The Janus Stone

Unearthing Dark Legacies

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths (2016, Quercus) drags archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway out of her coastal solitude and into a chilling excavation. When two ancient skulls are discovered at a derelict estate, they carry a modern horror—a missing woman whose bones may be hidden among the centuries-old remains. Griffiths deftly entwines forensic precision with gothic atmosphere, exposing the raw truths that time tries to bury.

A Race Against Time and Death

Called in by Inspector Harry Nelson, Ruth confronts more than just eroded graves. As she deciphers cryptic carvings on a Roman altar stone—named for the two-faced god Janus—she unravels a web of betrayal stretching back generations. With every shovel-full of earth, the trail tightens around a contemporary fiend, forcing Ruth to balance academic detachment with urgent empathy.

Blunt in its depiction of violence and unafraid to probe society’s hidden fractures, The Janus Stone is a forensic thriller that refuses to romanticize its heroine’s struggles. Ruth’s fierce intellect and vulnerability drive the narrative forward, demanding readers confront the way history repeats its darkest chapters. For those who crave something more than a cosy mystery, this novel delivers a relentless blend of archaeology, suspense, and moral reckoning.