The Man in Black
And Other Stories
-
-
5.0 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- $17.99
Publisher Description
LONGLISTED FOR THE CRIME WRITERS' ASSOCATION 2025 DAGGER AWARDS
From the internationally bestselling author of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries, an eclectic, thrilling collection of short stories, featuring many characters that readers have come to know and love.
Elly Griffiths has always written short stories to experiment with different voices and genres as well as to explore what some of her fictional creations such as Ruth Galloway, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto might have done outside of the novels. The Man in Black gathers these bite-sized tales all together in one splendid volume.
There are ghost stories, cozy mysteries, tales of psychological suspense, and poignant vignettes of love and loss.
In the title story, Ruth Galloway crosses paths with a mysterious man in a bookstore, setting in motion a rescue mission that hinges on the legends and lore of Norfolk.
Looking into the past, a young magician in 1920s Leeds wonders just what happened to his missing landlady in “Max Mephisto and the Disappearing Act.”
In “Justice Jones and the Etherphone,” a witty girl detective investigates the dire prediction of a fortune teller in dreary postwar London.
A flashback in time reveals Harbinder Kaur as a Detective Sergeant surviving her first day on the job at Shoreham DCI.
To celebrate the holidays, Ruth gets her very first Christmas tree, and her beloved cat narrates his own seasonal story in “Flint’s Fireside Tale.”
And readers can armchair travel with stories set on the Amalfi Coast, in Capri, and in Egypt as Ruth and DCI Nelson experience their very own version of Death on the Nile.
The Man in Black illustrates the breadth and variety of Elly Griffiths’s talent for blood-chilling, page-turning stories all with her trademark humor and heart.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Whether you love your mysteries laced with whimsical fun or packed with thrilling suspense, this collection of short stories from Elly Griffiths definitely has what you’re looking for. Many of these tales feature characters from Griffiths’ numerous book series, making each one a treat for existing Griffiths fans and a perfect introduction for newcomers. There are stories starring Harbinder Kaur, a determined detective with a splendidly clever wit, and Dr. Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist whom we loved following on a trip down the Nile. Griffiths’ 1920s magician turned investigator, Max Mephisto, and her brilliant YA girl detective, Justice Jones, also appear in their own engaging tales. There’s even a cozy, Christmas-themed story narrated by Ruth’s cat, Flint. The stories all feature Griffiths’ light, conversational touch, with a few straying from the mystery format to heartwarming effect. (We smiled ear to ear throughout “Ruth’s First Christmas Tree.”) This is a perfect read—or gift—for any mystery lover.
