Short Stories
It wasn’t so long ago that Elly Griffiths penned the last instalment of the Ruth Galloway series – but definitely long enough to miss the characters. The Man in Black provides a delicious taste of Ruth’s world once again, as well as familiar favorites from Griffiths’ other series. However, established characters aren’t the only ones to appear in these short stories. Griffiths’ stories are brief, but full, sketches. The book introduces glimpses of many lives, just little capsules of how they think and live and feel.
My favorite story of the collection, starring Harbinder Kaur, deals with her starting her new job. She is put on a murder case right off the bat, and the narrative runs long enough to solve it. However, it was the little details that made it so charming to me – several dogs feature, including a chug (a Chihuahua/ pug, of course) and Harbinder’s own ancient family terrier. She’s just getting to know her new coworkers, particularly the ever-funny Neil, and it’s just a nice little episode in her daily life. Readers who are longing to spend more time with Harbinder will be especially pleased.
Though each story is different, there is one theme other than mystery in them that stands out – love. Love in various shapes and sizes, lost and found and new and old. It’s often what drives the mysteries themselves, and it’s lovely to see the powerful emotion crop up over and over. It presents a unifying thread between the stories that was always there in Ruth’s mysteries too.
However, the book won’t just please fans of Ruth Galloway. There are a few with Harbinder Kaur, a new intrigue for Justice Jones and her friends, and a look into the early career of Max Mephisto. Many are holiday themed, and perfect for the upcoming season. These stories are just the perfect thing to read in front of a fireplace.
These short stories are sure to tide Griffith’s fans over until her new series arrives next year. Until then, the reader can glimpse back into little moments of the lives of characters we love. – Margaret Agnew