As COVID-19 sweeps Great Britain, forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway and her daughter Kate are sheltering at home and dealing as best they can with the restrictions imposed on their lives. Meanwhile, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson (Ruth's lover and the father of Kate) and his team are investigating several suspicious suicides of women, a task made more difficult by the pandemic lockdowns.

While sorting the belongings of her deceased mother, Ruth finds a puzzling photograph, a view of her cottage with the inscription "Dawn, 1963." The name means nothing to Ruth and the date is before her birth. Did her mother know someone who lived here before?

Nelson's wife Michelle is away tending to her diabetic mother and has taken their youngest child George with her. Nelson makes several surreptitious and illegal visits to Ruth and Kate, ostensibly to check on their welfare. Ruth and Kate are drawn to their new neighbor Zoe but something about the woman worries Nelson and he's eager to look into her background and determine what it is that bothers him about her.

Nelson's concern spirals when Zoe, Ruth, Kate and two of Ruth's students all go missing. In the midst of this trauma, Griffiths throws in more cause for worry -- Nelson's secretary Leah, who has been acting strangely, sends him a cry for help, and his and Ruth's friend Cathbad is seriously ill with COVID.

Saying more about the plot would introduce spoilers and I don't want to do that. Suffice it to say this 14th book is a stellar addition to the series. Some may find it difficult to read a book with so many reminders of the trying days of the pandemic but trust me, it's worth the effort.

In addition to an assortment of familiar and likable characters, a realistic plot, and a few laughs, Griffiths throws in plenty of twists to keep a reader turning the pages. I've read all the books in the series and I'm ready for more.