The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths.

This book is the 8th in the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. This story is set in Walsingham, Norfolk and has two murders plus some threatening letters. Follow DCI Harry Nelson and his close friend Ruth as they get to the bottom of the mystery.

I have not read any of the other Ruth Galloway novels but each book is a stand-alone, so I had no difficulty in jumping in at number 8. I found this book a soft, easy read. Although there are two murders, the police investigation is quite low key with no specialist work, just routine policing. The whole story is told in a very jolly and British way with the dynamics of the characters taking centre stage. I liked how Elly used the religious history of Walsingham in her story and her handling of the contentious issue of women priests. She has a diverse range of clergy and from my past experience, thought her portrayal of them was very accurate, especially when they went out to dinner! Atheists will enjoy the religious mumbo jumbo played among the characters.

The Woman in Blue is NOT a gritty crime drama, it is a people story. A story of how people live, love and relationships develop. The plot was okay with a good range of suspects that were steadily given the wink. There was enough mystery to keep me interested and I found this a pleasant read. When I got to the end, my lasting thoughts were that this novel was very much like an episode of the very successful and popular television drama Kingdom, starring Stephen Fry and also set in Norfolk. I think The Woman in Blue is a GOOD READ, a book that you can enjoy in a soft, lazy sort of way. It is comfortable, like an old pair of slippers and does not challenge the reader in any way. I came across nothing new in this book, there was no WOW! factor, just a warm cozy read that I will vote 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Quercus for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.