaction is to assign DC Judy Johnson to watch over her. But after she has done some research into the former residents of the Woolmarket house, Judy needs to revisit her interview with Sister Immaculata: the ageing nun must know more than she’s told so far…

Griffiths uses Ruth and Harry as her main narrators, with occasional passages from the perspective of an anonymous person apparently making blood sacrifices to appease the gods. The plot is believable, the archaeology interesting and the characters, not all of whom are what they seem, are quite convincing for all their flaws and quirks.

It is certainly refreshing to read a female protagonist who is not slim and gorgeous. There are twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing right up to the final chapters, and a nail-biting climax in which Ruth fires a gun. Returning to this cast in The House At Seas End is eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Quercus Audio.

This is the second novel by Elly Griffiths featuring Dr Ruth Galloway and it is an enjoyable listen/read, and Jane McDowell does an excellent job with her narration, The Janus Stone follows on almost directly from the first book but it isn’t really essential to have read this first maybe only to get to know the characters, the main ones being Ruth a forensic archaeologist, detective Harry Nelson who calls her when old bones are discovered and Cuthbad who is a eccentric Druid living near Ruth on the salt marshes of Norfolk. The stories are abit cosy crime meets time team but the characters are relatable and easy to get in to and I look forward to reading more.

It's the first time I went back in time, before Kate was born and Ruth was pregnant. It seems a long time ago but I was elated to listen to this story as I knew I liked but didn't remember who-did-it
The narrator is excellent and the plot kept listening for hours even if I had other things to do like sleeping.
Highly recommended as it's like meeting another side of the characters of this story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Well the book I read over 2 days gripping in all different ways
I got inside a few of the characters which pulled you all over the place which made
me feel part of the book the place’s described where events took place I relayed to as
Iv been to a couple of them which made the book feel very real but all in all a great read.

Ruth Galloway, our favorite forensic archaeologist, returns after the recent events of Crossing Places.

The bones of a child are discovered at a construction site, so Ruth has to determine if it’s recent or of historical value. When they are discovered to be more recent, she has to work with DI Harry Nelson again to figure out who they belong to and who murdered the child.

The construction site used to be a children’s home so they have to talk to the priest and nuns that used to work there. Someone tries to scare Ruth off so there’s lots of action.

This is one of my favorite series. I love all of the characters and how they work together to solve the mysteries and are also like a found family.

I read this title a few years ago and have followed up with others in the series. But it was so long ago, I only half recalled the story and I was keen to hear an audio version and revisit the early part of Ruth’s story. I find her interesting as a central character as she’s a little different being a forensic archaeologist. So in addition to a police procedural, there’s another element and a very charming Norfolk setting. I’m not familiar with the area, but it feels very real. This is a mystery which involves the discovery of the bodies of two children. They’re buried in an unusual way and clearly something is amiss. There’s often a hint of the supernatural in these tales, but without it stretching into fantasy,

The relationship between the central characters is really well depicted and again, so plausible. Ruth is pregnant after a one night stand with her colleague who’s a married family man. Oh dear…what to do next as her pregnancy is becoming apparent? The human interest and relationships gives these books substance and I was delighted to revisit this mystic tale. Narration throughout is superb. Measured delivery and so relaxing. Really enjoyed the book and it’s not often I reread crime thrillers.

I have listened to this book before and really enjoy Elly Griffiths writing, so wasn't averse to re-reading.
The books are set in Norfolk and revolve around the forensic scientist and bone specialist, Ruth Galloway, and DI Nelson, Ruth's one night stand and father of the baby she carries in this book. The stories have a mystical air, revolving around archaeology and ancient myths, but also focus quite heavily on the relationships of those involved in looking at the murders. This one becomes really exciting and stress-inducing when Ruth is abducted after suffering a head injury at the site of the dig. A great read!

A really good audiobook, just as I expected. Beautifully narrated, this is a story that drags you in. I will definitely recommend this

This is the 2nd in Elly Griffith's forensic archeologist Dr Ruth Galloway Norfolk based series, and although I had read this many years ago, it is a series that I have followed and adored, so when the opportunity arose to listen to it, a reread, I simply could not resist. The audio is approximately 9 hours long, and is atmospheric, wonderfully, and ably narrated by Jane McDowell, so good that she allowed me once again to immerse myself in the drama, nostalgia, comfort, and mystery of this early case. Ruth finds herself drawn to a dig run by Max Grey of Sussex University, who grew up in the local area, and is disguising the fact that she is 3 months pregnant, not yet letting the father, a married man with a beautiful wife and children, DCI Harry Nelson, know.

The pregnancy is a product of a one night stand after a previous stressful case and events, she is 40 years old, overweight, yet she could not be happier. In Norfolk, an old property is in the process of being torn down for redevelopment purposes when a child's bones are uncoveredd under a doorway, and so investigations begin. The building site used to be a former children's home, run by a Catholic priest, Father Hennessy, from whom they discover that decades earlier, 2 children, a brother and sister had gone missing. As malign forces seek to block her looking further into the case, Ruth finds herself in grave danger, amidst the twists and turns of the narrative, until the truth rears its head in the thrilling conclusion.

This was such a pleasure to listen to, particularly as I had forgotten much in the intervening years, and whilst so many of the characters are so familiar to me. Griffiths weaves a well plotted and enthralling mystery, whilst simultaneously providing the engaging, in depth relationships, and interactions, to catch the interest of the reader and captivate the listener. I cannot help but hope that the publisher is planning to make more of the audios, having found such a perfect narrator for this series, available. I highly recommend this audio to crime and mystery readers. Many thanks to the publisher for the ALC.

When a child’s body is found under the doorway of an old children’s home, Dr Ruth Galloway will be needed. Children went missing from this home years ago, could these events be connected?

Well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Love Ruth’s character. She has her own issues to deal with but will pursue the case even when it puts her in danger. .

Well paced, good characters, mystery, action and the occult. A good read.

I always enjoy the Dr Ruth Galloway novels, well paced with a lovely use of nature imagery and the blurred lines across religions.

Sometimes book 2 in a series falls a bit flat or feels a bit lacking, but that's not the case here. There's plenty going on and lots of surprises along the way, to keep you guessing.

Ruth and Nelson haven't seen each other since their tryst but they each know who to call when they need the expertise. Nelson's team has a new member, leaving Judy feeling "at risk" and Ruth has a man sniffing around....her, or the dig?

Narration is a little slow, but 1.5x sorted that!

Builders were demolishing an old house in Norwich - the site was going to hold seventy-five 'luxury' apartments - when they discovered the bones of a child beneath a doorway. There was no skull. Was this a ritual killing or murder? Inevitably, Dr Ruth Galloway finds herself working with DCI Harry Nelson. It's difficult as Ruth knows, but Nelson doesn't, that she is pregnant with his child as a result of the one night they spent together some three months ago. Her condition will be obvious before long, not least because Ruth is prone to sudden bouts of sickness.

But before she can deal with that problem there's the more pressing case of the body on the building site. Not too long ago the house was a Catholic Children's Home and Nelson tracks down a Catholic priest who ran the home. He tells him that two children, a brother and sister, disappeared from the home some forty years before and were never found. This wasn't to prove the easy answer that Galloway and Nelson had been hoping for: testing establishes that the bones predate the opening of the children's home, But, if that's the case, why is someone trying to dissuade Galloway by frightening her?

In the interests of full disclosure, I must tell you that I first read this book in 2016 when it was first published but I had the opportunity to listen to an audio download, narrated by Jane McDowell and it was too good to miss. Thank you, Quercus! Most crime procedural books don't read well a second time around. If you know that the butler did it, something is missing from the book. That didn't happen with The Janus Stone. I had some memories of events in the book but I still appreciated the skill of the plotting and storytelling. I was sorry when I got to the end and it has prompted me to revisit some of the other books in the series.

The audio download was a joy. McDowell has an excellent range of voices. Even the men came across well and I was never in any doubt as to who was speaking. The pacing was perfect, too. There were occasions when Ruth was in jeopardy when I had to stop listening for a moment, to get my metaphorical breath back. McDowell also narrated The Locked Room by Griffiths and she lived up to my expectations in this book.

The book could be read as a stand alone but you'll get more out of it if you've read the first book in the series.

I loved this book. The series is fantastic. The main character Ruth Galloway is amazing, the way she works with the police to solve crimes is so clever. I love the fact these books are set in Norfolk- so scenic and peaceful. I was gifted this book from NetGalley and their linked authors and publishers as an audio book. The narrator is so good- she just brings the characters to life.