The Crossing Places

Quirky, sharp-tongued archaeologist Ruth Galloway lives blissfully alone in a rural spot near Norfolk called Saltmarsh, a place that was holy to its Iron Age inhabitants—not quite earth, nor quite sea—when she's not unearthing bones or other ancient things.

Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson phones Galloway to request assistance after discovering a child's bones on a barren beach in the area. Ten years ago Lucy Downey went missing, and Nelson believes he has recovered her remains. He has been getting strange messages about her ever since she vanished, ones that mention sacrifice and ceremony. Ruth is quickly pulled into the Lucy Downey case and the psyche of the letter writer, who seems to possess both unsettling psychic abilities and archeological expertise, even if it turns out that the bones are really two thousand years old.

A second kid goes missing, and her whereabouts are being searched for. Ruth discovers she is in grave danger as the letter writer approaches her and the blustery Norfolk environment begins to take its toll.

A compelling new crime series with an enticing protagonist begins in The Crossing Places.