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DiscussionsBook Discussion : The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
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2sushicat
I've taken a bit of a pause from the series as I was getting a bit annoyed at the developments. Looking forward to see how the cast has evolved in the meantime.
3Sergeirocks
Last book in this series for a while, 🙁...
Hopefully, once the next one is published (2017?), everyone will be able to get a copy from their library. We'll have to make sure we all coordinate well in advance, then nobody will need to shell out for a hardback copy.
Hopefully, once the next one is published (2017?), everyone will be able to get a copy from their library. We'll have to make sure we all coordinate well in advance, then nobody will need to shell out for a hardback copy.
4Carol420
The Crossing Places – Read on the Mystery and Suspense Group
Ruth Galloway is a Forensic Anthropologist in her late 30’s that has issues with her appearance thanks to the years of criticism by an overly religious mother.
She lives happily alone with her two cats in a bleak, remote area near Norfolk on land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants—not quite earth, not quite sea. The iron-age people often buried treasure… or even bodies… at the edge of the marshland.
A child’s bones are found on a desolate beach. Enter Detective Chief Inspector Nelson who calls Galloway for help, believing they are the remains of Lucy Downey… a little girl who went missing a decade ago.
Lucy’s abductor constantly taunts DCI Nelson with bizarre letters containing references to ritual sacrifice…Shakespeare…and the Bible.
When a second girl goes missing…Scarlett Henderson… and Nelson receives a new letter exactly like the ones about Lucy…he has to ask Is it the same killer or a copycat murderer linked in some way to the site near Ruth’s remote home.
It soon becomes apparent that DCI Nelson is viewing Ruth as a bit more than associate.
Suspects changed very rapidly but most of us got the “who” and a few more the “where” but everyone was fooled to some degree about some things.
We are introduced to a cast of colorful characters. Some of the most notable ones are…
Michelle Nelson – DCI Nelson’s wife
Cathbad aka Michael Malone – a Druid and a lab technician at the University where Ruth teaches
David – Ruth’s next door neighbor, birdwatcher and Sanctuary Warren
Erick Anderssen – Norwegian Archeologist and Ruth’s mentor
Phil – The head of Ruth’s Department
Shona – Ruth’s best friend and a lecturer in English at the University
Clough - Detective Sergeant, Norfolk Police.
Judy Johnson - Detective Constable, Norfolk Police.
The closing chapters were exciting but we all agreed the fate of the first girl that went missing was a bit unbelievable.
The Janus Stone – Read on the Mystery and Suspense Group
When The Janus Stone opens…it has only been a month since the close of The Crossing Places.
Construction workers demolishing a large old house in Norwich uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway…minus its skull and Ruth finds herself once more working closely with DCI Harry Nelson when she once again called upon to help investigate.
When they realize the house was once a children’s home… they track down the Catholic priest who served as its operator.
Father Hennessey tells them that two children did go missing from the home forty years before in 1973…a boy and a girl…brother and sister…and that they were never found.
Carbon dating proves that the child’s bones predate the home and relate to a time when the house was privately owned.
In the meantime…someone seems determined to frighten Ruth to death and it’s all the more scary because she isn’t the only one she has to think about this time.
Even though we all said we liked the book and gave it high marks…we all agreed that it wasn’t as good as The Crossing Places.
The House At Seas End – Read on the Mystery and Suspense Plus Group
When the book opens we find Ruth Galloway a new mother with visitors …Harry and his wife…who has yet to learn that Ruth’s small daughter is also Harry’s daughter.
Returning from maternity leave and struggling to juggle work and motherhood... has Ruth less than confident…but she is learning.
A team from the University of North Norfolk, investigating coastal erosion, com across six bodies at the foot of the cliff and Ruth is immediately involved with the case.
The nearest house is falling into the ocean due to erosion. Testing on the six bodies says that they are Germans…probably World War II soldiers that have obviously been executed.
We learn about a civilian wartime organization, The Home Guard…that was formed to protect the villages and warn of possible attack that someone has used to overstep their authority with the execution of these 6 men…most only young boys.
Ruth has a friend, Tatjana, visiting whose presence proves to be somewhat awkward. Ruth finds she has to deal with childcare as well as how she feels about the baby’s father and how much he wants her and his small daughter to be a part of his life.
To complicate matters further it seems that Cathbad may suspect that Harry is the baby’s father and Harry’s wife may also be arriving at that same conclusion.
The ending was exciting but with several things happening that seemed improbable.
The 6 participants rated it from 3 to 4.25 and agreed that we enjoyed it.
A Room Full of Bones – Read on Mystery and Suspense Plus Group
Ruth makes the discovery of a museum curator lying dead next to the coffin of a fourteenth century bishop.
The coffin was discovered during the construction of a supermarket and was brought to the museum for an official opening.
The bishop was an ancestor of Lord Danforth Smith, a local horse trainer who also owns the museum.
It emerges that the museum has been receiving threats connected to a collection of Aboriginal skulls which a group feels should be returned to Australia.
The group includes Ruth's new next door neighbor as well as her Druid friend, Cathbad.
Now we learn of the local nobility's ownership of native bones taken by his ancestor from Australia in the last century. There is unexplained death of course, and hints of more other-worldly happenings alluded to in an earlier book.
The story of Ruth and Nelson continues wit Nelso on the outside of young Kate’s life since Michelle learned of his affair (if you can even call it that with Ruth.
Judy is married but still has a thing for Cathbad the local Druid who always seems to be in the middle of everything.
A visitor from Australia is appeared and now throws in his interest in the bones. Quite a mix. There are some forensic surprises too.
There were 8 participants in the discussion
Ranking or the book was 3.5 to 4.5 stars
6 of the 8 participants said they liked The Crossing Places more.
A Room Full of Bones ranked # 4 (last) of the 4 books we’ve discussed thus far by
A Dying Fall – Read on Mystery & Suspense Plus Group
Ruth Galloway learns that her old university friend, Dan Golding has died in a house fire.
She then receives a letter that Dan had written just before he died, and she begins to suspect there is much more happening than just an archeological discovery of a lifetime.
Dan indicates in the letter that he is scared for his life.
Dan’s death could well be linked to his find. The only clue that could make his death linked to his find is his mention of the Raven King, an ancient name for King Arthur.
Ruth and Cathbad along with baby Kate…all head for Lancashire. Ruth… to the university to view the bones and Cathbad to the home of his friend Pendragon…a druid who has secrets of his own.
When she and Cathbad arrive in Lancashire, Ruth discovers not only that the bones reveal a shocking fact about King Arthur…but that the bones have mysteriously vanished.
Now enters our friend and Ruth’s former lover…DCI Harry Nelson. Harry doesn’t know at the time that Ruth, Kate and Cathbad are on the scene. He and his wife, Michelle are simply intending to visit his sister and mother as well as the police station where his police career began more than twenty years ago.
When Nelson learns of all that is happening and that of course Ruth is in the middle of it…he is determined to protect Ruth and their eighteen-month-old daughter, Kate…however someone is willing to kill to keep the bones a secret and it is beginning to look as if no one is safe.
Add a secret society on campus that appears to be white supremacist, and you have quite a brew of suspicion.
Some major changes occurred with Cathbad remaining in Lancashire in the north of England, not just to care for his dead friend’s dog…Thing…(love that name), and house but to give Judy…his former lover…a chance to make her marriage work. We all suspect that Cathbad is the father of her newborn son who she just happened to name Michael. Another character, Tim…is introduced and may take his place on Hurry’s investigative team when Harry returns home.
Can any of us forget Cathbad’s near death experience with the roller-coaster?? I believe Sergei summed it up beautifully with “Bloody lunatic!”
There were 7 participants in the discussion.
Participants all had positive comments about the book overall and was pleased with the outcome
6 of the participants gave the book 5 stars and 1 a 4.5.
The Outcast Dead – Discussed on the Mystery & Suspense Plus Group (now Extra) Leafmarks
I thought the fact that the title and the book’s opening scene is based on an actual ceremony for “the outcast dead”…paupers and prostitutes long ago were flung into a mass grave…and was held every year at Cross Bones Graveyard in London.
The ceremony in the book has been moved to Norwich. At Norwich Castle…a grave likely containing the bones of Mother Hook…a woman hanged outside the castle for murdering some children in her care, has been unearthed.
Ruth Galloway, a Norwich University lecturer and forensic archaeologist seen in five previous books does a part on a television documentary for a series that is considering the guilt or innocence of Mother Hook. Ruth strives to keep the history angle going and to get it right while some members of the TV group are determined to make it into a ghost drama.
Ruth’s sometimes lover and father of her three-year-old daughter, Kate…DCI Nelson…is busy himself investigating a case of a mother accused of smothering her baby. This is complicated by the kidnapping of two Norwich children.
I don’t know how many participants there were in this discussion. I know there were at least 5 of us and I found two very good summery comments from two of the readers.
“Another good outing in this series, in fact this one may be one of my favourites in the series. I certainly didn't work out exactly what was happening in this book. There was some great developments in the inter-relationships between the characters in this book - this is what the real strength of this series is. I do wonder when other series have been made into TV series why this one hasn’t; I do think it would lend itself well to this format. I most definitely look forward to continuing this series.”
“The best part of this series is the supporting characters, especially the Druid, Cathbad, a character that could easily have become a caricature. Ruth sometimes fantasizes a future with married Harry, the father of her child, even though she knows its impossible. Judy, a detective on Harry’s team, is attempting to continue with her family life, knowing that the father of her baby is Cathbad. I enjoyed Ruth a lot more in this book because she's not wallowing in despair. Her career in on the upswing, she's just written a book about the events that happened last year and is participating in the TV show. She's much more comfortable being a working mother to daughter, Kate, too.”
Ghost Fields - Discussed on the Mystery & Suspense Plus Group (now Extra) – Leafmarks
A downed plane is found by an excavator in a nearby field. The remains of the WWII pilot found inside the plane would indicate he was shot through the forehead, not killed in the plane crash.
DNA analysis shows that he was related to the upper-crust Blackstock family, who‘s members live in a crumbling mansion nearby since the Bronze Age.
Members of the family act a bit odd when they're told about the remains in the plane…and the question arises could the dead man be one of the two Blackstock brothers who are thought to have died in the war?
There are plenty of Blackstock family secrets…and it seems that Harry’s team has their hands full trying to take care of their own lives. Along with Ruth and Harry’s ever increasing questions about their daughter Kate… we now have Judy, a police woman recently divorced from her husband whose wedding we “attended” in a previous book… about to give birth to the child of Cathbad the Druid. On top of that another officer on Harry’s team has fallen in love with a member of the Blackstock family.
The Television crew is back wanting to make a film about Norfolks deserted air bases…the so called “Ghost Fields”… and trying to make Ruth into a TV star which she stanchly refuses to be.
One of the bases has been partially converted into a pig farm run by one of the younger Blackstocks. As production begins, Ruth notices a mysterious man lurking on the outskirts of Fred Blackstock’s memorial service. Then human bones are found on the family’s pig farm with some really well fed pigs.
Again since we have been unceremoniously ousted from Leafmarks where this discussion took place, I don’t know the exact number of participants but I know for certain there were 6 of us. I have found two good comments from two that participated that I will include here as they express the sentiments well as to the groups feelings about the book.
“Another very good outing in this series for Elly Griffiths. Whilst I may not always agree with Ruth Galloway's actions, and in fact can become frustrated by them, I do think this is a very high quality series. One of the strengths of the series is the interaction between the characters and the character development. I would highly recommend this series to others.”
“I really like this series, with its well-drawn characters who seem very much like real people. Druid Cathbad now married to Judy, Dave Clough and Tim all have their own stories to tell, which adds an interesting dimension to the story. As always, the book grips from the beginning and draws the reader into a fascinating blend of crime and history. I'm a huge fan of this series but wouldn't recommend this as the first one you read. Many of the recurring characters have stories that would be better if you've read a few of the previous book. “
Ruth Galloway is a Forensic Anthropologist in her late 30’s that has issues with her appearance thanks to the years of criticism by an overly religious mother.
She lives happily alone with her two cats in a bleak, remote area near Norfolk on land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants—not quite earth, not quite sea. The iron-age people often buried treasure… or even bodies… at the edge of the marshland.
A child’s bones are found on a desolate beach. Enter Detective Chief Inspector Nelson who calls Galloway for help, believing they are the remains of Lucy Downey… a little girl who went missing a decade ago.
Lucy’s abductor constantly taunts DCI Nelson with bizarre letters containing references to ritual sacrifice…Shakespeare…and the Bible.
When a second girl goes missing…Scarlett Henderson… and Nelson receives a new letter exactly like the ones about Lucy…he has to ask Is it the same killer or a copycat murderer linked in some way to the site near Ruth’s remote home.
It soon becomes apparent that DCI Nelson is viewing Ruth as a bit more than associate.
Suspects changed very rapidly but most of us got the “who” and a few more the “where” but everyone was fooled to some degree about some things.
We are introduced to a cast of colorful characters. Some of the most notable ones are…
Michelle Nelson – DCI Nelson’s wife
Cathbad aka Michael Malone – a Druid and a lab technician at the University where Ruth teaches
David – Ruth’s next door neighbor, birdwatcher and Sanctuary Warren
Erick Anderssen – Norwegian Archeologist and Ruth’s mentor
Phil – The head of Ruth’s Department
Shona – Ruth’s best friend and a lecturer in English at the University
Clough - Detective Sergeant, Norfolk Police.
Judy Johnson - Detective Constable, Norfolk Police.
The closing chapters were exciting but we all agreed the fate of the first girl that went missing was a bit unbelievable.
The Janus Stone – Read on the Mystery and Suspense Group
When The Janus Stone opens…it has only been a month since the close of The Crossing Places.
Construction workers demolishing a large old house in Norwich uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway…minus its skull and Ruth finds herself once more working closely with DCI Harry Nelson when she once again called upon to help investigate.
When they realize the house was once a children’s home… they track down the Catholic priest who served as its operator.
Father Hennessey tells them that two children did go missing from the home forty years before in 1973…a boy and a girl…brother and sister…and that they were never found.
Carbon dating proves that the child’s bones predate the home and relate to a time when the house was privately owned.
In the meantime…someone seems determined to frighten Ruth to death and it’s all the more scary because she isn’t the only one she has to think about this time.
Even though we all said we liked the book and gave it high marks…we all agreed that it wasn’t as good as The Crossing Places.
The House At Seas End – Read on the Mystery and Suspense Plus Group
When the book opens we find Ruth Galloway a new mother with visitors …Harry and his wife…who has yet to learn that Ruth’s small daughter is also Harry’s daughter.
Returning from maternity leave and struggling to juggle work and motherhood... has Ruth less than confident…but she is learning.
A team from the University of North Norfolk, investigating coastal erosion, com across six bodies at the foot of the cliff and Ruth is immediately involved with the case.
The nearest house is falling into the ocean due to erosion. Testing on the six bodies says that they are Germans…probably World War II soldiers that have obviously been executed.
We learn about a civilian wartime organization, The Home Guard…that was formed to protect the villages and warn of possible attack that someone has used to overstep their authority with the execution of these 6 men…most only young boys.
Ruth has a friend, Tatjana, visiting whose presence proves to be somewhat awkward. Ruth finds she has to deal with childcare as well as how she feels about the baby’s father and how much he wants her and his small daughter to be a part of his life.
To complicate matters further it seems that Cathbad may suspect that Harry is the baby’s father and Harry’s wife may also be arriving at that same conclusion.
The ending was exciting but with several things happening that seemed improbable.
The 6 participants rated it from 3 to 4.25 and agreed that we enjoyed it.
A Room Full of Bones – Read on Mystery and Suspense Plus Group
Ruth makes the discovery of a museum curator lying dead next to the coffin of a fourteenth century bishop.
The coffin was discovered during the construction of a supermarket and was brought to the museum for an official opening.
The bishop was an ancestor of Lord Danforth Smith, a local horse trainer who also owns the museum.
It emerges that the museum has been receiving threats connected to a collection of Aboriginal skulls which a group feels should be returned to Australia.
The group includes Ruth's new next door neighbor as well as her Druid friend, Cathbad.
Now we learn of the local nobility's ownership of native bones taken by his ancestor from Australia in the last century. There is unexplained death of course, and hints of more other-worldly happenings alluded to in an earlier book.
The story of Ruth and Nelson continues wit Nelso on the outside of young Kate’s life since Michelle learned of his affair (if you can even call it that with Ruth.
Judy is married but still has a thing for Cathbad the local Druid who always seems to be in the middle of everything.
A visitor from Australia is appeared and now throws in his interest in the bones. Quite a mix. There are some forensic surprises too.
There were 8 participants in the discussion
Ranking or the book was 3.5 to 4.5 stars
6 of the 8 participants said they liked The Crossing Places more.
A Room Full of Bones ranked # 4 (last) of the 4 books we’ve discussed thus far by
A Dying Fall – Read on Mystery & Suspense Plus Group
Ruth Galloway learns that her old university friend, Dan Golding has died in a house fire.
She then receives a letter that Dan had written just before he died, and she begins to suspect there is much more happening than just an archeological discovery of a lifetime.
Dan indicates in the letter that he is scared for his life.
Dan’s death could well be linked to his find. The only clue that could make his death linked to his find is his mention of the Raven King, an ancient name for King Arthur.
Ruth and Cathbad along with baby Kate…all head for Lancashire. Ruth… to the university to view the bones and Cathbad to the home of his friend Pendragon…a druid who has secrets of his own.
When she and Cathbad arrive in Lancashire, Ruth discovers not only that the bones reveal a shocking fact about King Arthur…but that the bones have mysteriously vanished.
Now enters our friend and Ruth’s former lover…DCI Harry Nelson. Harry doesn’t know at the time that Ruth, Kate and Cathbad are on the scene. He and his wife, Michelle are simply intending to visit his sister and mother as well as the police station where his police career began more than twenty years ago.
When Nelson learns of all that is happening and that of course Ruth is in the middle of it…he is determined to protect Ruth and their eighteen-month-old daughter, Kate…however someone is willing to kill to keep the bones a secret and it is beginning to look as if no one is safe.
Add a secret society on campus that appears to be white supremacist, and you have quite a brew of suspicion.
Some major changes occurred with Cathbad remaining in Lancashire in the north of England, not just to care for his dead friend’s dog…Thing…(love that name), and house but to give Judy…his former lover…a chance to make her marriage work. We all suspect that Cathbad is the father of her newborn son who she just happened to name Michael. Another character, Tim…is introduced and may take his place on Hurry’s investigative team when Harry returns home.
Can any of us forget Cathbad’s near death experience with the roller-coaster?? I believe Sergei summed it up beautifully with “Bloody lunatic!”
There were 7 participants in the discussion.
Participants all had positive comments about the book overall and was pleased with the outcome
6 of the participants gave the book 5 stars and 1 a 4.5.
The Outcast Dead – Discussed on the Mystery & Suspense Plus Group (now Extra) Leafmarks
I thought the fact that the title and the book’s opening scene is based on an actual ceremony for “the outcast dead”…paupers and prostitutes long ago were flung into a mass grave…and was held every year at Cross Bones Graveyard in London.
The ceremony in the book has been moved to Norwich. At Norwich Castle…a grave likely containing the bones of Mother Hook…a woman hanged outside the castle for murdering some children in her care, has been unearthed.
Ruth Galloway, a Norwich University lecturer and forensic archaeologist seen in five previous books does a part on a television documentary for a series that is considering the guilt or innocence of Mother Hook. Ruth strives to keep the history angle going and to get it right while some members of the TV group are determined to make it into a ghost drama.
Ruth’s sometimes lover and father of her three-year-old daughter, Kate…DCI Nelson…is busy himself investigating a case of a mother accused of smothering her baby. This is complicated by the kidnapping of two Norwich children.
I don’t know how many participants there were in this discussion. I know there were at least 5 of us and I found two very good summery comments from two of the readers.
“Another good outing in this series, in fact this one may be one of my favourites in the series. I certainly didn't work out exactly what was happening in this book. There was some great developments in the inter-relationships between the characters in this book - this is what the real strength of this series is. I do wonder when other series have been made into TV series why this one hasn’t; I do think it would lend itself well to this format. I most definitely look forward to continuing this series.”
“The best part of this series is the supporting characters, especially the Druid, Cathbad, a character that could easily have become a caricature. Ruth sometimes fantasizes a future with married Harry, the father of her child, even though she knows its impossible. Judy, a detective on Harry’s team, is attempting to continue with her family life, knowing that the father of her baby is Cathbad. I enjoyed Ruth a lot more in this book because she's not wallowing in despair. Her career in on the upswing, she's just written a book about the events that happened last year and is participating in the TV show. She's much more comfortable being a working mother to daughter, Kate, too.”
Ghost Fields - Discussed on the Mystery & Suspense Plus Group (now Extra) – Leafmarks
A downed plane is found by an excavator in a nearby field. The remains of the WWII pilot found inside the plane would indicate he was shot through the forehead, not killed in the plane crash.
DNA analysis shows that he was related to the upper-crust Blackstock family, who‘s members live in a crumbling mansion nearby since the Bronze Age.
Members of the family act a bit odd when they're told about the remains in the plane…and the question arises could the dead man be one of the two Blackstock brothers who are thought to have died in the war?
There are plenty of Blackstock family secrets…and it seems that Harry’s team has their hands full trying to take care of their own lives. Along with Ruth and Harry’s ever increasing questions about their daughter Kate… we now have Judy, a police woman recently divorced from her husband whose wedding we “attended” in a previous book… about to give birth to the child of Cathbad the Druid. On top of that another officer on Harry’s team has fallen in love with a member of the Blackstock family.
The Television crew is back wanting to make a film about Norfolks deserted air bases…the so called “Ghost Fields”… and trying to make Ruth into a TV star which she stanchly refuses to be.
One of the bases has been partially converted into a pig farm run by one of the younger Blackstocks. As production begins, Ruth notices a mysterious man lurking on the outskirts of Fred Blackstock’s memorial service. Then human bones are found on the family’s pig farm with some really well fed pigs.
Again since we have been unceremoniously ousted from Leafmarks where this discussion took place, I don’t know the exact number of participants but I know for certain there were 6 of us. I have found two good comments from two that participated that I will include here as they express the sentiments well as to the groups feelings about the book.
“Another very good outing in this series for Elly Griffiths. Whilst I may not always agree with Ruth Galloway's actions, and in fact can become frustrated by them, I do think this is a very high quality series. One of the strengths of the series is the interaction between the characters and the character development. I would highly recommend this series to others.”
“I really like this series, with its well-drawn characters who seem very much like real people. Druid Cathbad now married to Judy, Dave Clough and Tim all have their own stories to tell, which adds an interesting dimension to the story. As always, the book grips from the beginning and draws the reader into a fascinating blend of crime and history. I'm a huge fan of this series but wouldn't recommend this as the first one you read. Many of the recurring characters have stories that would be better if you've read a few of the previous book. “
5Carol420
Earlier we had discussed that Cathbad, a favorite it seems of everyone, needed and deserved his own series. Eadie emailed Elly Griffiths and told her of our thoughts. Elly replied to Edie's email and didn't seem entirely opposed to giving Cathbad his own voice. We thought that the series should at least start with his younger days. Eadie issued the challenge here that we should all write what we thought his younger days may have been like to lead him to where he is today. That sounded like something that I would love to attempt and ended up not being able to stop. Are any of you surprised? Since it's on a group discussion thread that we will probably all leave...I have included Cathbad's early years according to yours truly. I'm waiting to hear what all of you think his early years would have been. It also seems that now have "agents" that at least one of them is offering some tempting goodies if I write the series. Chocolate cake for so many words in the paragraph...Irish whisky...bacon butties... who can refuse that? I will have no problem writing this series as I will be too fat to move from the computer. The only problem I see are all those pesky copy-write laws. Maybe the little meerkat can do some major ankle biting when those lawyers to too bothersome. Anyway. I'm going to post our contributions.
Our Question Master is thinking of fame and fortune:
Andrew: "She best not think too long or I might copyright the idea! From Question Master to Story Writer!"
Ms. Google-It takes up the cause:
Eadie: "That's true! We can write Cathbad's early years. Maybe she doesn't know about his early years because she hasn't written it yet." "Everyone write what we think his early years were like and see who comes up with the most believable."
She contacts Elly Griffiths and gets a reply:
We got a response from Elly Griffiths:
From Elly herself: Hi! I so enjoyed reading your Cathbad comments. Actually I have sometimes thought of giving him a spin-off series and I do like the idea of the early days, which would give me a chance to write about Erik again. It's funny because Cathbad was only a minor character in the first book now he seems to have almost taken over. I'm so glad that you are enjoying the books. All best Elly
What Eadie sent: sorry they're reversed.
Eadie Burke:
"A spin-off series would be really great. We do group reads online with people from UK, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and other places. The book is broken down into 4 or 5 sections and after we read a section we have a questionnaire and we discuss who the suspects are and other aspects of the book. We have read them all and we are reading The Woman in Blue starting Friday."
Of Course if it involved writing a story...I had to answer that challenge:
My idea of how his early years may have happened:
Okay...you asked for it. This was so much fun to construct. Cathbad's early years that brought him to Ruth may have read something like this.
Aed stole into the room where the cradle stood holding his newborn son and his dreams for the future...Cathbad. Faelan, his wife was finally sleeping after the bairn was finally settled. This one was a strange one. Not at all like any of his brothers or his sister. Faelan says he is destined for great things but Aed senses a darkness hovering over the wee ones head. Something that troubles him but evades his senses. Tomorrow he'll consult the Druids for their wisdom in the matter. Carefully banking the peat fire, Aed returns to bed taking his troubled thoughts with him.
Morcant, the village Durid watches the young Cathbad as he and Moria, the daughter of Ninian, one of his Durid friends play at the edge of the woodlands surrounding their village. A bird has fallen from it's nest and Cathbad has rescued it and is searching for what Morcant knows to be nettle. He himself has used it often to stop bleeding from wounds. Just how had this 4 year old has come by this knowledge is something that puzzles the ancient Durid. He will need to investigate this further.
Ninian has been expecting this meeting of the Druid council of elders ever since he was summoned by Aed concerning his fears for his young son, Cathbad. Ninian's heart was filled with both dread and hope when he saw the shadow that followed the youngster. The council was meeting tonight to plan how they were going to separate the boy Cathbad from his family and friends without alarming anyone. The boy carries the shadow of Sluagh, the dead sinners. Sluagh are scary creatures that hunt down souls that come back as malicious spirits. They come from the west and fly in flocks like birds so the west windows are always kept closed to try and prevent their entry. Nothing pleases them more than to find "a special one" and attach its self to their immortal soul. This is the obvious case in young Cathbad who may have been found while still in the womb. Now it is imperative that he start to study to become a Druid as soon as possible so that he will posses the skills needed to fight the battle...a battle he may remain entirely unaware of raging around him.
Aed and Faelan make a deal with the Druids that they may have Cathbad on his 9th birthday. He is excited to be offered this opportunity but he will still see his family...at least for a little while. Until he reaches the age to obtain his honor price and must in turn seek higher knowledge in order to become what Morcan and Ninian say he was born to be.
Young Cathbad believed that demons and spirits…. omens and portents…. were everywhere. He would have counted on his priests or druids, to keep him safe. After all they were responsible for all religious rituals and were the only ones who could talk to a God. And yes…Cathbad knew there was diffidently more than one of those and you didn’t want to anger any of them. Cathbad watched the holy men closely and he wanted that lofty status…that respect and the power that went with being a Druid. They were the soothsayers, the seers, the teachers, the doctors, the philosophers, and the lawyers in the society that he had been born into.
His path to realizing his dreams would be a long and hard one. To become a Druid, he had to study with the Druids for many years. At the age of nine he began his studies with the village Druid. For fourteen years he followed the priest and assisted with all manner of rituals and rites. Another six years would be devoted to earning his "honor price"...what his talents were worth to his would-be followers. If a child was sick, he learned from the druid which medicine might cure the child. Medicine they made from a plant. If there was a fight over a boundary by two families in the tribe, Cathbad learned how the dispute would be decided… who was right and who was mistaken. If a raven flew over a homestead, the family would want to know what it meant. Cathbad learned there were many such signs in nature and as a Durid he would learn to read them like a worn and well loved book.
At the age of twenty-three Cathbad Left the comfort and security of his small village for the last of his long education. The Druids had their own universities….so along with the hours of study he put into his religious training …he also studied chemistry and science as they seemed to be, at least in his mind, closely related to the things he had learned about that affected the natural world around him. There was a lot to learn. So began his long journey.
To his people, their Druids were everything…. but Cathbad especially wanted to be everything to the beautiful Moria. She had been his childhood playmate, the object that he worshiped from afar in his formative years and the one that he thought he would work up the courage to ask to be his wife after he obtained his life’s ambition of Duridhood. What young woman wouldn’t want the honor of walking the exulted path that lie ahead for young Cathbad? So with hope in his heart, Cathbad returned to his village.
But things were not in the least the same. Why had no one told him? Why would they keep this from him? Perhaps he could have foretold it or even prevented it if he had only known. As the young Durid fell to his knees with bowed head at the edge of the burned out village that had been his home he watched his dreams of a life with Moria evaporate and turn as cold and gray as the ashes that covered the ground he knelt on.
Oh he could read the signs alright and they told him of a visit from an evil as old as time itself. Something that lived in the hearts of some men and would never die…but it could be controlled and Cathbad vowed to the departed souls of his family, his friends, and the love of his life, Moria, that he would devote the rest of his days watching and waiting for it to show it’s ugly face again. He knew that it would only be a matter of time and in another place, but he would never be caught off guard again.
Cathbad turned and departed, seeking solace in a town much larger than his village and with it the isolation that he craved. He found employment with the local university working in the lab. He met a woman archaeologist…Ruth Galloway who although not a Druid seemed to have the gift of communicating with the Gods of the dead through their bones. Slowly he settled into a daily routine and made other close friends who took an interest in the religion of their past and allowed him to perform his rituals. Many began to ask his advice if not totally ready to ask for his guidance. As the years pasted Cathbad found that he was content and sometimes even happy. However he had seen the old evil several times since his arrival but so far had managed to keep his promise to Moria that it would never be allowed to take those that he loved and had sworn to protect as long as he drew breath.
My Agents Arrive:
Andrew: "Hmmm, hmmmm! Notice it says #1 in the Cathbad series, now it can't be a series unless there is a follow-up book! I wait (as do all followers of the series) for the new book. You can't let your readers down."
One of them is already demanding rewrites:
Eadie: "I like it Carol. But how about his very early childhood in regards to his parents and did he have any brothers and sisters. What was he like as a baby and a toddler? What was his parents like?"
"Carol, can't wait for the next installment! Great job!"
I already have ONE fan!!!:
Sergei: "I always think that if a piece of writing can evoke an emotion in the reader, then that piece of writing can be labelled 'good'. This had me feeling such sadness for Cathbad..."
Does this mean I have sold a copy???? I don't have any of the green stuff in my hand...neither in dollars nor in pounds....so....what gives with this?
I contact my agents:
Me: "It's been edited. LibraryThing is going to start charging me by the word:)" (send money! hint, hint)
I now hear that it has received 4.5 stars. To which I reply...
Me: "4.5 stars...WOW! I'm going to quit while I'm ahead." My mother didn't raise any fools! Well maybe she did seeing as I have one fan...4.5 stars...and still no currency from either side of the pond.
So I say to my friendly agents:
Me: "Thank you both for all your encouragement. You'll have to admit it would be the shortest book in the history of print. Don't you think we should talk about royalties at some point soon?" (more hints about the green)
Now here is the deal that I have been offered:
Andrew:
"How about a portion of chocolate cake per paragraph, but each paragraph must be at least a 100 words to earn this reward!"
"Each completed chapter earns a bacon Buttie, and given your Scottish background a glass of Iron Brew to go with it."
"Each completed book gets you Welsh rarebit and a glass of Whisky."
Is this the trials and tribulations that a best selling author has to go through? Did Elly Griffiths and Clive Cussler and Peter James suffer like this? Still no money in the foreseeable future, but at least I'm going to be well fed. After the Iron Brew and the whisky I probably won't care anyway. Can someone please send me the phone number for the nearest weight-loss center?
Our Question Master is thinking of fame and fortune:
Andrew: "She best not think too long or I might copyright the idea! From Question Master to Story Writer!"
Ms. Google-It takes up the cause:
Eadie: "That's true! We can write Cathbad's early years. Maybe she doesn't know about his early years because she hasn't written it yet." "Everyone write what we think his early years were like and see who comes up with the most believable."
She contacts Elly Griffiths and gets a reply:
We got a response from Elly Griffiths:
From Elly herself: Hi! I so enjoyed reading your Cathbad comments. Actually I have sometimes thought of giving him a spin-off series and I do like the idea of the early days, which would give me a chance to write about Erik again. It's funny because Cathbad was only a minor character in the first book now he seems to have almost taken over. I'm so glad that you are enjoying the books. All best Elly
What Eadie sent: sorry they're reversed.
Eadie Burke:
"A spin-off series would be really great. We do group reads online with people from UK, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and other places. The book is broken down into 4 or 5 sections and after we read a section we have a questionnaire and we discuss who the suspects are and other aspects of the book. We have read them all and we are reading The Woman in Blue starting Friday."
Of Course if it involved writing a story...I had to answer that challenge:
My idea of how his early years may have happened:
Okay...you asked for it. This was so much fun to construct. Cathbad's early years that brought him to Ruth may have read something like this.
Aed stole into the room where the cradle stood holding his newborn son and his dreams for the future...Cathbad. Faelan, his wife was finally sleeping after the bairn was finally settled. This one was a strange one. Not at all like any of his brothers or his sister. Faelan says he is destined for great things but Aed senses a darkness hovering over the wee ones head. Something that troubles him but evades his senses. Tomorrow he'll consult the Druids for their wisdom in the matter. Carefully banking the peat fire, Aed returns to bed taking his troubled thoughts with him.
Morcant, the village Durid watches the young Cathbad as he and Moria, the daughter of Ninian, one of his Durid friends play at the edge of the woodlands surrounding their village. A bird has fallen from it's nest and Cathbad has rescued it and is searching for what Morcant knows to be nettle. He himself has used it often to stop bleeding from wounds. Just how had this 4 year old has come by this knowledge is something that puzzles the ancient Durid. He will need to investigate this further.
Ninian has been expecting this meeting of the Druid council of elders ever since he was summoned by Aed concerning his fears for his young son, Cathbad. Ninian's heart was filled with both dread and hope when he saw the shadow that followed the youngster. The council was meeting tonight to plan how they were going to separate the boy Cathbad from his family and friends without alarming anyone. The boy carries the shadow of Sluagh, the dead sinners. Sluagh are scary creatures that hunt down souls that come back as malicious spirits. They come from the west and fly in flocks like birds so the west windows are always kept closed to try and prevent their entry. Nothing pleases them more than to find "a special one" and attach its self to their immortal soul. This is the obvious case in young Cathbad who may have been found while still in the womb. Now it is imperative that he start to study to become a Druid as soon as possible so that he will posses the skills needed to fight the battle...a battle he may remain entirely unaware of raging around him.
Aed and Faelan make a deal with the Druids that they may have Cathbad on his 9th birthday. He is excited to be offered this opportunity but he will still see his family...at least for a little while. Until he reaches the age to obtain his honor price and must in turn seek higher knowledge in order to become what Morcan and Ninian say he was born to be.
Young Cathbad believed that demons and spirits…. omens and portents…. were everywhere. He would have counted on his priests or druids, to keep him safe. After all they were responsible for all religious rituals and were the only ones who could talk to a God. And yes…Cathbad knew there was diffidently more than one of those and you didn’t want to anger any of them. Cathbad watched the holy men closely and he wanted that lofty status…that respect and the power that went with being a Druid. They were the soothsayers, the seers, the teachers, the doctors, the philosophers, and the lawyers in the society that he had been born into.
His path to realizing his dreams would be a long and hard one. To become a Druid, he had to study with the Druids for many years. At the age of nine he began his studies with the village Druid. For fourteen years he followed the priest and assisted with all manner of rituals and rites. Another six years would be devoted to earning his "honor price"...what his talents were worth to his would-be followers. If a child was sick, he learned from the druid which medicine might cure the child. Medicine they made from a plant. If there was a fight over a boundary by two families in the tribe, Cathbad learned how the dispute would be decided… who was right and who was mistaken. If a raven flew over a homestead, the family would want to know what it meant. Cathbad learned there were many such signs in nature and as a Durid he would learn to read them like a worn and well loved book.
At the age of twenty-three Cathbad Left the comfort and security of his small village for the last of his long education. The Druids had their own universities….so along with the hours of study he put into his religious training …he also studied chemistry and science as they seemed to be, at least in his mind, closely related to the things he had learned about that affected the natural world around him. There was a lot to learn. So began his long journey.
To his people, their Druids were everything…. but Cathbad especially wanted to be everything to the beautiful Moria. She had been his childhood playmate, the object that he worshiped from afar in his formative years and the one that he thought he would work up the courage to ask to be his wife after he obtained his life’s ambition of Duridhood. What young woman wouldn’t want the honor of walking the exulted path that lie ahead for young Cathbad? So with hope in his heart, Cathbad returned to his village.
But things were not in the least the same. Why had no one told him? Why would they keep this from him? Perhaps he could have foretold it or even prevented it if he had only known. As the young Durid fell to his knees with bowed head at the edge of the burned out village that had been his home he watched his dreams of a life with Moria evaporate and turn as cold and gray as the ashes that covered the ground he knelt on.
Oh he could read the signs alright and they told him of a visit from an evil as old as time itself. Something that lived in the hearts of some men and would never die…but it could be controlled and Cathbad vowed to the departed souls of his family, his friends, and the love of his life, Moria, that he would devote the rest of his days watching and waiting for it to show it’s ugly face again. He knew that it would only be a matter of time and in another place, but he would never be caught off guard again.
Cathbad turned and departed, seeking solace in a town much larger than his village and with it the isolation that he craved. He found employment with the local university working in the lab. He met a woman archaeologist…Ruth Galloway who although not a Druid seemed to have the gift of communicating with the Gods of the dead through their bones. Slowly he settled into a daily routine and made other close friends who took an interest in the religion of their past and allowed him to perform his rituals. Many began to ask his advice if not totally ready to ask for his guidance. As the years pasted Cathbad found that he was content and sometimes even happy. However he had seen the old evil several times since his arrival but so far had managed to keep his promise to Moria that it would never be allowed to take those that he loved and had sworn to protect as long as he drew breath.
My Agents Arrive:
Andrew: "Hmmm, hmmmm! Notice it says #1 in the Cathbad series, now it can't be a series unless there is a follow-up book! I wait (as do all followers of the series) for the new book. You can't let your readers down."
One of them is already demanding rewrites:
Eadie: "I like it Carol. But how about his very early childhood in regards to his parents and did he have any brothers and sisters. What was he like as a baby and a toddler? What was his parents like?"
"Carol, can't wait for the next installment! Great job!"
I already have ONE fan!!!:
Sergei: "I always think that if a piece of writing can evoke an emotion in the reader, then that piece of writing can be labelled 'good'. This had me feeling such sadness for Cathbad..."
Does this mean I have sold a copy???? I don't have any of the green stuff in my hand...neither in dollars nor in pounds....so....what gives with this?
I contact my agents:
Me: "It's been edited. LibraryThing is going to start charging me by the word:)" (send money! hint, hint)
I now hear that it has received 4.5 stars. To which I reply...
Me: "4.5 stars...WOW! I'm going to quit while I'm ahead." My mother didn't raise any fools! Well maybe she did seeing as I have one fan...4.5 stars...and still no currency from either side of the pond.
So I say to my friendly agents:
Me: "Thank you both for all your encouragement. You'll have to admit it would be the shortest book in the history of print. Don't you think we should talk about royalties at some point soon?" (more hints about the green)
Now here is the deal that I have been offered:
Andrew:
"How about a portion of chocolate cake per paragraph, but each paragraph must be at least a 100 words to earn this reward!"
"Each completed chapter earns a bacon Buttie, and given your Scottish background a glass of Iron Brew to go with it."
"Each completed book gets you Welsh rarebit and a glass of Whisky."
Is this the trials and tribulations that a best selling author has to go through? Did Elly Griffiths and Clive Cussler and Peter James suffer like this? Still no money in the foreseeable future, but at least I'm going to be well fed. After the Iron Brew and the whisky I probably won't care anyway. Can someone please send me the phone number for the nearest weight-loss center?
6Carol420
Okay...back to the serious question after the 10,000 word book. What am I hoping for in this book? I hope that Ruth makes some strides in her relationship with someone other than her married lover. She can't entirely give up Harry...he is Kate's father...but he seems to be determined to remain married. Hope also there is lots more of Cathbad. And I am already looking forward to The Chalk Pit due for release May 30, 2017 at least that's that date of of now.
7Andrew-theQM
>6 Carol420: In the UK it is released in February. Thanks Carol for the massive undertaking of giving details about all the books and of course your own literary work!
I would also like to see Ruth finally get over Nelson. SPOILER ALERT (if you haven't read all the other books). I have a feeling Nelson will find out about the relationship between Nelson and Tim and what almost happened. Will be very interesting to see what happens if this is the case. I'd also like to see Ruth grow in maturity, and I'd like to see a lot more of Cathbad in this book.
I would also like to see Ruth finally get over Nelson. SPOILER ALERT (if you haven't read all the other books). I have a feeling Nelson will find out about the relationship between Nelson and Tim and what almost happened. Will be very interesting to see what happens if this is the case. I'd also like to see Ruth grow in maturity, and I'd like to see a lot more of Cathbad in this book.
8Carol420
>7 Andrew-theQM: Whenever it's being released I'm sure we will be ready for it. The massive undertaking isn't quiet as massive as it once was. I make it a point to do the book we just finished and save it all in a word document. It's just being sure that it's all correct. Doesn't take anywhere near as long as it did at first. It did take a while to get my "literary endeavors" together along with my "agents" requests and offerings. Now I forever have proof of what my purposed "benefits" are.
9Andrew-theQM
>8 Carol420: Lol! Don't forget the agent's cut!
10Carol420
>9 Andrew-theQM: You got it. Half a bacon buttie coming to you:)
11Olivermagnus
I continue to be in awe of Carol's ability to organize.
I'm hoping to see more of Cathbad. I hope Nelson and Michelle stay together because he and Ruth would be miserable as a couple. I would like to see the introduction of a new character, especially if Tim is thinking of leaving. Maybe someone who liked Ruth a bit.
I'm hoping to see more of Cathbad. I hope Nelson and Michelle stay together because he and Ruth would be miserable as a couple. I would like to see the introduction of a new character, especially if Tim is thinking of leaving. Maybe someone who liked Ruth a bit.
12EadieB
Carol, thanks once again for the re-cap of all the books. You are truly amazing with your WRITING and READING skills! I wouldn't even want to try to write a book about Cathbad. I know mine would turn people off from reading ever again.
I don't want to see Nelson and Michelle breakup. I do want to see Ruth finally get over Nelson and move on to another person who will care about her and Kate.
I hope Elly does a new series about Cathbad as he is certainly a very unique character and would love to learn more about his past. Carol's rendition was very interesting too but would like to see what Elly's got in mind.
I don't want to see Nelson and Michelle breakup. I do want to see Ruth finally get over Nelson and move on to another person who will care about her and Kate.
I hope Elly does a new series about Cathbad as he is certainly a very unique character and would love to learn more about his past. Carol's rendition was very interesting too but would like to see what Elly's got in mind.
13Carol420
>11 Olivermagnus: >12 EadieB: Thank you both for your kind words. Organization is my middle name. That's what I did for 28 years of my life so that the Zoo's programs would run smoothly and people might actually WANT to come back:) Not to mention that disorder really bothers me. I hope Elly also writes Cathbad's story.
I've been off the last two days at the Muskegon Irish Fest. Great music and a really good time. Lynda knows where that is...for the rest of you it's on the west coast of Michigan on Lake Michigan.
I've been off the last two days at the Muskegon Irish Fest. Great music and a really good time. Lynda knows where that is...for the rest of you it's on the west coast of Michigan on Lake Michigan.
14EadieB
>13 Carol420:
Irish Festival are great times. We had one in the town next to us but I guess they have since moved it. We used to go to that and we enjoyed the food very much. I was wondering where you were yesterday but I'm glad you're back and had a great time.
Irish Festival are great times. We had one in the town next to us but I guess they have since moved it. We used to go to that and we enjoyed the food very much. I was wondering where you were yesterday but I'm glad you're back and had a great time.
15Olivermagnus
>13 Carol420: - That sounds like fun. Hope you had great weather. Glad you're back.
16Carol420
>14 EadieB: I should have mentioned that was going to be gone. I did read the chapters though. The really great thing about this one is that they use so much local talent. There was a group there called "Crossbow" that is composed of students and former students of Grand Valley State. Again, Lynda knows where that is.
>15 Olivermagnus: Rain when we left Battle Creek but we drove out of it by Grand Rapids. A really beautiful day...the best we've had in 5 or 6 years for this event.
>15 Olivermagnus: Rain when we left Battle Creek but we drove out of it by Grand Rapids. A really beautiful day...the best we've had in 5 or 6 years for this event.
