The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

Anyone who has read a book by Elly Griffiths and who then sees a new title by her will immediately snatch it up (as I did). Those who have never read books by her are missing out. Griffiths’ series featuring Ruth Galloway is one of my favorite ever. I have also enjoyed her stories featuring Harbinder and the ones set in Brighton.

So…I was very excited to see that Griffiths had a first book out in what will be a new series. I loved it.

This title does require some suspension of disbelief as it includes time travel (a much more common trope these days). However, I enjoyed spending time in each of the time periods while waiting to see how the stories would come together.

Much like Ruth, Ali is an idiosyncratic and highly likeable protagonist who solves murders. Griffiths has many characters surrounding her in both the Victorian and modern eras.

I think that the author researched the historical period well. Many details bring that time to life.

This atmospheric read is highly recommended to mystery lovers. I will be reading the next book soon.

By the way, the top cover is for the U.S. edition. I prefer the second which is the British one and that is the one that I purchased.

Post first published on 8 May 2026

Description:

from the publisher

“A pleasure from finish to start.” —Anthony Horowitz

“Fresh and exciting, with both humor and thrills, Griffiths’ first book in her new series knocks it out of the park!” —Shari Lapena

Some murders can’t be solved in just one lifetime.

Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they’re frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence.

The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London to clear the name of Cain Templeton, an eccentric patron of the arts. Rumor has it that Cain is part of a sinister group called The Collectors. Ali arrives in the Victorian era to another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions.

As the clock counts down, Ali becomes more entangled in the mystery, yet danger lurks around every corner. She soon finds herself trapped, unable to make her way back to her beloved son, Finn, who is battling his own accusations in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected? In a race through and against time, Ali must find out before it’s too late.

Next in the series:

This book has been published in the U.K. and releases later this year in the U.S.