Ruth is someone I would love to have as a friend. She is intelligent, academic, and has a wide range of interests. You could have a wide ranging conversation with her and never be bored. Nelson's wife, Michelle, is pretty but very shallow. When the whole Michelle & Tim situation explodes into view, Ruth ends up wondering what two intelligent complex men could possibly see in Michelle. I guess Michelle is the obvious choice if you are fixated on physical appearance. For me, attraction is a complex mix of appearance, sense of humour, intelligence, kindness, and interests. Just being handsome is not nearly enough. If I was to go speed dating, I'd be asking questions about his last vacation destination, if he speaks a language besides English, or how he spent his last weekend. ITV tonight launches a new drama series - or rather a variation on a long-established one - Prime Suspect 1973. Written as ever by Lynda la Plante, although in this case adapted by Glen Laker from her novel Tennison, it explores the origins of her central character Jane Tennison who appeared in successive series of Prime Suspect from 1991 onward.

Sadly, a young woman's body is discovered beginning an investigation with DCI Nelson and his squad. Ruth Galloway becomes involved when insight into the historical and religious aspects of Walsingham is needed as the investigation and crimes begin to increase. I always like maps in books and liked the map in front, of Walsingham, partly as it is and partly made up for this story. 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?Given the popularity of Vermeer today, and the relatively few works attributed to the artist, almost every detail of his canvases has been subject to symbolic scrutiny and interpretation. The major problem is that there is a limit to how many police investigations credibly require help from an archaeologist. In this one, Griffiths makes no real attempt to bring Ruth in officially. Instead, one of the women priests attending the conference just happens to be an old friend of Ruth's so, when she starts receiving threatening letters, of course she takes them to Ruth. Well, if you were being threatened, of course you'd go to an archaeologist you knew vaguely from University decades ago rather than to the police, wouldn't you? You wouldn't? No, neither would I.

Daniel A. Fink, 'Vermeer's Use of the Camera Obscura : A Comparative Study', The Art Bulletin 53 (1971), p. 493-505.VALENTINA VALENTINI: How did you end up filming the Minneapolis Police Department, of all the departments in America? Even when you have people working to reform [a department internally],” she adds, “it resists change. We didn’t go out and say, ‘We’re going to make a film that shows that police departments need major systemic change,’ but I think that’s exactly what it ends up telling us — that the reform failed.” 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. am just totally enjoying the Ruth Galloway series. I dread the idea that I’m getting caught up with them and will soon be left waiting to see how fast Ms. Griffiths can write.