The Woman In Blue: The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries 8

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An uncommon, down-to-earth heroine whose acute insight, wry humor, and depth of feeling make her a thoroughly engaging companion." -- Erin Hart Woman in Blue is the summation of that history of performance and observation, poetically suggested here in the way the drawing, colored translucent blue, borrows from the world of the painting it inhabits. The interdependence of the two media—the intensity of drawing sessions allowing for the “apparent ease” of painting—is also signaled by the graphite marks of her left eye on raw canvas, peering out from under the colored surface.

It is because of people’s comments here on Goodreads that I decided to give this book a try. Relying mostly on libraries for my books, I often find myself coming into a series midway through. The only other one I had read of this series which I didn’t realise till later was book 5. Despite this being book 8 in the series, I found it easy enough to get into and follow what was happening. The story covers plenty of territory with archaeology, information about the medieval town, religious rites and the annual passion play, as well as the issue of women priests, which as the story shows can be polarising, plus the ongoing fluctuating relationship that exists between Ruth and Harry. Though married to Michael, Harry is the father of Ruth’s five year old daughter Kate. I had many suspicions about some people from the start and it was fun to read and find out when I’d guesses right/wrong. There were lots of red herrings but all of them made sense. I’d thought of the culprit (s) at different points but I love when I can’t guess correctly and this was one time when I was stymied. I read these books for the characters and the relationships and the settings, but this mystery was complex and complicated, and believable, and I thought it was a great part of the book. I found particularly sad both of the murders in this book. Ruth, meanwhile, is drawn to Walsingham by a reunion with a friend from her PhD studies. Dr Hilary Smithson is now an ordained Anglican priest, and is in the area to attend a workshop for women priests preparing to become bishops. Hilary has been in receipt of a series of increasingly abusive letters, and has sought out Ruth's assistance on the basis of her work as a police consultant. Ruth requests Nelson's advice about the letters, but he's reluctant to become involved until another murder occurs, this time of one of the female priests, a pleasant woman that Ruth had met only the night before at a dinner. Are the killings religiously motivated, or is there something else that links the women and may explain the murders? Ruth is a terrific character: unglamorous, smart, down-to-earth and completely believable." -- San Jose Mercury News As if to remind us of the depth and duration of the human engagement behind those abstract signs, Matisse includes other images on the wall, like the drawing of Delectorskaya, Head of a Woman with Chin in Palm (1937; Pushkin Museum, Moscow), executed a few months earlier. This work on paper belongs to a long series of related images, all variations of her wearing a collar, jabot, and other parts of this complex outfit of her design. Woman’s Skirt, 1937, made and worn by Lydia Delectorskaya (Russian, 1910-1998) in Matisse’s Woman in Blue. Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2013-15-1Ruth Galloway's] an uncommon, down-to-earth heroine whose acute insight, wry humor, and depth of feeling make her a thoroughly engaging companion." -- Erin Hart, Agatha and Anthony Award nominated author of Haunted Ground and Lake of Sorrows Tory MP Penny Mordaunt arrived early at the coronation this morning in a striking outfit and carrying a very large sword. As Walsingham prepares for its annual Easter re-enactment of the Crucifixion, the race is on to unmask the killer before they strike again…

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Dutch Scenes of Domestic Interiors

This painting was reproduced (published) 10 October 1912, in Claude-Roger, "Au Salon d'Automne, Maîtres Cubes", in Comoedia Illustré, La Comédie Artistique, October 1912, p. 62. See here too: "Au Salon d'Automne, Maîtres Cubes", in Comoedia Illustré Reader favorite, druid priest Cathbad, is cat sitting in Little Walsingham. It is a religious place for many people. He doesn't think too much of it when he sees a mysterious lady in white with a blue cape walking the cemetery in the late hours of the evening; maybe he was one of the fortunate to capture a glimpse of the Virgin Mary. However, a woman's body is discovered the next morning and Cathbad may be the last person to see her alive. DCI Harry Nelson, Clough, and Tim are all on the scene trying to piece together what happened to the woman in blue who just so happens to be a high profile young model. A young model who happens to be a patient at the local rehab facility. Media attention means the Superintendent's attention and the killer must be found. Mordaunt, who is MP for Portsmouth North, is currently Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Privy Council. The latter meant she had an important role to play in King Charles III's coronation. The unlikely on-off romance between gruff and unreconstructed male DCI Harry Nelson and forensic archaeology lecturer Ruth has been a continuing feature of this series and together they are parents to Kate (or as Nelson insistent on calling her, “Katie”). Despite Nelson’s marriage to glamorous hairdresser and childhood sweetheart, Michelle, domestic waters are muddied by the presence of Nelson’s lingering feelings for Ruth and Michelle’s own attachment to one of her husband’s team in the shape of DS Tim Heathfield. Mordaunt also received attention for her outfit. She wore a turquoise dress with matching cape and hat, embossed with golden leaves on the shoulders and hat.