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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Serial murders of homeless people in an underground setting; the killer targets the socially invisible
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild content
Substance Use
Some
Substance abuse is part of the rough-sleeping community's portrait
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The specific horror of predators who choose victims based on their invisibility; the institutional failures that create the conditions for this kind of crime
What this book is about
A woman goes missing near the entrance to Norwich's historical underground tunnel system — a network of chalk pits dating back centuries. DCI Nelson investigates while Dr. Ruth Galloway examines bones found in the tunnels. The investigation reveals a community of people living underground and a predator exploiting their invisibility. Elly Griffiths's eighth Ruth Galloway mystery is her darkest, using the city's literal underground to explore what happens to people who fall out of society's sight — and the specific violence that can be directed at those who can't be reported missing because nobody was looking for them.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
eighth of the Ruth Galloway series; darkest entry in the series
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