Meet Elly Griffiths as she launches her latest history whodunit at book-signing sessions in Norfolk. The Locked Room is her 14th novel starring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway - and the landscapes and legends of Norfolk.
What inspired this latest novel in your Ruth Galloway series?
It was inspired by lockdown but I did think long and hard about whether to include Covid in the book. In the end I decided that, having written about Ruth every year since 2008, it seemed wrong to miss out 2020. Ruth and Nelson are locked down in Norfolk with a killer on the loose.
Why do you love setting your novels in Norfolk?
So many things! Norfolk is particularly rich in archaeology and history so it’s the perfect location for an archaeologist heroine. There’s also a very varied landscape – marshes, beaches, cliffs, farmland, the Broads, seaside resorts like Yarmouth and Cromer, picturesque villages, ancient towns and Norwich. Also, Norfolk people are very knowledgeable about their county and a great source of local myths and legends.
Which Norfolk settings have you used in The Locked Room?
A lot of the action takes place in Tombland, around the cathedral and Augustine Steward’s House.
What did you enjoy most about researching the book?
I had to research Norwich during the plague years, which was rather harrowing, but it was wonderful – and very comforting - to discover Mother Julian’s writing from that era.
What period of archaeology do you explore this time?
A medieval grave is discovered in the centre of Norwich…
You also often incorporate Norfolk folklore into your books – does The Locked Room include any local legends?
This time it’s the Grey Lady of Tombland.
Which is your favourite Ruth Galloway novel?
The most recent book is always my favourite but I have a soft spot for The Ghost Fields [set on the site of a Second World War airfield on the Norfolk coast]. I’ve always wanted to write a book where an ill-assorted group of people are marooned in a country house. It also includes my favourite line: ‘Ruth! Get behind the duck!’
The Locked Room, by Elly Griffiths is published by Quercus. It sees Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson hunting a murderer as Covid strikes. The plot includes a series of deaths linked to an archaeological discovery, a carer tried for murder, a mysterious photograph - and lockdown. It will be launched, with Jarrold, at St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, on Wednesday February 2. There is also a chance to see Elly Griffiths at King's Lynn Waterstones at noon and at Cley Marshes Visitor Centre from 6pm, both on February 3, and at Lowestoft Library on February 5.
