Elly Griffiths’ latest novel, THE LOCKED ROOM, is a unique murder mystery set in the UK at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also the 14th installment in her series starring Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist who is called upon to help the police from time to time.

Three years after her mother passed away, Ruth is finally going through her things. As she looks at some old photographs, she comes across a puzzling snapshot of the cottage where she grew up. The photo is dated 1963 and has the name “Dawn” written on it. Ruth was born in 1968 and has no relative named Dawn. So what’s going on here?

"THE LOCKED ROOM is unlike any novel Elly Griffiths has ever written due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic. Still, she manages to compose a clever mystery with moments of high suspense and peril."

Ruth lives with her daughter, Kate, who she had out of wedlock with the very married DCI Harry Nelson. Nelson is working a fresh case in which a 52-year-old woman was found lifeless in her bed next to a bottle of pills. Those who knew her said there would’ve been no reason for her to be suicidal, but that’s exactly how her death is being treated. Meanwhile, COVID cases continue to rise throughout the country as Nelson and his team get hit with what appears to be another suicide. The victim’s door was locked when they found her body, resulting in a true “locked room” mystery surrounding her death.

By March 23, 2020, Ruth is remarking to herself that in just a span of four weeks, she has gone from lecturing full classes to setting up shop in her home and moving all her files there. She and Nelson are also challenged by a new form of communication called Zoom, which is taking some getting used to but seems to be the only way to stay connected with colleagues. Ruth and Kate participate in the nightly clap for frontline workers, especially as their new neighbor, Zoe, is a part-time nurse. They even get Zoe to join in on their virtual yoga sessions to start off each day.

Nelson is called in to check out something alarming involving one of Ruth’s students, Joe, who may have an unsettling crush on her. It looks like he has disappeared but not before leaving behind a shrine in his room to Ruth, including dozens of photos of her and even Kate. There is also a post-it note with words from poet Richard Lovelace: “Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage.” No one is quite sure what to make of this, but it’s just another name for Nelson to add to his list of possible suspects.

THE LOCKED ROOM is unlike any novel Elly Griffiths has ever written due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic. Still, she manages to compose a clever mystery with moments of high suspense and peril. Having spent such quality time with these characters, I was sorry to see the book end but look forward to #15 as soon as possible.