LoveReading Says
A cold case like no other begins an immersive and unique new crime series. Unsolved cases are being investigated by a relatively new and very secret team travelling back in time and Ali Dawson finds the past clashing with the present when she is asked to clear the name of an MP’s relative in 1850’s London. Award-winning and bestselling author Elly Griffiths is one of my favourites, here she rather masterfully joins several genres and I rubbed my hands with glee as I found myself as hooked as a hooked thing can be. Ali strides into the story with gusto, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her, the team, son Finn, and temperamental cat Terry. I had absolutely no trouble in believing the time-travel element, it slipped in and made itself right at home. Humour peppers the pages, which creates a foil to the edgy atmosphere. I loved Victorian London, the sense of place filled my senses while the plot weaved its magic. This is a wonderful start to a new series and has been chosen as both a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month. Vibrantly colourful and different, The Frozen People is as entertaining as it is satisfying, and comes as highly recommended by our team.
Liz Robinson
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Elly Griffiths Press Reviews
'A five-star start to a dazzling new series . . . Smart, original and utterly masterful' Janice Hallett
'A pleasure from finish to start' Anthony Horowitz
'Fresh and exciting with both humour and thrills, Griffiths' first book in her new series knocks it out of the park' Shari Lapena
About Elly Griffiths
Elly Griffiths is a multi-award-winning author and a No 1 bestseller. She has written twenty-six crime novels for adults; four for children, and a volume of short stories. Her books for adults include the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, the Brighton Mysteries and the Detective Harbinder Kaur series.
Elly’s many accolades include the CWA Dagger in the Library, the Edgar Award and the Fingerprint Award for Crime Novel of the Year, as well as being shortlisted multiple times for the Theakston’s Award. The Frozen People is the first in a new series starring Ali Dawson, a time-travelling detective.
Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband and their cat, Pip.
Below is a Q & A with this author.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could take one crime novel, one DVD boxset and one character from a crime novel, who/what would you take?
This is the sort of question I spend a lot of time debating when I should be working! My desert island book is usually The Mating Season by PG Wodehouse as I think that would cheer me up (unlike Ruth I don’t like solitude). But crime novel? It would have to be The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. DVD boxset would be The Office (US version) and the character would be Charles Paris from Simon Brett’s novels as at least we’d have a laugh – and a drink.
Photo Credit: Sara Reeve
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party and what would be on the menu?
I’d invite Clive Stafford-Smith, Marcus Brigstocke, Bruce Springsteen, Germaine Greer and Jilly Cooper. We’d eat Italian food ideally cooked by my late Nonna (it is a dream after all).
What is your favourite line from a film/TV series/book?
It’s a few lines but Flora Poste’s telegram in Cold Comfort Farm. ‘Worst fears realised darling. Seth and Reuben too. Send gumboots.’
If you could write a book with any other crime or thriller writer, who would you choose and why?
I’d have great fun with Lesley Thomson, David Harrison (Tom Bale), Jim Kelly or Alison Bruce. Alison, Jim and I have talked about our fictional detectives meeting as our books are all set in the Cambridge/King’s Lynn area. They’d probably all hate each other too which would make for a fun read.
Who is your favourite onscreen detective?
I really like Jackson Brodie (Jason Isaacs) but my favourite is probably still David Suchet as Poirot.
If your book was being made into a film or a TV series, who would you want to play the lead character?
Ruth Jones or Eva Myles. She’d have to become Welsh but it would be worth it.
What crime novel do you wish you had written?
The Woman in White.
What’s the scariest place you’ve visited for inspiration?
The prison chapel in Lincoln Castle.
You are master of cluedo and have any name, weapon and room at your disposal, whodunit and what happened?
It would have to be the Reverend Green as I do like a theological thriller. Reverend Green (who’s a woman) in the library with the bible.
More About Elly Griffiths
