A toadman according to fenland folklore is someone who has made a deal with the devil which gives them control over horses. I received a copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. This is where the Lantern Men roam, prowling the dark, marshy Fens for their victims. A lone light, shining out across the darkness, luring people in. Bringing the traditional British mystery up to date with this strong and driven sleuth—not a true amateur sleuth, but an active partner with the official investigation—is the best part of reading this ongoing series from Elly Griffiths.”

The continued investigation turns up the names of additional young women who had gone missing and were never found. The only problem is that one of them, Heidi Lucas, could not have been killed by March because her murder occurred while he was in prison. Still, the focus is directly on Grey Walls, as Nelson is convinced that they are behind Heidi's demise. The trouble is that March's ex-wives and girlfriends all proclaim his innocence. Bob and Leonard are highly suspect characters, but they also seem to worship the ground on which March walks. Ruth and Nelson need to combine their efforts to find out if indeed the wrong man has been imprisoned. It is believed that one of the only ways to protect yourself against the lantern man is to lie face down on the ground with your mouth in the mud to avoid making a noise that might attract him to you as a victim, or you become attracted to his light.If you're looking for a way to stay up to date with the latest breaking news from around Peterborough the CambridgeshireLive newsletter is a good place to start. She has a new job, home and partner, and is no longer North Norfolk police's resident forensic archaeologist. That is until convicted murderer Ivor March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal. Nelson was always sure that March killed more women than he was charged with. Now March confirms this and offers to show Nelson where the other bodies are buried - but only if Ruth will do the digging. DISCLOSURE: Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of the Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. The following morning, after a night of worry, the fisherman stepped out of the house to see the horn had been violently burnt.

This was one of the stories that were told to local folklorist Leslie F. Newman, who collected stories about East Anglia.Despite my complaining about the relationship angst, the mysteries in these books are tight, well thought out, engaging, and never too gory. These books are filled with folklore and rich with historical facts. Also regularly spotted in Suffolk, the Shug Monkey is said to stalk the roads close to the village of West Wratting in Cambridgeshire. When the dig at the old pub reveals a surprise and the DNA evidence isn’t what Nelson had hoped, things really start to get complicated. Then, another young woman is found dead, and even Nelson has a nagging thought that March could be innocent, although that thought doesn’t linger long. And, of course, the mythic legends, which Nelson finds annoying and Ruth finds fascinating, rear their mysterious heads. This time it is the legend of the Lantern Men. Three of the men, including Ivor March, who had lived at Grey Walls had called themselves the Lantern Men, but contrary to the marsh legend of the Lantern Men leading people to their deaths, March claims that they saved young women who were lost. The dead women speak otherwise, but if March led the “Lantern Men,” is there now a copycat killer?

If all this sounds too good to be true, there were a couple of dissenting voices in our book group. For them these books are only average and this plot too unlikely, so they won’t be reading more by this author. However, it should be said that they usually read gritty, psychological thrillers, so perhaps it’s not surprising this didn’t appeal. Ruth has moved on since the earlier cases she worked with Nelson. She has left her job at the University of North Norfolk and her cottage on the Northfolk Fens. Much to Nelson's displeasure, she and Katie have moved in with American historian Frank Barker and she has started a new job at St Jude's College in Cambridge. However, since it's the end of the academic year and she has just finished writing a book, she agrees to help Nelson out by being involved in the exhumation of the bodies. And so Nelson and Ruth are thrown together once more, and Elly Griffiths plays them both like a Stadivarius violin, charting the ebb and flow of their deeply buried feelings while leading us on a cleverly crafted crime journey too. Because the more Nelson and his team learn about March, the less likely it seems that he was the actual killer. Fans of the dyed-in-the-wool detective can guess that this isn’t something Nelson is keen to hear, but if March didn’t commit the crimes, then who on earth did?Ruth stands frozen with her hand on the car door. Ivor March wants her to be involved in the case. A serial killer not only knows her name but is requesting her assistance. Should she refuse? This isn’t her case, after all. She thinks of Frank’s words last night. ‘You’ve got a new team now.’ But, of course, deep down, she wants to do it. She wants to be the one to find the bodies.”

The lights dance and twist their way over the dark surface of the great mere, or skip erratically in and out of reed beds and are apparently drawn to the sound of whistling. We choose the most important stories of the day to include in the newsletter, including crime, court news, long reads, traffic and travel, food and drink articles and more. There is a fair amount of psychology and psychobabble in this one, as Nelson has had the services of a crime profiler to ‘help’ him solve the crime. But it allows Nelson’s snarkiest side to come out, which is fun. We may even see all Nelson’s sides in this one: the full range of his emotions, plus his hero persona. The side play between DCI Judy and the up-and-coming DS Tanya adds some nice rivalry to the police procedural. The plot twists and turns, gives you an ‘uh-oh’ just when you realise that (s)he shouldn’t have done that…. But it's not just the historic buildings which are roamed by spirits. The vast, flat expanse can stretch for miles with no signs of life, let alone any lights.

Find a Book

Want more news direct to your inbox? Sign up to our daily newsletter here. Read More Related Articles They are attracted to whistles echoing through the marshland and lonely travellers without protection. Ruth has taken a new post in Cambridge; academic recognition for her work and experience. She is living with Frank who is devoted to Ruth and doted on her daughter Kate. Nelson is getting on with his life still with Michelle and his focus is perhaps more centred on their son George. Nelson is frustrated that despite getting a guilty verdict on serial killer Ivor March he has been unable to link him to two other missing women whose bodies have not been found.